Heaven Sent
Chapter 6
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Walking into her apartment this time I realize that I didn't really look around when she invited us for dinner the other night. As I take in my surroundings I can see her apartment is quaint and the size is relatively moderate. She has a living room, a dining room, and kitchen. I'm not exactly sure on the amount of rooms she has. She told us to make ourselves at home and Beth immediately did. Stephanie was already changed into her pajamas and is currently showing Beth the movies she brought over so they could pick. Santana offered to let Beth borrow some of smaller brunette's sleep wear but I politely declined. I told her Beth was comfortable in her leotards so she stayed in them and only opted to borrow a shirt. They decide on 'Despicable Me' and hand it off to the Latina to pop it into her dvd player. She has a rather large tv which is perfect for viewing and the best yet is that she has a fire place. She says she's going to get started on the hot chocolate and tells me to stay put while she leaves to go to the kitchen. Of course I follow right behind her and I see her swaying to music I can only faintly hear her humming. She is still wearing her dress and heels from tonight and it's hypnotizing. I manage to get a hold of myself before she turns around and cough to let her know I'm here.
"Can I give you a hand?"
"No thank you, its ok I got it. Can I get you something while we wait for the champurrado to be ready?" She asks.
"The what?" I can't help the confused look on my face and she lets out a laugh.
"Champurrado, the hot chocolate I'm making. It's a Mexican drink but I picked it up and well Beth seems to enjoy it. I had a feeling if I had asked you over for champurrado the first time, neither you nor Beth would know what I was talking about so I went with hot chocolate."
"Oh, ha um yeah she does and no thank you I can wait." She nods and continues on with what she was doing. She is moving rather clumsily through the kitchen and it makes me want to laugh because she won't let me help her.
"So what is it that you do? If you don't mind me asking that is. This is the second time I come over and have yet to have an adequate conversation with you. Don't get me wrong," I quickly try to mend. "I like hanging out with you I just feel like I know nothing about you except for the fact that you saved my daughter and make a good cup of champu...uh hot chocolate," at that she laughs and it was worth my poor attempt to say it. She either laughed at that or my rambling, I'm not completely sure. Either way I'm not offended in the least. "I would just like to get to know you better."
"That's true. I know that you are a very attractive single mother, with an equally cute kid, and to top it all off you have the brains as well to be a lawyer." She turns and looks at me with an impish smile. Wow this woman can make me blush. In return I look up through my eyelashes and arch my eyebrow. We stare at one another for a solid minute before she remembers what she was doing and continues on in front of the stove. "To answer your question though, I'm a professor and head of the English department at Columbia which really came in handy for the accident. I have a decent amount of freedom and what with technology I can still work from here."
"Really? Wow, that's great. Your parents must be really proud."
"I'm sure your mom is just as proud. It must be nice to have her so close."
"Yeah she's great I don't know what I would have done without her. Do your parents live around here?"
"No." She said rather quickly with a hint of regret. That only makes me wonder what happened with her parents that she doesn't want to talk about them. "So do you have a strict blonde rule to be friends with someone? If so I don't think I would be able to sport that look." She says trying to lead the conversation elsewhere. I won't push the subject if she's uncomfortable.
"Well maybe you'll be my exception" I husk out with a tip of my head and a side glance to her. She almost drops the spoon she has in her hand and I let small laugh slip from my lips. She turns to hide her face in the cabinet to retrieve some mugs. Since she only has one working arm I get up to help her. I extend my arm and reach for a mug. I only notice how close I am to her because of the heat radiating from her body. Mugs already set aside and forgotten of, I look up and into the dark brown pools before me. God they seem to hold something I just can't figure out. For the second time tonight I find myself drawn to her. My eyes scan her face and I subconsciously lick my lips. The quick movement causes her eyes to follow. When she looks back up I can see her eyes are hooded with lust along with something else in their depths. Before we can say anything her phone rings out into the room. As she moves away to get it, the heat goes right along with her. She grabs her phone and starts typing something out.
"Sorry that was Sugar, she's just checking in on me." She gives lets out an amused chuckle. "She thinks just because I temporarily "handicapped", as she puts it, that I'm incapable of taking care of myself."
"I'm sure she's just being a good friend." It comes out more of a question. I need to make sure I'm not getting the wrong idea. I know I feel something here. It's not just me, right?
"Yeah," a fond smile takes over her features and it does nothing to calm my inner thoughts. "Blaine and Sugar are my best friends. They have been since I can remember. I think you know how that is though right, what with Brittany and Sam. I can see the way they are with you and Beth."
"Britt I've known since we were kids. Sam, well he came along while we were in high school but he made our duo into a trio and it's been like that ever since."
"That's good, I'm glad to hear you have such an amazing circle of people in your life."
"Believe me it hasn't always been that way but I'd rather not get into that right now." I say thinking about Puck and my father.
"Can you help me take these out to the girls?" Only then do I realize she had poured out four mugs and had a plate of bread set on the countertop.
"Yeah of course." I grab two mugs and I feel out done when I see her. She amazingly grabs a mug with the hand still in the brace while she balances the other on the plate of bread.
"I can't wait to take this stupid thing off." She grumbles.
"I could have come back for the other one you know."
"What kind of a host would I be if I let you do that?" She winks and heads off towards the sofa.
"Ok who wants some champurrado?" Santana calls out when we enter the room.
Steph immediately pops up and runs to Santana to grab a mug while Beth sits with a confused face. I laugh because I'm sure that was my same reaction. Santana seems to have caught on as well and explains to Beth what it is and that it is indeed the hot chocolate she was promised. Once they have their cups, luckily Santana had some with lids for the girls, they go right back to their spots on the sofa. Santana sits next to Stephanie, who is next to Beth, and I take the free space next to Beth. The girls are quietly munching on their bread and sipping on their drinks as their eyes are glued to the screen. They are so close together that if I reach my arm out over the top of the sofa I could touch the Latina's arm, so I do. With my legs crossed and knees pointing to the occupants next to me, I set the mug on top of my upper thigh. With my left arm I reach out and graze her forearm. She had her head tilted on it, and as my fingers touch her skin she slowly turns towards me. It's nice that on all of the occasions where I have come into some sort of contact with her that she does not flinch or move away. It's like she knows I need to touch her and she needs it to. Maybe that's wishful thinking on my part but I want to, no I need to find out. When our eyes meet again for the umpteenth time I only manage to smile. She smiles back and the dim light coming from the tv allows me to see all the features of her face including her cute dimples. I'm not sure how long we held each other's gaze for but the next thing I knew the credits we're rolling on the screen and Beth was barreling towards the taller brunette. She tried to brace herself but it was too late, a four year old was in her lap and she was slightly wincing in pain.
"Can we watch another movie? Please?"
"Beth!" I scolded. "You can't just jump on people like that, Santana still isn't properly healed, and even if she was that's not very nice."
"Sorry mommy." Beth says dejectedly.
"Don't apologize to me. Santana is the one you hurt."
"There's only so much pain killers can do," Santana manages to say while holding her waist.
"I'm sorry." Beth says to Santana looking down and fiddling with the necklace hanging from the Latina's neck.
"Are you ok San?" Steph asks a bit worried.
"Hey, don't be sad. It's ok I forgive you," Santana addresses Beth trying to get her to smile. "I'm alright. Don't worry." She says to both little girls on the sofa to calm their worries.
Stephanie gets up from her spot and leans in to give Santana a kiss on the cheek.
"Aw thanks mija" Santana tells Steph. "I feel better already." She grabs Steph and kisses the top of her head. "Hey didn't I just say not to be sad." Santana faux chastises Beth.
"I want to make you feel better too." Beth whines out through a pout. My daughters antics make me smile, and apparently work similarly for Santana.
"Hmm," Santana taps her chin as if in thought. "What could you do that would make me feel better? I just have no clue. What do you think Steph?"
"Uh," Stephanie says catching on to what Santana is doing. "That's a tough one San."
"I have an idea mommy!" She says excitedly.
"What is it sweetie?"
Beth comes over to whisper in my ear her idea. I just smile and nod my head in response. She cautiously makes her way back on to Santana's lap trying not to hurt her this time around. She shyly looks to Santana for a moment before she goes for it and plants a sloppy peck on the opposite cheek. She gently grabs her face with both her little hands and looks at her with a serious face.
"Does it still hurt?" She says with as much concern a four year old can hold.
Immediately Santana laughs and wraps both Steph and Beth into her one arm as best she can.
"Nope, I'm all better now. Thanks to you two."
A moment later and both Beth and Steph yawn like they had planned it out accordingly.
"I guess that's our cue." I tell Santana. "I better get her home before I have to carry her out again."
"But I don't wanna go yet mommy." She says through yet another yawn.
"Cmon Beth, we gotta go. Say goodbye to Stephanie and get your jacket on." She goes and runs of down the hall with the little brunette and I shake my head at my little girl. "It was very nice of you to come tonight and thank you for having us over again."
"It was my pleasure." She says standing in front of me.
"Oh let me at least help you clean up." I tell her when I see the cups and crumbs on the coffee table. My hand is on the mug when I feel hers cover it.
"Leave it," the heat I only feel when she touches me returns and it flows from my hand throughout the rest of my body.
"Look mommy, Steph gave me some stickers." I hear Beth as she pops back into the room with Stephanie right behind.
"That's nice sweetie." I say still looking at Santana. She doesn't remove her hand until Beth is directly in front of us and take the mug from my hand.
She walks us to the door again the only difference is that Beth is awake to give Santana a hug goodbye before we leave.
"Thank you, I had so much fun."
"Really? I'm glad hermosa."
"Bye Steph," she says giving her a hug as well.
"Thanks again Santana. Bye Stephanie."
"Have a nice night Quinn."
Before we make it out the door I turn around and lean into Santana. She doesn't move, she stays completely still waiting for what I am about to do. As I get closer, her scent consumes me and I pause for a second just to enjoy it a moment longer. I lean the rest of the way in and kiss her cheek like the girls did earlier, minus Beth's slobber. My lips burn from the touch and her eyes momentarily close.
I pull away with a glint in my eye in husk out, "You didn't get a kiss from me to make you feel better."
Once again she takes a moment to compose herself but by then we have already made our way down towards the elevator. I look over my shoulder and see her staring at our retreating forms. This time when I enter the elevator and my lips still hold the slight burn of her skin, I know my feelings about her were right. Santana Lopez had something over me and there was nothing I could do.
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A/N: I don't usually like to write these things but I just want to say thank you to all the reviews I have received I appreciate each and every one. Also be a little patient with me, but not to worry, you will get more of Santana and Quinn's background.