- Santana's POV –

3 years ago

I wake up to the sound of faint, incessant clicking.

I blink twice just to make sure I'm not dreaming. I turn my head to see that I'm alone in bed and the faint clicking goes off again from outside the bedroom for the third time, making me chuckle as I realize what's going on.

I stretch my limbs before getting up from bed and when I cross the threshold of the bedroom to the living room, I see a familiar sight that makes me break out into a wide grin.

"Good morning." I exclaim as I walk towards her spot in the kitchen. Brittany looks back at me with a big pout on her face, wearing just a big shirt and her undies like me, seemingly suffering as she tries to figure out the coffee maker.

"Hey babe, did I wake you? I'm sorry." She replies apologetically. I finally reach her position and give her a quick kiss on the cheek as I put my arms on her waist from behind her.

"It's okay. It sounded like the coffee maker's crying out for help so I'm here for the rescue." I tease which earns me an eye roll before I let her go and check the machine for her like I always do. "What is with you and machines, Britt? It's like a damn battle with you and this coffee maker everyday."

"It doesn't like me, I guess. I think it knows that I preferred the other coffee maker before we bought it."

"Well, you'll have to learn to deal with it. How are you going to make coffee when I'm not around?"

"Well, thankfully I won't have to." Brittany utters with a seductive tone, putting her arms around me from behind.

"You won't." I chuckle and finally get the machine to make coffee. I turn around and put my arms around her neck then give her a tender kiss. "So, why are you up so early?"

"I'm trying to make you breakfast since it's Sunday and we've had a pretty hectic week at work. I mean, it's just our first week at the firm as associates and we barely get to spend some alone time let alone sleep."

"I know, baby. Sleeping for 16 hours straight yesterday with you was worth it though."

"Yeah, which is why today is all about making it up to each other." Brittany smirks and I give her a quick kiss again. "So, I actually planned something for today. Wanna hear it?"

"Sure. Does it involve spending the entire day naked?"

"Yes." Brittany bites her lip. "But aside from that and spending half a day lying in bed with your hot fiancée, we also get to eat tons of food and just watch whatever's on the screen while being as lazy as we can."

"Sounds good. I like the plan."

"Oh, and we're going to have dinner with Rachel and Quinn tonight too. We promised them."

I pretend to think about it and she just gives me a look. "Nah, I'm feeling pretty selfish today. Maybe my 'hot fiancée' and I could spend all day at home and just relax before the impending doom and stress coming our way this week."

"But San, we need to socialize a little. We've barely spent time with our friends ever since we got engaged two months ago."

"We studied with them for the bar." I reason out but she just raises an eyebrow at me. "Fine. But can I take advantage of getting you alone at least before dinner later? Probably eat our hearts out since Rachel's going to make me eat her vegan stuff again."

"Okay then. Just promise me you'll be nice later." She gives me a stern look and I hesitantly nod before smirking.

"As long as I don't get to be nice right now." I whisper seductively in her ear. I hear her let out a heavy sigh and I know I've got her on my hook. I trail off kisses from her ear to her neck, making sure to spend an ample amount of time by the crook until she shudders against my touch. Before I know it, those cerulean blue eyes have now turned a dark shade of blue. Within seconds, we engage in a heavy liplock and I'm suddenly lifted from the floor onto the granite kitchen counter behind her. I had about no intention of letting her go based on how my legs are sprawled out and even made sure of it when I lock her against my body but a burning smell cuts us off from our moment. I glance from behind her and see the toaster looking like it's about to combust.

"Oh shit!" I exclaim and immediately get out from her embrace to get the burnt bread out of the toaster and into the trash. I sigh and turn around to see Brittany forcing a grin while I'm just left to shake my head.

"Sorry, baby. Got a little caught up." She smirks and walks towards beside me to get bread from the cupboard above our heads for the toast again. She tiptoes like she always does even if she's tall enough to see everything inside perfectly with her line of sight. It works wonders for me though since everytime she does it, I get to see those wonderful legs that go on for days in full view. I bite my lip as I help myself in checking her out and eventually getting caught in the act when she turns around to give me a look.

"San, how about instead of enjoying yourself too much there, you help me instead so we can have breakfast together and then maybe I'll let you have your way with me after." She devilishly grins while playfully raising an eyebrow at me.

"How about you let me have my way with you on the couch while the coffee is still brewing," I say, glancing down on her body for a second. "Then we make breakfast after together?" I add, pulling her body towards mine.

She feigns to think about it for a moment but her smile gives it away. "Okay. But dibs on three quarters of the bacon." She quips and I relent by kissing her as tenderly as I can.

It's Friday and the past few days have been… interesting.

I'm more than thankful that it's finally the end of the week and Quinn's coming back on Monday because honestly, I don't fucking know if I'll be able to go on in pretending that Brittany working here again is not a big deal.

Needless to say, I've been trying to avoid Brittany like the plague. Like, really go out of my way to avoid her.

I'm not exactly sure why I'm doing it. Maybe I just don't want confrontation. Or probably the fact that I don't want to be subjected to endless awkward instances. Or fuck it, maybe I just really don't want to be around her. Whatever it is, I'm not going to stand for it. So, for the rest of the day during her first day back, I spent all day buried in paperwork and basically hiding from Brittany in the library. Thankfully, I had to fly to Chicago for a deposition the next day so I wasn't able to see her. I also buried myself in paperwork at the library yesterday which is a good move. And I was able to do just that until today.

Seeing that the line for getting coffee from the nearest Starbucks here is ridiculous, I decided to forego it because I don't really have freaking time for that shit. So, I just thought of getting some much needed coffee from the pantry in our floor instead but the reality of running into Brittany set in. I mean, it's 6:30 in the freaking morning and the chance of running into my ex this early is slim. I'm literally half an hour early to be at work but it's a chance I'm not really willing to take. So, instead of going there, I decide to just settle for the Rookie and Junior Associates' pantry just three floors below us. It's probably the safest option. Aside from the bad coffee, of course.

I pride myself on being superbly in control whenever I'm in the office. They fear me. They respect me. They check me out. More so, when we were promoted and transferred to another floor. Quinn and I are like those people you can't help but pay attention to when you see them pass by, the ones you look forward to seeing around in the office. So, as I alight from the elevator wearing a gray buttoned up blouse, black skirt, and matching shoes, eyes automatically fall on me and like the badass that I am, I savor the moment.

Ever since we moved up three floors up, I seldom get to come back here and I usually just visit this floor when I need to talk to Kitty. So, as I walk the few steps to the pantry and while they part for me like I'm a demi-god, I relax a little knowing that I can have my coffee in peace for the next few minutes.

Or so I thought.

Because as soon as I open the glass door, the one image that I didn't expect this early in the morning is right in freaking front of me. To add, Brittany looks like she's thinking seriously about something, complete with the finger tapping on her chin while staring at the cabinet in front and above housing various food. In a second, she opens one just directly above the coffee machine and seemingly searches for something in this cute manner she always does when she lifts one foot as if to reach it even though she can completely see the contents inside anyway. But whatever, it just gives me more leverage to see her wonderful legs-

Ahem… Forget it.

I'm literally gaping by the doorway, contemplating life and death slash wondering whether I should still go in or forget about coffee for the rest of the day and sacrifice my well-being for well, my fucking life. I turn my body sideways but instantly go back to my stance of facing her at least thrice for five seconds. I don't get to do anything else though because she must have sensed my presence. She turns her head to the right side where I am and instantaneously sports a surprised expression before breaking out into a big smile that hooks me in and it is then that I know there's no getting out of this.

"Hey." Brittany utters, her body facing me completely now and this time, giving me a better look of her. Err… I mean, her clothes. Yep. She's wearing a black pencil skirt, white buttoned-up blouse, and heels that highlight those long legs I'm seeing right now.

Seeing that I can't escape this situation anymore and it would so weird and rude to just walk away when she's being nice like this, I take a deep breath and just decide to hell with it. I slowly welcome myself inside the pantry, a semi-small space which has everything you need for an afternoon break and three round tables with a few seats to make you comfortable. As I walk in the royal blue and white walled pantry, I see a few unfamiliar faces in my peripheral vision on my left of what seems to be a few Rookie Associates staring back and forth at us. Actually, I think they're kind of checking Brittany out. I glance at their direction and they instantly scurry out of the room like scaredy cats. When they've come and gone, I look back at Brittany who's looking at me in amusement as I try to produce a decent smile.

"Should I even ask?" She smirks and I genuinely chuckle at the statement.

"Nope."

"I may have heard a little something they were saying about you a while ago, you know."

"Oh, really?" I smirk. "What did they say? That I'm hot and awesome?"

"I know that." Brittany utters in a soft tone while smiling at me. We hold off staring at each other for two seconds before I clear my throat as I realize what I'm doing and try to remember what I came here for. Gosh, what is wrong with me? I approach the coffee machine without saying another word even if I can see that she's looking at me as if she's trying to figure me out. But shit. It's just my goddamn luck that the coffee is still brewing and will probably take at least another minute to be done. I contemplated sprinting out of here but I know I've got to do something about the situation. So, I decide to break the silence before something else happens.

"S-So, u-uh… What are you doing here?" I say without looking at her and pretend to tinker with this goddamn coffeemaker.

"I could ask you the same question."

My eyebrows shoot up a little and I glance at her direction to see that she looks amused. The worse part is she's not really flirting or doing anything remotely close to that. She's just innocently talking to me and doing eye contact like a decent human being and here I am, crumbling under some weird nonexistent pressure.

"I-I… U-Uhmm… Coffee!" I motion to the machine in front of me. "Every other coffee machine is- Uh… Still kind of brewing. Or whatever. Kitty's still not here for some morning coffee run since it's still you know, early. The line at Starbucks is i-insane." I ramble nervously and she just nods at me before turning her attention to the food cabinet above our heads again. "How about you? What are you looking for?"

She sighs deeply as if it's the most serious thing. "Jellybeans."

I stare at her for a good moment before chuckling. "Don't we have one upstairs?"

She shakes her head and does this small, cute pout. "Kitty told me yesterday that they only keep the good stuff like that here."

"But Kitty forgot to tell you where it's hidden, am I right?" I ask innocently and she nods. I glance at the coffee machine and see that it's done already which gives me a leeway for an exit anytime now. However, as I look at Brittany again, I'm immediately torn between choosing the right action.

Pros and cons. Pros and cons. Pros and cons. If I stay then- Oh, goddamn it! What's a few more seconds to help out someone in need?

"I think she mentioned something about hiding the good stuff somewhere among these cabinets before. Lemme help you." I say and her face immediately lights up. I return her smile with a small one and go on to check the first few cabinets that's near me. I tiptoe a little as I do it since I'm not really tall and I guess it's a perfect distraction too while I try to think of just anything to keep the ball rolling so things won't get that awkward. But she beats me to it.

"What are you doing here so early, San?"

"O-Oh, I wanted to avoid the early morning rush and you know, prepare for the deposition later with the client." I reply without looking at her, still busy with finding those damn jellybeans. It's kind of a half-lie anyway. "How about you?"

"It's my first week. So, I'm still trying to familiarize myself with everything. Kind of trying to catch up a bit before Quinn comes back."

"I see." I whisper just enough for her to hear. I proceed to open another cupboard and see what seems to be Gummi Feet, making me know I'm on the right path. Before she tries to speak again and ask me anything else, I make sure to cut in before she can.

"S-So, Kitty likes you enough to tell you which pantry has the Jellybeans, huh? What bewitching did you do?" I jest and hear her chuckle.

"She's a sweet kid, San. I just spoke my mind when I told her she reminds me of a younger, more outspoken Quinn."

"A bitchier, more bull-headed Quinn." I scoff. "I actually didn't believe that was possible at first."

"Maybe you should talk to her or buy her coffee. I mean, she only has a month left before she's done with the internship, right?"

"Yeah. I'm tempted to do that but she hasn't really been that nice to me either. She's been purposely giving me the wrong coffee for the past month she's been here. I have literally tried everything on the Starbucks menu because of her."

I hear Brittany laugh heartily at my statement and I'm almost tempted to look at her. Instead, I rummage through the cupboard with the Gummi Feet and see a pack of Jellybeans hidden underneath everything. I finally sigh of relief and grab two packs of it as well as one pack of Sour Gummi Worms.

"And I've found them. Also, here's one those icky things too." I utter in a soft tone as I hand the candies to her.

She instantly lights up and breaks out into a big smile while taking the stuff from me. It's enough to disarm me from my thoughts and plans of actually avoiding her for the rest of the week but she does something else that makes my heart jump a little of something I'm not sure of.

She pushes a saucer towards me with a coffee cup on it filled with freshly brewed coffee. I look at her quizzically and she only gives me an innocent smile. "I know that you take your coffee black but I also know you hate the coffee here. So, if I remember correctly, a splash of milk and two sugar cubes just to make it bearable?" She quips with a crease on her forehead.

I don't get to reply anymore and just nod absent-mindedly. She does the same as well and purses her lips as we're left to stare at each other out of sheer memory or probably chemistry.

"S-So, uhmm… That's for the candy since I kind of bothered y-your coffee time or something." Brittany breaks the silence, nervously gesturing to the coffee. "T-Thanks for helping me find the jellybeans. I-It's nice seeing you around."

I just return with a semi-forced smile as I watch her hurriedly walk away from me. When I realize what I've been doing, I snap out of it and turn all my attention towards the coffee on the counter.

"San?" Brittany calls out from the doorway and I look up to see her smiling sweetly back at me. "Good morning. And enjoy your coffee." She chimes in with a shy smile before disappearing completely. As soon as she's gone, I take a really deep breath before taking a sip of the coffee she made for me while completely disregarding the intense heat of the liquid. And she's right, this is how I always take my coffee when I get some from this pantry. Also, for some miraculous caffeine intervention, it actually tastes freaking good.

Dammit. Thank God it's fucking Friday.

"Would you like me to do this the easy way or the hard way?" I say with a smirk as I cross my legs and relax against my comfy leather seat. I take a glance around this posh bar slash restaurant with a modern interior on 79th street in the Upper West Side and see that it's 9:30 in the evening. A little late for business, still early for pleasure.

"Which one gets me on top?" A brunette skinny woman in her late twenties sitting across from me replies with a smirk as well.

"Neither. You don't get to do that. Only I get to be on top."

"Of course you do. That's what makes you great."

"No, I'm not great. I'm fantastic." I chuckle, leaning forward as I maintain eye contact. "And if you're still up for this, you'll get to see just how fantastic I am. Also, I must say that fantastic is what you are in that dress." I add, keeping my stare on her as I take a sip of my water.

The woman blushes a little and grins to herself while shaking her head in amusement. "Are you usually this persuasive?"

"Most of the time, actually. How do you think I always get my way?"

"I don't know. You tell me." She leans forward and flashes me a smile I'm all too familiar with.

"Well, I usually smile, tell them what I want, charm my way, and impress them with my intelligence. It's a proven formula. Works all the time." I shrug while sporting a smug grin. "You know, you and I have been at this for a while now. If it were up to me, we're already reveling in the pleasure of it all. So, now, if you want to get on with the fun part, I must advise you to just surrender yourself and be charmed my me."

She playfully raises an eyebrow at me. "And why should I give up all my defenses for you?"

"Because I always get the yes anyway and there's nothing you can do." I give her a knowing look. "You and I both know that this is the best you're ever going to get. So, instead of fighting me on this, how about you just take the deal?"

She seems to think about it for a moment and grabs the paper in front of her to survey it again for a bit before sighing deeply. She glances back at me and I just raise both eyebrows at her to emphasize my point. After a few seconds she finally nods, making me know that I got her now. "Fine."

I break out into a smirk and hand her my pen. "Wonderful. I'm sure your client will be very happy to pay my client 15 million dollars to settle for damages and whatnot. And like we agreed, no criminal charges will be filed against him. I mean, you should be glad that he's not going to prison at all after selling out information from my client's company from within."

She shakes her head in disbelief and signs the document. "We both know that he doesn't deserve to pay more than a quarter of that money."

"Not when his mistress is around and we have photos of him bribing a witness and transacting documents. My client's company suffered a loss because of your client and you're lucky that all he wants is a small amount. Besides, you can always fight with me on this and we could go to trial but do you really want to know how it's like going against me? I'd have to warn you though, I'm not as nice." I smile triumphantly.

"You know, I actually thought about doing that since I have more experience in trial than you."

"Yeah, but there's a reason why it almost never goes to trial for me and I'm almost always on the winning side. Settlements are my expertise and I'm probably the best one out there right now. Add the fact that I'm charming and you pretty much know where it's heading. So, sure. It's your funeral though."

The woman bites her lip and hands me the document. "Santana, you may be a great lawyer but please tell me that you're not this manipulative as a human being."

"Clearly you haven't met Quinn Fabray." I chuckle and hide the documents in my purse just as I subtly signal the bartender for something. "But nah, don't worry about me. I get along with me just fine."

"Well, I do have to admire your persistence and dedication to your job for working this late at night." She chuckles and takes a sip of her martini, instantly assuming a persona that I've seen lots of times. "And since we're done with business, can we get on with the fun part like you said?"

I give her a wide, devilish grin. "Yeah, we should." I almost whisper before standing up, surprising her with my actions based on the big question mark on her face. "Unfortunately for you, I don't do personal relations with the enemy that involves me caring. Or you know, probably anyone at all."

"Who says you have to care?" She mentions suggestively. "And that would be correct if we weren't still finished with business but we are. So, I'm not the enemy and let's be honest, there's nothing wrong in letting out some tension."

I smirk down at her and grab my purse. "You're right. But I never mix business with pleasure either."

She just nods and relaxes against her seat. "Ah, I think I know what this is. There's someone special in your life, isn't it?"

I let out a small smile without saying anything else just as another martini is placed on the table in front of the woman. "Enjoy the rest of your night." I add with a wink before walking away from her.

It's about 10pm when I get back at the firm.

Yeah, it's already past office hours and there are probably ghosts rounding the firm now since I'm pretty sure you can only count with two hands the number of people left here, about three of them on their way home as I walk back to my office. I would've already gone home myself but I've got to file this document and inform my client about winning the settlement before the night ends. I like to be extra thorough and well, I really don't like work stuff bugging me during the weekends. You don't get to have a great reputation by slacking around, you know.

I finally get everything settled after a while and sigh at the realization that I'm done for the weekend. I get my belongings and start my journey towards the elevators when I run into my Mother.

"Ah, Santana. Late night?" Mami smirks, holding on to her purse tightly as she waits for the elevator to come up.

"A successful night, Mother." I reply with a smile. "I got Jensen to settle so I was just closing a few stuff. You?"

"Just had a late talk with the Junior Partners about our Escrow accounts before your father and I go to Chicago tomorrow. Just being thorough. You should go have dinner with him next week, he misses you badly."

"I will. I can imagine his face when he meets Tiger Woods though."

"I actually saw him secretly pack his favorite golf shirt for Woods to sign." She retorts with a grin and I chuckle. "So, you've been avoiding Brittany." She immediately follows up, her grin completely disappearing.

I stop chuckling instantaneously. I wipe the smile off my face and clear my throat. "Who told you? Kitty? And how did you know?"

"I didn't and no one told me." She smirks. "I didn't know about you ignoring Brittany until now that you've admitted it, actually."

I sigh in a defeated manner and kick myself inwardly for falling for my mother's signature trap. "I-It's not like I could instantly recondition myself to be okay with having her around me again. It takes time, Mami."

"I know and I can see that she feels the same way. Maybe all you need is a little reintroduction." She pauses and turns to me. "And I thought you were okay with her working here, Mija."

"I am. And I did-"

"It doesn't look like it since you seem to be making an effort to avoid her. Kind of seems like you're afraid to be within a 100 yards from her. I guess, the great Santana Lopez has a soft spot, after all." She remarks with a smirk, just as the elevator shows that it's arrived at our floor.

"I'm not afraid, Mami. And Brittany is not my soft spot-"

"I don't know, Santana. It looks like you've hit a wall with Brittany being around here. It's like she's intimidated you without actually doing anything." She says nonchalantly when the elevator doors open. I give my Mother a surprised look and just as I take a step towards the space, she stops me from moving and gets in the elevator car alone. "I'm just kidding, of course. Just get the next car, dear. You look like you need to take a breath."

"W-Wha-"

"Besides, it's nice that the both of you are working together again, am I right?" She adds with a motherly tone and I'm left speechless. "Oh, and can you go check the lights in the conference room downstairs? I forgot if I turned it off." She quips innocently just as the elevator doors start to close. "Goodnight, Mija. Enjoy your weekend."

I sigh deeply and proceed to have this weird stare off with the shiny silver elevator doors. Oh well. Before I get to process anything, the elevator beside the one in front of me, opens with the indication of going down. I take it and press the button for the floor just below ours and arrive within a few seconds. Right as my mother always is, the conference room's light really is on. I sigh and turn it off before making my way towards the elevators again since I'm more than excited to go home and relax in my living room while drinking a good bottle of wine, maybe make myself pasta or something. It would be nice to have a little date night with George tonight but it's not like-

Just as I push the elevator button, I hear a loud thud as if something heavy fell to the floor.

I look around me first and see that there's no one else in here other than myself. It's coming somewhere towards the right side of the floor and I investigate a little to see that it's coming from the right side corner, just behind the elevator walls. It's coming from the Law Library.

Now, let me tell you about the Law Library. Well, it basically is a library filled with every law book imaginable, helpful random stuff, and cases available for everything you'll ever need in your research and work.

The place is built as a two-storey duplex, spanning from this floor with a stairway leading downstairs. This part of the two-storey library is about a quarter of the whole floor and houses at least ten semi-long glass tables partnered with four comfy black swivel seats and three extra long oak tables for all intents and purposes during those all-nighters. Upon entering the glass door of this side of the library, since there's another entrance just a few feet away, you're immediately greeted by a stairwell facing the opposite from you leading downstairs. A long wall of books - floor to ceiling – are lined up on your left, with enough space for two people to walk side by side while sandwiched by the staircase and wall, followed by columns of big bookcases outlined further down the room can be seen. When you welcome yourself deeper inside the room and upon turning to your right, two rows of ten semi-long tables meet your sight and behind those, the three extra long table facing you horizontally just in front of the few computers lined up behind it and then the wall. Like I said, there's also another glass entrance for that side of the library and we call it the Study part of the library. To add effect, that whole part of the library is surrounded by walls of books too, save for the computer side I just said.

If I'll describe it further, the library's interior downstairs is almost identical in design albeit it's turned toward the side. Like 90 degrees counter clockwise. I guess the difference is, there are more tables and computers as well as an addition of a little conference room for brainstorming purposes just next to the stairwell. And well, the whole library floor downstairs is overlooking Manhattan from the side and takes about almost half of the floor space.

I walk the few steps towards the library's Study entrance and the first thing that meets my gaze and as fate hands me, is Brittany S. Pierce sitting alone by the extra long table with countless papers, a couple of books, and a laptop just a few inches away from her on the side.

Coincidentally, I hear the signature elevator sound indicating that it's reached this floor and is basically waiting for me to ride it so I can go the hell home. I glance back towards the library and I'm left to decide whether I should go in for no apparent reason but to say 'Hi' to Brittany or walk back to the elevators and make my way home. I stall on myself for more than a few seconds than I should have while trying to contemplate what to do that the elevator decides for me instead when I hear it close and the usual female voice goes on with its usual apology of making you wait.

I take a really, really deep sigh complete with closing my eyes for a quick second. Might as well try to do some 'reintroducing' like Mami said. Oh, that great manipulator. Nothing she said was even true! You know what, I can prove her wrong. And besides, I'm not afraid to be alone with Brittany and I definitely haven't hit a freaking wall. I'm Santana Lopez, I don't fear shit. I'm fucking unbreakable.

And so, it's settled.

Hi. That's all I'm going to say.

I glance at my watch to see that it's a quarter before 11 and assume that we really could be the only ones left in the office now with how late it is.

I take a deep breath again and hold on to my purse tightly before slowly opening the glass door of the Study entrance of the library. She doesn't seem to have noticed me yet since she looks really focused on her work. So, I lightly knock on the glass door to make my presence known. She looks up at me with questioning eyes and a surprised demeanor.

"Hey." Brittany lets out with a soft tone, breaking out into a small smile.

"Hi." I tread lightly as I welcome myself inside. "W-What are you still doing here?"

"Making case briefs and trying to find precedent for a case Maribel gave me while also kind of trying to make an impression since it's my first week. Arrive early and leave late kind of thing." She quips, relaxing against her seat and twirling a pen in her hand. "How about you?"

I find myself blanking a little on that part since to be honest, I'm really not sure why I'm still here. Maybe because of Mother's insistence? "U-Uhmm… I just settled a case for a client. So, y-yeah." She nods, glancing on the table as if she's thinking what to do next. I try to beat her into it. "I-It's a little late, you know."

"Really?" Her eyebrows raise in surprise as she looks at her wristwatch. "Oh gosh. I didn't even notice. I thought it was just around 9." She exclaims in genuine surprise.

"Tell me about it." I chime in and we both chuckle. "It's Friday, don't you have plans instead of working late?"

"Am I not allowed to work late?"

Oh shit. "O-Of course you are, I-I just-"

"I'm just kidding." She smirks and gives me an amused look. "Nah, I don't have plans. Grams is at this gala thing. Brianna is partying with her block mates in Columbia. Quinn and Rachel aren't back yet. I don't have a lot of friends since I just moved back here. Plus, I'm not really that sociable too. So, nope. No plans." She adds with a smile.

It wasn't meant as a statement that asks for a reply. It's not even meant as a statement to convey pity at all. It was said matter-of-factly but something inside me shifts. I don't know. I feel a little guilty, I guess? Because it made sense that ever since she moved back here last week, I really am the only one she's remotely 'friends' with. She probably feels lonely as hell for the past few days she's been here, save for the family stuff, and I've done nothing but avoid her relentlessly. Holy shit. The fact that she was subtly trying to reach out to me makes me guiltier for some reason.

"How about you? It's Friday, don't you have plans instead of working late?" She remarks with a playful grin, amused with using my words against me.

I smile a little and take a few steps towards her. "I'm not really the most sociable person in the world either and the newlyweds are still somewhere in Timbuktu. So, no plans."

"A-And George?" She utters in a hesitant tone without looking at me.

"She's a d-doctor. Night shift." I say with a shrug and she just nods, her eyes still on the table while we bask in the awkwardness of it all. I consider what I'm about to say at least twice in my head for three quick seconds. When I'm sure that it's innocent and friendly, I decide to go with it. Whatever the reason is, all I know is I'm trying to make myself feel better and absolve myself from the guilt. And I don't know, prove that I really am okay with having her around me. The time has come for me to face the music. "H-Have you eaten dinner?"

Brittany stares at me for a moment. As if she's trying to figure me out or the meaning behind my words. "Not yet, actually. You?"

I shake my head and swallow the huge lump in my throat. "W-Would you like to grab dinner?"

She sits upright and takes a quick look at the bunch of documents in front of her. "I'd love to but I can't. Still a bunch of work to do."

"It's late and we both know you're hungry, Brittany."

"You know, I am starving." She pouts. "But I really can't take a break yet. I promised myself I'll only eat dinner when I'm done with work and I've still got tons. Thank you for the offer though."

"Then let's eat here. My treat." I playfully utter with a grin and she chuckles while grinning widely.

"I appreciate it. But the briefs won't write themselves, Santana."

"Still stubborn, I see." I voice out while she just holds up one hand and gestures as if she's sizing up something with her index finger and thumb. I smile to myself as I gather the courage to continue with my plan. Mother's right, in a way. Maybe we should do some reintroduction to each other as friends. Dammit. I've been had. Oh well. Might as well turn on the charm. Or whatever that can get me through this situation in one piece.

"Let's make a deal then, Britt. Or if you feel like it, we could play a game."

She looks up curiously at me and seems to think about it for a moment before sighing and turning all her attention on me. "I see you're still into games." She retorts and I do the same gesture of sizing up something with my index finger and thumb which she just brushes off with a playful eye roll. "Fine. I'm listening. What's the deal?"

I take the seat across from her with only the long table separating us then settle my things on the table behind me. "How about this," I pause and maintain eye contact. "I help you finish those briefs and cut the time of going through the hundreds of cases since we're both supposed to work together-"

"But?" She cuts me off with a raised eyebrow.

"But we get dinner first because I'm really, really starving. You wouldn't let me starve now, would you?" I say with a smirk. She continues staring at me, as if to gauge the deal I'm giving her. "Come on, Britt. All this work will take you at least three hours and there's no way you'd resist a good box of pizza when I eat it in front of you anyway." I singsong the last part and after a few seconds, she shakes her head in disbelief and finally give in.

"Fine. You win, San." She utters and breaks out into a grin while putting down the pen and paper in her hand. "On two conditions though."

"Anything."

"I want Japanese food and you're buying dinner." She replies with a smirk.

I pretend to think about it and playfully stall for a few seconds. "I'm good with Japanese but I think you should be the one to buy dinner. I mean, I'm not the one who just got a signing bonus and relocation fee."

"Well, I'm not the one who brings a truckload of money into this firm." She counters with a devilish grin. I look at her curiously for a second, trying to figure out where she got that. "Kitty. Her exact words." She adds with a shrug and we just both chuckle.

"Fine. You win, Britt." I sigh with a smile on my face while telling myself repeatedly that I'm only doing this to rid myself of whatever's eating me up inside.

"And what happened?" Brittany asks in amusement just as she puts a piece of sushi in her mouth.

I can't believe I'm about to say this but Brittany and I are actually… talking. Like legit words spoken and maintaining an actual conversation. We've been talking for an hour now in between bites of Japanese food. It's actually nice in a way to just relax and kick back like this without any pressure. Just you know, catching up. It's surreal because we're the same people but it feels different. New. Mature. I can't explain it exactly.

It's weird during the first few minutes since we don't really know how to do this. Catching up, I mean. We've never really done this before since we're always in tune with what's happening in each other's lives and we know everything there is to know anyway but I guess life messes up even the best of connections. But you know, this, actually asking questions about each other for the past two years without really bringing up anything else is foreign to the both of us and we know it. Interestingly though, it's nice to just talk and be comfortable with each other like this. It's nice.

"Quinn told her to stop giving me decaf coffee on purpose so we can quit clawing at each other. Bitch won't listen to me. I mean, come on. Decaf coffee in the morning is like self-torture and a disgrace to actual coffee." I scoff. "The following day, she gave me a latte with 5 freaking shots of espresso as revenge for telling Quinn about that decaf thing. I was literally vibrating off my chair for the whole damn day!"

Brittany laughs heartily and I have to be honest when I say I missed hearing the sound of that. "Kitty's a good kid, San. You should patch it out before her internship ends."

I pretend to think about it while looking up at nothing in particular. In return, I receive a warning look from her which I return with a shrug, both of us chuckling.

"Oh, how's sophomore year going for Brianna?" I say.

"We haven't really caught up with everything yet but I can tell that she's having the time of her life so far." She takes a sip from her bottled water then smiles. "But you tell me. I heard from Grams that you girls are still pretty tight."

I smile smugly. "Someone had to teach your sister how to live in New York and go on shopping sprees with aside from Grams, Quinn, and God forbid, Rachel."

"Uh-huh. Is that why you and Quinn got an earful from Grams and Rachel when you got her unbelievably wasted on Quinn's bachelorette party?"

"Hey in my defense, I didn't know she had the same unbelievably low tolerance as you do." I try to reason out and she just chuckles. I smile to myself as we bask in the comfortable silence of being around each other like this. For a moment, we hold off each other's stare and just smile for no apparent reason other than the fact that we're having a good time.

"This is nice." Brittany speaks up with a small smirk on her face. "You know, not avoiding each other." She teases while lightly raising an eyebrow for effect. My eyes widen instantly at the statement. I purse my mouth and just flash a semi-apologetic smile since this is basically the moment of truth and there's no escaping.

"Alright. I deserve that." I trail off and hold my hands up in defense, chuckling a little. "But yeah, it's nice."

"It's okay, I understand. I've been kind of doing it as well. I'm sorry." She flashes me a sympathetic smile and I'm a little bewildered that she's apologizing when it's me who's been actively doing just that. "Y-You're still okay with this, right?" She adds dejectedly.

"Okay with what?"

"Y-You know, being around each other everyday and working closely together?" She mutters, flashing me an unsure look.

"Y-Yeah. Of course." I say with a comforting smile.

She nods absentmindedly at my statement. "W-Will you still try to avoid me after tonight?"

The question strikes me and I weigh the option of lying and telling the truth but then again, I can never resist that pout she's giving me. "N-No. I won't." I say with a little sigh. "Besides, someone won't let me see the light of the day if I do that." I jest, trying to lighten up the situation which proves to be effective when she laughs a little.

"Gosh. You really miss Quinn, don't you?"

"Not at all." I say with a smirk and we go back to being silent.

"C-Can I ask you something, San?" She trails off and I just motion for her to continue. "I-It's about George."

I blink a few times and pretend not to be nervous for whatever's coming my way. It's one of those things I know would happen but I never really wanted to happen. "Okay. S-Sure. W-What about her?"

Brittany looks like she's contemplating life and death while playing with the chopsticks in her hand before turning her attention back on me. "H-How-" Her voice screeches a little and I swear I almost chuckled were it not for her clearing her throat. "H-How long have you two been dating?"

I bite my lip and relax against my seat. "About two m-months now."

Her eyebrows raise in surprise at my answer, as if she didn't expect it at all. "T-Two months, huh. S-So, it's still fairly new."

"It is." I nod and I think about whether I should return the courtesy or leave it be. It's not like I don't want to know. I mean, I'm sure the bottom of my former broken heart wants to know whether or not my ex-fiancée is dating someone new but you know what, whatever. "How about you? A-Are you dating anyone?"

"M-Me?" She gestures to herself with wide eyes before composing herself. "N-No. I-I'm not. You know, l-like. I'm not d-dating anyone right now. At all. O-Or have been since we-" She cuts herself off and look down while her cheeks turn a shade of red.

I'm pretty sure I'm a little bit in shock. Or it's probably just a weird feeling I can't fathom because after all this time, Brittany's been single and in a way it makes me think that she's not dating anyone because you know, she wanted to-

"So, it's s-serious. I mean, a-after all, she was at the wedding and…" She trails off and lets me fill in the blanks.

"Oh that." I bite my lip absentmindedly. "Well, n-not really. Like you said, it's fairly new."

She looks like she was about to follow up with another question but at the last second, retracts on her actions. Instead, she pauses for a second before looking back at me with a quizzical gaze. "D-Does she know about us?"

I swallow the huge lump in my throat and try to brush it off like it's nothing even though I know how much it really means. "Y-Yeah. I told her after the wedding."

She gives me this stare like I did something wrong. I don't try to get into it or look that much into the conversation. Thankfully, she just sighs deeply and decides to let it go. She turns to me with with a small smile and puts away the remains of our Japanese takeout. "W-Well, it's getting late. Might as well get on it before the sun rises." She adds and I just nod in agreement while a hundred questions invade my mind all at the same time.

Momentarily, we decide to get on with working for the next hour in silence. True enough, we did finish everything she set out to do in record time which can be attributed to our extreme focus on the matter at hand and maybe the part where we're a little sleepy too since it's past midnight already. Or maybe we just wanted to get it over with so the other won't notice that we're trying not to check out the other. Or you know what, we really just wanted to get it over with because the tension in the room was high as hell were it not for the faint music played on her phone a while ago. When we're sure that we've turned off all the lights in the library, we decide to retire for the night.

"So, any plans for the weekend?" I voice out as we walk towards the elevators, trying to keep it as casual as I can.

"Probably just hang out with Grams and Brianna. She's staying in the apartment next to Grams' house, doing this semi-independent thing. But during the weekends, she crashes at Grams'."

"Wait. Isn't she driven to and from Columbia by a limo?" I say with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah. She even has dinner at Grams' house most nights." She shakes her head in disbelief. "How about you? Any plans?"

"I'm not sure. I'll probably sleep all weekend and just catch up with my Kardashians."

"Oh, so no d-date night with George?" She declares while trying to sound cordial and I just look at her for a quick bit before shaking my head.

"I don't know. She's a doctor, so you know. On call thingy." She doesn't respond and just smiles at me before we fix our attention at the shiny elevator doors while waiting for the car to arrive.

"So, where are you staying right now?" I ask innocently as I fish out my keys from my purse.

"Why do you ask?" Brittany replies and it takes me aback since I'm not sure whether I said anything to- "I'm staying with Grams right now. I still haven't decided on where to live yet but she's more than happy to take me in for the meantime. She insisted, actually." She beams at me.

I nod in understanding just as a thought pops up in my head. I try to hold back on it for a while but to no avail. I can argue that it's more of a reflex.

"H-How are you going home?"

She shrugs. "I'm going to walk. It's just twelve blocks or so away so it's not a big deal."

I glance at her skeptically. "Britt, it's past midnight. This is New York. It's not safe to walk."

"Santana, it's Friday. There are countless people in the street and I'm sure every bar on my way home is brimming with drunk people."

I look at her with a slight confusion on my face, trying to figure out whether she's being stubborn or just plain naïve. "Y-You know, Grams' place is on the way home. D-Do you-" I pause and try to phrase my words as simple as possible. "want to grab a ride with me?"

She gives me a puzzled look that lasts for a few seconds until the elevator car arrives on our floor. "I'll be okay, thank you."

"Stop being stubborn now." I say with a tired look at her which she returns by pursing her lips as if to think about it. "I-I insist, Britt. Grams will give me a long speech if I let you walk this late at night."

We ride the elevator without saying anything and I punch the button for the parking floor where my car is located. I wait for her to push the button for the ground floor but she doesn't. Instead, she looks at me with a small smile. "Fine. Just this once, okay?"

I sigh deeply for reasons unknown to me and I try to make the situation lighter in this small space of transportation. "Yeah. I'm still waiting for that yellow bike to come back." I jest and she just rolls her eyes at me.

We arrive at my parking floor and I see that the only car left here is mine. I walk towards it but not before noticing that Brittany's not beside me. I look behind me and see her genuinely confused as if she's searching for something around us.

"Is there a problem, Britt?" I say, just as we reach my car, a black 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo.

"U-Uh… Where's the Audi?" She mutters as she walks the remaining steps towards me. I look down bashfully while putting all my things in the backseat.

"I-I… U-Uhmm- It's not with me anymore."

"Since when?"

I glance at her to see that she's sporting a look between being hurt and genuine curiosity. "A-About a year and a half ago."

"Why?" Her forehead creases. Instead of replying and saying the honest words of "Because there's too many memories associated with it", I just settle with giving her a look as I stay silent and proceed to get inside the car.

She gets in after a few seconds and we settle in an awkward silence the rest of the way to Grams' place. From the corner of my eye, I see her glancing at me every now and then with uneasiness. Like she wants to talk to me or bring up something but doesn't know how to phrase her statement or rather, if it's proper given our situation. But she doesn't raise anything anyway.

Briefly, I pull over beside Grams' place and we're left to wallow in the awkwardness and silence of the situation, with me staring at the driving wheel and Brittany at her hands. It takes us a complete minute before the silence is broken and Brittany speaks up with a small smile, her blue eyes resting on me.

"So, this is me. Thanks for the ride."

"Yeah." I purse my lips and nod without looking at her. "Enjoy your weekend."

"Thanks. You too." She utters and proceed to alight from my car but not before turning to me one last time. "Hey, San?"

I turn my head to face her and see her looking at me fondly. "Can I s-still hold you to that thing you said earlier about not avoiding me?"

I take a really deep breath and break out into a smile. "Of course."

She nods, collecting herself with a sigh. "And I-I know this is asking for too much but…" She pauses. "D-Do you think we can try to be friends? I-I don't want to miss out on k-knowing the new you."

Her words hit me hard. How can you even try to be friends with someone you used to be involved with? Or just for the hell of it, how can you try to be friends with someone you used to be in love with? Or someone you're still in love with but you keep on trying to convince yourself that you've already moved on from? Because dammit. Even though I've been trying to convince myself that I don't have feelings for her anymore, I know that deep in my heart that there is still something left in me just as you never really learn to unlove someone. Fuck it, maybe I'm still in love with her but I've just convinced myself enough times that I'm not that even my brain has started to learn it.

There are things you don't say out loud for fear that when you hear it, you'll come to realize that you're actually admitting to yourself something you've been trying so hard to deny. You're acknowledging something that you've worked hard to fight against with. And even though I know it's a bigass lie, it's one of those things that I need to say out loud for the sake of making myself believe that I am over her.

"We can do that. W-We can try to be friends." I say, a little hesitant.

"Do you promise?" She asks me seriously, as if it's the most important thing in the world for her.

"I-I promise." I mutter with a heavy heart. "I don't want to miss out on knowing the new you either, Britt."

And with one last smile, she finally alights from the vehicle while I watch her wave goodnight before going inside Grams' house.

I lock the doors and take a really deep breath. Trying to let go of all the tension and stress I've been feeling for the past few hours. I know damn well what lie I just got myself into when I told her we can be friends, let alone not actively avoid her. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I can't do it. And I don't think I'd ever get to do just that with how the sparks are still flying high after all these years. Or how this unchanging unbelievable chemistry is seemingly innate between us. Or simply how she still makes my breath hitch with one single smile or mention of my name. I just can't.

And so, it's settled. I'll have to turn back on my promise.

The road to knowing the reason for the break up starts next chapter. I'll be doing it in consecutive flashbacks scattered as the story goes on.