NA: Thank you for your kind words and lovely insights. (Affy, you're never annoying. And, besmart, you made me blush.)
05
Weeks pass and Santana falls into this strange, strange pattern with Brittany. Not only the woman is, in every sense of the word, unexpected, but also is their relationship. They go out together, and it feels normal. They go out dancing, sometimes, and Santana gets to show off her incredible girlfriend – no one has made it official, though, so they're not committed to each other. Not that they can make it official, because Brittany is already someone's girlfriend.
They have dinner together in all sorts of restaurants, like a normal couple. Brittany never lets her pay for dinner and they always share the bill everywhere they go, because apparently Blonde is one for equal rights and there is no need for someone to wear the pants in a lesbian relationship, as that is so last century. Also, very much like a regular couple, Brittany has met Santana's friends. Actually, Brittany and Quinn get along very well and soon enough started calling the trio the Unholy Trinity and having all sorts of inside jokes. The three of them go out for coffee every time they can, as coffee is the love of Quinn's life and Santana does need her daily dose of caffeine.
She crashes at Santana's as often as she can. Santana doesn't mind, because waking up to a naked Brittany is a fantastic way to start the day. She massages Brittany's feet when the blonde arrives from a practice exhausted and sleepy and the blonde always, always cooks a breakfast of the champions. Santana sometimes looks at Brittany and wonders how she got that lucky.
She goes to Kurt's house once, of all places. She brings Blaine along, because she knows it will help her sell a few more paintings. Kurt's a show off before anything else, and when he sees Blaine his eyes light up and he wets his lips, the entire visit becoming a performance. Blaine predicted it, because he is wearing his best shoes and a navy blue blazer with a white shirt and he even winks at her when Kurt is not looking. He shows them his house, big and impressive and all kinds of gay – including a huge painting of Madonna in the living room and an entire shelf in his TV room dedicated to the all the gayest in Hollywood films.
He shows them a corridor and an entire room waiting for decoration and they talk about the canvas he had seen, the ideas he had had and how much he loves how intense Santana's works are and how they would fit so nicely into the idea he had for that particular room. It's hard for Santana to look over the fact that he was Blonde's boyfriend, and Blonde was hers, and not his, and how come people don't notice he is so beyond gay he can't even see gay from where he's standing? She's fucking his girlfriend four times a week, at least, and she's taking Blonde to dinners and he doesn't even blink.
"Oh, Britt, there you are," Kurt suddenly says, and when Santana turns around Blonde is coming in their direction. Time stops for a moment. If Aphrodite had a human alter ego, it would be that woman, walking barefoot in their direction in those tiny jean shorts and white wife beater, looking at Santana like she'll devour her, and Santana is surely not used to feeling like a prey but damn. "Here I am," Goddess says, kissing Santana fully mouthed in front of Kurt, that crazy blonde human being is kissing Santana in front of her own boyfriend, tongue exploring Santana's mouth, hand on the back of Santana neck.
It's over sooner than she realizes and Kurt is smiling, actually smiling as he talks to Blaine with all sorts of casual touches. Blaine winks at her again, hand finding Kurt's back to show him something and negotiate prizes. Santana looks dumbstruck at this Couple's Swap Gay Style, as it feels like an alternative universe of some kind. "What was that for?" She asks Brittany, gesturing between the two of them. "I miss you," Aphrodite says, "we haven't seen each other in days." Santana frowns and says, "In front of your boyfriend?" Blonde shrugs. "I told you he knows, he's totally cool with it. He likes you," she answers.
"I made us some Appletinis!" Kurt and Blaine return, each one of them holding a glass in hand. The four of them toast to future achievements. "You know, Santana, Blaine just had this amazing idea," Kurt says, "about you being the one to paint that white wall in my trophy room. You can take as long as you want, of course, I will not be the one to rush an artist! Just imagine, my house being so much more integrated with art… Blaine really is a genius."
So it's settled, and she goes to Kurt's house, of all places, a lot more than she would have ever dreamed of. Blaine comes over sometimes to distract Kurt with his prettiness and get a few drinks. He and Santana make a pact that he would only make a move once they had been paid, for everyone's sake. It is quite a sum of money for someone like Santana, who is more often than not broke and penniless and has spent most of her stay in New York working two jobs – crappy jobs – to make ends meet. She lets it be, then, and embraces the permanently bizarre occasions when Brittany is over and they do that Couple Swap thing. Brittany makes her lemonade and cookies when she's at Kurt's, so at least there's that.
Time passes and next thing she knows, the four of them are doing double dates together. Going to the movies together, playing War together, having dinner together… The media starts noticing, and Blaine and Santana end up in a few magazines. Speculation goes wild, but it earns her a description as a young, hip, upcoming artist and phone calls start to arrive and people actually want to see her work. She leaves one of her jobs, trusting she's beginning to stand in firmer ground, and actually making some money out of her paintings. Which is crazy, just crazy.
She finishes it in a month, just in time for Kurt to get himself a Tony and go hysterical about it. He decides he absolutely must throw a party to celebrate and somehow Santana ends up helping the Mariah Carey reincarnation. She chooses the drinks, because her drinking manners do imply in a vast experience on the matter; she chooses the waitresses and waiters, because she has worked with quite a few who could use the money and were good professionals; she chooses the DJ, because Lost In Narnia Kurt doesn't know much beyond musicals and the pop divas. It earns her as many invitations as she so desires, at least. She sends two invitations to Quinn and tells her to bring along her mysterious date.
She underestimates herself, however. The party is the first occasion she is not allowed to behave as Brittany's girlfriend, and it gets under her skin. Kurt walks around, hand in Brittany's waist – why Dios do they have to be so very much touchy-feely? –, exchanging quick pecks here and there. Brittany sits on his lap, gets his drinks, plays with his hair, and laughs at his jokes. And Santana is there, in a party she doesn't know most people, trying not to look over too much. Blaine whispers on her ear to take it easy on the alcohol, but she shrugs him off and gestures for Jack to make her another mojito. Jack was just too good for his own good. His mojitos were a unique experience, always.
She meets a few clients, makes some new contacts, and at least the party has this good side of taking her networks to a whole new level of famous and rich. She gives up her card here and there, but it starts to get tiring and people start to get drunk. Quinn arrives just in time, gorgeous and all, holding hands with a guy with a mohawk. Santana lifts one eyebrow, because Mohawk has trouble written all over him and his strong arms and malicious smile.
Quinn introduces Mohawk as Puck and they make a toast together to new people and another to great parties. They talk a bit about Puck and his side occupation as a singer in a rock band. Makes sense, on Santana's opinion, because Quinn really did always have a thing for boys in rock bands. They talk about Santana's painting and she even shows them the finished wall, but she carefully avoids discussing her exact relationship with Kurt and Brittany. For a start, she doesn't think she can explain it.
She begins to have fun, avoiding Kurt, but not too much fun – this isn't the environment for that, and even though she's more on the wild and undisciplined side, she knows where and when to stop. Quinn and Mohawk go to the dance floor when Alors on Danse plays, but Santana dismisses them and decides to sit on a couch nearby. A redhead is already there, and she looks at Santana from her tango shoes to her black hat. "Hi," she says, and they engage in a flirtatious conversation. She asks if Santana is seeing someone. The answer would be yes if it weren't no, and Santana does not like the reminder of how deep into the closet she is.
Redhead invites Santana to dance and so they go, dancing together to a pop song, hands touching each other as Santana sets their rhythm. Redhead isn't a great dancer, but she has a great set of breasts and a willingness to brush her lips to Santana that compensate for her dancing skills. Santana notices Blonde's eyes on her, but decides to ignore it. She's not doing anything – yet – and she does not wish to talk to Brittany. There's a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she ignores it. She exchange numbers with the woman as she says goodbye and promises to call her. "Please do," redhead says, placing an enticing hand on Santana's stomach before giving her a peck and leaving.
Santana is still smiling at the number carefully kept on her bra when Blonde arrives, looking displeased and taking her by the arm to the privacy of the TV room. "What are you doing?" she asks, hand on hip. "I did nothing." Santana answers bluntly. "Is this a joke?" Angry Blonde asks and steps closer to Santana. But Santana is tipsy and she never backs off a fight, so she crosses her arms and prepares herself for conflict. "Brittany," she says, "we are not girlfriends. I don't know if you ever noticed, but Kurt is the one you're kissing tonight. At least that girl is not afraid to be seen with me in public."
Feisty Blonde comes closer and Santana feel trapped between the wall she's leaning into and the other woman. "You always get it wrong," Brittany says, hands on the side of Santana's head. Santana's hands go to Brittany's shoulders to push her away but then she's being kissed and this time is rough and oh so sexually arousing. She doesn't want to kiss back but she does, because this feels like a breakup and Santana just wants to tell the world that Brittany belongs to her and not fall into this situation in which she has to lie and watch any other person claim her blonde. Santana groans and sinks her nails in pale shoulders when Brittany's mouth descends to her neck to bite and suck. "Don't mark me." she orders, causing the opposite effect and earning another bite in a sensitive spot. "You're mine and you know it." Territorial Blonde whispers on Santana's ears in a way that makes her hips jerk forward against the blonde, begging for pressure.
"I'm just your secret," Santana snaps back, angry at Brittany, at Kurt, at herself, and turns Brittany around so that the blonde is the one to be sandwiched between Santana and the door. Santana places a leg between Brittany's thighs, bodies touching everywhere. "We're just passing time," she says even though it hurts her too. She's lifting Blonde's black dress to feel toned thighs when Blonde holds her hands and makes her stop. "Look at me, Santana, she says. Santana obeys, even if she'd rather avoid the eye contact. "I'm in love with you," Brittany says softly, and Santana feels frozen in place. When had they gone from arguing to making love declarations? "You're crazy," she says, even though she's now disarmed and anger is being replaced with insecurity. She doesn't know what they are or where they're standing and she hates the feeling more than anything. "I'm in love with you and I don't want to be with anyone else but you, Santana," Brittany says and it's what Santana has wanted to hear for weeks now.