Author's note: I don't usually comment here regarding individual reviews, other than to say I value all your feedback (which I really do!) but to the guest reviewer who wants me to hurry up, I'm not sure if that's a comment on the pacing of my story or the frequency of my updates. If it's the former, there's a small time jump after this chapter and some angst on the way, and if it's the latter, hopefully this update will help! Thank you all for each and every review, hope you enjoy chapter eleven!
Chapter Eleven: Special
Quinn's nervous excitement had all but ruined her appetite, but it seemed to have had exactly the opposite effect on Santana who was rapidly devouring the pizza as Quinn picked absently at the toppings on her own slice. Santana was grinning so widely that Quinn couldn't help but wonder how her fiancee's face didn't hurt, and she kept pausing mid-chew to examine the ring now adorning her left hand.
"I can't believe your mom gave this to you," she said for about the eighth time. More than anything, the fact that Quinn's mother supported their relationship seemed to be a huge source of joy for the brunette. "You're sure she's okay with it, really?"
"I'm sure," Quinn confirmed, reaching out to squeeze Santana's hand reassuringly. "You know that's all down to you, don't you? If you hadn't gone to see her in Lima and been so..." she paused to search for the right word, "um... forthright, she never would have come around. I have my mom in my life thanks to you."
Santana shrugged. "All I did was tell her she was an idiot if she let you go," she said dismissively. "She got the rest of the way on her own. I just wanted her to know how amazing her daughter is, that's all." She smiled mischievously then yanked Quinn's hand, falling back against the pillows so that Quinn landed on top of her with a surprised squeal.
"Santana!" shrieked Quinn, through her giggles as the brunette gazed up at her. Her dark eyes were almost black as she reached up to smooth Quinn's hair back from her face, and Quinn could feel Santana's heart pounding where their torsos pressed together. "Hi," she murmured, suddenly sombre.
"Hey," whispered Santana as her fingertips trailed across Quinn's cheekbone and down over her slightly parted lips. Quinn pressed a soft kiss against the pads of her fiancee's fingers, before lowering her head and fusing her mouth eagerly with Santana's. Their kisses were instantly hot and wet, tongues pressing urgently against each other, swirling and stroking the recesses of each other's mouths. Santana's hand left Quinn's face, moving down over her clavicle to cup her breast, squeezing gently through the material of Quinn's dress and drawing an audible moan from Quinn's lips. Her whole body thrummed with want and need, and as Santana's free hand moved down over her ass, kneading softly, Quinn seriously considered making love to her fiancée there and then. It took every last ounce of willpower she possessed to pull back, breathing raggedly.
"Later," she promised. "As soon as we get home."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Santana demanded, sitting up with a start and reaching for her discarded coat and purse. In doing so she dislodged Quinn, causing her to tumble onto the pillows with a chuckle.
"Have a little patience, sweetie," Quinn sighed, wriggling against the cushions to get comfortable. She laid on her back and smiled contentedly at her fiancée. "I think Kurt and Rachel would murder us if we leave before they get home, Rach begged me to text her a photo of your ring earlier - apparently I lack adequate knowledge regarding stone settings and gradings, and we really do need to say thank you to Kurt for setting up all of this."
"Okay," Santana said, an adorable pout accentuating her full lips. "They'd better not take too long though." She picked up the last piece of pizza and held it out to Quinn. "You want to split this?"
Quinn shook her head. "It's all yours, I'm not hungry."
"You've barely eaten," complained Santana. "Are you trying to make me fat?"
"Not at all," Quinn replied demurely, settling her hands behind her head and stretching lithely, delighting in the way Santana's eyes traveled over her figure. "I do love your curves though," she added as an afterthought.
Santana grinned as she bit into the pizza, pausing to peel off a piece of bacon which she popped into Quinn's mouth. Quinn licked at Santana's fingers teasingly and the brunette groaned.
"Q, I swear to God, if you don't want me to ravage you right here..." she began warningly, but she was distracted by a loud, repeated knocking and the unmistakable sound of a key turning in the front door.
"We're coming in," Rachel announced loudly, forcibly reminding Quinn of Sue Sylvester and her ever-present megaphone. "I expect everyone to be fully dressed and all hands to be in respectable places." Quinn giggled but Santana was glaring murderously in the direction of the loft's door as it swung open. Rachel's hand was clamped firmly over her eyes, and Quinn shook with laughter at Santana's outraged expression.
"It's okay, Rach," she promised. "We're presentable." Immediately, Rachel removed her hand and bounded over to her friends, her warm brown eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Did you do it?" she asked tremulously. Quinn nodded, elbowing Santana who graciously held out her left hand for Rachel to fawn over. Kurt hurried over to examine the ring too, practically salivating with anticipation, whilst Blaine offered Quinn a gentle hug.
"Congratulations," he said, sharing a quiet smile with Quinn. Quinn beamed at him - she'd never forgotten the support he'd given her when she'd first come to New York. She'd been so confused and afraid of the intensity of her feelings towards Santana, but Blaine had helped her figure out what she really wanted. Without him, she didn't know if she would have ever have had the courage to act on her feelings.
"Thank you," she replied softly, hoping to convey just how grateful she was for his friendship in those two simple words. From the look in Blaine's hazel eyes, he understood.
Rachel finished admiring Santana's ring and turned her attention to Quinn's instead. Their friends predictably wanted to hear the stories of both proposals, which seemed to take an eternity, as Kurt and Rachel continually interrupted, pressing for more and more details. When they finally finished their stories Rachel had tears in her eyes.
"I'm so happy for you," she said, as she struggled to rein in her emotions. "First Kurt and Blaine, now you guys. Everyone's getting married."
"Rach..." Quinn began hesitantly, knowing that her friend must be thinking about Finn and the wedding they'd never get to have.
Rachel shook her head to silence her. "I'm okay, Quinn, really. I know Finn would be happy for you too. You were his first love, and Santana..." she shot a mischievous smile in her direction, "you were his first 'you know'." Everyone laughed and the momentary tension was broken. Then Rachel clapped her hands together excitedly. "Ooh, you know what you guys should do? You should have a joint wedding!"
The loft was suddenly filled with Santana and Kurt's raised voices, both vocalizing the reasons why there was absolutely no chance of that happening.
"No offence, Lady Hummel," Santana insisted, "but our wedding's going to be girly enough with Quinn involved. If we add you into the mix it would be like a unicorn throwing up rainbow glitter over everything."
"Well, our wedding is going to be a stylish, black tie, classic event," Kurt retorted, without waiting for Santana to finish. "Blaine and I are going to be the center of attention, and I know how much someone likes to hog the spotlight..."
Quinn and Blaine hung back and watched their respective partners bicker, identical amused grins on each of their faces. There was no malice behind their words, it was closer to sibling rivalry than anything else.
Eventually, Santana and Kurt had run out of good natured insults and it had been firmly established that a joint wedding was not on the cards. As soon as Quinn felt they could politely make their escape, she began to gather her things together and say goodbye to their friends. Santana, who had practically been out the door for the last hour, grabbed her by the hand and tugged her towards the elevator even as Rachel tried to give her one last hug. Quinn smiled apologetically in Rachel's direction, but from the grin on the tiny diva's face it was clear she understood what was behind Santana's urgency.
Never had the train ride to Manhattan seemed so long or uncomfortable to Quinn and, from the pained expression on Santana's face, Quinn knew her fiancée was feeling the same way. The girls spent the journey gazing adoringly at each other, sharing innocent touches and chaste kisses, desperately wanting to feel a deeper connection. By the time they made it back to their apartment building, Quinn wanted Santana so badly that it physically hurt. Their fingertips touched as they both moved to open the door to the building, and it shot through Quinn like an electric shock. For once, the elevator was working and Santana dragged Quinn inside urgently, slamming the metal grill shut behind them. Instantly, her hands were everywhere, waking up Quinn's body and making her knees tremble. They shared hot, messy, wet kisses wherever they could reach - mouths, necks, collarbones. Quinn grazed her teeth over Santana's earlobe and groaned hungrily as Santana's fingers groped at her thighs beneath her dress.
Quinn was only vaguely aware of the elevator stopping on their floor and she stumbled down the hallway in Santana's wake, straightening her rumpled clothing and surreptitiously trying to refasten the buttons on the front of her dress that she hadn't noticed Santana unbuttoning. Santana fumbled with the keys, struggling to focus as Quinn latched her mouth onto the brunette's neck from behind, nuzzling through sweet smelling hair to suckle on Santana's pulse point.
Then, thankfully, Santana managed to open the door and they tumbled into their apartment giggling madly. Santana turned and pressed Quinn up against the door, kissing her urgently and demandingly as Quinn's hands traveled over her fiancee's figure, seeking out all of her favorite places.
Santana's fingers were struggling with the buttons on Quinn's dress, and Quinn was so turned on that she knew the second Santana's hands made contact with her skin she'd be lost.
"Wait," she panted breathlessly, squirming under Santana's ministrations. "San, stop, please?" Her voice was soft and plaintive, and the brunette instantly complied, taking a step away from Quinn, breathing hard, and gazing at her with lust-filled eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked, a puzzled expression clouding her beautiful features. Quinn reached up to stroke her face, reveling in the softness of her skin.
"I want you," Quinn whispered hotly.
"I want you too," agreed Santana, reaching for her again, but Quinn held up her hands to make her wait.
"I want us to take our time," Quinn explained. "I love you so much, and you've made me so happy tonight. I want it to be special and if you keep touching me like that it's all going to be over far quicker than I'd planned." She smiled shyly at Santana. "I want us to make love, San. I'm not saying I don't love it when you just... fuck me..." She stumbled over the words, and knew her cheeks were flushing from the wolfish grin the brunette gave her. "God, I do, I really do. But that's not what I want tonight. I want you to make love to me and I want to worship you and show you just how much I love you... fiancée." She grinned slightly at the last word, and caught her lower lip between her teeth as she waited for Santana's response.
She wasn't disappointed. The brunette's eyes shone with emotion as she brushed her lips gently over Quinn's, breathing all her desire and love into the simple gesture.
"Can I take you to bed?" Santana asked hoarsely. "Fiancée," she added with a bashful smile. Quinn nodded.
Clothes were shed as the girls crossed the darkened room, bumping into furniture in their haste. By the time they tumbled onto the mattress, they were both clad only in their underwear. Santana rolled so that she was above Quinn, one leg either side of Quinn's thighs, and she paused to study her fiancée in the thin shafts of moonlight creeping through the curtains.
"Beautiful," she murmured, stroking her hands over Quinn's shoulders and running her fingers lightly across her collarbone. She bent her head to press a soft kiss into the crux of Quinn's throat where her neck met her shoulder, and Quinn hummed appreciatively at the touch.
Quinn's hands were clinging to Santana's toned and muscled back, keeping her close, as she unhooked the clasp on the brunette's bra. Santana kissed along the path her fingers had just taken until she reached the soft lace of Quinn's bra. Her tongue sneaked out from between her lips to lick a teasing line where the material stopped and the swell of Quinn's breast was visible.
"Take it off," Quinn panted, squirming under Santana's ministrations. The brunette was quick to comply, ridding herself of her own bra at the same time before lowering herself back down so that their breasts pressed together as she captured Quinn's lips in a tender kiss.
Long moments passed where languid kisses were shared and hands gently explored soft, warm, sensitive skin, and soon Quinn was writhing beneath Santana's skillful mouth and fingers. Santana traced a meandering path down over Quinn's breasts, brushing her thumbs across the tender peaks. Quinn bit down hard on her lower lip to stifle a moan as Santana licked sweetly at her nipple before taking it into her mouth, swirling her tongue over the aroused nub. Her hands continued to wander, drawing light circles on Quinn's stomach before moving lower over protruding hip bones before kneading shapely thighs.
As her fingers reached their destination at the apex of Quinn's thighs, Santana tore her mouth away from Quinn's breast, and sat up to rid Quinn of her underwear. Achingly slowly, she parted Quinn's legs and ghosted her fingers over Quinn's inner thighs, brushing over the sensitive line where Quinn's torso met her legs. Suddenly, her fingers were gone and Quinn couldn't help but whimper at the loss.
She opened her lust-blurred eyes and looked up into Santana's dark, desire-filled gaze.
"I want you," Santana whispered hoarsely, begging for permission to continue. All Quinn could do was nod, and Santana's talented fingers slipped welcomely into the wet heat at her center, stroking and swirling until Quinn came apart with Santana's name on her lips.
Santana continued to stroke her through her orgasm, and Quinn clung gratefully to her, her body singing at every point of contact with the brunette. Even as stars danced in front of her eyes and she tried to regain control of her limbs, Quinn wanted nothing more than to reciprocate, to show Santana how much she loved her.
With a sudden burst of energy, Quinn flipped them over so that she was hovering above her fiancée.
"I want you," she said, repeating Santana's earlier words. She ran her fingers over the swell of Santana's breasts. "Can I kiss you here?" she asked coquettishly. Usually she would just take what she wanted; knowing Santana's body almost as well as she knew her own, she knew which touches would make her squirm, and which would make her gasp and beg, but tonight she felt like talking her way through the process. Santana nodded and groaned as Quinn's head immediately lowered and her warm lips brushed over sensitized flesh. "How about here?" Quinn murmured, stroking her fingertips over the hollow of Santana's navel.
"Uh huh," panted Santana, her chest rising and falling erratically as her arousal grew. Grinning, Quinn poked out her tongue and swirled it into Santana's navel, delighting in the audible gasp Santana gave, and the way her hips bucked automatically into the touch.
"And here?" Quinn asked breathlessly, caressing Santana's inner thigh with the lightest touch that left her fiancée writhing.
"Please?" huffed Santana. Slowly, gently, Quinn lowered herself between Santana's thighs. The first stroke of her tongue was like heaven, and she felt her own desire pooling hot and low in her belly once again as she started to kiss and lick her fiancée into bliss. Santana's hands tangled in her hair to hold her in place, but there was nowhere else Quinn wanted to be. As Santana began chanting her name and babbling almost incoherently, Quinn added skillful fingers into the mix, rubbing and stroking the brunette into ecstasy.
As Santana came down from her climax, Quinn crawled back up the bed and into her fiancee's arms, snuggling contentedly against her breast.
"So, you said you wanted to do something fun today," Quinn reminded her. "Did I succeed?"
Santana chuckled, brushing Quinn's sweaty hair out of her eyes.
"Well, you definitely set the bar," she agreed. "I'm going to have high expectations from now on though."
Quinn giggled. "I'll see what I can do," she murmured, planting a chaste kiss to Santana's breast. "Are you tired? Do you want to go to sleep?" She lifted her head to meet the brunette's gaze.
Santana shook her head. "Not in the slightest," she admitted. "You want to go for round two?" Quinn beamed at her and pounced, kissing her hungrily. As Santana had promised back at the loft, it seemed like neither of them would be getting a lot of sleep that night.