They parked a few blocks away, and then carried the blanket and tote to the park with them. They saw several other same-sex couples that seemed to be walking in the same general direction, and groups of friends who didn't seem to be split into couples, and even a few straight couples. There seemed to be more and more of them as they got closer to the park. Couples holding hands with each other without fear of getting slushied or thrown into a dumpster. Brittany reached out and took not just Santana's pinky, but her whole hand in her own.
It felt safe here, when they were with "their own kind," shielded from judgment or retribution, but Santana still wondered how long it would be before she could walk down the halls of McKinley like this without being terrified of what lurked around every corner.
They had walked most of the way there in silence, but when they had nearly reached the park, a thought occurred to Santana. Not a thought she liked.
"So, how did you hear about this thing? Did someone...reccommend it to you?"
"Blaine told me about it!" Brittany proclaimed, enthusiastically, as Santana's heart sunk. "He said that he wanted to take Kurt, but they had other plans for tonight, so he asked me if we might be interested in going." Santana was so happy about that news that she nearly missed the next thing out of Brittany's mouth, "You know, I keep forgetting that we're probably the only other gay couple that they know, too. We really should try to spend more time with them."
Santana wasn't too fond of that idea, but she smiled at the kindheartedness that Brittany relentlessly showed. "Maybe we can double again sometime soon," Santana allowed.
When they got to the park, they found an empty spot for their blanket in the middle of a sea of people who were all either like them, or who at the very least would be accepting of them, which was an amazing feeling. They only had time to watch one full film, a movie called Heavenly Creatures, before they had to leave in order to make it back in time for curfew.
The movie was good, the movie was great, actually, but what mattered to Santana about the date was the way Brittany lay with her head in Santana's lap, and the way she idly played with the frayed edges of Santana's cutoffs as Santana stroked Brittany's hair while they watched the movie. And the way no one bothered them through any of this.
When they got up to leave, just before they got out of the park, Santana grabbed Brittany's other hand and kissed her full on the lips. It was the most public kiss they'd ever shared.
"And what was that for?" Brittany asked with a smile.
"Because I wanted to," Santana said with a shrug. "Because I can."
Brittany squeezed Santana's hand just a little but tighter as they walked back to the car.
When they got back to Santana's house, Santana's mother was in the living room watching television on the couch.
"Oh, hello girls. Are you spending the night tonight, Brittany?" she asked casually. They'd been friends for so long, none of their family members suspected anything.
"Not tonight, Mrs. Lopez." Brittany said with a smile that betrayed nothing of what was actually going on.
"We're just going to hang out in my room for a little bit before she has to go home. Is that OK, Mom?"
"Sure, honey. And Brittany, don't be a stranger; you're always welcome here. It feels like forever since you've stayed over."
That's because we're not having sex again yet.
It was always a little bit awkward talking to parents like this, pretending like everything was normal and fine, when you were about to make out upstairs, but there was an extra layer of awkwardness now that they were trying to be a real couple. Real couples told their parents they were in a relationship. They both knew they weren't ready for that step yet, though.
When they got up to Santana's room, she immediately locked her door, and then turned and grabbed Brittany by the hips and pulled her in for a kiss. Brittany giggled; she always liked that. After so many years together, they knew all about what the other one did and didn't like.
Brittany, in response, grabbed Santana by the hips, spun her around, and practically threw her onto her bed, just the way Santana liked. Brittany then climbed onto the bed over top of her, so that their bodies weren't actually touching at all. She had a knee on either side of Santana's hips with her feet straight up in the air, and a hand on either side of Santana's neck. She smiled down at Santana teasingly, then finally leaned down and and pressed just her lips to Santana's. She deepened the kisses gradually, until Santana threw her arms around Brittany's neck and her legs around Brittany's waist and brought her down to her.
Still kissing her fiercely, Santana's hands traveled from Brittany's neck, down her back, and down to the bottom of her shirt, where she slipped her hands up under Brittany's shirt. She paused for a second for Brittany to give some signal that this wasn't OK, but it didn't come. Santana's hands made their way back up Brittany's back, bringing the shirt with it. Brittany broke away from Santana just far enough, to get the tank top over her head. Santana leaned up to reach Brittany's lips again, but Brittany instead reached down and took off Santana's shirt. Santana was suddenly glad she'd worn a nice bra. She hadn't been expecting this when she'd gotten dressed.
Brittany brought her lips back down to Santana's, and she briefly thought that shirtless making out was the only new step she was getting tonight. The lime leopard bra doesn't lie, though. It wasn't long before Brittany's hands were sliding up Santana's ribs towards Santana's bra. She made a little noise of appreciation when Brittany reached her destination. There was a feeling she'd missed. Brittany had smooth soft hands, and her fingers were nimble and well versed in the ways of Santana's body.
Santana took her hands from Brittany's back, and opened Brittany's bra in the front one-handed without even having to look at what she was doing. Brittany shrugged it all the way off, and...there was another thing she'd missed...well, two more things, actually.
Santana flipped them over so that she was now on top of Brittany, and in a better position. Brittany was biting the corner of her lip, trying not to express herself too loudly, knowing Mrs. Lopez was still right downstairs. She just looked so cute, trying her hardest to not make any noise, Santana suddenly wanted to make it even harder for her.
She moved her lips away from Brittany's face, and started kissing down her neck, all the way down her chest and stomach until she got to the top of Brittany's jeans, which she knew Brittany wouldn't let her do anything about tonight. She then started making her way back up towards Brittany's face, going slower this time, paying special attention to her favorite parts.
Brittany laughed and happily kissed Santana on the lips when they were face-to-face again, and then reached around Santana's back to unhook her bra, as well.
Later, before Brittany left, when they were getting their clothes and hair resettled, she asked Santana, "Did I surprise you? Or have you been expecting this?"
"I'd been expecting it a little bit when I figured out what bra you were wearing, and then spent the rest of the night trying to figure out if you'd worn it intentionally." Santana answered honestly. "I was surprised when I saw the bra, though."
Brittany, smiled, and opened her mouth as if to ask another question, but Santana cut her off. "Was this going to happen no matter what, or did I do something specific tonight to earn it?"
"If you didn't freak out and leave, this was pretty much guaranteed. I was on the fence when you saw where we were going. You didn't seem to happy about it. But you turned it around in the end."
"Oh? What did I do?"
"You kissed me. In public. You weren't afraid of anyone there. I know it probably won't happen in Lima anytime soon, but it was a good step."
"And what about you?"
"What about me?"
"If I did kiss you, right in the middle of Lima, tomorrow, would you be OK with it?"
Brittany's face scrunched up adorably in concentration, "I dunno, I guess...maybe? I've been waiting for you to be ready for all of those steps, and I guess I figured once you're ready I'll be ready by then?"
"And if the day comes where I'm ready and you're not?"
"I'll tell you."
"Good. You've done plenty of waiting for me, I'm more than willing to wait for you." Santana kissed Brittany once more in the privacy of her own room, and then opened the door, to where the world was waiting. They weren't ready yet, but Santana was getting more and more confident that one day, she would be. One day they would be ready. Together.
A/N: Ohhey, look, Brittany has insecurities about this relationship, too! Yay feelings! And talking! And boobs!