AN: Hi, thanks for reading. If you haven't had a chance to check them out, I've written some one shots based on this 'verse that you might like.
Also, I am aware that someone can't be expelled without a parent present, but can we remember that this is McKinley and Principal Figgins is literally the worst Principal in the history of...everything. Hope you enjoy the latest installment.
The sun set in the sky as Santiago curled into himself. It was getting colder but he had no motivation to move. He was afraid of facing the real world again, and felt a strange sense of calm wrapped in his cocoon of self-loathing. His mom would be expecting him home from school probably assuming that he went to football practice or something and would most likely be completely pissed at him if Figgins followed through on that phone call he said he'd make earlier on.
He picked at the wooden floor of the carriage, flinching when his knuckles protested against any sudden movements of his hand. He gave up trying to do anything other than lie there and soon found himself succumbing to sleep.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he was jolted awake by something brushing up against his back. His first instinct was to recoil but a delicate arm wrapped around him and squeezed tight.
"I couldn't find my way here. I wasn't paying attention when you drove us. I'm sorry it took me so long," Brittany spoke soft and low, his body relaxed for the first time in hours.
"You shouldn't have come after me Britt. I'm not worth it," his voice was raspy from crying and his throat was painfully dry.
"Stop saying things like that. You can't decide for me whether you're good enough or not. You're perfect to me and for me, you're just perfect," she pulled at his shoulder, silently asking him to turn around. He refused to at first but eventually, as always, he gave in and slowly moved to face her.
"You're so amazing," she said as their eyes met. Her hand brushed lightly over his cheeks, she placed her lips over where his dimple appears when he smiles. He allowed himself a precious moment to enjoy their closeness. It scared him how much he loved her. The thought of not being with her was truly terrifying.
A tear rolled from his eye down over her lips and she brushed it away with a kiss. She moved his hand from his side to her waist and she pressed closer to his body.
"I'm just like him," his voice was barely audible as he spoke the thought that plagued his mind since leaving the school grounds.
Brittany gasped and shook her head adamantly, "No, no you're not. You're nothing like him. San, you're not. You make me feel so safe and special. You protect me and your family. You're everything your dad isn't," her lips hadn't moved from their position on his face and her warm, sweet breath made him shudder.
"I'm the person who lashes out with my fists Brittany. I'm also the person who has no future. I just got myself expelled from school, what am I going to do now? Get a job in the grocery store and earn minimum wage for the rest of my life? You don't need me in your life. I'm nothing," tears were flowing freely over Brittany's lips. She caressed his hand that rested limply on her waist and pressed kisses all over his cheeks, his eyes, his lips.
"You're not expelled," she revealed with a timid smile but Santiago just scrunched his face up, not understanding what she meant. She took his prompt to explain.
"I spoke to Principal Figgins when you left. I was scared of losing you and I was angry with him. I told him he can't just expel you without your mom there, that he was breaching the rules and I would make sure that the school board found out about it if he didn't change his mind. I was on the student council at my old school, so I knew what he did was wrong. He's the worst Principal ever. Anyway, he decided that you need to go see the guidance counselor and you have to meet with him tomorrow morning. Have you seen the state of McKinley? The amount of bullying is crazy. I'm tempted to complain about him but I'm just so relieved that you're not expelled," he could hear the excitement lacing her voice. She wasn't smiling widely but her eyes lit up and the happiness was written all over face.
Her words were like finding an oasis of cold, clean water after living in the dessert for a week. One of the many knots in his stomach untwisted and loosened. His body's natural instinct was to kiss her, which he did. She inhaled sharply as their lips connected and her hand flew to the back of his head when he went to pull away. She deepened their kiss desperately, pushing her tongue through his lips and massaging over his. His hand gripped her waist as she nudged him onto his back with her knee. She crawled over him, her kisses growing more reckless and frenzied. When he felt a tear drop from her cheek onto his chin he moved his hands to her sides of her face to break their kiss. She immediately buried her face into his neck as her body quivered.
"Don't leave me, I don't know what I'll do," her pleas were almost indecipherable as her lips mashed against his skin, "I love you and I want to be with you. I waited so long for you, so long."
It was only then that it clicked. Brittany really had been crazy about him all along. The months of agonizing over whether she wanted to be with him were in vain because she was doing the exact same thing. She always seemed so sure of herself that it never crossed his mind that she would be waiting for him of all people. She had been so patient, never pushing him but simply letting him find his own way to her. He suddenly felt like no matter what path he took, they would have led to her anyway. It was if they were meant to be. She was waiting for him and he was waiting for her but now the wait was over. Finally.
"I can't leave you. I want to be able to walk away and do the right thing but I can't Britt. I've never felt like this before. I know we're only 17 but I was so different before I met you. I was so…. lost and confused and empty," he held her tight to his chest, their hearts beating in time with each other.
Before meeting Brittany he hadn't thought himself good enough to do anything worthwhile. He was the son of a drunken wife beater who was looked down upon by his peers and his neighbors. Nobody expected anything from him. Even his mom never talked to him about college or the possibility of a decent career and then along came Brittany with her words of encouragement, her smiles that she kept just for him and her kisses that sent him to the top of the world and back. She had a belief in him that he couldn't fathom, yet slowly her belief settled somewhere within him, spurring him on.
"You are so smart and thoughtful and caring. I can't understand why you don't see that. Whatever your dad is, you're everything he's not," he wiped her cheeks with his thumb to capture the falling tears, "I love you and I've loved you for so long. It's scary because we've only been dating a little while but I knew from that first day we hung out that you were going to be special to me. Not once did you look at me weird or talk down to me. You are the first and only person in my life to truly understand me. I got a B in my Spanish test San. That's like, a miracle," she chuckled lightly.
"It's not a miracle Britt. You'll get an A in your next test, I'm telling you," he knew she'd do well. All he had to do was listen to her and see where she was having trouble. He threw out all of Mr. Schue's notes, sat with her as they wrote their own out together and color-coded them to her needs. Hardly rocket science.
"See? My mom nearly passed out when I rang her with the news and you just shrug like it was a given but it's not a given Santiago. I struggle in school, I struggle everyday and since you've started helping me it's become easier and now the struggle is a challenge and I like challenges. It's why I waited for you to finally see sense and ask me out," she smiled cheekily at him, causing him to grin back. Already he felt a million times lighter.
He nudged her nose with his own gently, "Thank you," he said after a beat. He wasn't just thanking her for risking punishment by challenging Principal Figgins, or for being his girlfriend, but for everything she had brought to his life since she moved to Lima.
She pulled back to look him in the eyes, smiling bashfully, "You're welcome."
After lying on the floor of the carriage for another little while, basking in each other's presence, Brittany finally revealed that Kurt was waiting for them in his dad's borrowed car.
"I rang him because I couldn't get through to you. He told me he would collect me and drive me here," she explained. Santiago was completely drained of all energy as Brittany helped him up to make their way out to Kurt, who was probably losing the will to live at being kept out of the loop.
She gripped his hand tightly; as if she was afraid he was going to let go. He pulled her back and into his arms.
"I'm sorry that I pushed you away." He mumbled into the top of her head, her shoulders slumped as she sighed in relief.
"It's ok. Just don't do it again or I'll be really angry," there was a hint of a joke in her voice but he knew she was deadly serious.
Kurt was leaning against the car talking on his phone when they came into sight. He hung up abruptly, without so much as a goodbye to the person on the other end and ran over to Santiago, almost knocking him over with the force of his hug.
"You idiot," he whined into his chest. Santiago wasn't much of a hugger so his hands just awkwardly patted Kurt's back until he loosed the hug and stepped away.
"Thanks Kurt," he grumbled.
"I could have killed you when I heard what happened. What got into you? You're so lucky that Brittany has your back Santiago Lopez," Kurt was pacing back and forth, unable to stand still. He always did that when his mind was racing.
"I know dude. Calm down, ok?" he reached out to grab him by the elbow, stopping him in his tracks.
"I'm sorry. I just don't know what I would do without you. I can't bear the thoughts of facing those disgustingly painted hallways of McKinley everyday on my own," he bit his lower lip and turned to face the car. He was trying not to cry which was unusual as Kurt always liked a dramatic moment, he said it improved his acting and added to his collection of real life moments he could take inspiration from when needed.
"I'm not the only person you have at McKinley, Kurt," Santiago knew he wasn't just referring to his friendship though; he was also referring to his protection and constant loyalty.
"No. But you're the most important," and then came the tears. Brittany did what Santiago couldn't bring himself to and wrapped her arms around him.
"Uh… are you ok?" Santiago spoke after an uncomfortable few minutes of standing beside them uselessly.
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine," Kurt sniffled into Brittany's neck. She ran her hand over his back and raised an eyebrow at Santiago as if to say 'now look what you've done'.
Santiago waited patiently, occasionally patting Kurt's back as he cried for a solid ten minutes. It was only when his phone rang that Kurt wiped his face and moved away from Brittany to answer it. It was Blaine. And so the waterworks started again as he explained to him what had happened.
"I think he's just a little fragile. You gave us all a fright," Brittany smiled fondly at Kurt who was back leaning against the car.
"I'm sorry," he apologized once more as he took her hand in his.
They stood hand in hand in silence as they watched Kurt masterfully overdramatize the entire day for Blaine's willing ears.
Kurt dropped them off at Breadstix, at Brittany's request. Santiago was only too happy to avoid going home and Brittany seemed to be less than willing to leave him yet. They were seated in a private booth and given a glass of water each. Santiago drank his in two gulps, the cool liquid easing his dry throat.
"That's impressive," Brittany laughed from behind her menu.
"I was thirsty," he said, not even bothering to read the menu. He knew it by heart.
The waiter came over and took their orders, refilling their drinks and wishing them a pleasant meal. He was sure to bring extra breadsticks to the table for Santiago.
"I've been meaning to ask you, have you spoken to Quinn?" he finally broached the topic he had been trying to avoid.
"Not yet, she went to class when I followed you to Figgins' office. But when I do I'm telling her that I quit the squad," she said as if it was just a casual tidbit of information.
"What?" he almost shouted in surprise.
"I'm quitting. I'm not hiding us anymore. I'm going to tell her tomorrow." She took a breadstick and nibbled on it.
"Just like that?" he was a little frustrated. Things weren't just that easy, she didn't get that. Brittany was all butterflies and rainbows but not everyone was.
"Yeah. Look, I'm not arguing with you over this. I would like to stay on the squad, but I'd also like to do other things. I'd like to kiss you before class, I'd like to join Glee, I'd like to be able to wear anything other than this suffocating cheerleading outfit and I'd like to be my own person." She smiled politely at the waiter as he placed her plate of meatballs and spaghetti on the table in front of her.
Santiago barely acknowledged him, too caught up in what Brittany was telling him.
"Ok," he said.
"Ok?" she asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Yeah," he confirmed although he was already concocting a plan for tomorrow morning after his meeting with Figgins. He was going for the jugular. He was going to talk to Sue Sylvester.
He got home after 9pm. His mom ran to the door as soon as she heard his key in the lock. She was livid.
"Santiago, I will kill you! I have been worried sick about you all day long. Thank god Brittany had the decency to text me or I would have thought you dead in the grave you silly boy," Her words were contradicted by the hug she was giving him.
"Sorry mami. I shouldn't have switched my phone off."
"No you shouldn't have. I am so angry right now. How could you Santiago? I spoke to your Principal today. I am very disappointed in you but I agree with him, you need to see your guidance counselor. I have let you down," and she joined the club as she began crying into his chest. Santiago noted that Figgins hadn't told her about his supposed expulsion. He promised to thank Brittany properly when he got the chance.
"Mami, you haven't let me down. I've let you down. I'm sorry," he rubbed her back as she cried.
"I am grounding you for the rest of the week," she said as she wiped her eyes and tried to gain her composure. He wasn't shocked; his mom was not a good disciplinarian so a week of being grounded meant she was super pissed.
"Ok mom, I deserve it. I just want you to know that I'm gonna get the help I need." He was going to control his rage, and if he couldn't then he promised himself that he would let Brittany go. If that wasn't enough incentive, then nothing would be.
That night his mom sat him at the kitchen table and they talked about his father. About why she never left him before he cheated. She told him that she had left once before but had to go back because they had no money, nowhere to stay and no one to rely on. She had three kids to feed and clothe and $25 in her pocket. It was only when he cheated that his father admitted to a wrongdoing and he left them, much to her relief. She wanted the kids to have a father in their lives, but not one like him. They talked about Brittany and about how much Santiago loved her. His mom loved her too, she said, and insisted Santiago would never lay a hand on her. Had he ever hurt his mom? No. But that was no excuse; he couldn't lash out any more. Santiago agreed wholeheartedly.
Maybe the day was rough and draining, but it gave him the final push he needed to address his issues.
As he settled into bed, Brittany rang him to say she wanted to walk with him to school tomorrow. His stomach flipped, he was excited and scared. Excited to have Brittany on his arm and scared of what Quinn had in store for them both.
He'd just have to brave it out. And no matter what, he would do his best to protect her.