Santana walked down the street quickly, barely noticing the cold air as it bit at her bare arms and legs and swept her carefully styled hair into disarray. Her movements were a little unstable and she stumbled slightly as she stepped off of the side walk and across the road, heading in an, almost, straight line towards the mini mart that stood about a hundred feet in front of her, gaudy Christmas decorations still tacked up in the window.

She was coming straight from a New Years party at Will's house, running to get some tobacco quickly before she called a taxi and headed home, despite it only being 11.30.

Will had been reluctant for her to leave on her own at first, offering to take her home later himself but she had pleaded a headache, saying she didn't feel like staying till the end and she was fine making her own way back.

"Well can't you just call a taxi from here?" He had pleaded, offering her his phone "Do you really need to go and get cigarettes right now?"

But she had nodded firmly, not taking the proffered mobile "Yes I really do. And I'm going to call a taxi as soon as I get there Will, it's 2 minutes away, I'll be fine"

"Well...shall I walk you over?"

She had let out a small noise of irritation and grabbed up her bag to leave

"Will, it's across the street for God sake, stop being an idiot. I can make it by myself"

And he had finally let her go, telling her to promise to ring him the minute she got home and to come back if there was any trouble at all, whilst she stood in front of him, nodding impatiently like a sullen teenager.

"Yeah ok, ok, I promise, I will. I'll see you later" She paused "Oh and hey, good party, thanks" She had told him, giving him a peck on the cheek and calling a polite goodbye to Emma who stood hovering in the hall, waiting for Will with a half empty wine glass in her hand.

"See you next week Emma" She smirked "..and don't you go too crazy on that wine now, y'hear?"

The woman giggled, her cheeks slightly pink from the alcohol she wasn't used to drinking and gave the other woman a small wave

"Bye Santana, I hope you feel better"

The brunette turned, leaning into Will as he led her to the door

"Goodnight Will, happy new years"

He gave her arm a friendly squeeze as she stepped into the hallway

"You too, thanks for coming"

She paused before leaving, leaning forward to talk quietly into his ear so Emma wouldn't hear

"Oh and Will?"

"...Yeah?"

"I really think you ought to kiss Emma at midnight tonight...before she necks the rest of that bottle of wine in frustration and ends up getting her stomach pumped"

He laughed and pulled back so he could look at her in confusion

"What?...What do you mean?"

Santana raised her eyebrows, not buying his feigned surprise and lay a friendly hand on his shoulder

"Come on Will...you know what I mean. The tension between you two is almost painful"

She moved her hand up to pat his cheek

"And if you both carry on being so frigid then it'll never happen. So you've got to make the first move ok?"

He seemed unsure of what to say so she gave him one last peck on the cheek and turned to walk away down the hallway.

"Have a good night Will"

He had nodded, clearly considering her words as he swallowed nervously

"Yeah, bye Santana"

She had smiled and waved as he stood at the door of his apartment, watching her walk away until she reached the stairs and disappeared down, and out onto the street below. Outside the building she had set off at a brisk pace, following the directions he had given her to a small convenience store at the end of his road and ignoring the car that tooted her loudly as she crossed the street. It briefly entered her mind to flip the driver her middle finger, but seeing the shop up ahead the thought was quickly replaced with a sudden renewal of her need for tobacco, and she quickened her stride.

Reaching the store, she pushed open the door with a little more force than was necessary, the bright, artificial lights making her wince as she stepped unsteadily inside and headed directly towards the coolers at the back. She hadn't been intending to buy any alcohol at first, cigarettes being her only motivation for coming to the shop, but suddenly, the thought of going home alone without anything further to drink had seemed so depressing that she didn't hesitate in going straight to the liquor isle.

She came to a sharp stop in front of the beers, squinting at the logos that swam in front of her eyes and realised with some surprise that she was actually already fairly drunk. But, she thought with a frown, not quite yet drunk enough to stop herself from calling Taylor if she started to feel a little lonely tonight. She would need at least a few more drinks to rule that out, and if she was sober enough to operate her phone then it was still a legitimate danger, so she leaned forward, using the shelf for balance and tried again to decipher the labels. After standing there for another minute, she had made her mind up and reached out to drag a 4 pack of Bud off of the shelf, cradling the heavy bottles to her chest and tucking her purse precariously under one arm.

She turned to make her way to the counter, not even noticing the tall blonde girl who stood in a hooded jacket facing the spirits, until she accidentally brushed against her on her way past and nearly dropped her beers.

"Oh, god, sorry" she said, regaining her balance as the girl turned, both of them freezing in surprise as their eyes met.

"...Brittany"

This was the first time they had seen each other since the awkward scene in her classroom and Santana felt a small jolt in her stomach as she looked into the nervous blue eyes, her mouth opening uselessly as she tried to think of something to say. Brittany stared back, unsure of how to react and vaguely embarrassed at the large bottle of vodka she held down by her side, out of Santana's eye line. She had come from a party at her house, a gathering of only Glee kids, so her outfit was casual, a pair of faded levis, plain black strap top and a jacket Sam had leant her for the night, her hair hanging loose and messy around her shoulders.

She swallowed, the sudden lump in her throat making it difficult, and gave Santana an awkward smile

"Hi"

She had been dreading going back to school and having to face her teacher after what had happened, so running into her on New years eve at her local corner shop felt like a weird nightmare. What was the brunette even doing here? Had she come from a party? Was she going to a party? She felt sure that the woman didn't live anywhere in the area.

Letting her gaze drift downwards she took in Santana's outfit, not being able to help but notice how beautiful she looked. She wore a tight black sheath dress, cut halfway up her tanned thigh and with a plunging neckline, the silky black material hugging every curve like it had been custom made and showing off just the right amount of toned, olive skin. Her heels were higher than usual, 6 inch scarlet stilettos which for once made her slightly taller than Brittany, who stood an inch below her in flat pumps. As usual her hair was down, but she wore it in loose curls, pinned at the side like a 1940's movie star with her make up carefully done to match the same style. She looked slightly windswept, and her eyes were a little bleary but she still looked unbelievable, happiness lighting up her face as she greeted the blonde, genuinely pleased to see her.

"Hey"

Santana clumsily repositioned the beers in her arms, securing the purse more firmly and smiled, trying to put the girl at ease. She had hated the way they had left things in the classroom and she was determined that it wouldn't be awkward between them next term, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to let Brittany know she wasn't upset with her. Her brain still felt slightly fuzzy but she ignored it, focusing instead on trying to start a friendly conversation.

"So, what are you doing here?" She asked, looking down at Brittany's hands and raising her eyebrows with a smirk when she saw the alcohol. "...Oh"

Brittany blushed. But there was no point in trying to hide the bottle now, and she was pretty sure Santana wouldn't try and stop her, so she didn't bother to lie.

"Well I live just down the street, I'm having a new years party...and we ran out of drinks"

"Right" said Santana, before leaning in and lowering her voice "So, do you have a fake ID?"

"I use my cousins"

Santana nodded knowingly, giving Brittany a conspirational wink and the blonde couldn't help but smile. Was her teacher drunk? She seemed a little unsteady as they both went to pay and the cheerleader noticed the beers clutched tightly to her chest. As they stood behind a man paying for gas she continued their conversation, feeling surprisingly less awkward than before.

"So umm..don't you live like on the other side of town?" She asked, genuinely curious as to why the woman was here.

Santana nodded, trying to manoeuvre her purse open with one hand whilst still holding onto the clinking bottles.

"Yeah, I do but I was at a party" The purse slid down her side but she managed to pin it with her elbow, the beers balanced dangerously as she bent into an awkward position. "Will's party actually- Uh Brittany could you give me a hand?"

"Oh, yeah sure"

Brittany hurriedly reached under Santana's arm, her hand brushing against smooth skin as she took the purse so Santana could straighten up, regaining a firmer hold of the bottles. Once she was steady she held out her hand, smiling as the girl placed the chanel clutch back into her grasp and carrying on with her explanation.

"Thanks -so yeah I was at a party, and then I was on my way home and I decided to stop here quickly before I got a taxi"

She nodded at her drinks with a small smile that made Brittany's heart clench

"...There's nothing worse than being sober for the countdown"

Brittany smiled shyly and gestured to her own bottle of vodka

"Agreed"

The man in front of them finished paying and Santana stepped up to the till, pushing the beer onto the counter with a friendly smile at the cashier. He rang up the Bud before putting it into a bag and turned back to the strikingly beautiful woman in front of him.

"Is there anything else I can do for you today ma'am?" he asked politely.

Santana hesitated, looking back quickly at Brittany before leaning forward and saying in a voice slightly quieter than before,

"Could I get a pack of Marlborough red?..thanks"

He set them down in front of her and she fumbled to get them quickly into her purse, pulling out a $20 bill to pay as she dropped them into the bag.

Brittany watched, wondering why the woman tried to hide the cigarettes but not saying anything when Santana stepped to the side and it was her turn to be served.

After they had both paid they walked together towards the door, Brittany holding it open for her teacher and then following her out onto the sidewalk where Santana turned to the blonde with friendly concern.

"You'll be ok getting home?"

Brittany smiled and pointed down the street "That's my house just there, I'll be fine"

"Oh ok, great"

Brittany watched as the brunette placed her carrier bag on the ground and dug into her clutch for her blackberry.

"Are you ordering a taxi?"

"Yeah"

"Ok, I'll wait with you"

Santana looked up with a smile

"Brittany, I'm fine, you don't have to wait with me"

Finding her phone she pulled it out, jabbing at the keypad impatiently and struggling to unlock the screen with clumsy fingers. She looked up to see the blonde watching her with a raised eyebrow and laughed.

"So I'm a little drunk...it's New Years, who isn't?"

Pointing at the bag in Brittany's hand she added "See, you are too, and you aren't even old enough"

She managed to bring up her contacts list and squinted at the screen before finding the number she was looking for and holding it up to her ear. As it rang she turned back to the cheerleader.

"Brittany, I'm good, seriously. I don't want you to miss your part- Oh hi..could I please get a taxi from outside..."

She looked behind her up at the sign above the shop and stared at in in confusion

"Uhh, from outside..Joe's?...It's a convienience store..."

Brittany stepped forward holding her hand out for the phone, which Santana reluctantly handed over after the operator on the end of the line began to get agitated. She gave the exact address of where they were and told the woman that yes, 20 minutes was fine, before hanging up and handing it back to the frowning brunette.

"It won't be here until 5 past so I'm definitely waiting with you. This isn't the best neighbourhood...and you clearly don't know your way around"

Santana shrugged, seeming more than a little pleased Brittany cared so much and picked up her beers, heading over to a bench a few metres from them and sitting down.

"If you really don't mind.."

"I don't" said the blonde firmly, sitting beside her.

"Well alright then"

Santana reached into her bag beside her, her fingers closing around the packet of cigarettes before she seemed to remember it was a bad influence and she withdrew her hand quickly.

Brittany smiled.

"You can smoke...I don't mind"

Santana turned, her expression guilty

"Really?...because I feel like I shouldn't...I am your teacher"

The blonde laughed

"It's fine, honestly I don't care"

Santana was torn, but seemed to decide after a second that it wasn't such an awful thing to do and pulled the packet from her bag, hastily unwrapping the plastic before balancing a cigarette between her lips and lighting up.

She savoured the first drag, inhaling deeply and blowing the smoke out in a long, satisfied sigh. There was a moment of silence, both of them surprised at how comfortable it felt, until Brittany spoke again.

"So, how come you left Mr Schue's party so early?"

Santana flicked her ash onto the ground carefully before answering, the alcohol encouraging her to reply honestly.

"I couldn't really face the countdown to be honest"

"Oh..how come?"

She was a little embarrassed at her answer but said it anyway, looking up at Brittany who stared earnestly back at her.

"It sounds kind of sad but...I guess it just kind of sucks when you don't have anyone to kiss at midnight"

The blonde nodded gently, she knew the feeling exactly.

It wasn't that she hadn't had any offers, she'd had plenty, but she couldn't have been less interested in any of them. Earlier in the night she'd already been approached by Puck, Artie and Sam, all hoping she would be their first kiss of the new year, and she'd reacted the same way to all of them, dismissing their comments with a laugh and hoping they would forget about it later. But surely Santana would have been able to find someone to kiss? She was stunning, and she looked even more beautiful tonight than ever.

"Was there really no one?"

The brunette pulled a face, taking another deep tug on her cigarette before shrugging.

"Uh, well, there were a few takers, I'll admit...but no one I was interested in"

She looked at the girl beside her, unsure of whether what she about to say would make things awkward again but deciding to go ahead anyway.

"What about you?...You're going to miss it if you stay here with me. You sure you aren't disappointing anyone?"

She waited for Brittany's reply, fervently hoping it would be a no and feeling a light relief spread through her when the girl shook her head.

"No, I actually left to get drinks so I would miss it"

"Oh"

Santana didn't know what else to say so she finished her cigarette slowly, stubbing it out on the bench and flicking the butt into the gutter when she was done.

"Ms. Lopez?"

She turned to see Brittany looking at her uneasily, and she had a feeling she knew what the next topic for discussion would be so she smiled, trying to make it less uncomfortable.

"It's Santana when we're out of school remember"

Brittany faltered "Oh, yeah..I forgot"

She took a deep breath "...umm, so..Santana?"

The brunette sat up a little straighter, suddenly feeling more sober than she had in hours and resolved to get this over with quickly

"Uh huh?"

Brittany looked down at her hands, unable to make eye contact as she spoke

"I just wanted to say...I wanted to say, that I'm sorry...for what happened at school the other day"

"Brittany.."

"I'm just really sorry, it was so so stupid and-"

"Brittany" Santana's tone was firm as she interrupted the girl again "Brittany don't apologise, it's fine"

"But-"

She laid a hand on the younger girl's knee looking into her nervous blue eyes as she said again "It's fine, honestly...just don't worry about it, I'm not, so you shouldn't either"

After a second the blonde nodded, pleased that Santana seemed so unfazed, and relieved they had finally addressed the issue. She breathed out, wrapping Sam's jacket tightly around her as she relaxed.

"..Ok"

Santana leant back away from Brittany and lifted her phone from her lap to stare at the screen, vaguely aware that her hand was trembling slightly.

"Only 2 minutes to go" she said quietly "Any resolutions for the new year?"

The blonde looked up at the stars, considering the question thoughtfully for a second before shaking her head

"Not really" She paused to look at the brunette "I don't really believe in the whole New Years Resolution thing actually...I kind of think if there is something about yourself you want to change, then you should just do it. I don't know why you would wait for the new year to be a better person"

Santana regarded her carefully before moving a little closer along the bench, their arms pressed together as they both looked up into the night sky.

"I think you're right"

They were sitting close and Santana tilted her head so it almost rested against Brittany's. She inhaled slowly before speaking again.

"You're really smart you know Brittany"

There was a silence before the blonde girl sighed heavily, her voice low

"You're the only person who thinks that"

But Santana was indignant

"Well then I'm the only person who knows what they're talking about. Plus, that isn't even true, plenty of people know how smart you are"

"You're my teacher, you have to say that "

Brittany laughed softly "...And you're drunk"

Santana sat up to turn her face towards the girl, brushing black curls behind her ear as they swung forward with the movement

"Yes, ok, I'm a little bit drunk...but I mean it Brittany, I do"

The blonde's eyes searched her face, a strange sadness over her features as she stared into her teacher's sincere gaze before looking away, pushing up the sleeve of her jacket to look at her watch. She didn't know if it was just the wine coolers she'd had earlier but things had suddenly felt too intense and she focused instead on the time, Santana following her gaze.

And as they stared at her wrist together a sudden thought, unsettling and scary, flashed into the brunette's head and she didn't know if she was terrified or relieved that she could finally see her own feelings so clearly. In that moment, shivering slightly on a bench somewhere in Lima, her previous plans for the evening forgotten, she couldn't think of anyone else she'd rather be with right then than Brittany.

And in her tipsy, hazy state it suddenly seemed so obvious that she couldn't see why she hadn't known it before, her mind ignoring the objections her logic usually provided when sober.

She wanted Brittany.

"40 seconds"

They sat silently, side by side, eyes on Brittany's watch as it slowly ticked away the last seconds of 2011, both of them feeling a little apprehensive without knowing exactly why, shoulders pressed tightly together. With 5 seconds to go they turned to each other, 'Happy New Year' already forming on both their lips as their faces got closer, Santana's arm wrapping unconsciously around Brittany's waist as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Santana's lips were parted as the clock struck midnight, but instead of speaking, the brunette closed her eyes tightly, not letting herself think about what she was doing, and leaned forward, crushing their lips firmly together as the night exploded in red, blue and gold behind them, lighting up with fireworks as Ohio welcomed in the new year.

...

I like this chapter, it was fun to write so I hope you enjoy it too.

I know I have completely skipped Christmas in this story but I can't really bothered to include a whole christmas bit so sorry if it doesn't flow as well but I'm not going to do it. If you do really want to know though, within the realms of this fic, Santana probs stayed at home ignoring calls from Taylor and Brittany went skiing with her family. They both had an ok time.

Ok, it's 3.00am, I have work in the morning and I didn't even check this for typos. I hope it reads ok.

Your reviews make me happy so please do tell me what you think. :)