Chapter three
Right on Time
Santana was fourteen the first time she talked to her. A nervous defensive awkward fourteen year old. She was beautiful, she held effortless elegance, and eyes followed her where ever she went. Santana was hypnotized the first time she spotted her was while she walked into the doors of the school commanding it for her own.
It took her two months and numerous Cheerio's practises to finally work up enough nerve to talk to her. She was alone like her, but she unlike herself seemed comfortable in it. Santana had friends it was true, but no one who was really her friend, just fake teenagers desperate to be accepted. The first meeting was cold and measuring, both girls fighting for a leadership role in the squad. Even though Santana knew she should be her enemy- that she should be plotting to cut her down she found herself sucked in close to her.
An uneasy friendship was formed an understanding that at any moment one of them may break the other one down. But somewhere in the uneasy friendship a real one bloomed. Neither had expected it, but once it happened neither could think of any other way.
Santana had been right in the beginning Quinn commanded any room she was in easily. She quickly took over the squad in their sophomore year, bringing Santana with her as her right hand woman. It was also the same year that Santana underwent un-controlled loathing jealousy. Quinn went out to parties and dances with her new jock boyfriend, pressuring Santana to also get one for her own.
Santana watched in envy as he put his arms around her, kissed her, and touched her. Every time Santana shook off the feeling as loyalty, she didn't want to see her friend get hurt. She suffered through the entire sophomore year, ditching her idiotic boyfriend for movie nights with Quinn. She survived with tentative and nervous touches, stolen glances and breathless hugs.
It wasn't until junior year did she realise the obvious truth. Quinn sat at a senseless party, drink in had watching Santana with such intensity, that it chilled her to the bone. Around them boys chanted in approval, Quinn shoved her drink to the closest boy taking a few large steps toward her best friend. The Latina stood still unable to do anything but watch as she was stalked like prey. Quinn raised her hand cupping the side of her face before leaning toward the girl.
Santana was a goner.
She knew the moment her lips brushed up against Quinn's she would never be able to live without them. Her lips brushed past her upper lip before fully pressing against them. Santana let out a straggled moan into her lips, looping her hand around and into her straight blonde hair. And in that moment their entire worlds changed. Quinn finally let go of Santana's full lips her eyes lidded breath cut deep down in her throat. She couldn't believe she had just done that with Quinn and that she liked it so, so much. So much more then when she had done it with any boy. The moment of realisation hit her like a cold fish to the face. She ran to the first boy in distance pulling him up to a spare bedroom, making sure to stuff her hand down his pants as quickly as possible.
It was another four months before the girl's found themselves in a similar position except this time they were alone with no boys around. Santana lay flat on her back against Quinn's mattress after a difficult Cheerio's practise, rambling to Quinn about nonsense. The blonde dropped her gym bag sinking onto her bed shuffling up to the side of Santana. The Cheerio had a conflicted expression twisted in her features her radio buzzing out a stupid new top pop hit in the background. Santana paused, looking over at Quinn with curiosity.
"Something wrong?" she asked cautiously, knowing that whatever Quinn had on her mind could have serious consequences. There were only a few times that the blonde looked so conflicted and it usually involved her asking Santana to take care of one of the freshmen girls who had been slaking or speaking out. There were some things that even Quinn Fabray couldn't stomach- that's where Santana came in doing the real dirty work.
Quinn pursed her lips, letting out a shaky breath, pulling her hair from the confines of her pony tail. "Do you ever think about it?" She whispered her voice breaking.
Santana's words stuck in her throat, trying to read Quinn to the best of her ability. She had come accustomed to the different Quinn's. There was the Queen Quinn, happy Quinn, and sad Quinn. But when she looked at her friend now she saw someone totally different, she saw a shy meek Quinn, nervously biting her lip, playing with her fingers in her lap.
"Think of what?" Santana cooed softly.
"That night, us...we..." Quinn hashed out, unable to actually say the words.
Kiss.
They kissed. And it was possibly the best kiss either girl had ever had. That wasn't right, Santana wasn't supposed to have her best kiss with a girl, with Quinn. It was supposed to be with a tall strong man, it had to be that way.
Once Santana knew exactly what Quinn was going to say, she stood up trying to gain distance from her friend. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable about how close they were, her body heating up from the memory. "We were drunk. The boys were cheering us on." Santana confidently declared reaching Quinn's vanity inspecting her make-up making sure it wasn't smudged. "We only did it to get their attention."
Quinn looked nervously to her sheets pinching the white cotton in-between her fingers, swallowing loudly, "Are you sure?"
Santana turned back noticing the intense stare Quinn currently ensnared her in. she had recognized such eyes when Emily challenged her spot as head Cheerio last year, it was a glare that Quinn only held when she wanted something…bad. Santana let a shaky breath out, rubbing her palms on the pleated skirt, trying to whip away the sweat that had gathered on her palms.
She opened her mouth but for once Santana could not find any words to place in it. She could not find anything with Quinn starring at her like that, like she was the biggest present under the Christmas tree that she couldn't wait to unwrap.
Finally after sometime Santana was able to rearrange her brain, clearing her throat. "You know it's getting late, I need to get home."
Lie.
Santana couldn't stand another moment in this room. She reached for her Cheerio's bag hulling it over her shoulder, stomping over to the door. Twisting the door knob but suddenly freezing when a body pressed up behind her. The girl's stood frozen as Quinn slowly pulled Santana's hair out of her pony tail, her breath whispering against her neck.
Something deep within Santana suddenly snapped, "Quinn," she breathed. Her movements being controlled by something entirely foreign. She dropped her bag with a loud thud spinning around on spot before taking Quinn's face between her palms crashing her lips onto the blondes. Quinn let out a surprised gasp but sunk into the kiss as if she had already known Santana was going to kiss her.
They girls didn't waste time pushing tongues back and forth both battling for control, both wrestling with their hands bunching up the other girl's clothing wishing they could go under. Their bodies pressed tightly against each other, not allowing any space between. Santana's mind screamed no, trying to make her stop from running her hand down until it cupped Quinn's ass but something primitive in her chest pushed her forward efficiently pushing Quinn back onto her bed. Their afternoon was filled with cautious touches, making sure to keep both hands away from anything too scandalise.
After that afternoon both girls' lives were changed, flirtatious glances were exchanged in the change room, lingering touches in classrooms and desired eyes ranking each other in cheer performances. It wasn't until every day after school in Quinn's room when they were allowed to finally let their desires out latching onto each other dragging each other down.
They had successfully mastered the art of disguising their rapidly growing relationship. That was until senior year. Others begin to notice. They were beginning to get sloppy, letting things slip in the presence of their peers, being too close during free time. The fact that they had both broke up with their boyfriends at the beginning of senior year at roughly the same time did not help the rumor either.
On March third Quinn and Santana were caught in the changing rooms late after a Cheerio's practice. Quinn was kneeled in front of a panting and cursing Santana. The young freshman who had caught the pair reported it to Emily and from there everyone knew.
Two dykes were running the Cheerios.
Quinn was forbidden from seeing Santana, Santana still sulking in her own self-pity at home as her mother tried to comfort her. It wasn't until the end of spring break did Santana climb the tree outside Quinn's room, climbing into the blondes room, taking her lips into her own giving re birth to their own romance. She never truly came out but they never hid after. They weren't so interested in PDA at school partially because if it got back to Quinn's parents there would be harder rules set in place, and partially because Santana never really liked the idea of PDA. By senior prom both girls starred at each other, deciding on either going with each other or separate.
With a final argument with her parents Quinn moved out falling on the front porch of the Lopez's crying with two suitcases. She cried out about them disowning her because they had figured it out all this time. Without Frannie around anymore Quinn had nowhere else to turn except the Lopez's. The decision for prom was obvious then, without the glaring eyes of her parents. Quinn was able to hold Santana's hand leading her into the gymnasium at school as others watched in wonder as the two popular cheerleaders slow danced together.
Santana and Quinn had been together for so long Santana couldn't remember a life without her. She had been there in her highs, in her lows and all the in-betweens. She had fallen in love with Quinn easily, in fact she barely remembered their friendship before her love. But as Santana starred into her bathroom mirror almost eight years later from the shy meek sophomore, the memories of their struggle faded. It was as if it was someone else's life when she thought back on it.
Santana lent forward, brushing the mirrors surface with the tips of her fingers, trailing the reflection of her cheek bone. Santana had grown up with the girl, shared all her intimate moments with her, experienced a lot of firsts with her… so why did she feel lately she didn't want to share her lasts? Could it be possible that Quinn and Santana had simply out grown each other?
She had seen it before; many of her friends broke up with boyfriend and girlfriends monthly. But they were Quinn and Santana, people looked at them with open eyes, and asked 'how do you to stay so in love?" before Santana would exchange a loving look with her girlfriend and shrug, it was just easy for them. Maybe this was all a phase some downhill in their relationship, every relationship had bumps, she knew that. Santana smacked the glass straightening her back.
She began to pack a simple lunch aware of Quinn in the living room reading a book, the stereo playing soft rock. Santana scratched her forearm watching as her sandwich toasted.
"When will you be home?" Quinn inquired from the living room, placing her book down onto her lap.
Santana looked behind her shoulder, Quinn's hair still messy from her long sleep. She wore long grey cardigan, jeans, and a plain white v neck, and although she was dressed Santana could already guess she would still be in the same spot when she came home.
"Seven," Santana drawled, the ding of the toaster distracting her. She rolled her sandwich in a plastic bag placing it in her purse. "Can you look up when my bus is coming, I just need to get something from the bathroom."
Quinn nodded grabbing Santana's phone from the coffee table swiping it open as Santana rushed into the bathroom placing a few bobby pins in. She came back out Quinn looking at her with an arched brow.
"The next is in ten minutes," The blonde stated. Extending her hand offering it back to her girlfriend, "Since when are you interested in dance?" she added.
Suntan's head snapped up her eyes finally connecting with Quinn's, "What?"
"On your phone, it was open on the history of dance wiki page." Quinn gestured to the phone, now clutched in Santana's hand.
The Latina ran her tongue along her bottom lip, there was nothing to be worried about, no reason why she should feel worried about telling Quinn. It's not like she had cheated, she hadn't even flirted with another women, so why did she have such an urge to lie to Quinn, to hid Brittany from her? "I was bored."
Quinn easily accepted the fact, not really expecting anything else. Santana looked down at the time her shoulders sagging under new weight. "I should go, I'll see you later." She bent over kissing Quinn on her head quickly before grabbing her purse and walking away from her, towards the diner.
Work was just a blur, nothing was exciting, and it was the same.
That was until Brittany walked in almost two weeks ago.
Now Santana watched the door hopeful, waiting to her the dig of the door to check if it was her. So far no such luck. Santana felt like a fool, hoping a complete stranger would enter the diner practically regarding her as an old friend.
"Last day?" Matt asked to her side.
Out of all the employees at the Strider diner Santana liked Matt the most. He wasn't a complete idiot, and was actually funny once and awhile. She had even invited him to Quinn's surprise party at the end of next month. Santana punched in numbers onto her computer, "yep," she stated.
"We'll miss you,"
"It's only three weeks."
"I'll miss you." He clarified.
"Oh hush baby, you'll survive," Santana chimed.
"Easy for you to say you don't have to deal with the giant." Matt muttered, grabbing two plates that the chief had put out.
Santana checked behind her back, finding the person in context at one table taking down the orders. "Thank the lord for that, I need a break just from him." She laughed
Matt rolled his eyes balancing the two plates on his palms, walking back over to his table. Santana ripped the recipe that was produced handing it over it the couple.
Work passed slowly, the traffic lighter than usual on this Tuesday, a ding from the door caused Santana to look up, finding the glow of blonde hair walking in. she could feel her chest tighten, her fingers twitching at her sides.
"Holly shit," she heard Finn murmur beside her, "she's back." She looked to her side, finding the boy picking up a menu. As he took a step forward, she pushed him in the side, pulling the menu from his grip. "What the fu-"
"Hey there!" Santana greeted kindly grinning broadly at the girl.
"Hi," Brittany chipped back following Santana to a single table by the window. Santana laid the plastic booklet in front of the girl.
She ran her hand down her apron "is it going to be the usual?" she asked, smirking.
Brittany looked up her bright blue eyes slightly sparkling at the girl above her, "No, I only have that when I have to work."
Santana recognised then that the girl did not have any papers crowding her table, nor a laptop opened. "Did you finish your paper?" Stupid, Santana mentally hit herself, of course she finished it she had told her a week ago it was due. Why couldn't Santana think of something smoother to say then that?
Brittan cracked a grin nodding her head, "Yeah I turned it in last Friday." Santana couldn't help but notice how much happier she looked from the other day, had she made up with her girlfriend? "Thank you for your help, who knew I would find a dance expert in a diner."
Santana felt embarrassment run to her face, but not enough to actually colour her cheeks. She shrugged humbly, taking out a wrapped fork and knife placing to the side of the girl, "Can I get you anything to drink?"
"A coke please,"
Santana nodded, "I'll be right back with that."
Brittany smiled, watching her as she turned around. Santana moved back to where the kitchen was placed grabbing a glass cup and going to one of the taps. She saw a large object barrelling down on her, the tall boy fuming, he throw the dish rag he clutched in his hand over his shoulder crossing her arms over his chest. "What gives?"
"We have already been through this Finnonce, don't repeat yourself." She drawled, pushing in the order onto the computer, trying her best to avoid any type of eye contact with him, hoping it would send the message.
Clearly she was wrong.
"Do you like sabotaging me?" he asked annoyed,
"That's not what this is about."
"Oh yeah? Because I am pretty sure ever since that night you have had a death order in place for me." he fumed. She rolled her eyes, yanking the rag from his shoulder and throwing it into the bucket underneath the counter.
"This really isn't the place, or the time." Santana growled, "In fact I could get you fired for yelling at me like this, but it's my last day so I'll be nice this time."
"I said sorry like a million times!" he attempted to reason, "Stop holding that grudge."
"Maybe next time you should stick your tongue down my girlfriend's throat, when she clearly said 'no'"
"I didn't know she was gay," he whined.
"Oh my god, that's not even part of it, you shoved your tongue in unwilling girl's moth, you pig." She spat, finally turning around to walk back to Brittany's table with her drink snatching a straw on the way and popping it into the dark liquid.
Finn rubbed his check, remembering the well placed punch Santana had landed afterwards. He craned his jaw looking up at the new costumers who had entered grabbing three menus angrily.
Santana sat the dink beside Brittany, forgetting the previous conversation quickly. "There you go."
Brittany smiled taking a sip from her dink "thank you."
"Are you ready to order, or do you need more time?" Santana inquired pulling her pen from her pocket.
"Actually do you think you could help me out, I don't know what's best here." Brittany requested timidly, "After all I have only had the chicken nuggets."
Santana grinned softly, moving in closer beside the blonde to look down at the menu, she flipped to the burger section running her finger down the selection stopping at her target. "The Swiss cheese burger is really good," Santana tapped the description.
"Should I get the house salad or French fries?" Brittany asked,
Santana bit her lip, trailing the length of the blondes body, "I like the French fries more and I am sure you can deal with a few extra calories it doesn't look like you have much problem in that department.".
"Benefit of being a dancer." The blonde shrugged handing her menu to Santana.
"Well you certainly have the….uh-"
Brittany giggled, placing her hands under her chin. Santana stuttered, her feet not knowing what to do, "U-uhm…I'll be right back with your order." Santana raced away from the smoldering blue eyes, rushing to place the order into the computer and hand it over to the chief.
"What's wrong with you?" Santana jumped, her head whipping around to find Matt with a stunned expression.
"Nothing!"
"If you say so…" he grimaced, "You seem really jumpy."
Santana ignored him, picking up the two plates that were pushed onto the counter. "You're crazy." She stated, walking away to her other table, handing them their hot meals. She smiled at both giving them kind comments before walking away. She wasn't jumpy, Matt was just seeing things.
"Is it Finn?" Matt enquired popping his head around to Santana.
Santana growled, flicking his forehead, "It's always Finn."
"Okay true, but more so than usual?" Matt winced, rubbing his skin where a small red mark was blossoming.
"It's nothing."
"Is it Quinn?" Matt asked "Did you fight about milk again?" he drawled out, leaning on his open palm grinning foolishly at her. It did amuse him that they had fought so furiously over something like milk. When Santana called him a few weeks ago ranting about how Quinn hardly knew her, he had expected her to say that she gave her pecan nuts in her food, (which Santana was allergic to)…not bought the "wrong" type of milk. The two girls never failed to humor the boy.
"It wasn't just some fight about milk Matt." Santana muttered
"Sorry," he raised his hands "Skim milk."
"-No!" Santana barked "It's about her getting distracted by some bimbo." She huffed.
"So this is about Quinn then?"
Santana threw her hands up in frustration, "No- just never mind," she turned around swiping a cloth across the counter, "Don't you have some work to be doing?"
"I finished ten minutes ago," he grinned, swaying his hips back and forth on the spot.
"Peachy."
"I guess I'll see you soon though?" he pushed from the counter straightening his back out.
"That's the plan," Santana bit.
Matt hoisted his jacket on, walking toward the door, "Have a good last day!" he called from the door, opening up. She waved him off grumbling to herself.
Without the distraction of her darker friend she found her eyes slowly crawling back to the blonde, her eyes landing on her sitting form. Brittany was looking to the door her face slightly twisted with some emotion Santana couldn't place, disappointment maybe? Santana pulled her lip in between her teeth chewing it on it lightly.
She had only really felt attraction to one other girl then Quinn. It had been her first year in New York and her first year at NYU hey name was Ashley and she had been on the cheerleading squad. Santana thankful had left her cheerleading days in her past, achieving enough abuse from her coach to ever make her consider joining another team. But seeing Ashley in the tight polyester top and short skirt did something to Santana blame it on the memories if you will. But every time she saw Ashley perform in front of a crowd flipping in the air, doing back hamstrings, and cheers it made her heart race just a bit quicker. One day in her first class of the week – her only class with the famous Ashley- she looked up to find the brunette looking at her with a small smirk, her eyes dancing across Santana's exposed legs. Santana smiled back feeling a sudden rush at the recognition of. Santana cold recognise a lesbian when she saw one, and this girl defiantly had the hots for her. After class she was approached by Ashley, the taller girl twirled her hair on one finger, corning Santana in the hallway.
"So can you believe we haven't been introduced yet?" Ashley said cheekily
"I suppose it is a little crazy," Santana shrugged, acting uninterested.
"We should go out to coffee sometime, so we can get better induced with each other."
"I-," Santana chocked, her mind running back to Quinn's sleeping form she had left that morning. Her blond hair pushed up in front of her face, stirring with every outtake of breath. Santana starred at Ashley, her eyes focusing on her red lips, that she pulled into her mouth, awaiting Santana's answer in desire. "-I have a girlfriend." She finished filled with guilt.
"Oh."
"I'm sorry-"
Ashley waved her hands in front of her, smiling, "no need to be, I'll see you around alright Santana?"
"Yeah…"
Santana held her tongue, until Quinn was getting ready for bed, brushing her teeth. But seeing her so content in their bathroom, getting ready for bed caused Santana to snap, she finally fessed up telling Quinn all about her energy exchange with Ashley, and her attraction to the cheerleader. Quinn took it better then she expected, assuring Santana that things like this would happen. Santana didn't deserve someone like Quinn reassuring her, but there she was sitting on their bed holding Santana's hand tenderly, stroking her thumb across her palm.
In a moment Quinn's face lightened up, running up to her closest, pulling down a box uncapping it and taking a red outfit out wiggling her eyebrows.
"At least I now know your fetish." Quinn giggled undressing and placing on her old cheerleading uniform on. Before Santana had time to say national championships she had Quinn straddling her, her high pony allowing Santana free access to her neck. As Quinn laid Santana down she bent down to her ear, grazing her ear with her moist lips, "I can be whoever you want S."
/
She grabbed the plate on the counter walking back to Brittany's table. The blonde still looked sour, Santana noted. She placed her dish in front of her, dropping both hands on her hips. Brittany looked at the burger, with less interest than a toddler looking at the stock market numbers.
"Do you need a re-fill on your coke?" Santana pointed to her half empty glass.
"It's not empty yet," Brittany stated calmly.
Santana stood back, her lips stuck together, "Well I hope you enjoy your meal, let me know if there is anything I can get you." Santana grinned
"You're leaving?" the dancer asked nervously.
"leaving?" Santana responded slightly stunned,
"That man said… "
"Oh, yeah today is my last day." Santana stated surprised at the girl's outburst. Brittany looked to be contemplating something, her eyes ranking her food, before lifting to meet Santana's.
"Why are you leaving?"
Santana scratched the back of her neck, "I just need some time off, I have been working here for years now."
"You'll be back?"
"In about a month," Santana nodded.
"Oh," Brittany twitched, picking up a fry and dipping it into her ketchup, "thank you." She lifted the fry.
"Yeah no problem," Santana left, helping other costumer order, picking up old dishes and cleaning used tables. Her eyes would always find their way back at the busy blonde, Brittany silently eating her meal alone, why was that? Why was Brittany always alone in the Diner?
Finally Santana walked back up to Brittany staring at the half eaten plate, "How is everything?"
"It's all good."
"Awesome,"
Santana stepped back but was stopped by Brittany's hand clasping around her wrist softly. Santana gasped silently looking at the pale hand. Her skin boiled at the innocent touch the hair on the back of her neck rising up. Brittany seemed to sense Santana's imminent reaction letting the wrist go.
"Wait," she blurted. Santana looked down puzzled, Brittany played with her napkin, ripping a small hole on the corner. "I have this performance this Saturday, it isn't that big but I thought maybe you would like to go, as a thank you for helping me finish my paper."
"Brittany,"
"-I'm sure you will like it actually since you are interested in dance. I will be in it, it's an interpretive jazz performance." She rambled on, cutting Santana off.
"That's…"
"I know it sounds weird, I just thought you might find it interesting. You don't have to go I'll understand if you're busy."
Santana looked helplessly down at the girl, her bright blue eyes turned down in accepted defeat. Her mind raced back to her previous memories. This time though her gut twisted for a different reason, her heart speeding up filled with undefined adrenaline.
"I'll go," She breathed.
Brittany's eyes snapped up in wonder, her cheek bones bunching up. "Great!" She cheered, "When do you get off?"
"Seven."
"I can get you the ticket by then, I'll just run home and get them."
"I'll need two," Santana hesitantly added.
"Oh,"
"For my girlfriend." She blurted
"Oh." Brittany eyes turned down a bit, but only for a moment until she was picking up her last bit of her burger swallowing it quickly, "That's fine, I can take the cheque now, so I can get back in time."
"Of course," Santana beamed, walking away this time to print off a recipe.
Brittany was up and out of the door in a blink of an eye, grasping her black purse in her fist. Santana chuckled to herself. She served others, passing the time quietly looking down at her watch, grimacing when she saw it was twenty to, where was that girl?
Santana was just wrapping up the last few tables, handing them bills and ringing their totals up when she heard the familiar ring of the door. Santana's head snapped up, smiling when she spotted the blonde in the thresh hold, two paper slips clutched in her hand by her side. Santana held a finger up checking the time moving to the back room hanging up her apron, and picking up her purse.
She came back out to find Brittany nervously pinching at her shirt as Finn loomed over her. Brittany's eyes filled with unremorseful boredom, twitching over to Santana when she came out of the room. Her lips cracked upwards, the brunette narrowing her eyes on the back of the loaf of man. She jumped to Brittany's side craning her neck backwards to give Finn a sharp glare.
"But maybe if you're free sometime…" he drabbled on. Santana rolled her eyes, finding Brittany's blue eyes open in concern.
"I, uhm…" she stuttered, "I have a girlfriend, sorry." She finished,
Santana smirked triumphal up at Finn
Told you.
He looked a bit stunned, but masked it with a kind smile, "oh, well I'll see you around anyways."
"yeah."
"See you Santana, have a good break."
Santana nodded up at Finn, "Yeah see you in a few weeks."
Brittany turned to Santana once Finn had walked away. "Sorry about being so late, I thought I would be faster" she handed Santana the two tickets, her lips pulled into her mouth.
"You're not late." Santana urged, taking the tickets from Brittany, her fingers brushing the blondes. She looked up once she safely held the slips of paper, her eyes sparkling up at the blonde, "You're right on time."
A.N: I didn't get much of a response last chapter, please let me know if you like this story/ if I should keep going with it.
thank you for reading.