Rachel barely spoke to anyone over the next couple of days and Santana was extremely worried. Apparently, so were a lot of people because Mercedes, Kurt, and Noah cornered Santana in the dining hall one mornin during breakfast. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"Why the hell isn't Rachel talking to anyone?" Mercedes asked.
"Did you two get in a fight?" Kurt asked before Santana could answer the first question.
"No. We didn't get into a fight." Santana said.
"Lopez, if you hurt her-"
"You'll do what, Puckerman? Huh? Rachel's my girlfriend. I'm just as concerned as you three are. She's still freaked out about what happened at the game and she's not really in a talkative mood." Santana said. Mercedes and Kurt nodded while Noah glared.
"If you have something to say, then just say it? Stop beating around the fucking bush, Puckerman." the Latina growled.
"Stop messing with Rachel. We all know that if Brittany was here you wouldn't even be looking her way." he said.
"If Brittany were here I probably wouldn't have met Rachel. But she's not and I did. And how do you even know I wouldn't be with Rachel regardless of Brittany being here? Brittany never wanted what Rachel and I have." Santana said.
"Which is?"
"An exclusive relationship. By the time I met Rachel, I was tired of Brittany's games." Santana said.
"And Rachel was the perfect distraction." he accused. Santana's eyes narrowed.
"Rachel's my girlfriend. I care about her. If you three are really her friends, you'll accept that we're together and that I make her happy." she said.
"When you're not in a rage blackout." Noah muttered.
"Puckerman, that's it! I've had enough of you! I'd never hurt Rachel, rage blackout or not!" Santana yelled, catching the attention of everyone in the dining hall, including Rachel who had just walked through the doors with Quinn.
"You don't know anything about me and Brittany or me and Rachel, so just mind your own business! There's no me and Brittany anymore, because there's a me and Rachel. I don't want there to be a me and Brittany anymore! I'm with Rachel and you're just going to have to learn to deal with it!" Santana yelled. Sharing a look with Quinn, Rachel rushed over to the arguing pair.
"What's going on?" she asked. Santana looked over and Rachel searched her eyes carefully, relaxing when she saw the gentleness that was her girlfriend.
"Nothing, Rach." Noah said. Santana's head snapped to the side.
"Like hell. Your friends were asking about you, which I totally get and all. Mercedes and Kurt did nothing, but then Puckerman had to get all crazy and shit. Like he was questioning how serious I am about you and about us!" Santana said. Rache looked at Noah.
"Is that true?" she asked. He shrugged. "Noah. Don't lie to me." He nodded and Rachel turned to Santana. "How serious about us are you?" she asked quietly. Santana's jaw dropped.
"You too, Rach? You know that I'm crazy about you!" she said. Rachel looked down. "You do know that, right?" Santana asked quietly.
"Santana, you really scared me the other night." Rachel said softly. Santana looked away.
"Do you trust me?" she whispered.
"What?" Rachel asked.
"Do you trust me?" Santana asked louder. Rachel bit her lip. "If you don't trust me, then why are you even with me?" she asked. Rachel opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Scoffing, Santana nodded. "Fine. Whatever. We can just be roommates, if that's what you want." Santana said, grabbing her tray and walking away.
"Are you gonna go after her?" Kurt asked. Rachel shrugged.
"Rachel... she made a mistake. She was just trying to protect you from Callie." Quinn said, having followed Rachel. Rachel looked over at her friend.
"I'm tired of Brittany's name always coming up." she said.
"Brittany is a part of Santana's past!" Quinn said.
"And apparently, so am I. Santana wants to break up." Rachel said.
"No she doesn't. She's just saying that. She doesn't want to break up with you." Quinn insisted. Rachel raised an eyebrow.
"Obviously she does, because she just did. Its fine. I have to go, Quinn." Rachel said as she walked to the food line. Frowning, Quinn made her way to the table Santana had sat at.
"Are you okay, San?" Quinn asked.
"She doesn't trust me. How the fuck can she not trust me? I've never given her any reason not to!" Santana muttered. Quinn nodded.
"I'm really sorry, Santana." she said softly. Santana shrugged
"Its not like its your fault." she replied. Quinn looked down. "She doesn't trust me. I can't be with someone who doesn't trust me." Santana said.
"But-"
"You know, suddenly I'm not so hungry. Can we just go to class?" Santana asked. Quinn eyed her for a moment, but nodded. Across the room, Rachel watched her girl... well, ex-girlfriend leave the dining hall.
"That's just going to be awkward, isn't it?" she asked Mercedes.
"What? Living with your ex? I'm going to go with yes." she said. Rachel rolled her eyes. "Why'd you tell her that you don't trust her?" Mercedes asked. Rachel shrugged.
"I want to trust her. I used to trust her. But something about that night changed me. The look in her eyes terrified me beyond belief." Rachel said.
"Rachel, you know that Santana would never hurt you even if she was in a rage blackout." Mercedes tried to reason. Rachel shrugged and looked away. Mercedes decided to drop the subject.
School was extremely awkward. Santana and Rachel had gotten so used to sitting by each other that they both immediately headed for their regular seats next to each other. Awkwardly, Rachel moved over a few seats, and Santana did the same so that all of their regular group was between them.
It wasn't until they breaked for soccer that it got really awkward. The capitans always held team meetings during lunch so that they could have productive practices after school. The team could definitely tell something was up between their capitans. They had been very accepting of Santana and Rachel as a couple so they could tell something was off.
"Okay, so..." Santana trailed off, suddenly very insecure. Usually during these meetings, she had Rachel right next to her, even before she'd been made a capitan. Santana had always stood next to wherever she happened to be sitting. Rachel, not meeting Santana's gaze, looked at the white board. "So, um..."
"Is everything okay?" Tiffany asked.
"What do you mean?" Rachel asked.
"Well, something seems off. Quinn's glaring at Rachel and you two-" she motioned between Rachel and Santana. "aren't even standing next to each other." she said. Rachel sighed.
"Everything's fine. Why don't we just hear what Santana has to say?" Rachel suggested.
"I forgot. Let's just go ahead and go. See you all this afternoon." Santana said. When Santana went to get her soccer stuff that afternoon, she found Rachel in their room as well. "Can we talk?" the Latina asked. Hesitantly, Rachel nodded.
"San, its not that I don't trust you... I just..." Rachel trailed off.
"Look, I know that I scared you and I'm sorry. I was trying to protect you from Callie and you know that I'd never hurt you." Santana said. Rachel nodded. "Babe, I don't want to break up. But if you can't trust that I'd never even raise a hand to you, let alone hit you, then we definitely aren't going to work out." Santana continued. Rachel bit her lip before surging forward, kissing the Latina and wrapping her arms around her neck.
"I trust you. I promise." Rachel whispered. Santana grinned and pushed Rachel onto the diva's bed.
"What do you say we skip practice today?" Santana asked softly.
"San, we can't!" Rachel said.
"Sure we can. Watch this." Santana pulled out her phone. "Hey Q?"
"San, get your ass out here! And where the fuck is your ex?"
"My girlfriend isn't feeling very well." Santana said. Rachel raised an eyebrow.
"Wait. You got back together? That was quick."
"Yea. Anyway, Rachel isn't feeling well, if you get what I'm saying." Santana said.
"You skipping practice to make out?"
"Hell yes. Its scary how well you know me." Santana said.
"Yea. I'll cover for you, S."
"Thanks, Q. Bye." Santana said, hanging up the phone and turned to the diva next to her. "See? That was easy. Now, I believe I have to take care of you?" she said, grinning.
"You're insane." Rachel said, kissing her girlfriend. Santana groaned as her phone rang.
Incoming Call
Quinn
"What?" she yelled into the phone.
"You guys need to get to the field. Now."
"Why?" Santana asked.
"Trust me."
"Yea. Okay. We'll be right there." Santana said.
"What's up?" Rachel asked. Santana shrugged.
"Quinn said we need to get to the field. But I'm not being deprived of my Rachel Berry cuddles, so you're getting a piggyback ride, baby girl." Santana said, squatting down so the small brunette could get on her back. Carrying Rachel to the field, the couple laughed the entire walk. When Santana saw what Quinn had pulled them out of their safe haven for, she immediately stopped laughing and almost dropped her girlfriend.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. Brittany looked over to see Santana gently setting Rachel on the ground.
"San!" she said excitedly, frowning as Santana pulled Rachel closer to her.
"I told you to go back to Miami." the Latina said. Brittany took a step forward, but Quinn stepped between them.
"San, I did it. I broke up with Mitch. I... I love you. I want to be with you." Brittany said. Santana gasped, Rachel's breath caught in her throat, and Quinn looked over at her friends with wide eyes as Brittany stepped around her and walked to Santana.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" she whispered, smiling. Santana's jaw dropped and Rachel took a step back.
"The dean readmitted me. They're putting a second bed in Quinn's room and I'm living there. But we can be together for real now." the tall blonde said. Santana bit her lip as she smiled softly.
"Britt..." Brittany smiled widely and Quinn didn't miss Rachel's hurt expression as Santana linked their hands together. "You know that that was what I always wanted." Santana said. Brittany grinned and Rachel looked down. Releasing the blonde's hand, Santana walked over to the diva. "But I'm with Rachel now. I don't want to be with anyone else." she continued. Brittany's jaw dropped.