Hello, sorry it took me so long! I'll be ending this story in the next few chapters, but here's the latest one for now. Hope you all enjoy it, and if anyone out there reads SPB, Sweetie Pie's bakery has also been updated. Enjoy!
"Happy New Year, everybody! We'll see you later!" My sister calls as she closes the front door behind her brood.
"Have a good night!"
"See you later, honey!"
"Don't pass out in a garbage truck like last year!"
We all chorus good wishes from the living room as the door slams shut, the windows rattling slightly from the impact. My sister and her family are headed to another party tonight; welcoming the new year in with some local friends and their kids. Sounds like a riot. I'm doing the same thing I do every ye-
"What about you, Sanny?" My father's voice interrupts my thoughts as I'm curled up on the sofa, "What are your plans for this evening?"
"Same thing I do every year, Paps." I smile at him with a little nod, "Meeting Blaine at Ol' St. Nick's and having a few drinks, seeing in the new year, then home. I shouldn't be too late back, don't worry."
I'm looking forward to my annual New Year not-so-much-a-bar-crawl Bar-Crawl with Blaine. He's my best friend and we've been doing it every since we were old enough to drink. It was in the first year that the tradition was set; what was intended to be an all-night bar-crawl had actually turned into Blaine vomiting all over Ol' St. Nick's bathroom and us going home early. So that's just what we do now-minus Blaine vomiting, usually. It's pretty nice actually, Ol' St. Nick's is this really cool Christmas-themed bar in our neighbourhood. I mean sure, during the rest of the year it doesn't exactly burst with custom, but at Thanksgiving to New Years it's always full, and it's won a ton of awards for different stuff. I just like it because they serve mulled wine all year round and sell roast chestnuts, but a Christmas-themed bar was always going to be a winner in my eyes.
"Well, enjoy yourself." My mami smiles and I nod graciously, "What time are you meeting Blaine? Tell him I say hi, I've not seen him in so long."
"At about 8, I think. Yeah, I'll make sure he stops by. Or I'll see if he can stay over tonight and have breakfast in the morning." I shrug indifferently and my mother's face lights up.
"Good idea! It'd be nice to see him again, tell him he's always welcome." My mom loves Blaine. She's subtle, but he's definitely the son she never had. I have a hunch she had always hoped we'd get together and be married and have lots of frizzy-haired bouncing babies, but that notion was put to a definitive end when Blaine and I decided we liked boys and girls. Respectively.
"Yeah, sure. Anyway, I still need to shower and all the rest of it, so I'm going to start getting ready." I smile politely before pushing myself off the couch and heading upstairs.
-oOo-
"Sanny!" I hear the yell as I wander down the street towards Ol' St. Nicks, but have no time to turn around before Blaine clasps me round the waist and lifts me high into the air, swinging me round in circles. I slap his forearms repeatedly until he sets me back down on my feet, and I turn to mock-scowl at him. He's gained a little muscle since the last time I saw him, and he looks bigger under his thick coat and matching hat, scarf and mittens.
"Ugh. You again." I roll my eyes exaggeratedly and he pouts back at me, widening his eyes to flutter his eyelashes, and I can't help but giggle and jump into his arms again, "Oh, it's so good to see you! How're things?"
He lifts me off my feet again as I squeeze him tight, and he laughs, wheezing slightly as he replies, "Everything is great. Work is good, my folks are all settled in their new place; things couldn't be better really." He puts me down and grins, "What about you? How's life in the big city?"
I jerk my head in the direction of Ol St. Nick's and we set off walking again as I fill him in, "Everything's great, really. Yeah work is work, my family are all great. Mami invited you to stay over and have breakfast in the morning, but I'm sure you know that already."
"Spare pare of boxers in my pants pocket." He grins and winks, and I roll my eyes.
"Of course. So yeah, you can ask everyone how they are yourself tomorrow. How was your Christmas?" I smile excitedly, raising my eyebrows hopefully and he chuckles.
"It was awesome. The usual, you know. Although, I did meet a very cute guy on the slopes this year, had myself a little holiday fling." He winks and I gasp, my face lighting up happily.
Most years Blaine and his family go skiing in France. They have a little apartment in the Alps, and although they didn't think they'd be able to go this year because his mom and dad were moving house, they still managed to go for a week.
"So what was he like? Where was he from?" Blaine never usually hooks up with anyone; he had a long-term boyfriend called Kurt just after school, but things didn't work out and he's pretty much been single ever since.
"Okay, he was Canadian."
"Then why was he in France?"
"I know right, that's what I said." He gestures towards me with a disbelieving frown, and I smile at our similar train of thought, "Surely Canada is better for ski holidays, not to mention closer and therefore cheaper." He shrugs, raising his eyebrows, "But apparently he had family of friends there or something- I don't know, I didn't really listen to everything he said, he had a nice mouth."
"Distracted?"
"Uh-huh." He nods seriously and I roll my eyes with a chuckle, "But yeah, I met him on my second day there. Kissed him on the third. On the fourth...you kno-"
"You was making luurve on Thursdayy, and Fridayy and Saturdayy and chilled on Sundayyy." I interrupt in a loud chorus, and Blaine grimaces at my song choice, sending me a dirty look before smiling and continuing,
"Well yeah, pretty much." He giggles guiltily and I nod my approval.
"Well, congratulations. It sounds like a Christmas miracle." I smile indulgently as we reach the bar, and Blaine leans forward to pull the door open, holding it for me. I nod my thanks and step inside, pulling my coat off and hanging it up before taking Blaine's and hanging it beside my own. The place is already heaving despite it only being half past ten, and we immediately struggle our way through to the bar.
"Hey, Santana! Blaine! How's it going?" Sam, the barman, gives us his wide grin when he sees us, despite currently serving another customer. We all went to school together and Blaine's always had a kind-of crush on him, but Sam's super straight so it's never amounted to anything.
"Awesome, as it always is at the most wonderful time of the year." I reply with a grin, and Sam narrows his eyes with a curious frown.
"Your freakishly excitable holiday cheer never ceases, does it?" he asks, handing over change to another woman before turning to face us.
"Nope. Not one bit, not at all. Especially not here." I reply seriously and he grins.
"So what can I get you both?"
"Umm, I will have a double whiskey to start please." Blaine grins and Sam gives him a macho nod and Blaine grins, a small blush creeping up his neck, "And I'm guessing Santana will have a mulled wine?" I nod happily and Sam turns to make the drinks, handing them over the bar and accepting the money from Blaine with a smile.
We turn to face the crowded room, and Blaine cranes his neck over the crowd to scan for an empty table.
"I don't see anything." I tell him, raising my voice above the noise, and he looks incredulously at me.
"Of course you don't you're like two foot high."
"What? I'm tall! Just because you're like three inches taller than me. You're a boy, you should be huge." I tut in mock-disappointment, but Blaine raises his giant eyebrows with a cocky grin.
"Oh, you have no idea." He winks cheekily and takes my hand, leading me over to the other side of the bar, "I think that table's going to be free soon."
"I have a perfect idea, actually. And what makes you so sure?" I raise a dubious eyebrow and he frowns at my expression.
"They're young, I think they'll go on to somewhere a little more...exciting." He shrugs casually but I scowl.
"What do you mean more exciting? We are standing in a verifiable grotto of Christmas cheer! What could be more exciting?" I smile sweetly and he rolls his eyes.
"You're sickening."
"And we're young. Besides, this place was exciting enough for you when you barfed all over the bathroom all them years back." I grimace but Blaine quickly taps me and points towards a table where three what look like fourteen-year-olds are collecting their jackets and bags and shuffling out of the booth. I nod and begin to make my way over, and after Blaine quickly clears their empty glasses, I sit down and I place our drinks on the table with a triumphant sigh, while Blaine grins and sits opposite me.
The next hour, and several drinks, is spent reminiscing, catching up on our recent activities and sharing latest news. After he tells me more about his holiday fling, in disgusting vivid detail, he sighs heavily and shakes his head.
"You can turn your nose up at me all you want, but at least I'm getting some action!" he rolls his eyes, his arms laid stretched across the back of the seat and I raise an eyebrow, deliberating on whether to tell him about the last couple of weeks. It's hardly 'action'. I haven't heard from Quinn since she kissed me on her doorstep, and although I know where she lives, I have very little way of contacting her.
"Well, I might not be getting action but that doesn't mean I'm a spinster!" He snorts and I sigh, rolling my eyes awkwardly, "There was this girl, actually. Sort of."
"What? What is this?" He claps his hands in delight and leans forwards on the table to listen eagerly, "When? Who was she?"
"Ugh," I take a sip of my drink to procrastinate but he shoves my other arm to urge me to tell him, "Fine. I was having a coffee on Christmas Ever and there were no seats left so she sat opposite me. We just got talking that's all." I shrug and he curls his lip with a disappointed frown.
"What, that's it? You just talked to some girl in Starbucks?"
"Well not exactly. We got talking and then on Christmas Day mami insisted we all went to some stupid party and her friend's house. And when I got there the girl was there, too." I shrug again and his jaw drops slightly.
"No way, how come? What's her name?" He frowns slightly and I hesitate. I don't particularly want to know if Blaine knows Quinn; he might tell me lots of incriminating things about her and ruin the whole thing. Or worse, he might tell her lots of things about me. And Blaine knows way too much for him to go running his mouth around cute blonde girls.
"She's called Quinn." Idiot. "She was at the party because her mom was hosting it, but she was upstairs the whole time because the party sucked. It was full of old, boring people." He's staring thoughtfully at the tinsel above my head, but shakes his head slowly.
"I don't think I know anyone called Quinn." Score! "But sounds cool. So did you talk to her that night?"
"Umm...yeah?" I avert my eyes and chuckle self-consciously, "I actually went to the bathroom, but got the wrong door and walked in on her-"
"Doing what?" He demands, and I slap his arm with a horrified sneer.
"Nothing, you perve! It wasn't a porno!" He rolls his eyes with a cheeky grin and I recoil disapprovingly, "Jesus, Canadian snowboarders have poisoned your beautiful mind! But she was just reading, and I left and she came after me and asked if I wanted to watch movies. So I did." I still sweetly and he raises an eyebrow.
"I like it. Sounds promising. Did anything happen?"
"Not really. Not while we were watching movies, but then we kind of...fell asleep. Until 4am." I bite my lip with a guilty smile and he grins, nodding his approval.
"Did you stay over?"
"No! No, I thought my family would be worried so I had to go. Turns out, actually they didn't even notice or care at all. So it's nice to know I'm so special to them-"
"So you just left?" He raises his eyebrows hopefully and I nod.
"Yeah. But she did kiss me on the doorstep. Which was really nice." I grin despite myself and Blaine wrinkles his nose happily.
"Awh. You're so cute. You're all smitten. So have you called her?"
"No, I didn't get her number. And she didn't take mine." I shrug sadly, "Maybe it's just one of those passing things. It was nice at the time but I have no way of seeing her again, so...that's it."
"But you said you stayed at her house. Can't you just go round and see her?" He asks, and I tilt my head uneasily.
"I suppose, but don't you think that's a little forward? Just go to her house, what if her mom answers or something?"
"Then you say, 'Hey, I totes wanna bang your daughter, is her ass in there?" I roll my eyes with a sigh and he sneers at me, "Of course not! You say, 'Hello, I'm one of Quinn's friends, is she home please?' and then her mom goes and gets her and you say 'Hey, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting but I just wondered if I could get your number and then maybe we'll go out sometime?' Job done."
He sits back looking pleased with himself and I roll my eyes, "Well, maybe. I'll think about it, I could go round before I go back to the city, I suppose."
"Do it. So how are things out there?" He tilts his head sympathetically and I sigh,
"Not brilliant. My contract ends at the end of January and the job search isn't going well. I have no idea how long I can last without getting paid weekly, I can't ask my parents for money, it's just been Christmas, you know?" He nods sympathetically and I shrug, "So you know what that means."
"Back to sunny Ohio?" he suggests with a raised eyebrow, "Sorry, sweetie."
"It's okay. I've loved my time in New York, and if another job comes up out there maybe I'll get to move back, but until then I'll find something closer to home. It's just too expensive over there, this way I can move back with my parents for a few weeks then hopefully get my own place."
"Well, I can't say it won't be nice to have you around more. But I know you're disappointed. Like you say, hopefully something else will come up and you could go back out there."
"Yeah. Let's get another drink." I stand up and he nods,
"The bar doesn't look busy, wonder if Sam can take a break?"
"Probably, you wanna leave the table for someone else and go see?" I jerk my thumb towards the bar and he pauses thoughtfully before glancing at a group of middle-aged women who are eyeing up our table, and he sighs and follows after me.
Sam agrees to take a break and the three of us stand leaning on the bar and talking about Sam's most recent string of affairs. He regales us with stories of dating horror stories and situations gone wrong, and we spend some time laughing until our sides hurt.
He's halfway through a story about losing his pants in a cougar's house when her husband returned when I see a flash of blonde hair through the crowd. I frown, staring over Sam's shoulder at the group of girls behind him, but another blonde girl turns, and I blink it off and focus my attention back on Sam's story. Just as Sam is getting to the climax, I notice a familiar face stood at a high table near by, and can't stop a grin spreading across my face.
"Hey, sorry Sam but I've just seen someone I know, so I just need to go catch up with them." I speak quickly and touch his arm as I brush past, and though the guys look nonplussed, they fall back into their conversation without a second glance. I cross towards the table, and as I get closer I see that she's stood by her own, and I frown slightly as I approach behind her.
"Penny for your thoughts?" I smile as Quinn jumps a little, turning to face me with a startled frown.
"Santana!" She looks shocked, and her cheeks pink a little, but she smiles shyly and I breathe a small sigh of relief, "Hey, how are you?"
"I'm good, what are you doing here?" I smile and she grins back at me.
"I'm just here with my sister, she wanted to just get away for the night so I agreed to come along with her. I'm kind of drunk actually, it's pretty embarrassing." She giggles and I can't help but join her, nodding my agreement.
"So embarrassing." She pouts and shoves me playfully, and I chuckle again, "No, it would be embarrassing but it's New Year's Eve and we're surrounded by drunk people. Not to mention we're in a Christmas bar, for Christ's sake. It's perfect, you can't deny it."
She giggles but relents, "That is true. It is perfect."
"Told you so. So where is your sister?" I frown and look around but see no sign of her.
"Oh, she's gone to the bathroom then I think she said something about a strapping bar tender? I don't know, but she gets handsy when she's drunk; I don't want to have to restrain her again." She grimaces and I raise an eyebrow, a little lost for words.
"Again?" I say incredulously and Quinn nods, blowing out a long breath as she rolls her eyes.
"Yes, again. Every time I go out with her she tries to feel up a bus boy or harass a taxi driving. One time she bit a male stripper." She speaks seriously but I can't help laughing out loud.
"Maybe I should go warn Sam. That's the bar tender in question, I believe. I went to school with him, he's a nice guy. Although, it seems like your sister is exactly his type, so maybe I'll just let him fend for himself." I shrug and she giggles, nodding in agreement.
"So what have you been up to since Christmas?" She asks politely, and I shrug.
"Not much really, I suppose. Eating way too much, drinking a little too much. Watching lots of Disney movies and adopting optional loss of hearing to irritate my mami as much as possible. Just keeping myself entertained, you?"
"Much of the same. Minus ignoring my mother; ignoring her would make life much harder. I try to just stay out of the way most of the time." She shrugs and although this tugs my heart strings a little, I refrain from asking any questions. "So who are you here with?"
"My friend Blaine, he's just by the bar with Sam. He's actually been questioning me all night." I roll my eyes and she chuckles, I take a deep breath, "About you actually."
Her cheeky turn pink and she raises an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on her lips, "What about me?"
"Um, about the other night?" I'm regretting this decision. God damn you, mulled wine.
"I see. What did you tell him?" She smiles a little more and I breathe a small sigh of relief.
"I told him what happened, and he asked if I'd called you." She raises her eyebrows with interest,
"Which you didn't. Very rude." She shakes her head with a reproachful frown and my jaw drops,
"You didn't give me your number! Little Miss Hit-It-And-Quit-It." I narrow my eyes at her and she nods guiltily.
"My bad." She swallows and averts her eyes shyly, "But you do know where my house is, so you could have found me there?" She challenges me, and I nod in admittance
"Yeah. Blaine said I should just come to your house and be all 'Hey, I'm sorry if this seems forward, but I've had a great time with you and I just wondered if I could get your number so I can call you and maybe take you on a date?' but then here you are, so I've saved myself some hypothetical embarrassment. And a walk round the neighbourhood." I grin and she chuckles.
"Sounded sweet. I feel like I'd have given you my hypothetical number." She replies seriously and I nod.
"Oh, I see. Good sign."
"Out of interest, would you have hypothetically called?"
"Yeah, I hypothetically would have." I nod sincerely and she smiles.
"I hypothetically see."
"I don't understand why I keep running into you everywhere. You just seem to pop up in the most unlikely of places." I change the subject suddenly, but it's been playing on my mind.
"What, like public places and my home of residence?" She quirks a cocky eyebrow, and smiles sarcastically, "Spooky."
"Alright! Jeez." I chuckle and she smiles back at me, "But it's just weird that's all."
"It is weird. But I dunno. I kind of like it." She shrugs and I nod, grinning.
"Yeah, me too." She grins before looking down at the table, and I look up as her older sister joins us at the table.
"Hey, who's this?" She asks loudly and I step back slightly, smiling politely.
"Hi, I'm Santana," I offer my hand but she just frowns at it, "We met at your parents' party on Christmas Day."
"Oh, you. Okay. I just got that bar tender's number!" She stabbed a finger in the direction of the bar and held the piece of paper in her hand aloft, and Quinn nods knowingly.
"Good for you, Franny." Quinn pats her sister's arm before Franny turns to talk to a woman behind her.
"Isn't your sister married with kids?" I ask, frowning with confusion.
"Yeah but he doesn't mind. She never actually calls anyone or properly cheats on him, and he just laughs about her drunken antics really. It's kind of weird." She nods seriously and I raise my eyebrows interestedly.
"TEN!" The whole crowd around us shouts, all staring at the television screen behind the bar.
"Oh my God, it's the count-"
"NINE!"
"-down!" Quinn announces, her eyes wide with excitement, and I gasp in delight.
"EIGHT!" I'm shoved forwards into the table as Franny pushes past behind me, rushing through the crowd to the bar.
"SEVEN!"
"Sam! Get here." She shouts, cutting a path through all the people.
"Oh God, no." Quinn groans.
"SIX!"
"Oh! I have to find Blaine, he's my midnight kiss!" I shout over the noise, grabbing her wrist and pulling her through the crowd after Franny.
"FIVE!"
"FOUR!" We reach the bar where Franny is already behind it, crossing to Sam.
"THREE!" I turn wildly, my hand still clasping Quinn's wrist, as I search for Blaine.
"TWO!" I finally see him through the crowd, his arm wrapped around the shoulders of another guy, and immediately turn on my heel to face Quinn and my heart sped.
"Never mind, I don't need to see Blaine. He'll be taken." I chuckle and she grins.
"ONE!" I glance around, my heart racing with anticipation.
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" I turn back to Quinn and she immediately cups my face in both hands, leaning forward Quickly. Her lips meet mine and one hand moves to my waist as she pulls me a little tighter. I wrap my arms around her waist before she pulls away, smiling slightly.
I raise my eyebrows, my eyes wide with surprise, and she bites her lip with a small shrug, taking a deep breath.
"Start as you mean to go on."