Disclaimer: I don't own Glee nor its original characters (if I did it would probably be called The Brittany and Santana Show, and all the other characters would only be there to help advance their plot).
A/N: So sorry for taking this long, guys... The chapter was done by Friday, but some friends decided to take a trip to the country and I was told there would be Wi-Fi there; so, I even took the lappie to update while there but I've been lied to. There was no Wi-Fi. It was an utterly awesome place, but very remote. So, I've just arrived home, and even 'though I'm very, very tired, I'm doing this update before hitting the sheets. I promised a chapter a week and I don't break promises. Not without a good damn reason anyhow ;)
Hope you enjoy the new chapter! I think it might be my new favourite one.
No dedications this time around. Again: sorry! I just want my bed as fast as possible. I'll make it up to you next chapter by choosing more people :D
Thanks for all the reviews and PMs! You guys are amazing!
Mischances, Stances and Stolen Glances
||Chapter Nine||
Santana slowly walked through Central Park with a large frappuccino in her hand. The early afternoon was really lovely, and the Latina felt good in her new clothes and shoes. New York was really being good to her. Sucking on the long green straw Santana heard her phone ringing inside her orange designer bag. Retrieving the device after some searching the brunette saw Brittany's smiling mug – along with Zoey's – on the screen. It brought a brief smile to her lips.
"Brittany, something wrong? Is Zoey ok?" Santana quickly answered with concern, stopping mid-walk.
"Yes, she's fine. Why?" Brittany replied in confusion.
"Well, you're calling me…"
"What? Can't I call you just to see how you are?"
Santana processed the information as she resumed her walk. "Yeah, I guess," she said with palpable hesitation.
"We didn't even get a chance to talk when you called Zoey yesterday," the blonde said lowly, feeling a bit embarrassed by her unruly emotions. "I was wondering how your practicals went."
"I was in a bit of a hurry with dinner and all," the Latina replied in the same tone. She felt sorry even 'though she had no reason for it. "But they are going fine. Piece of cake, really."
"I'm glad to hear it, San," Brittany replied with a smile.
"Yeah, this morning's were a bit more demanding, but I went to Minetta after to cheer myself up. Do you remember that place?" Santana asked with a smile of her own.
"How could I forget? Just thinking about those burgers makes my mouth water," the dancer replied, suddenly feeling quite nostalgic. "And how was dinner and the play with those three?" she added, feeling way more nostalgic than seconds before.
"Fun, you know, the typical night out with the stooges," the brunette joked lightheartedly, but Brittany knew she probably loved it, and then Santana added without thinking, "I'm glad Berry could make it to dinner, 'though. For Q's sakes." Shit, there it went; the Latina thought.
"Why? Are they having problems or something?" Brittany asked with concern laced in her voice.
"No, just forget I said anything," the doctor replied, mentally kicking herself.
"I can't un-think what I already thought, San," the blue-eyed woman delivered in Brittany fashion. "Come on, tell me. They are my friends, too, you know?"
Santana shook her head, sighed and gave up as she replied, "It's nothing really… I guess Dwarf is just a bit too busy at the moment from what I gathered from Quinn. But you know how Q is. She's kinda like me, we keep these things close to the vest."
"Don't I know…" Brittany replied lightheartedly, "I'll call Quinn later."
"Don't!" the Latina cried out rapidly. "She'll know I told you."
"She knows we share everything. Trust me, it won't be a surprise," the dancer stated with amusement and a smile.
"We shared everything," the brunette corrected matter-of-factly, and the blonde's smile fell. "We're not supposed to share anything anymore. Besides Zoey, obviously," she added, and it came out sounding harsher than when it was floating inside her head. Santana was still having issues with containing her frustration; she was trying, but at times she didn't succeed.
Brittany was taken aback. She didn't know what to say. The dancer still wasn't used to the Latina's random outbursts. She was always ever-so-kind and gentle with her in the past.
"Sorry, that came out wrong," Santana said apologetically.
"It's fine…" Brittany said dismissively, and changed the subject, "So, how was the play?"
"If you tell anyone this I'll strongly deny it, but Berry was really good up in that stage," Santana added in a hushed tone, like someone else might actually be listening.
Brittany laughed out loud at the Latina's antics and replied in a whisper, "Don't worry, San, your secret is safe with me. Where are you now, by the way?"
Santana didn't answer the question and stopped walking abruptly. The sight before her came as a big surprise as she absentmindedly pushed up her aviators to sort of confirm she was seeing what she actually was seeing.
"Santana, are you there? Something wrong?" Brittany asked again, afraid she had lost the call.
Shaking her head the Latina found her voice again as she replied weakly, "I'm still here, I… I just reached the fountain."
"What fountain?" the blue-eyed woman asked in confusion.
"The fountain," Santana replied a bit more firmly, intensifying the hold on her coffee drink. "I'm in Central Park," the brunette added to clarify as she walked closer to the fixture, stopping briefly to dump the transparent plastic cup into a trash can.
"Oh," was all Brittany managed to reply, being taken over by a huge lump in her throat.
Brittany sat on a small throw blanket stretched on Central Park's green grass as Santana lay on her back with her head on the dancer's lap. The Latina read a book while the blonde gazed at the duck-filled pond, absentmindedly running a caring hand through dark locks.
Looking up to sneak a quick peek at the blue-eyed woman's serene face, Santana said softly after she returned her eyes to the book, "I'm sorry I have to study."
Looking down at the brunette Brittany replied just as softly, "It's alright, I'm glad you could break free from the library to have lunch with me here." Santana looked up to meet blue eyes and was graced with a sweet smile, which she more than willingly matched.
"My pleasure, really," the Latina began softly whilst holding the blonde's stare, and then added with a snappier and snarkier tone, "Jimmy and the others were already starting to annoy me. When will people realize that talking about all the pressure we're under will only generate more pressure? I mean, everybody knows in a couple of years we'll be done with Med School and that our future rides high on these tests. So, just shut up and do the work, people!" After the speech the Med student was all flustered and worked up.
Taking in her girlfriend's state Brittany simply stopped her hair caressing and leaned down a bit to lay a lingering kiss on Santana's lips. She knew it was all the brunette needed. When the blonde pulled back the Latina's eyes were still closed and all the tension had disappeared from her face. Brittany smiled softly just as Santana was opening her eyes. The dancer loved the calming effect she had always possessed when it came to her girlfriend, who at that moment flashed her a sweet and private smile.
"You're so smart. I'm sure you'll do fine, babe," Brittany said sweetly, resuming her hair caressing.
"You have too much faith in me, Britts," Santana replied half-playfully, half-seriously as she returned her gaze to the Bio Chem book in her hands.
"I do," the blue-eyed dancer stated quickly, tapping the tip of the Latina's nose playfully, which made both of them grin.
"I'm surprised you're not rehearsing," Santana said after a beat with eyes on the book, changing the subject. The dance company Brittany was part of usually had a pretty strained rehearsal schedule. They barely had opportunities to have lunch dates.
"Yeah, we're starting a bit later this afternoon," the dancer replied looking at the pond, unsure if it was time to finally tell her girlfriend the news she had been putting off for too long. Nah, she would tell her later. 'When' was the real question.
"That's nice. They ride you guys too hard," the brunette stated with over protectiveness laced in her tone, looking up at the blonde. "No articulation can handle that much strain."
"Well, luckily I have an amazing girlfriend who gives heavenly foot rubs and massages," Brittany stated with a grin, looking down at the beautiful face on her lap.
"Don't ever forget that," Santana shot back with a smirk.
"Hey! I give you excellent foot rubs and massages too, you know?"
"And I'll never forget that." Short pause. "Especially when they have a happy ending," she added, earning a playful punch on the arm from the dancer and a wide grin on both women's set of lips.
Santana went back to reading and Brittany went back to duck and people watching. A few minutes passed in comfortable silence when Santana – unable to help herself – stole another glance at her girlfriend's pretty face. Yes, she was aware that studying alongside Brittany was far from ideal when progress was the desired goal. She had learned that lesson when they first began living together at sophomore year of college. Anyhow, the look on the blonde's face was one of the sweetest Santana had ever seen, and paired with a similar smile; so, ever so curious on all things Brittany, the Latina subconsciously let her gaze flow to the direction the dancer's gaze was. Turned out the blue-eyed woman was watching a couple walking hand-in-hand as they watched their little kid skipping gladly ahead of them. Santana redirected her warm chocolate eyes to Brittany's face and after a few seconds the blonde felt the weight of said pair of eyes on her.
Looking down and spotting a peculiar look on her girlfriend's eyes, Brittany furrowed her brows a bit and asked, "What?" And then she flashed a curious smile.
Santana shook her head against the blonde's lap and flashed a tight-lipped smile back before she answered nonchalantly, "Nothing." But she kept the same look on her face.
"What?" the blue-eyed woman asked again in a shriek tone, shifting her smile into a wide grin as she shoved the brunette's shoulder playfully. "Tell me."
Santana didn't say anything, she merely directed her gaze pointedly to the couple Brittany had been watching but moments ago. The dancer looked up and saw what her girlfriend meant.
After a silent beat the Latina asked barely above a whisper, looking straight into lively blue eyes, "Do you want them?" It took a lot from her to ask this. They had never discussed this big subject before, and she certainly hadn't thought about it before that very moment. Truth be told she wasn't exactly a kid person. And this was the type of huge subject that could make or break any couple. Hence the magnitude of the topic. 'Cause when two people didn't see eye to eye on it… well, things held little promise to a future together. After all, there was a reason why most couples avoided the topic like the plague. It was like poking a sleeping tiger with a tiny stick. Chances were… you would get hurt.
Brittany heard Santana's question and it took her by surprise. They had never talked about this before, but she certainly had entertained the idea with much fondness before. Part of her couldn't help but feel scared about her answer and what consequences the simple reply could set in motion. She knew her girlfriend was touchy when it came to these huge topics, which is why she felt surprised to hear her bringing it up herself. But the other part of her knew that she couldn't lie, the blonde could never lie to her girlfriend. Ever. Not about anything that truly mattered anyhow. She had learned that many moons ago. And she surely couldn't lie when it came to something as important as this.
So, throwing care out the window, Brittany took a big breath, looked down at Santana's eyes and said, "I do, yes..." Small pause to swallow and compose herself. "Some time," she added softly with remarkable cadence. The dancer tried to read Santana's face but she was too otherwise preoccupied that the Latina might be able to hear the loud drumming of her heart, which sounded deafening in her own ears.
Pushing the thought aside, Brittany summed enough courage to ask, "You?" The single word came slightly cracked and sort of sighed.
Brittany looked down at Santana diligently, like the brunette was about to answer the ultimate question about the real meaning of life. The blue-eyed woman could see the wheels turning inside her girlfriend's head, and she found the small waiting fitting. After all, there was always a deliberation time before the jury came back with the final verdict.
"I don't know," Santana replied honestly after a beat, and Brittany's breath hitched as she stared into brown eyes. The Latina also could never lie to her girlfriend. It was a tacit agreement both made when they were still kids. And the brunette frankly hasn't thought about the subject before. "I haven't thought about it before," she added in earnest, with no guarding filters.
However, just the thought of a kid that would be theirs and no one else's... A kid that would probably have a fondness for ducks and bluntness, a kid that she and Brittany would be raising up together with love and affection… Those thoughts alone rendered Santana helpless, and she briefly feared what the kid himself, or herself, would actually do to her.
Pushing the thought aside, Santana finished with a smile, "But… yeah, I do." And Brittany flashed her megawatt smile, letting out a breath she wasn't even aware she was still holding. "Some time," the brunette added in the same fashion as her girlfriend did a moment before, morphing her smile into a megawatt one as well.
Brittany leaned down again and kissed Santana with utmost tender. The Latina eagerly responded, placing a hand on the soft skin at the back of the dancer's neck to bring the woman even closer if possible. Their lips moved slowly with familiar intimacy when they felt the drop.
Pulling back with annoyance for being interrupted Santana asked, "Did you feel that?"
Before Brittany could reply the teardrops increased in amount and speed and you could see people dashing throughout Central Park to dodge the rain.
"Grab the basket," the Med student commanded, and Brittany did just so as Santana rolled the throw blanket into a messy ball and put it inside it. "Here, let me put my book there," the brunette added and Brittany opened up one side to give her access, closing quickly after.
The girls started jogging side by side but after a while Brittany's pace slowed down a bit, and when they were near a big fountain she completely stopped in the middle of the pouring rain. Santana, who was a bit ahead, heard her girlfriend's voice from behind her.
"Wait!" Brittany called out, standing in front of the fountain with the picnic basket on arm. After that amazing talk they just shared she had to tell Santana. She had to tell her girlfriend right then.
Santana came to a halt, looked back puzzled and said, "What? Did you drop something?" The brunette moved closer to the dancer, glancing past the blonde in an attempt to find any dropped items.
"No. We, we need to talk," the blue-eyed woman stammered, feeling her clothes drench by the second. It was a torrential downpour.
"What?" the brown-eyed woman asked in disbelief, buttoning up her beige coat and pulling the collar up. "In the middle of the rain? Are you crazy, B? We can talk back home. Let's go," she added louder because the rain had turned into a noisy storm, and wrapped a hand around her girlfriend's wrist.
It was futile. The blonde did not move and replied just as loudly, "No, it has to be now." 'Or I'll lose my nerve', she added in her own head as the angel on top of the fountain seemed to judge her.
"We'll catch our deaths here, Brittany," Santana scolded with a hint of annoyance, letting go of the dancer's wrist.
Brittany took a deep breath and stated while locking eyes with the Latina, "They asked me to go on tour. Featured dancer for some pop starlet." She took the time to gauge Santana's reaction and was surprised when she saw the widest of grins taking over her perfect lips.
All of Santana's previous annoyance seemed to have vanished. Suddenly she couldn't care less if she was standing in the middle of the goddamn rain, the Med student was too proud of her girlfriend to give a rat's ass. "Babe, that's… awesome! I'm so proud of you," she said with a wide grin, closing the little space between them to wrap her arms around the blonde's neck tightly.
Brittany put her arms around her girlfriend's waist as a reflex, but she knew the brunette wasn't getting the whole picture. "It's a four months tour, Santana," the dancer said softly in the shorter woman's ear.
"Fantastic! I know you will kick ass, Britt! God, I'm so proud," Santana gushed softly in Brittany's ear, unable to let go of her girlfriend. They were completely soaked at that moment.
This was killing the dancer. She then clarified, barely above a whisper as her lips grazed Santana's ear, "A four months tour… across the country, San."
The blue-eyed woman felt Santana pulling back from the hug. She sorely missed the contact and dreaded to look at her girlfriend's face… but she did it. Brittany could see that Santana was poising her reaction.
"Across the country?" Santana asked with remarkable control. Maybe she had heard wrong. However, her girlfriend nodded the confirmation.
Brittany was expecting lots of questions, perhaps even an argument after them, but the last thing she expected was what came from the Latina's mouth.
"It's fine," the brunette simply said.
"Excuse me?" Brittany replied confusedly, furrowing her brows a bit.
"I said it's fine. I'm happy for you," Santana stated with a stoic façade in place, not looking at the blonde in the eye. "We should go home. We're drenched," she added and started walking towards the street again.
Brittany grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Wait. We need to talk more about this," the dancer said with a worried tone. "Are you angry?" she chanced softly. The blonde hated when Santana started to put up a front to prevent her from reading her.
"No, I'm not," Santana replied, not really sure if she actually full-heartedly meant it. "But I need to change and get back to the library. We can talk later," she added, letting brown eyes drift quickly on and off blue ones.
Brittany nodded. She knew it was no use to press Santana. The brunette needed to deal with things at her own pace, and the dancer never had a problem with that. She was always willing to give her the time.
Santana walked into their small apartment late that evening. It wasn't as small as their first one, but it was still quite limited. All they had was a bedroom with a bathroom, a small maid's bedroom – which they used as an office for studying and rehearsing – and a living room connected with the kitchen. However, said kitchen had this charming breakfast nook that had Brittany in love from the first moment they laid eyes on it while apartment-hunting. So, Santana caved and they signed on the dotted line.
Brittany heard the door from their black comfy couch and lift up her head from the lying position she found herself in to greet her girlfriend.
"Hey," the blonde said softly with a smile, coming up to a sideways sitting position.
"Hi," the brown-eyed woman replied, placing the Columbia P&S tote bag on the bottom side of the L-shaped kitchen island along with her keys.
"You guys broke the record on studying today," Brittany remarked playfully, not dropping the easy smile.
"Yeah…" Santana trailed on, "the topics just seemed endless," she added, undoing her coat and taking it off.
"Did you eat? There's Chinese in the fridge if you're hungry," the dancer offered as she watched her girlfriend place her coat on the back side of one of the kitchen island's stools.
"I ate, thanks," the brown-eyed woman said, looking into blue eyes for the first time since entering the apartment.
After a silent beat, Brittany finally asked with hesitation, "Should we talk?" She was starting to feel anxious, Santana always greeted her with a kiss unless something was really off, and the Latina was making no movements that suggested she would do so anytime soon.
"I'll just take a shower first. I'm completely burned out," Santana replied nonchalantly. She was indeed very tired, but deep down she knew she was just stalling the inevitable. Her studies that afternoon got completely sidetracked. The Latina usually needed to read the same page a couple of times to fully comprehend it, but that day her mind insisted so much on drifting off to Brittany's tour situation that she wound up having to re-read each page up to six times. And her mood? Well, let's just say that her classmates were scared to even ask Santana to pass a pencil or a book. That's how snappy she was. Way more than her usual dosage of venom.
"Ok," Brittany replied with a suspicious tone and Santana started to walk towards their bedroom. "But we need to talk, Santana," she added a little louder to the back of the departing figure.
The blonde went back to watch some tv in her pink bathrobe while her girlfriend took her shower. Suffice to say the Latina took her dear time. 30 minutes later she emerged from the bedroom in a red 'You Are Here' t-shirt, a tight yoga pants and flip flops.
Turning off the tv immediately and turning around to look at the brunette, Brittany said, "So?"
Santana adjusted her high-ponytail while replying in the same tone, "So?" She didn't know what Brittany expected her to say.
The Latina started walking towards the fridge and Brittany got up from the couch to follow, feeling frustrated by the fact that Santana was dodging this conversation. The brunette opened the fridge and started to inspect the items inside. She didn't want anything, really, but she had to do something with herself; so, she grabbed a bottle of water as Brittany took a seat on one of the stools.
"Let's talk," the blue-eyed woman stated, watching the Latina closing the fridge's door.
Turning around with the bottle in hand, Santana replied aloofly, "Sure, but I don't see what's left to say."
"What do you mean?" Brittany asked furrowing her brows half-confused, half-offended while fussing absentmindedly with the handle of Santana's tote bag.
"Well, you were offered the tour and I'm assuming you said yes already, didn't you?" the Med student answered with a firm tone, opening the bottle to take a sip of water.
"No, I didn't," Brittany shot back, finding some steadiness of tone of her own. This really wasn't going like she had expected. "I wanted to check with you first. I was hoping we could –"
Santana cut her off abruptly, "Wanted to check with me?" she asked with disbelief before snorting dryly. "That's rich…" the brunette added sarcastically, wearing a grin that conveyed the same sentiment. "'Cause, tell me, how long have you known about this offer and failed to mention it to me?" Santana had thought about this a lot in the library and in the shower. The woman never came unprepared for a battle. She had noticed that Brittany was having a much lighter ride with the dance company for the past few days, which proved to her that the blonde had been holding out on her.
Brittany was caught a little off guard. She wasn't expecting her girlfriend to bring this out. "They told me a couple of days ago. But I –"
The brown-eyed woman cut her off again, "So, you've been hi –"
It was the dancer's turn to cut the Latina off, "If you'd just let me finish one sentence I could explain everything, Santana," the blonde stated with exasperation.
Santana took a deep breath to cool her temper, put the bottle aside to cross her arms defensively and replied coldly, "I don't think I want to hear it."
It came as slap in the face to Brittany. She couldn't believe her girlfriend just said that. She couldn't believe how Santana was turning this into a huge fight. "Are you serious?" she asked in a broken tone, looking straight into cold chocolate orbs.
Santana could see the hurt in those blue eyes as clear as day and she couldn't help but feel her heart contracting in an incredibly crushing way. Even so, despite reason, better judgment or sense she replied nothing. Out of sheer pride. The brunette simply shrugged and it was too much for Brittany to take. The dancer could feel her eyes welling up and she didn't want to cry in front of Santana. Not then. So, she huffed out of the stool and dashed to their bedroom, leaving a dejected Santana standing alone in the middle of the kitchen.
The brunette plopped down on the couch, covering her closed eyes with an arm. What the fuck am I doing? Was all that Santana wondered at that moment. Since Brittany told her about the tour… About the 'across the country' tour… For four whole months; Santana couldn't help but let the daunting feeling that rushed through her brain take over her entire being. But she knew she wasn't being fair. This was part of Brittany's dream. She had heard a lot on the dancer's plan of achieving enough notoriety on the business to one day finally be able to open her own dance studio and be able to dictate her own hours, and rules, and artistic direction. Now she was letting her own insecurities and hang-ups hold her girlfriend back. And that was the last thing she ever wanted. The Latina was so proud of the blue-eyed woman, and now she wasn't even sure the blonde knew it. Santana knew this would never really bring them apart. They were stronger within each day that passed, and they had been together for many, many days, that add up to months, that add up to years. She just felt scared because she needed Brittany so much, and 'Santana Lopez' didn't need anything.
Getting up and feeling like a fool, Santana slowly made her way to their bedroom. She opened up the door with little noise and could see that it was pitch black inside. She stood by her side of the bed and could then see the outline of Brittany's face perfectly. The blonde's eyes were closed extremely tightly and Santana could see her eyeballs moving from side to side underneath her eyelids. Brittany had always been terrible at fake sleep. The scene tugged a small smile to form on the brunette's lips as she slid beneath the comforter next to the dancer.
"I know you're awake," Santana stated after a bit, turning her nightstand lamp on. Brittany did not open her eyes, but Santana was finally able to see that her cheeks were tear-stained and it broke her heart even further. She was officially an ass. "I'm sorry," she added softly after a beat, resting her head on her pillow.
That did the trick and the dancer opened up her eyes. They looked even bluer due to her crying. The two women engaged in a staring contest. Santana didn't know if it was okay for her to go on, or if her girlfriend wanted to lay it all out on her first. She surely deserved.
"Are you angry with me?" Came Brittany's hoarse voice after a few more moments.
"No… no," Santana replied quickly, almost pleadingly, "I'm angry at myself for being such an idiot," she added in a self-chastising tone. "I just –"
The blonde cut her off, "I won't go," she stated resolutely.
"What? Of course you will."
"I won't. Not if it turns us into… this." She hated fighting with her girlfriend.
"It won't, babe," Santana said softly, holding the dancer's stare with remorseful eyes. "I just felt scared, that's all. I overreacted and I let the wrong side of my emotions do the talking, and I'm so sorry for how I acted," the brunette added sweetly, offering her girlfriend her hand in hopes that she would take it and hold it.
Brittany took Santana's offered hand gently and replied softly, "I felt scared, too, you know? And I didn't tell you at first because I was thinking about saying 'no' straight up. I don't think I could handle four months apart. Four months without seeing you, without holding your hand, or talking to you –"
Santana interrupted the blonde's mumbling, "We'll talk every day on the phone, and we can send each other emails constantly," she saw Brittany's unsure look and she knew exactly why; so, she amended, "well, maybe not emails, but I promise to write you a letter every other day and you can write me one every other day as well to respond." Brittany was horrible with computers. She barely knew how to turn it on and turn it off.
"Like in 'The Love Letter'?" Brittany asked with a glint on her eye and a smile on her pink lips.
"What?"
"That movie we saw on tv late that night."
Santana though about it for a while and then she recalled it, "Ah, that cheesy Hallmark one?" The blonde nodded pleased and the brunette added, "Yeah, I guess, but without the extra fromage and the time difference between us, of course."
"Good, 'cause that part was confusing. But you'll have to write me romantic letters, San," the dancer sweet talked, letting go of Santana's hand to cup her caramel cheek adoringly.
"We'll see," the brunette replied teasingly, covering her girlfriend's pale hand on her cheek with her own.
"Do you really think we can do this?" Brittany asked in a whisper after a beat.
"I really do. We love each other. Nothing else matters," Santana replied in the same tone, granting the dancer a reassuring smile, which was quickly matched. "And just in case I haven't said it yet, I'm so proud of you, B. You have no idea how much. I know how important this opportunity is for you and I want you to know that I'm happy for you. Very much so. I've been from the start, even 'though I had a hard time showing it."
Brittany blushed. It was uncanny how Santana still had that effect on her even after all those years together. "Thanks, San. It means a lot," Brittany said in the sweetest of tones and wearing a megawatt smile on her face.
Santana took Brittany's hand from where it lay on her cheek and gently kissed its back. "We'll be fine," she stated as both women retrieved their hands.
"Promise?" the dancer asked with a small pout on her lips while holding her pinkie up.
"Promise," Santana replied with confidence, intertwining their pinkies together like they've been doing since they were six years old. "When do you leave?" she added after a beat, searching for blue eyes.
"Next week. Monday," the blue-eyed woman volunteered with a slight wince.
"So soon?" the brown-eyed student asked in surprise without missing a bit. Brittany simply nodded her confirmation and offered a tight-lipped half-smile as they unlaced their pinkies. This was so hard. Santana mustered up enough will power to reciprocate the smile and added in order to lighten the mood, "I guess we'll have to make the most of it then." And she smirked.
Brittany shot a peculiar smile towards her girlfriend that completely conveyed how thankful she was for her new-found attitude. But it didn't last long 'cause it morphed into a smirk.
"Get over here," the dancer commanded in a sexy tone that rendered Santana's mouth dry as she did what she was told.
They made love that night. It was one of the best they have ever had. And they have had some pretty amazing ones in the past, but that one took the cake.
The next day it was almost three in the afternoon when Santana received a call from Brittany at school. She was just leaving the lab.
"Hey, Britt," Santana greeted with enthusiasm as she walked the halls. She was in a sickeningly amazing mood; she had an incredible time last night, after all.
"Hi, babe," Brittany replied in the same tone. She was in a sickeningly amazing mood; she had an incredible time last night, after all.
"You know you got me all sore last night, right? I've been walking funny all day," the Latina said barely above a whisper, so no one around could hear her. Her girlfriend chuckled across the phone and the brunette added, "It's not funny, people are starting to talk. It doesn't help that I had to wear a turtleneck to hide all the hickeys you left on my neck."
Brittany still had a wide smile on her lips as she replied playfully, "Well, in my defense, you didn't leave me in a much better shape, honey." The brunette student couldn't help a laugh.
"We were pretty wild yesterday, weren't we?"
"Best night ever."
"Really? What about that time in Tortola? Sophomore year of college," Santana asked mischievously, raising a suggestive eyebrow even 'though the blonde couldn't see it.
"Yeah, that was Earth-shattering, too," Brittany replied absentmindedly, letting her mind travel to memories of that night instead.
"No wonder they named the island after me," the Latina said with a smug tone of voice.
"You were named after the island, San," Brittany countered matter-of-factly, rolling her eyes at the student's cockiness. She had heard her girlfriend's parents telling that story before.
"Semantics," the brown-eyed woman dismissed it. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"
"I was wondering if you could meet me now for a quick chat."
"Is this about the tour, 'cause I thought we –"
"It's not. It's not about the tour," the blue-eyed woman cut her off before it went any further. "I just have something really important to talk to you."
"Any hints?" Santana asked tentatively.
"Nope," the dancer replied teasingly.
"I have a class in 45 minutes. Is that enough time? Where are you?"
"It's plenty of time. I swear it won't take long. I'm at the fountain."
"What fountain?" Santana asked with confusion.
"The fountain. From yesterday; I'm at Central Park," Brittany clarified with enthusiasm.
"Alright then, if I leave now I'll be there in ten."
"I'll be waiting, babe."
In a little more than ten minutes Santana arrived at the fountain to see Brittany sitting at its edge from a small distance. The sun was hitting her long blonde hair, giving it an alluring golden appearance and the brunette couldn't help but think how lucky she was to have her all for herself. Brittany saw Santana approaching and opened up a wide smile but remained sitting.
Santana rapidly reached her and pulled on the blonde's black overcoat's lapel to lay a chaste kiss on glossy lips. "Hey, you," she said in a sultry tone that sent shivers down the dancer's spine, and took a seat on the edge next to her girlfriend.
"Hi," Brittany replied adoringly, wiping some lip gloss from Santana's mouth.
"So, what was so urgent?" Santana asked with sheer curiosity.
"Cutting straight to the chase, huh?"
"I'm on the clock here, babe."
"Alright, I'll make it fast," the dancer began evenly, clearing her throat to proceed. "So, I was thinking about our talk yesterday about the tour and –"
"I thought this wasn't about the tour," the brunette interjected with furrowed brows.
Brittany shook her head and said, "It isn't. Please, babe, just let me finish 'cause I got this all memorized and if you start saying stuff the stuff I had planned to say won't apply and –"
"Ok, ok, I won't interrupt," Santana said and received a pointed look from the dancer, "…anymore," she added with a soft smile, making a gesture of closing her mouth with a key and throwing it away, which made Brittany smile.
"So, I was thinking about our talk and about how much I love you and how much I love us, and how I always have," Brittany began to ramble on, running a hand through straight blonde hair, "And how I know this will never change, 'cause I've loved you for what it seems like all my life, Santana. I've never loved anything or anyone in the whole world more than I love you. You are my soulmate, San, I'm sure of that, and I would be devastated if something happened while I'm away on tour," Santana was about to interject 'cause she was visibly touched by her girlfriend's speech and she had to object to her last statement, but Brittany held up a finger against the student's lips to stop her.
"After all that thinking I knew what I had to do," Brittany continued, but Santana couldn't contain herself anymore.
"Please, tell me you didn't back off the tour, Britt. There's no reason –" the brunette student began pleadingly with sad eyes but was cut off by the blonde.
"Just let me finish, babe," the blue-eyed woman said softly. "I didn't, by the way. After all that thinking I knew what I had to do; so, I called Quinn and she helped me to pick this out," and Brittany swiftly pulled out a tiny aqua blue box with a white ribbon around it from her overcoat's pocket.
Santana gasped with shock and covered her mouth with her hand. The brunette didn't anticipate this at all. She looked into Brittany's blue eyes with bewilderment as the blonde giddily undid the ribbon and pulled out a tinier black velvety box from inside the aqua blue one, and opened it up facing Santana to reveal a gorgeous platinum engagement ring with a round diamond in a solitaire setting: a classic beauty.
Brittany turned a bit more to face Santana better and said sweetly while holding up the open box, "So, I guess this is the part where I officially ask this: Santana Danielle Lopez, will you marry me?" The dancer giggled a bit, taking in her girlfriend's pale and shocked face. "I would go down on one knee but I always found that silly," she added as an afterthought.
Regaining her voice, and thanking heavens for being sitting down – otherwise her legs would have surely failed her – Santana replied with disbelief, eyeing the ring, "Brittany, what did you do? That must have cost you an arm and a leg."
"Don't worry, babe. I had money saved up; besides, I received an advance for the tour this morning when I called them to accept the offer," the blue-eyed woman replied dismissively with a wave of hand, eager to hear the brunette's answer.
"You shouldn't have spent it on me, honey. You've worked really hard to earn that," Santana countered lightheartedly, unable to keep her eyes off of the gorgeous ring.
"I still haven't heard an answer, San. You're starting to scare me here," Brittany said with a light chuckle.
"Yes, of course yes," the Med student said rapidly with a shake of head, smiling brightly from ear to ear. "I will marry you, Brittany Susan Pierce. I love you."
Brittany matched her girlfriend's smile and busied herself with taking the ring off its box to place on Santana's long caramel finger. Both were laughing and getting misty-eyed.
"Perfect fit," Santana stated happily, holding her hand up to inspect it from a small distance.
"I took one of yours to measure. Do you like it?" Brittany asked with a tinge of insecurity.
"Like it? No," the brunette said and her fiancé's heart skipped a beat, "I love it. It's gorgeous, Britt," she added and the blonde sighed with relief. "I can't thank you enough. It's absolutely perfect," Santana finished, crashing her lips against the dancer's into a passionate kiss.
Pulling apart when air was needed, Brittany replied with a nauseating goofy smile, "I'm glad you loved it, fiancé."
Santana matched that smile as she stated, "Well, you do have exceptional taste, fiancé."
"I like the sound of that," the blue-eyed woman said lazily, laying a quick kiss on the brunette's lips. "Now with my rock on your finger I know for sure no one will try to snatch you from me while I'm away," she added playfully.
"Have you no trust in me?" the brown-eyed woman asked playfully in an exaggerated mock-offended tone.
"Oh, I trust you, babe. It's the sluts and man-whores that I don't trust around my hot, hot girlfriend," Brittany quipped with a grin and quickly amended, "fiancé, actually."
Santana laughed and brought Brittany closer for one more long kiss. They couldn't have enough of each other.
Pulling back Santana said with reluctance, "I hate to score a rock and leave, but I really can't miss this class, babe."
"I understand. We can celebrate when you get home later," the blonde said with a wink as the Latina stood up against her will.
"You'll be the death of me, you know that?" Santana asked rhetorically with a smirk, leaning in for one last kiss before she went back to school.
At that evening Santana went home with an aqua blue box of her own for Brittany. The engagement ring had also a round diamond shape, but it was set in a square-cut platinum Channel-set band. She engraved the same word Brittany had engraved inside hers: Forever. The Latina stated they were both brides-to-be; so, it was only natural that they both deserved rings. Brittany squealed with joy, because she totally wasn't expecting that. And Santana made sure to let her know that her rock on the blonde's finger was also a keep-away sign for sluts and man-whores who would be probably waltzing around her hot, hot fiancé on tour. They laughed and later shared several bottles of bubbly with Quinn, Rachel and Jimmy to celebrate the impromptu joyous engagement.
Brittany swallowed the lump in order to weakly ask, "Is it still that beautiful?" Memories of rains, and quarrels, and kisses, and touches, and engagement rings, and a million other things were rapidly rushing through her brain like those little movies people say you see in your head moments before you die.
Santana pushed her aviators up to her head to look at the big fixture without brown lens to taint the image before her, and was met with the beautiful sight of the angel up above. She took a deep breath and responded wistfully, running a hand through the edge on the very same spot they sat years ago, "Yeah, it is still stunning." Memories of rains, and quarrels, and kisses, and touches, and engagement rings, and a million other things came flushing through her head and it was just too much.
"I can still –" Brittany began to utter but was cut off by Santana.
"Listen, Brittany… I, uh," the Latina said randomly with uncertainty, still a bit stunned by the whole situation, "I gotta go now. I still have to meet with Jimmy's realtor friend about the apartment and with a former patient later. So, I better get moving," she added, turning her back on the big fountain and putting her shades back on.
The blonde noted the doctor's lost tone and asked softly, "Are you ok?"
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" the brown-eyed woman replied dryly, putting her walls instantly up as she made her way towards the street to grab a cab.
"Ok."
"Bye, Brittany."
"Talk to you later, San."
And both women hung up with a weird feeling inside. Santana strode firmly in her red sole pumps and pencil skirt as she dumped her phone back into her bag. Maybe New York wasn't that much of a grand idea. Her first official outing by herself and memories of Brittany already found their way to seep through. She would definitely be avoiding any trips to the West Village. The neighborhood would certainly be an endless mine-field of triggers.
Brittany hung up and stood rooted in her kitchen, staring at her cell's screen way longer after the call had ended. Taking a slow deep breath the blonde discarded the gadget on the counter and let her feet guide her. She made it past the hallway and ended up in her bedroom, standing in front of the dresser while eyeing her jewelry box that sat on top of it. The dancer didn't pull the top up; instead she opened up this little drawer on the bottom and immediately spotted the two items inside. Brittany took her engagement ring and read the inscription inside. It read 'Forever'. It brought a bittersweet smile to her lips, and then she proceeded to slide the ring down her long finger. However, when it reached the bottom her smile dropped because the ring Santana gave her clashed with her new wedding ring, and it just didn't feel right. Her stomach dropped and her head felt light. The dancer instantly let her eyes drift to the other item inside the little drawer: her yellow gold wedding band. Brittany picked it up and also read its inscription: Santana Pierce-Lopez, followed by their wedding date. She felt tears starting to well in her eyes and shook them off; gently placing the two beloved items back where they came from, closing the little drawer after.
A couple of days later Santana was lying in bed at her hotel suite when she heard something ringing. She wasn't exactly sure whether it was just in her head or whether it was actually happening. After some more rings the brunette sat up in a white t-shirt and slung her bare legs on the edge of the bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. The doctor eyed the blue LCD display of the digital clock on her nightstand and saw: Friday, 01:44 AM… her eyes blurred when they fell on the temperature, 'though. She went for her clutch bag that was discarded on the floor along with several items of clothing, but after retrieving her cell phone from inside the Latina noticed the ringing wasn't coming from the device. She had 5 missed calls, 'though. Santana put the two items on her nightstand and picked up the actual source of the noise: the hotel phone.
"Hello?" she answered in a sleepy tone of voice, sitting on the edge of the bed again.
"Miss Lopez, we have a call from one Brittany Pierce. Would you care to receive it?" the woman ceremoniously proclaimed on the other end of the line.
"Sure," Santana replied, rubbing her eye again. She left the 'what the hell' out of the answer, 'though.
"Santana?" Came the blonde's tentative low voice.
"Yeah," the Latina said, still in a very groggy tone. "Brittany, why on Earth are you calling me at…" she chanced a look at the clock, "…01:46 in the night?" the brunette asked hoarsely with confusion. "Did something happen with Zoey?" she finished, her voice taking a concerned tone.
"No, she's fine, but you didn't call her yesterday and we were worried. I tried calling you a couple of times earlier on your cell but you weren't picking up and –" Brittany rambled on in a hushed tone of voice.
Santana cut her rambling off, "Yeah, I saw the missed calls now. I went out and it was really loud inside the club. I could barely hear what people were whispering in my ear, let alone my cell ringing in my clutch," she explained matter-of-factly. "I was going to call her yesterday but when I saw it was already too late, so I decided to call her in the morning."
"I –" the blonde started to say when she heard an unfamiliar voice.
"Who's that?" An attractive brunette in a white bathrobe asked groggily from the other side of Santana's remarkably large bed after rolling around to face the Latina.
Santana tried to cover the speaker, but with no success 'cause the blonde on the other side of the line heard as clear as day when the doctor replied lowly, "No one, go back to sleep." And the groggy brunette with semi-closed eyes did just so.
That hurt and took Brittany's breath away far more than any punch in the gut ever could. She blinked rapidly and felt nauseated.
"Who was that?" The dancer mustered up the courage to ask weakly. She wanted and didn't want to know what a woman was doing in Santana's hotel suite at that hour.
"No one," Santana replied quickly, not understanding why she suddenly felt so guilty. It was a ridiculous thought. There was nothing left between her and the blonde except for Zoey and a dubious friendship.
Brittany would have thought the Latina's remark funny in an ironic way; that is if the situation wasn't so damn tragic. Right then a paralyzing thought took her brain hostage and she had to shakily say, "Oh, God, please tell me that is not Evelyn. Not Evelyn Hearst..." And her brain assumed the driver's seat, flooding her senses with images of Evelyn undressing Santana, and Santana undressing the tall woman… The nausea just increased with full force as the blonde tried to shake those awful images.
This was starting to feel awkward. Santana sighed and said lowly while staring at her knees, "Not that it's any of your business…" Pause. "But it's not Evelyn. It's a friend of one of Jimmy's friends, Kate something." She looked back briefly to see if the woman was hearing, but she was dead asleep.
"It's not Kate Middleton, is it?" Brittany deadpanned with surprise.
"Who?" Santana asked rhetorically with confusion, furrowing her brows. The brunette wasn't exactly an expert on current events. "No, her name's Kate Silverstone or Firestone, something with 'stone' in it, I'm not sure. We didn't do much talking," she rambled on impatiently.
"Oh," the dancer murmured absentmindedly. They remained in silence for a long while, both women processing everything. Brittany finally broke it, "I guess I, uh, should let you get back to whatever you two were doing." Her tone was more bitter, gloomier and hurtful than she had intended.
Santana let out a deep sigh and replied with architected poise, "Alright. Bye, Brittany."
"Bye, San," Brittany said with a voice so broken that it did things to the brunette's insides. She couldn't help herself. The instinct of protecting Brittany was too ingrained in the cells of her being, and regardless of the fact that she was fighting it… the battle was far from won.
"Wait," Santana let out despite herself, and she internally kicked her own ass. People told the brunette before that Brittany had her whipped, but she always dismissed it as a scandalous lie. Right at that moment she wasn't so sure. Perhaps they had been right all along, 'cause the words that were about to come from her mouth were irrefutable proof even to her former deluded self.
The Latina added, bringing her knees up to rest her chin on them, "I don't know why I'm saying this, but…" she closed her eyes, "…nothing happened. Nothing happened between me and Kate, ok?" Brittany felt like a huge elephant had been lifted from her chest, and she could finally breathe again. She wasn't sure, and the blonde mentally scolded herself for it, but she suspected a small twisted smile reached her lips. "We only fooled around some, but in the nick of time I couldn't go through with it. I just… wasn't ready," Santana stated dejectedly, opening up her eyes again. She couldn't be with another woman yet. "I was a bit tipsy and she was definitely more than just tipsy, so I just let her stay the night instead of sending the girl out to grab a cab in the middle of the night."
Brittany digested the information and said lowly, "I understand, San. It was hard for me too when –"
The doctor interrupted the dancer abruptly, "I really don't feel like listening to your opening up story now, Britt." It wasn't a harsh statement, just a tired plea.
"Ok," Brittany uttered in earnest. She did understand.
"But you should know that it will happen, Britt," Santana said despondently with sincerity. "And if I have any will power left… it'll be sooner rather than later."
"I know," was all the dancer could say in the same fashion as the brunette did seconds before.
"Goodbye, Britt."
"Goodnight, San."
They hung up, and Brittany placed her cell on the coffee table. She sat there on the sofa for a moment more to adjust to all the information. After a couple of minutes the blue-eyed woman got up and started tip-toeing back to her bedroom, unsure of how she truly felt. 'Empty' came to her mind, 'though. She stealthily slid back under the covers not to wake Jenna up, but as both women lay in the dark with their backs to each other Jenna opened up ambiguous eyes and slowly closed them after a handful of seconds.
Santana rescheduled her flight from Sunday to Friday evening and said goodbye to her three disappointed friends. She stopped for one last purchase on her way to the airport and back "home". New York wasn't the answer to all her prayers, after all. She didn't belong to Lima… but she didn't belong to New York either. She was stuck in a fucking no man's land, in a disturbing godforsaken limbo. Turned out her sense of belonging wasn't attached to a specific place, but rather to a specific person. And deep down the brunette always knew that to be true. However, she dearly wished to be proven wrong once in her life – always the know-it-all. But yeah, it didn't happen. If wishes were horses, everyone would be knee deep in crap; and at that she was. But she had Zoey – her lifeline – and the mere thought of her daughter was enough to make her happier and wanting to get back to Lima to be by her side. It was the only thought that brought the brunette some peace of mind.
The brown-eyed woman boarded the plane and proceeded to try to put her handbag in the compartment above head level. The guy who would be flying beside her rose to his feet with a smile and said, "Let me help you with that."
"No, it's fine. I got it," Santana replied with a hint of annoyance as she successfully placed the bag inside the compartment and closed it.
The guy nodded with a smile still in place and got back to his window seat. Santana took hers by the aisle beside him without offering as much as a small glance towards her seat-mate.
"Since we'll be stuck in each other's company for the next couple of hours…" he said offhandedly, outstretching his hand to the brunette with a charming smile, "…I'm Scott. Campbell."
Santana inspected the raven-haired man's offered hand for a few seconds, and finally shook on it before saying flatly, "Santana Lopez."
"Beautiful and unusual name," the guy in his mid-thirties stated without dropping the smile.
"Thanks," the Latina curtly replied, and promptly took the cell phone out of jacket's pocket, ignoring the man's attempt to strike further conversation. The brunette called Brittany, she needed to tell her she would be arriving earlier and, truth be told, she kinda wanted to hear the blue-eyed woman's voice for some reason. Their late night talk had left her a bit shaken, and when she was like that Brittany was the only person she ever approached to talk. This time the dancer was part of the problem, but it didn't matter. She still couldn't fight the urge.
"Hello?" Came the unfamiliar voice through the phone.
"Brittany?" Santana replied with furrowed brows.
"No, it's Jenna," the petite blonde stated nonchalantly.
"Oh," the Latina uttered, not knowing what to say exactly as she was taken aback by surprise.
"Brittany is in the shower," the green-eyed woman volunteered, and Santana's brain went crazy with the information as it deviously associated 'Brittany', 'Jenna', 'shower', and 'nakedness'. "Can I give her a message?"
"No, no, no…" Santana mumbled whilst shaking her head to get rid of those nasty images, "I'll just, uh, call her later. Thanks."
"Ok," was all Jenna could say before the doctor quickly ended the call and settled for sending the blue-eyed woman a brief text to inform about her flight change.
Santana turned her cell off, put it back in her pocket and started thinking. Not a good thing. Jenna's presence was once again shoved back into light when her brain tried so hard to keep it in the vastest abyss of darkness. And it pissed her off because all she had been looking for was Brittany – in more ways than one.
Turning sideways to the guy beside her with a newfound congeniality, the brunette doctor asked with a smile on her face, "What was your name again?" And Santana took the time to really check out the guy for the first time: medium black shiny hair, slightly layered; dark black eyes; tall, but not gigantic; sexy scruffy stubble; definitely lean; strong face; and a chin dimple, which Santana always found a turn-on… Yeah, he was clearly very easy on the eyes.
"Scott Campbell," the tall man replied firmly in his light grey suit and pale blue dress-shirt, casting the book he took upon reading aside.
"Yeah, that's it. Well, nice to meet you, Scott Campbell," the Latina said with an easy tone, nodding her head for emphasis. Yeah, she could definitely work with that.
"You, too, Santana," Scott stated picking his charming smile back up, clearly remembering her name as the flight took off.
Santana and Scott had been engaged in a pleasant conversation for most part of their flight.
"So, you're a doctor?" The brunette asked and he nodded to confirm. "What a coincidence, me too," she added casually.
"Really?" The raven-haired man asked with a grin, and it was the Latina's turn to nod her confirmation. "What specialty?"
"Plastic surgeon," Santana offered promptly, nursing a drink that sat on her airline table tray. "You?"
"Ophthalmologist," Scott replied, doing the same to his drink. "So, you live in New York?"
"I used to… but now I'm in Ohio. What about you?"
"Yeah, I live in New York… although now I'm not so sure about it," the male doctor said and received a puzzled look from the female doctor. So, he explained with a laugh, "Don't worry, I'm not crazy. Yet, anyhow. It's just that I just subleased my place in New York because next Monday I'm off to Cambodia with 'Doctors Without Borders'. So, I'm a little lost right now."
"That's amazing! How long will you stay?" Santana said with enthusiasm, taking a sip of the drink.
"One year," Scott ceremoniously replied with a tight-lipped smile and a nod.
"Wow, that's a long time," the Latina mused, matching the man's smile.
"Yeah, I'm on my way to Pennsylvania, where I'm originally from, to say goodbye to my parents personally. My mom is convinced I'm going to die over there," the ophthalmologist stated with a laugh.
Santana laughed as well, "Well, I guess it's understandable."
"So, we can always use extra doctors. How do you feel about an adventure?"
"Well, you have no idea how tempting that offer would be, Scott…" Santana began honestly, thinking about how much distance and perspective would do her good considering her current situation, "…if I didn't have an almost four year old girl back home."
"Oh, you're married?" Scott asked, not even bothering to disguise his disappointment. He was sure he had checked earlier for a wedding ring and found none.
"Divorced, actually," Santana calmly replied, secretly pleased by the man's previous disappointment and his instant smile after her answer. She still totally got it. "What about you?" she added in a calculated blasé tone.
"Single. My girlfriend and I broke up a few months ago," he offered, swirling his drink around the glass before locking black eyes with brown ones. "Neither of us believes in long distant relationships," Scott added sincerely, running a hand through his abundant hair, which got Santana's attention.
He is definitely attractive, she thought. Santana had always been attracted, that is, sexually attracted to both girls and guys. And she had always thought that if that substitute teacher back in high school was right, and it wasn't about who you were sexually attracted to, but who you fell in love with; she, Santana, wasn't exactly a heterosexual or a homosexual. She was a Brittanysexual 'cause the dancer was the only person she could ever fall in love with. She knew that since she first fell. Santana knew it then and she knew it now. Normal labels were useless to her.
"So, what about you? Are you single now?" Scott added, flashing the brunette his best charm smile.
"Yes, very much so," Santana replied with a deliberate coy smile.
"Ah, I don't believe it for a second," Scott said dismissively with a wave of hand. "I mean, a gorgeous woman like yourself can't possibly be single," he added flirtatiously with a sexy smirk.
"Doctor Campbell, are you trying to sweet talk me?" the Latina asked with a flirtatious tone of her own, raising an eyebrow at the man beside her.
"I don't know… Is it working?"
"Maybe yes, maybe no…"
They heard the flight attendant announcing on the speaker that they would be touching down in Pennsylvania in fifteen minutes, and Santana knew it was then or never. She may not have been ready for another woman. The comparison would simply be unbearable. But a man? That was an entirely different ball game, and she was feeling it. After all, it had been almost four years, for crying out loud!
"So, Scott, are you a member of the Mile High Club?" Santana asked seductively, downing the rest of her drink at once, and before he could answer she leaned over and whispered something in his ear that made him gulp and smile.
Santana got up from her seat and slowly made her way to the plane's bathroom. She entered the cubicle, leaving the door unlocked and stared at her image in the mirror until she heard the door being opened and Scott swiftly stepping inside. Next thing she knew… their lips were crashing against one another's.
Less than ten minutes later Santana was sitting back on her seat, moments later Scott had joined her. They smiled at each other.
After a comfortable silence, Scott finally asked with a sweet smile, "What do you say you give me your number, Santana?"
Santana inhaled deep and replied softly, matching the man's smile, "Listen, Scott, this was incredibly nice... Let's not ruin it with promises. Just let chance lead us, is that ok?"
"Ok," the male doctor replied serenely, offering Santana his hand, which she promptly took it and he brought their joined hands to his lips to lay a sweet kiss on the back of her hand like a gentleman. Santana didn't go around sleeping with strangers, but she needed that and Scott was a very nice guy. Perfect for the task. Someone she didn't already know, and whom she probably would never see again.
Scott disembarked on Pennsylvania with a sweet farewell and Santana's plane went on headed to Ohio. The Latina kept thinking of Scott's large hands roaming through body, his stubble grazing against her skin, his coordinated and skillful movements… They have had great sex. It was undeniable. They have had sex, but it was far from making love. She had only ever made love to one person in her lifetime, and she was sure that fact would never change, all things considered. Santana was ok with it, 'though. At least she had taken the first step. She had dipped her toe on the scary water… and it wasn't as cold as she imagined it to be.
I know some of you were against it, but it had to happen... Sorry, but it's for the best.
Express yourself: review ;)