A/N: Two chapters...one day...more to come...can't stop here...I think I love you guys too much.
Already In (Jon McLaughlin)
Puck's musty old couch was not my first preference, especially not over Sue's beautiful beach house but I had needed that time away from Quinn.
Starting a new relationship with someone who I have known for half of my life was a challenge that we both failed.
There was no way that I could put it all on her and the fact that I hit her and felt angry enough to do it again, scared the shit out of me.
Leaving that house and heading to anger management like Papi had suggested when I had called him that night in tears, was the smartest thing that I could have done.
Had I not gone to that anger management meeting...
I wouldn't have found an amazing shrink to talk me through my problems
And I definitely would NOT have been able to be so nice to Q when she showed up at Puck's apartment.
Knowing those two things...I definitely don't see myself stopping.
Not when she is way too valuable a person to lose.
My natural response normally would have been to snap at her for showing up unannounced
But when I pulled that door open and I saw that look on her face...
The same look that she had after she found out that she was pregnant in high school...
The same look that she had after the rug was pulled from under her when Finn found out that it was Puck's baby...
The same look that she had after she gave up that baby and then years later when she lost another baby...
It was a look of fear, sadness, disappointment, remorse and shame.
Never in a million years did I think that was a look that would be directed at me.
I don't know what happened in my chest in the next moment but it felt like an explosion.
There was no way that I could hurt her...not after seeing that look.
She held her hand out to me and because I have already been conditioned by Brittany to go along with random moments
Compounded by the fact that I was urged by my therapist to let people prove to me just how amazing they could be...
I immediately reciprocated the action.
I wasn't disappointed.
Add that to the sweet words that followed the handshake and I was resisting urges that had me really considering fucking her right in that hallway.
But I knew that her standing in front of me, baring her organic self to me was something different.
This wasn't about sex anymore.
Even if at the last moment...my eyes and mouth were in agreement at just how fantastic her ass looked in her red sun dress.
Oh well...can't expect me to change over night...right?
Despite my momentary crudeness, I had to try this new way of doing things...
Who knew that both of us wanting to be together, could be so hard?!
Not me...
All I knew was that she was worth it.
"You look insanely fuckable, Lopez!"
I rolled my eyes as I put the finishing touches on my makeup to match my demure yet formfitting dress.
I wanted to be hot but I also wanted to show Q a different side of myself and so shopping had been in order.
And seeing the reaction that Puck had, I knew that I picked the right look.
Puck sat on the couch, drinking a beer, half watching a baseball game while leering at me.
"From you...that's a compliment...so I won't kick your ass for it."
"Gee thanks!"
"No problem, now, eyes off, Creeper." I smirked.
"I'm serious...this toned back look on you is really hot. I think you look beautiful, Santana."
I wanted to be a smart ass but then I looked at him and could see a small smile on his face.
He was being sincere and it touched me...even if the staring was unnerving.
"Okay, I get it...thanks...now seriously...you're getting creepy...eyes on the tv."
There was knock on the door and I saw that as usual, Q was on-time.
Thankfully, saving me from more awkward moments with Puck.
"I'll get that...do you want me to give her the hands off speech?" He asked over his shoulder.
"Fuck this date up...and you won't be getting any ass in the foreseeable future, Puckerman."
"Point taken."
The ride to the restaurant was filled with us acting like this was the first conversation that we had ever had.
We talked about tulips and why I loved them.
Spoiler...they smell good.
We talked about our dreams.
About her starting school in a few weeks.
We talked about me thinking of joining her at UCLA.
Pretty much, we told each other the things that we kind of knew about already but that we hadn't really discussed.
It was nice and light.
Of course, we both knew that we would have to eventually acknowledge our past but it was a relief to just be normal for a little while.
It was nice to know that normal was even an option.
No power plays or overtly sexual gestures happened...
Just me and Q, talking.
It was refreshing.
Things between me and Q continued to go smoothly on our date.
Our first real date, at a real restaurant.
And she was an absolute gentleman.
Or woman?
She pulled out my chair, she ordered for me, paid the bill and when I accidentally spilled my water across the table, she just smiled and made a joke about it.
No snide comments or cold glares that she was famous for...just a joke and a smile.
From the outside, it was a normal date but for us it was an achievement.
Because of course...both me and Q are not the nicest people.
We are bitches by nature so the niceties, while...well...nice, weren't genuine after a while.
It started to feel like we were tip toeing around each other...which was not so nice.
Plus, I could see that it was hurting her not to talk about what had broken us apart in the first place.
So, as the person that left after breaking down and...after saying that we WOULD talk about things...I took the initiative.
Because it only seemed right.
She had just finished paying the tab and was holding my hand as we exited the restaurant, when I decided that I needed to turn things around.
But it wasn't until we were walking to the car that I realized just how close the beach was.
And then I was thinking about the last time that I was on the beach...it was with her.
Enough was enough...
I couldn't play nice anymore...
Q had been on her way to the car but I stopped...and since I still had her hand...she stopped by default.
Her beautiful eyes looked at me in confusion and a small amount of irritation.
That's my girl.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
I sighed and looked towards the beach before looking back at her.
"I'm ready to talk...like really talk about things...if you are."
She dropped my hand and ran her hands through her hair before dropping them limply at her sides.
"I don't want to argue, Santana." She said with a nervous smile on her face.
"Me either...so let's not argue."
"Things were going so well."
"And they still are...right?"
She nodded and then took my hand again.
"How about we end this date...properly and then you come home and we can talk until we are blue in the face."
"What do you mean by properly? Because...I don't put out on the first date."
She blushed as if she hadn't slept with me before and then stepped closer.
My skin was suddenly hot and my mouth was dry.
How did she have this effect on me?
I stood there dumbfounded as she dropped the octave in her voice and winked.
"Well, I was just hoping for a goodnight kiss, would that be okay?"
I was grinning like an idiot and then so was she.
Maybe changing EVERYTHING wasn't necessary.
Because in the next moment...I was thinking of all the good things that we had been through in the last few months and then the words that had become a habit had slipped out.
"All you had to do was ask."
A/N: Awww...so freaking charming! ;) Should this be the end? Idk...convince me.