Author's Note: I'm not dead so please don't kill me! Look, I come bearing gifts. It has been over a year since I updated this but hey, inspiration struck and this happened. Dedicated to killercereal because she hasn't been feeling well and she's pretty awesome.
Santana Lopez was not a coward. She could pick fights with girls twice her size on the ice and not break a sweat. Even more impressive, she could watch horror movies in the dark confines of her basement without screaming. So why was her heart beating so fast outside the front door of a certain skater's house? She took a deep breath, the cold air tiny knives scraping against her throat, and shook her head. She raised her fist to knock, but stopped just before her knuckles could rap on the brown door. A low groan rumbled in her throat as she rested her head against the cold wood. She yelped and took a step back when it opened inward, revealing a leggy blonde in tight blue jeans, a striped black and white t-shirt, and a black fedora atop her wavy curls of hair. Her blue eyes sparkled in the yellow glow cast from the porch light.
"I didn't think you were ever gonna knock," Brittany said as she stepped outside and closed the door behind her.
Santana's cheeks flared red and she ducked her head. "I was working on it."
Once the heat left her cheeks, she cleared her throat and offered Brittany her hand, who smiled and laced their fingers together. Santana swallowed. Somehow, she managed to tell Brittany their chariot awaited them without stumbling over her words. Blue eyes brightened and Santana led her to the Jeep parked near the sidewalk. The snow crunching beneath their feet was the only conversation between the two of them as they walked across the yard. Santana's hand shook when Brittany let go to climb into the passenger seat of the Wrangler. After shutting the door harder than she intended to, Santana hurried to the driver side and climbed into her seat.
Afraid Brittany would freeze without a jacket, Santana blasted the heater. They made it halfway down the street before Brittany clicked it down several levels and smiled at the smaller girl.
"Sorry," Santana said with a sheepish grin before she looked back at the road. She hoped that wasn't a stop sign she had just passed. The last thing she needed was to get pulled over on her first real date with Brittany.
Date. Her gut twisted and throat constricted when she thought about the word, but when she caught the blonde girl watching her with those sparkling blue eyes, the knot loosened and she could breathe again. She just hoped Brittany liked what she had planned. She had to promise to ref the next youth league tournament to get Puck to help her, but it would be worth it if it made Brittany happy enough to want to go on another date. The thought of another date with the blonde made the corners of her mouth curl into a smile as they turned onto the main street.
When the Jeep pulled into the dark parking lot of the local ice rink, Santana shut off the engine and cast a nervous glance at Brittany. Maybe this was a stupid idea. Maybe Brittany didn't want to spend more time on the ice than she needed. It wasn't too late to catch a late night movie if Brittany didn't mind missing the first half of the show.
"Are you coming or should I give you a couple more minutes with the ghost in my seat?"
Santana blinked at the sound of Brittany's voice and realized the blonde had already slipped out of the Jeep, which meant she had been staring at an empty passenger seat for who knew how long. She cleared her throat, trying to distract herself from the embarrassment pooling in her cheeks, before she hopped out of the Jeep. After she was sure it was locked, she joined Brittany. Long fingers grasped hers and she looked down to find Brittany's hand holding hers again. She took that as a good sign and gave the hand a soft squeeze before she led her to the side door of the ice rink. The two keys Puck had loaned her jingled when she pulled them out of her pocket and unlocked the door.
Dim lights flickered to life as the two girls entered, a burst of cold air and a flurry of snowflakes following them inside. Once Santana shoved the heavy door shut, she turned to find Brittany rocking on her heels, cheeks and nose rosy from the wind.
"Do you want my coat?" Santana asked, already pulling her arms out of the sleeves of the leather jacket.
Brittany shook her head and leaned down. "If I get cold I'll just let you warm me up," she whispered, her breath tickling the skin next to Santana's ear.
When Brittany pulled back, Santana ducked her head, tucked a lock of her dark hair behind her ear, and tried to ignore the feelings pooling just south of her stomach. She cleared her throat and managed not to stutter as she asked the blonde to follow her through the air-conditioned halls of the arena. They shuffled onto the ice several minutes later. She was just as surprised as Brittany to find the blanket in middle of the rink and a wicker basket on top of it. Puck had actually come through for her. Brittany squealed and slid across the ice towards the blanket, leaving Santana to shuffle after her. She really was a mess without her skates.
Once she reached the blanket, she took a seat next to the blonde, who had the basket cradled in her lap. Her fingers drummed against the top until Santana gave her the okay to open it. Her face lit up as she slid one finger under the edge of the lid and flipped it up, revealing bread, peanut butter, jelly—grape and strawberry—and two bottles of sparkling grape juice.
"I wasn't sure if you were allergic to peanut butter or what you liked so I—"A pair of soft lips cut Santana off and she started to think she hadn't screwed up her chances yet. When Brittany pulled away, Santana rubbed the back of her head before she pulled out the bread and plastic knives.
Two peanut butter sandwiches later, the grip Santana's nerves had on her loosened and she found her missing confidence. Her usual charm returned with it.
"So this Blondie and I, we don't get along at all," she said as she leaned forward for the bottle. "She thinks she's all hot shit because she's a starting goalie her first year on a triple A team and I think it has more to do with daddy's money than her skill level."
The cork popped loose and she poured the juice into one of the paper cups Puck had left in the basket. She offered it to Brittany, but the blonde shook her head and took the bottle instead. Brown eyes watched pink lips wrap around the lip of the bottle, transfixed. They pulled away with a 'pop' and a smile and Santana snapped out of her trance.
"I figure sharing a bottle isn't that big of a deal if we've already kissed three times," Brittany said with a grin as she put the bottle down.
"So that's why you kissed me all those times," Santana replied. "You just wanted 'straight-from-the-bottle' privileges. I get it."
"I can't believe you figured it out." Brittany chuckled and bumped her shoulder against Santana's. When Santana didn't pull away, she leaned her head on the smaller girl's shoulder. "You're so smart. You should be a detective or something."
"I could definitely pull off the uniform."
"You could wear the handcuffs well, too."
"I think it's the perp who's supposed to wear the cuffs," Santana pointed out. Her breath caught when Brittany's lips pressed against her neck.
The cup fell from her hand and the purple juice spilled onto the blanket, but she was more concerned with the tongue running along her skin and the thigh positioning itself between her legs. The hand that once held the cup gripped the fabric of the blanket, bunched it in her fist as Brittany moved along her neck, gently nipping at her skin. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back to give Brittany more access, but then the blonde pulled back. When Santana opened her eyes, she saw a smirk on the other girl's face.
"Sometimes a perp can get the jump on the cop," Brittany said.
Santana's mouth opened slightly before she narrowed her eyes and leaned forward to capture the blonde's lips in a real kiss. She was tired of Brittany catching her by surprise.
The other girl didn't object when she gently lowered her to the blanket. The fedora slipped off Brittany's head, but the blonde didn't seem to mind. Slender fingers ran through the dark strands of Santana's hair until the hand came to rest at the back of her neck. Santana broke the kiss to move down to Brittany's exposed neck and collar bone. The blonde squirmed beneath her. The hand on her neck moved to the collar of her jacket and squeezed when Santana shifted her leg. The darker girl pulled away and smiled at the pink tint in the normally pale cheeks.
"What were you saying before, about the perp getting the jump on the cop?" she asked before she rolled off the blonde. Her smile turned into a smirk when she heard Brittany groan and smack her hands on the blanket. She sat up before Brittany could get her revenge and got to her feet. She held her hand out to the other girl and helped her up as she said, "I've got another surprise planned."
Brittany grumbled under her breath but followed Santana, much to the shorter girl's pleasure. She slipped on the slick surface of the ice, but a hand on her shoulder steadied her and stopped her from embarrassing herself further.
"I promise I'm much better at this when I have skates on," she said as they slowly crossed the rink. Brittany's arm looped around hers and the blonde leaned her body into Santana's.
"I saw," she replied with a nod. Santana's brow furrowed and she looked over at the blonde. "When you were at that rink with Rachel and the other girl, I watched you skate," she admitted. She ducked her head, but Santana could still see the shy smile on her face when she said, "I hoped you would be watching when I was skating."
Santana chuckled and bumped her hip against Brittany's. "Aren't you just full of surprises, Ms. Pierce," she asked as they reached the edge of the ice.
Brittany nodded and tightened her old on Santana's arm as they walked through the empty halls beneath the bleachers. Halls that led to locker rooms, storage rooms, and the Zamboni parked near the wide gate at the edge of the rink. Santana dug in her pocket for the keys from Puck and dangled them in front of Brittany's eyes.
"What do you say to a spin around the rink, Ms. Pierce?" She twirled the ring around her index finger and smiled up at the taller girl with the sparkling blue eyes. She felt Brittany's hand twitch against her hip and stepped aside before the blonde could snatch the keys away from her. Her smile morphed into a smirk. "Gotta be faster than that."
"Oh yeah?"
Santana started to nod, but a pair of lips attached to hers; a pair of lips that was starting to become very familiar. Soft, pliable lips that fit hers perfectly. Brown eyes slipped shut as she allowed herself to relax. She didn't notice Brittany's hand drifting towards hers until she felt Brittany tug the keys from her fingers and pull away from her with a wide smile.
"You don't play fair," Santana grumbled, but Brittany only laughed and climbed up the Zamboni. Santana muttered under her breath as she followed the blonde to the bright yellow seat at the back of the green, tractor-like machine.
Brittany leaned back in the small seat and shifted her legs so the shorter girl could comfortably sit between them. Once Santana was settled, Brittany's arm slipped around waist and rested on her lap while Brittany's chin rested on Santana's shoulder. Santana twisted the key in the ignition and the ice-cleaning behemoth rumbled to life beneath them. She was ready to get the Zamboni moving, but the closed doors to the rink put a damper on those plans. She slapped her palm against her forehead before she scrambled down from the seat so she could unlatch the doors. After the path to the ice had been cleared and Santana was back in the seat, she gave the okay for the other girl to start driving. They made it to the other side of the rink before Brittany's free arm looped around Santana's waist again and pulled the smaller girl against her torso, as if they weren't close enough as it was.
"I'm sorry if this date is kind of lame," Santana said as they rounded the second corner of the rink. "I just didn't want to do the same old dinner and a movie routine for someone like you."
"This is way more fun than making out in the back row of a theater."
"Well, when you say it like that, it sounds even worse."
"I'm serious, Santana. The only thing that would make it more fun would be another one of these. I'm pretty sure I could beat you in Zamboni bumper cars," Brittany said. Silence filled the space between them for a moment before she asked, "What did you mean when you said someone like me? Do you not want people to see us together?"
"No!" Santana winced at how loud her objection was. "I mean, no, I don't mind if people see us together," she said in a more reasonable voice. She laid her hand over the one Brittany had placed against her stomach. With a little coaxing, she let Santana lace their fingers together. "I was just trying to say that, well, you deserve more than a mundane dinner and movie date."
The corners of Brittany's lips twitched and she leaned forward to rest her head on Santana's shoulder once more. "You're sweet," she said as she rubbed her thumb over the back of Santana's hand.
Neither one of the girls noticed that the Zamboni was losing speed. Santana was too busy turning to face Brittany and Brittany was too busy watching Santana move. The bulky machine came to a stop as the girls shifted their attention from the ice to one another. A tan hand reached forward and tucked a blonde lock of hair behind a pale ear.
"Only to people who deserve it," she said. "And you, Ms. Pierce, definitely deserve a bit of sweetness," she added before leaning forward and giving Brittany a quick peck on the lips. A pout was on Brittany's face when she pulled away. "Oh, you think you deserve a little more?" Brittany nodded. "I'm glad we're in the same boat," she said before joining their lips once more.
Long, slender fingers buried themselves in Santana's hair to keep her from pulling back. Brittany's other hand slipped under Santana's shirt and traveled along the toned muscles of her abdomen, slowly moving from one side of her stomach to the other, exploring each bump with her fingertips. Santana clutched the hem of Brittany's shirt. Her grip tightened and breath caught when the girl's hand stopped exploring her stomach and moved further up. The touch forced a moan from Santana but Brittany's mouth absorbed most of the sound.
Santana moved from the blonde's lips down to her neck, to her collarbone, to the prominent clavicle bone, trailing kisses to the gap between Brittany's breasts. Brittany's breathing quickened and the hand in her hair clenched when she reached the spot just above her goal.
"Santana," Brittany breathed into her ear. "Santana, we need—Jesus Christ!"
"Not really in the mood to hear about Jesus right now," Santana said with a smirk before she moved back up to the hollow of Brittany's neck. The blonde's head tilted back when the tip of Santana's tongue touched her skin.
"Santana, we should—" Her breath caught again and her back arched.
"We should what?" Santana asked once she pulled away from the blonde's neck. Brittany straightened herself in the seat once more, giving Santana a better view of her flushed cheeks and the dilated pupils of her sparkling eyes.
"Get back to the blanket," Brittany replied before nipping at Santana's lower lip. "I don't think it's safe to sex and drive, even if it's just a Zamboni," she said with a smile after she pulled away.
"Sex and…" It took a moment for Santana's head to catch up with what Brittany was saying, but when she did, she swallowed and nodded.
She couldn't get off the Zamboni fast enough. Crossing the ice to the blanket would have been hell if it weren't for the pair of toned arms holding her up as they shuffled over the slick surface. Once they reached the blanket in the center of the rink, Santana kicked the picnic basket out of the way and guided the blonde down to the comforter.
"You are like the best blanket ever."
Brittany smiled at her before leaning up and pulling Santana into another kiss. It didn't take long before they were continuing what they had started on the Zamboni. It did, however, take them a bit longer to finish.
Santana was humming when she walked through the door to her apartment. Humming. Quinn and Rachel sat up on the couch when they heard the sound, their hair disheveled and shirts wrinkled, and watched as Santana walked past them without one snarky remark. Quinn's brow furrowed. She raised a hand, signaling for Rachel to stay put, and followed Santana to the refrigerator in the kitchen. She waited for her friend to pull out a bottle of water and close the door to the fridge before she asked,
"Having a good night?"
Santana startled, spilling the water from the bottle onto her shirt, and glared at Quinn. "I was until some pesky blonde showed up and started pestering me," she said. She took a swig of the water and peeked into the living room. "Seriously, Quinn? Why do you have to play Berry Quest on the sofa? You two have a room for a reason."
"You're avoiding the question."
"No, I answered your question. You're avoiding mine," Santana said. She pushed past the blonde, but Quinn's hand wrapped around her wrist and stopped her from leaving the kitchen. Santana rolled her eyes and scoffed, but gave in to the pout on her friend's face. "Look, I had a good time, okay? Brittany is cool."
"It looks like you had more than just a good time."
"If you could already tell then why the fuck did you ask?" Santana jerked her hand out of Quinn's and went back to the living room.
After making Rachel scoot over, she dropped down to the sofa. Something hard poked into her backside. She shifted and reached behind her back until she grabbed the offending object that had been poking her in the ass. It was a bra. Rachel snatched it out of her hands and gave her the best apologetic smile she could muster as she clutched the bra to her chest.
"It's like a god damn minefield in here," Santana muttered as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back. Then again, it wasn't like Brittany and herself hadn't created their own mess in the ice rink. That thought made the corners of her lips twitch into a smile.
She couldn't remember the last time she had enjoyed herself the way she had with Brittany. It was more than just the sex, although she certainly wasn't complaining about that. She genuinely enjoyed their time together, even when they weren't trying to see who could frustrate the other more. Brittany had a way of talking that made Santana want to listen and those damn blue eyes were practically hypnotic.
Santana shook her head but the smile remained. There was definitely something special about Brittany S. Pierce and Santana intended to stick around long enough to find out what it was. As far as she was concerned, she only had one final test to pass. That test had four legs, a hairball problem, and a name: Lord Tubbington.
Author's Note: It's not as long as I wanted it to be, but I didn't want to force anything. It also took a way different turn than I planned. Still, I hope you all enjoyed it. : ]