iJuly 16, 2008 – Wednesday
Somewhere near Lima, Ohio
Santana woke up to the crisp morning air and she took in the beauty that was sleeping in her arms. Brittany wasn't beautiful in the morning. She was breath-taking. Santana hadn't stayed much in her thoughts, seeing that she would only think how they had the right love in the wrong situations. It was quiet painful and beautiful at the same time to look at the beauty in her arms and Santana had to sigh it all away because she can't do anything.
"Good morning, love," Santana whispered and Brittany started to wiggle and opened her eyes.
"Hello," Brittany smiled back, and then she craned her neck to kiss Santana.
"How was your sleep?"
"It's fine, San. Yours?"
"The best night I had in my entire life, because you're beside me," Santana cooed, and the blonde just responded to the Latina with a contented sigh.
They drove back to Brittany's house, which is actually a short drive from the meadows. After taking a shower together, Santana asked Brittany. "What do you wanna do today?"
"Stay with you, each day..." Brittany said, then she sadly turned her head away from the Latina's gaze.
"Come on, let's drive for breakfast," Santana cupped the blonde's cheek. She can't convey how much she had wanted to stay with Brittany. But tomorrow would be Thursday, and it's when Sam's going to be back.
She had almost forgotten about Brittany's husband. Santana had almost forgotten she doesn't own Brittany and she had nothing to do with the blonde. But she smiled at Brittany all the same and held the blonde's left hand lovingly with her right as she led her to the passenger's side.
"I'll drive us to breakfast," Santana declared as she stepped on the accelerator. "Do you have any suggestions on where to go?"
"Well, I don't know any. I was used to cooking my meals for myself," Brittany answered. She was careful enough not to mention anything about her family.
"I think I know a place. I was traveling somewhere down here," Santana turned south towards Kentucky. "How about we go to Louisville for today, Britt?"
"Louisville?" Brittany's voice echoed.
"Yeah, Louisville. Are you hungry already?"
"Not really," Brittany smiled at Santana. She could use a little trip. Suddenly it hit Brittany.
Wherever Santana would go, she would follow her. Whatever the brunette would do, she would still stand by her. And it's starting to scare Brittany. It's starting to scare her so much. She knew and she still knows that she loved and she still loves Sam. She was sure as hell about it. But she knew too, that Santana was someone she would hold on to, for forever.
They stopped at an off-road diner and went inside. Clutching Santana's arm, Brittany let the brunette lead her to the back booth. They ordered golden hashbrowns, bologna, grits and chicory-laced coffee.
"This is one hell of a diner," Santana remarked as their orders came up.
"So what do you plan for today, Santana? I mean, dragging me from Ohio to Louisville," Brittany smiled as the intrigued look danced across her blue eyes.
"We'll go shopping," Santana answered flatly.
"Shopping, huh?" Brittany took a sip on her mug of coffee.
"Yes, shopping. Where I'll buy you something," Santana grinned playfully and took hold of Brittany's hand over the table and ran soothing circles over the pale palm. "I want to buy you something."
Santana paused and looked into the blue eyes that resembled so much like the oceans and she cleared her thought to finish her statement. "Something that would remind you of us, of the summer of 2008. Something that will remind you about me."
"You don't need to buy me anything, Santana. I will always remember you," Brittany answered. "I will always remember you. I will always remember us," Brittany said, and silently prayed that she sounded strong enough to convince the brunette in front of her.
"I understand. But I want you to have something, just to make this day special," Santana smiled, her breakfast long forgotten and was sitting lonely in front of her.
"But, Santana, you don't have to," Brittany protested politely.
"I want to," Santana declared. "Please?"
"Alright, but not too much, okay?" Brittany wagged a finger a her and raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, not too much," Santana grinned and went back to her grits and started to finish up her breakfast.
After paying for their food, they started to drive down the road to Louisville, with a million thoughts to do in their mind. Santana popped in some songs that Brittany had never heard before, but she still listened to them anyways, and Santana sang in the tune of the tape on her Chevy's stereo.
She actually had a good voice. Her voice was a killer, even, Brittany decided.
Driving for almost half an hour, they reached Louisville at around mid-morning. Parking at an empty space in the pay-per-hour car park, she beckoned for Brittany to follow her into a record store.
"I actually prefer to have the ones on digital form but I go crazy over these records, you know," Santana smiled as she held up a Stevie Wonder record. "Look," she smiled as she held up another one. "It's The National."
"I don't really know a lot about these things, Santana," Brittany smiled a little sad smile.
"Don't worry, I'll pick up one for you. Here, I really like them," she held up a record by Fletwood Mac. She also put in the record by The National.
"Okay," Brittany smiled at Santana as the Latina smiled at her.
"Don't give me that look! It's actually good, Britt."
"I believe in what you said," Brittany stifled a laugh.
"Come on, I'll show you something else," Santana smiled at her and they paid for the record. They ran around the record store like a bunch of babies then dashed out into the summery sunlight. Running through the sidewalks, Santana and Brittany made their way to downtown Louisville's crowded alleys and flea markets.
"You get the best deals around this sort of places," Santana grinned at Brittany as she dragged the blonde through the huge crowd of mumblings and jumble and trinkets and merchandise. They came into a bohemian-islander arcade, something summery and warm and there was an ambiance that captured Brittany.
"You wanna come in and take a look?" Santana asked the blonde, but before Brittany can even formulate an answer, Santana was already tugging at her arm. The dreamcatchers overhead made a clinking sound as they went inside the arcade.
An ancient lady came out from the curtain of hanged clothing to greet them. She wasn't ivory, nor ginger – but Brittany can't classify her as a brunette or an ebony either. The woman was some sort of the perfect description of an islander.
"Good day, what would you like to buy?" she asked Santana.
"A dress, a pink one," Santana smiled.
"Pink?" the old lady said and there was something about her repressed smile that told Brittany there was something else this woman knew – something that she doesn't know either. Maybe, Santana knew.
"Aere, come here and help me!" she called behind the clothes and a youngster came out of them, she was pudgy, not too fat, but just a little robust. Her dark hair hung in a mess around her face and smiled at Santana and Brittany.
"Young love, Iza," she mumbled past the three of them.
"None of your business! Get me those pink dresses we got from last week," the old lady swatted the youngster out of her way and wobbled across Santana.
"What's the occasion for a pink dress?" she asked.
"Just a dinner," Santana said out flatly.
"Must be a lovely one, I've seen dinners with Americans," the old lady said, who, as Santana had presumed, was named Iza. There was something bout her accent that Brittany couldn't place among the accents she had heard before.
The youngster came back with a couple of fabrics slung around her arm, and a perching monkey on her left shoulder. She quickly laid the dresses on top of heaps of denim.
"You should wear this one," the youngster, presumably Aere, took out a pink and sequined dress with boho doodles.
"No, not that Aere," the old woman argued and pulled out a light-pink colored sundress and had Brittany try it.
The dress wasn't too short, nor it was too long. It stopped just above Brittany's knees to show some skin and it had very short sleeves and a dipping neckline, but not too deep. It made Brittany look so innocent, yet fearless and fresh at the same time.
"It's beautiful," Santana breathed out as she watched Brittany emerge from the makeshift fitting room.
"It was owned by a raya, or a queen, of some island province in the Pacific," Aere said proudly. "She wore it on her wedding day."
"You're bluffing," Santana growled.
"No. I am telling you the truth," Aere said.
"That is true, every dress we weave, every cloth and dress and shoe we sell here has a story to tell," Iza said. "We mostly get them from our friends in the islands, imported in Hawaii and sometimes taken by Aere's brother. That's how we get our merchandise, ma'am."
"I'll take it," Santana waved her hand off-handedly, and dismissed the youngster's antics. "How much do I need to pay?"
"It'll be not for sale," the old woman said. "It was only given to us, so we will just give it to you. If you want to buy, you just buy something else."
"Alright, I'll take the wicker sandals," Santana said. "How much they're worth?"
"Ten dollars," Aere said.
"Ten dollars, then," Santana said, not really caring that it was too cheap for her tastes. "And I'll take this Indian-weaved shirt."
"That would total up to twenty-six bucks," Aere said and Santana gave her another sixteen dollars to add up to her payment.
After paying and packing all the things they had bought, Santana and Brittany continued to walk to the fancy restaurants that lined the city sidewalks. Walking lazily along the street, with Brittany sometimes dancing but never letting go of Santana's hand, they came along a diner that seemed to catch their attention. Without thinking twice, Santana and Brittany went inside.
They had a simple lunch of some luncheon meat, some salad greens and chilled sweetened pineapples for dessert. "In a range of 1-10, with 10 being highest, I give them a twenty on their food tastes." Santana said as they walked away from the diner and made their way to the flower market.
They looked around at the daisies and Polish blooms and orchids and a million other kinds of flowers that seemed to capture the Brittany's attention. One flower took Santana's attention though.
Santana picked up a freshly, beautifully made rose bouquet and smiled at the flower vendor. "How much they're worth?"
"Seven and fifty," the flower vendor said. Santana gave her a ten-dollar bill.
"Keep the change, mister," she smiled politely and called Brittany. "Hey Britts! I got a question to ask."
"Yeah, what is it, San?" Brittany looked at her way.
"I just wanna ask, if someone buys you this and gives this bouquet to you, well, would you be happy?" Santana held the bouquet of roses at the blonde so that she can inspect it thoroughly.
"Of course, I would be very happy," Brittany smiled as she beamed at the flowers.
"Well, then, take them," Santana held the flowers to Brittany. "I'm giving them to you."
Brittany just smiled at Santana and looked at the Latina knowingly, while she accepted the bouquet of red roses. "Thank you, Santana. You make me so happy."
"Your very welcome, Brittany," Santana took her hand and they started to walk back towards the parking lot where Santana had parked her Chevy. "Are you happy today, Brittany?"
"Of course, Santana. I am," Brittany smiled modestly. "Ever since Monday, I was...I was very happy."
They went in the Chevy truck and Santana revved up the engine. "I am happy, too. Thank you, Brittany, for the chance, for everything."
"No, Santana," Brittany said as they traveled northward, back to Lima. "Thank you," Brittany smiled.
"Well, whatever you say," Santana quipped as she went on driving the truck. "Whatever you say. Brittany."
They rode on in silence, just listening to the engine roar and spit. The sky was turning into a pink glow, and Brittany was starting to stare into the pink sky.
"I know, it's kind of enchanting," Santana smiled.
"I've never been captured in my life. I mean, I have lived here for all of my life, but this is the best afternoon, Santana."
Brittany smiled as she looked out into the darkening twilight. Never in her entire life she had cheated on Sam. She knew it was totally wrong, she knew that if she doesn't put and end to this thing they have between her and Santana, this thing – this three days shes spending with the brunette would totally cost her her peace of mind.
It seemed very wrong, whichever way she chose to see it. But, it also felt so right, almost too right, even.
So instead, Brittany whispered into the setting sun's breeze. "It's the best day to ever happen to me, Santana."
"Yeah," Santana drawled. "I think, I will miss you for a long time, Brittany. A very long, long time."
Brittany looked at Santana and just took the Latina's view in, wishing that they could have met at another time, in another place. Perhaps, maybe in another life. She sighed and painstakingly pulled herself back to her reality. She wanted to cry and yell profanities to the whole universe for her situation right now, but instead, she smiled at Santana and asked her to have dinner with her and stay the night.
"Sure," Santana grinned and smiled coyly at her. "Of course, that would be a pleasure."
Brittany smiled contentedly, and then her hand traversed over the worn-out console of the Chevy and took Santana's right hand from the steering wheel. Pulling herself closer to the brunette, Brittany placed her head on her shoulders as they drove silently, knowing that they'd separate ways very soon.
Tomorrow, she thought. Tomorrow, she'll be back to her old life – a life she did not know she had lived in until she met Santana. A life she had secretly disliked and only Santana had made her realize that she needed more of that life. Her sad eyes mirrored the setting sun, making her sapphire eyes turn into an amethyst color.
She had known Santana for what – three days?
Three days and Santana can steal her air over and over again. Three days and she knew she's in love with Santana. Three days and she knew that a part of Santana will always stay with her, forever.
Tomorrow would be a sad day.
But for now they just drove, Santana and her just drove under the golden blanket of the setting sun, together.
Hey guys! Thank you for still continuing to read this fanfic, even though this isn't totally the good story one would want to and start to read, but yes, thank you so much for being so patient and awesome and beautiful and reading my fanfic.
I would like to extend my greatest thanks to ManuPRS (she's totally awesome check her account off).
And yeah, that Family Affairs stuff I wrote about? Hang out for more.
And I was planning to write some Lost Girl fics too (or any other fandom for that matter. Any suggestions?), but it's still a plan and nothing's done. (:
Anyways, we're about a few chapters away from the end, so, let's watch out if ever Santana ends up with Brittany and if ever Quinn has something to do with Britt and San.
Have a good day! (: