Fanfiction: Glee - Dance with Me
Title: Dance with Me
Rating: PG
Length: 3,500ish
Pairing: Tina/Brittany
Summary: Tina agrees to be partners with Brittany for glee and finds more than she expects.
Author's Note: Written for the second glee_rare_pairs exchange.
“Choreography!” Mr. Schuester announced as he underlined the word on the whiteboard.
Everyone in the room collectively groaned a little.
Tina did her best to remain optimistic, but the only thing worse than Mr. Schue’s array of current dance moves was his propensity to rap.
Mike would not be pleased to hear about the assignment when he got over his cold.
“Please tell me I have not returned to New Directions only to be subjected to this torture. I will gladly give up whatever solo I have coming my way as long we don’t have spend a week fulfilling that man’s painful choreography,” Kurt leaned over and whispered.
“Same here,” Mercedes said.
Tina nodded in agreement, although she never had any solos to give up anyway.
“Our strength lies in our superior vocal talent and more recently, our songwriting abilities. To take nationals, we need to focus on our weaknesses. So in the vein of our duet competitions, I want you to pair up and devise a dance routine that you can teach to the group,” Mr. Schue said with excitement.
It sounded like a better idea than what she anticipated, but Tina wondered if her teacher had considered how the competition would make Artie feel. He was still stinging from his breakup with Brittany a couple weeks ago, and a dance contest seemed like adding insult to injury. He may have been an awful boyfriend, but Tina didn’t want anyone feeling like the outcast, especially in glee.
“Mr. Schue…” Tina was cut off when the teacher explained the rules.
“Just like the duets, the winners get dinner at Breadsticks,” Mr. Schue said.
Santana exchanged high fives with Sam and Puck.
“Unlike our duets competition though, you will not vote on each other. Instead Artie has agreed to judge with me and Mrs. Pillsbury. You’ll have two weeks, and may the best team win,” Mr. Schue said.
Mercedes and Kurt quickly paired off and started debating the merits of a more traditional routine over a modern one.
Tina laughed lightly at the duo while she took out her phone to see if her mom could pick her up early. With Mike sick at home, she didn’t have much to do for the rest of the club. Or maybe she could hang out with Artie? Singling the boy out was probably not Mr. Schue’s most effective attempt at compassion.
While she was debating what to do, Tina was startled by Brittany standing directly in front of her.
“You’re going to partner with Mike aren’t you,” Brittany said, and Tina nodded slightly. “Don’t. Dance with me. I’m better.”
Tina thought momentarily that she should protest - maybe be a little offended on Mike’s behalf. He was her boyfriend after all and a really good dancer.
But Brittany looked at her so expectantly that she found herself asking, “W-Why me?”
She wasn’t sure why the fake stutter had decided then to make an appearance.
“Artie talked about you a lot when we were dating, and it was all really nice stuff,” Brittany said.
“Artie did lie about things like the comb, but he wouldn’t lie about that.”
Tina watched as Brittany took a glance around the room. Everyone else had found a partner except Finn.
Rachel and Quinn had formed some kind of alliance of scary. Santana was with Sam looking sullen. Puck was fawning over Lauren.
“Santana’s still mad at you, isn’t she,” Tina asked.
Brittany gave a tiny frown and a nod, which was all Tina needed to make up her mind. No way she was going to make Brittany dance with Finn.
“I would love to be your partner,” Tina said, the way Brittany’s face brightened well worth whatever grumbling she would get from Mike for saddling him with Finn.
//
Tina was excited for their first real practice. They had talked over some options in glee club - no Broadway or traditional partner dancing like ballroom, but pretty much everything else was up for grabs.
“What do you want to do?” Brittany asked, stretching her right leg up into a position Tina could only dream of mimicking.
“I was thinking we could do whatever you wanted since you’re the dancer,” Tina said.
“You’re a dancer too. You dance,” Brittany said.
Tina knew Brittany was just drawing the simple conclusion, but the way it sounded like a declaration made Tina feel better about her own abilities.
“How about we do a hip-hop routine? We don’t do that a lot, and you’re really good at it,” Tina suggested.
“Yeah, I am pretty awesome,” Brittany said. “And you were good at Single Ladies and Can’t Touch This. We’re definitely going to win.”
Tina laughed at Brittany’s faith in the two of them. She deferred to Brittany for song selection, and was mesmerized when Brittany, on the first run-through, was able to put together a cohesive routine. It reminded Tina of Mike how the dance seemed to flow out of Brittany - like the music simply unlocked steps that had been waiting to escape.
But unlike Mike, whose movements were always smooth and fluid, Brittany had taken the opportunity to showcase sharp crisp moves. She hit the beats perfectly, and although her musicality was different the Mike’s, it was beautiful all the same.
//
Practices were always hilarious in Tina’s opinion.
The first time Brittany asked her to mirror her moves Tina thought she wanted it to literally look like a mirror. She did the moves opposite of Brittany until she was stopped.
“Why are you doing that? You’re supposed to look the same as me,” Brittany said.
“Oh, so you want me to shadow you! Sorry I got confused,” Tina said.
“No, you can’t be my shadow,” Brittany shook her head. “The glee club won’t be able to see you if you’re behind me. I’m taller than you.”
And there were all the adorable metaphors Brittany used for the moves.
It’s like a when you microwave pizza rolls too long and they explode when she explained chest pops.
How Kurt looks when he doesn’t like something to help straighten up her back in some moves.
Or like Puck when he’s falling asleep in history when she needed to loosen up.
The strange thing was, all the metaphors made sense. And eventually Tina even contributed some ideas of her own.
“We should use some of your tricks. Like the flip thing you can do,” Tina suggested inverting her index and middle fingers to explain.
“An aerial would be perfect! We could have you crouch down, and I could do it over you back,” Brittany jumped at the idea.
Although Tina was a little nervous at getting kicked in the head, they put the move in anyway.
It wasn’t long before she realized that she had nothing to worry about. Brittany would never hurt her, unintentionally or otherwise.
//
“Ugh, I can’t get it,” Tina stopped mid-dance yet again. Rehearsals had been going well for the most part, but something about the moves that day just wouldn’t connect.
“Sorry for making it too hard,” Brittany said.
“It’s not your fault,” Tina said quickly. She couldn’t bear the discouraged look on Brittany’s face. “I should be able to get it. It’s just getting confused in my head.”
Tina looked up to see Brittany’s eyebrows pinched together in thought. It was endearing how committed the other girl was to teaching Tina the routine.
“Um, sometimes when I couldn’t understand math, San would make the problem lots of small pieces. Maybe if we do the steps in small pieces it will be easier,” Brittany said her voice racing some at the end.
“Alright, I think I can do that,” Tina said Brittany’s enthusiasm motivating her.
Brittany’s was patient with Tina, working the steps into even smaller groups when they still proved to be too complicated. She never seemed bothered by Tina’s mistakes.
“Let’s to it all together,” Brittany finally said.
“I’m not sure,” Tina said hesitantly. She had hoped they would wait until tomorrow to put the routine together so she could put in some extra practice. She didn’t want to disappoint Brittany again.
“Look, I’m awesome so you’ll be awesome,” Brittany said. “You’re a dancer.”
“I’m a dancer,” Tina repeated under her breath, her muscles tense in anticipation.
Tina felt a rush of elation when the song ended, and she had completed the moves without a single misstep. She smiled as she heard Brittany clapping and squealing over her own labored breathing.
And suddenly in the next moment Brittany’s arms were snaked around her waist and their lips were pressed together.
Tina didn’t have time to register what was happening until Brittany pulled away. Now she couldn’t catch her breath for an entirely different reason.
Brittany, completely oblivious to Tina’s reaction, had gone to restart the music.
“Woah, what was that?” Tina stopped Brittany before she could hit play.
“Dancing,” Brittany might was well have said the unspoken duh.
“No… no, after that,” Tina clarified.
“Kissing?” Brittany said like she’d been asked a trick question.
Tina should have been amused at having Brittany question her intelligence, but she was too confused to see the humor.
Brittany must have noticed her discomfort because she asked gently, “Did you not like it? I’m a good kisser. We could try again.”
“No, you were good,” Tina said, realizing she wasn’t just saying it to get Brittany to back off. She would have described the kiss as great even. It was soft and sweet, but there was passion behind it.
“I can’t because I’m with Mike,” Tina explained and hoped she didn’t hurt Brittany’s feelings.
Brittany’s brow furrowed like Tina’s reason wasn’t good enough, but she nodded solemnly anyway. “Okay,” she shrugged.
Tina wasn’t sure if Brittany truly was okay or not. The girl was so hard to read sometimes.
“But we can still dance,” Tina said desperately wanting to get back on track.
It must be the right thing to say because Brittany’s face brightened, and she started up the music once again.
“No good job kiss this time if you get it right,” Brittany said, and soon was showing Tina a whole new set of complicated moves.
//
That night when Tina was in bed, her thoughts kept returning to her kiss with Brittany.
It shouldn’t have been a big deal. Brittany kissed everyone. It wasn’t as though her friend was declaring some deep seeded feelings. It was only a good job kiss as Brittany had explained.
But if the kiss meant nothing, why did Tina keep dwelling on it?
Tina had kissed girls before. Back when she started her rebellious faze in middle school she dressed in all black, stayed out late, and kissed a few girls. The fashion choices stuck, but everything else didn’t. Tina found she was definitely more of a goody-two-shoes who happened to like kissing guys.
But she had to admit, kissing Brittany was not like kissing other girls. First, Brittany was a really good kisser and second… her brain was having a hard time moving past the first.
Did she even like Brittany like that?
When Tina thought about it, she realized many of the things that attracted her to Mike could easily be seen in Brittany.
They were both sweet, go with the flow kind of people. Sure, Brittany could throw a mean comment in here and there but with no malicious intent. And Mike was the more academic of the two, but they both were endearingly hesitant when it came to things outside their expertise. And they both had fabulous abs.
Tina didn’t know if she was willing to admit that she was attracted to Brittany, but it didn’t matter because she was with Mike and she was happy with him.
At least she thought she was.
//
Tina was still confused how things could have ended so quickly with Mike.
It was weird, because she didn’t even know who had broken up with whom. It was so unexpected.
Mike had been complaining about all the time she spent with Brittany, and how she should have chosen him in the first place for the competition. Tina had fired back that she was her own independent woman who could make her own decisions and work with whomever she pleased.
The fight escalated until Mike shouted, “If you’re so independent why don’t you just break up with me!”
It was the first time Mike had raised his voice to her, and Tina didn’t think before she fired back, “Maybe I will!”
The two stood in stunned silence before Mike asked hesitantly, “Is that what you really want?”
“I don’t know,” was all Tina could say.
//
Tina wasn’t lock-yourself-in-your-room-with-a-tub-of-ice-cream devastated, but the breakup still hurt. She was sad that they weren’t together anymore, but she also felt oddly freed by it as well. Mercedes and Rachel did their best to be supportive.
“I can go kick him in the shins,” Mercedes offered.
“Or I could present an organized flow chart on the merits of dating you,” Rachel proposed. “Or not,” she said when she was given looks of disbelief.
“I’m fine, really,” Tina said. “I need a couple days to mope. That’s it.”
Tina honestly did believe she would be fine.
When she walked into the dance room that afternoon, Brittany swept her up into a strong hug that lifted her a little in air.
“I’m sorry. It’s okay to be sad,” was all that Brittany whispered.
Tina broke down, unaware until that very moment that she needed the hug that triggered her release. She was a little embarrassed when she finally pulled away and wiped her eyes. Apparently she had been a little crushed by losing Mike.
“We’re going to get some ice cream and then go to my house to watch movies,” Brittany said.
“What about practice?” Tina asked.
“You’re more important,” Brittany said, and Tina’s heart swelled. “Make sure you get something chocolate. It has something in it that makes your heart happy.”
“Caffeine?” Tina half laughed.
“No, that’s not it,” Brittany shook her head. “Trust me there’s something in it that makes it better.”
“Alright, chocolate ice cream and movies it is. Something girly, right?” Tina said the heaviness in her chest already a little lighter.
“Of course,” Brittany said taking Tina’s hand.
Brittany insisted on paying for Tina’s ice cream and snuggling with her on the couch.
While Tina tried to protest, she was glad she gave in on both accounts. The length of Brittany’s body pressed against her was surprisingly comforting.
Maybe breaking up wasn’t so bad when you had a friend like Brittany to cheer you up.
//
Rachel and Quinn finished their routine to “Choreography” from White Christmas. The song choice was little unoriginal, but it was clear the two had put in the most work of any of the other teams so far.
“Don’t worry, we’ll beat them. Artie likes us better,” Brittany whispered to Tina as they took their spots as the last ones to go.
When Brittany gave her shoulder a tight squeeze, Tina felt all the anxiety drain away, and then it was only them and music.
Just like Brittany had assured her, Tina’s muscles knew what to do from the hours of practice. After Brittany did her aerial over Tina’s crouched form she heard the room erupt with shouts and whoops.
The entire club was on their feet at the conclusion, cheering and whistling. It had been no contest. Tina felt giddy with adrenaline as Brittany swooped her up and twirled her around.
“We did it!” Brittany said as she continued to spin them.
“We did,” Tina said. The flip-flop of her stomach causing her to miss the glares from Mike and Santana.
//
Tina picked Brittany up for their Breadsticks dinner, only to wish she had dressed a little nicer.
She looked fine in a her typical black skirt and top with distressed sleeves, but Brittany looked fabulous in a formfitting green strapless dress and pink jacket.
“Y-you look great,” Tina tried not to dwell on why her stutter only reappeared with Brittany.
“Thanks. It’s because it shows off my legs,” Brittany said, and Tina could not disagree, appreciating the sight before her.
“You look nice too,” Brittany said. “I like the pink eyeshadow. You don’t do that a lot.”
“Thanks,” Tina said shyly.
Tina had wanted to match the little pink that was in her shirt. But she never expected Brittany to notice. Artie and Mike had never said anything about when she did little things like that.
Dinner was pleasantly easy. Tina had finally gotten used to Brittany’s non sequiturs, and when she should laugh or not.
“Don’t order that. Angels like to keep their hair.” Not laughter appropriate.
“Why are they called snowbirds if they leave when it snows? Shouldn’t they be called no-snowbirds?” Perfectly acceptable to laugh, as long as you don’t choke on your drink.
Everything was light and fun, until surprisingly Brittany changed topics.
“Do you think you and Mike will ever get back together?” Brittany asked.
“I don’t know,” Tina said and paused to think. “I care for him very much, but there were times that he didn’t give me the space I wanted. He was sweet, although a bit unimaginative when it came to romance.”
Brittany frowned, “Santana used to be sweet.”
“Oh, Brittany,” Tina reached across the table and took Brittany’s hand in hers. “Santana’s a moron if she doesn’t want to be with you. Trust me.”
“I feel like I lost my best friend because she’s stubborn,” Brittany said. “I can’t make it better. I tried.”
Brittany looked to be on the verge of tears, and it hurt Tina to see.
“Look, it’s not your fault. And you can’t wait around for her forever. You never know who you’re going to miss while you wait,” Tina said.
“But what if she’s the best one for me?” Brittany said.
“Maybe she is. Maybe she isn’t. We all knows she loves you, but you have to ask yourself if that’s enough,” Tina said.
“My mom says only crazy people talk to themselves,” Brittany said.
“Just ask it in your head,” Tina said.
The check was brought while the two sat in silence, Tina never letting go of Brittany’s hand while the other girl thought.
Despite the more serious end to the meal, Tina wished it had been a real date. She hadn’t enjoyed herself that much in while, and she didn’t want the evening to end.
Once Brittany’s face cleared, Tina stood from the table and held out her hand. “Let’s go get some ice cream. My treat.”
“I love ice cream,” Brittany said and interlaced their fingers.
It was a warm Ohio evening, but Tina still got chills as they sat on the bench outside eating.
Brittany, without prompting, removed her jacked and placed it around Tina’s shoulders.
The scent that was so distinctly Brittany permeated Tina’s senses, and she let out a happy sigh.
“You know someone told me that chocolate makes your heart happy,” Tina gestured to the obscenely large chocolate ice cream cone Brittany was eating. “How’s your heart?”
“It's happy,” Brittany sing-songed before she rested her head on Tina’s shoulder.
“Good. Mine is too,” Tina said leaning her head on top of Brittany’s.
Tina hoped next time she could make Brittany’s heart happy without chocolate.
//
They were watching Disney movies one afternoon a couple weeks later when Tina decided to finally go for it.
She had admitted to herself her growing attraction for Brittany during their Breadsticks dinner. It was time to let Brittany know. Plus, reclining on the couch meant that Tina didn’t have to worry about Brittany’s height advantage when it came to kissing.
Unsure of exactly what to do, Tina gathered her courage and pulled Brittany to her for a firm but chaste kiss before hastily drawing back.
“That wasn’t a good job kiss,” Brittany’s brow furrowed in the confused expression Tina had come to adore.
“No, it was a ‘I want to kiss you’ kiss,” Tina said and leaned in for a second one, this time intense and full of passion.
It was long before Brittany’s tongue probed along Tina’s lips teasing them open before slipping into her mouth. Tina was surprised at the involuntary moan that sprang from the back of her throat.
She had to back away again when she realized oxygen would be needed to continue.
“I told you I was a good kisser,” Brittany said. Coming from anyone else it would have been cocky, but with her it was sweet.
“I never said you weren’t,” Tina said, ducking her head as heat rose to cheeks.
“I’m good at other stuff too,” Brittany whispered against her lips.
“I’m sure you are,” Tina panted, “But can it just be kissing tonight? I want the… other stuff to be special.”
Tina dove back in towards Brittany’s lips, but the other girl moved away.
“You want there to be feelings?” Brittany sounded hopeful.
“Yes,” Tina said, softly grasping Brittany’s hands. “I may be a bit confused, but I want to see where this goes.”
“We’re going somewhere?” Brittany looked around the room.
“No, I want to be right here with you… and all your feelings,” Tina said.
“That’s good. That’s where I want to be too,” Brittany said.
Rating: PG
Length: 3,500ish
Pairing: Tina/Brittany
Summary: Tina agrees to be partners with Brittany for glee and finds more than she expects.
Author's Note: Written for the second glee_rare_pairs exchange.
“Choreography!” Mr. Schuester announced as he underlined the word on the whiteboard.
Everyone in the room collectively groaned a little.
Tina did her best to remain optimistic, but the only thing worse than Mr. Schue’s array of current dance moves was his propensity to rap.
Mike would not be pleased to hear about the assignment when he got over his cold.
“Please tell me I have not returned to New Directions only to be subjected to this torture. I will gladly give up whatever solo I have coming my way as long we don’t have spend a week fulfilling that man’s painful choreography,” Kurt leaned over and whispered.
“Same here,” Mercedes said.
Tina nodded in agreement, although she never had any solos to give up anyway.
“Our strength lies in our superior vocal talent and more recently, our songwriting abilities. To take nationals, we need to focus on our weaknesses. So in the vein of our duet competitions, I want you to pair up and devise a dance routine that you can teach to the group,” Mr. Schue said with excitement.
It sounded like a better idea than what she anticipated, but Tina wondered if her teacher had considered how the competition would make Artie feel. He was still stinging from his breakup with Brittany a couple weeks ago, and a dance contest seemed like adding insult to injury. He may have been an awful boyfriend, but Tina didn’t want anyone feeling like the outcast, especially in glee.
“Mr. Schue…” Tina was cut off when the teacher explained the rules.
“Just like the duets, the winners get dinner at Breadsticks,” Mr. Schue said.
Santana exchanged high fives with Sam and Puck.
“Unlike our duets competition though, you will not vote on each other. Instead Artie has agreed to judge with me and Mrs. Pillsbury. You’ll have two weeks, and may the best team win,” Mr. Schue said.
Mercedes and Kurt quickly paired off and started debating the merits of a more traditional routine over a modern one.
Tina laughed lightly at the duo while she took out her phone to see if her mom could pick her up early. With Mike sick at home, she didn’t have much to do for the rest of the club. Or maybe she could hang out with Artie? Singling the boy out was probably not Mr. Schue’s most effective attempt at compassion.
While she was debating what to do, Tina was startled by Brittany standing directly in front of her.
“You’re going to partner with Mike aren’t you,” Brittany said, and Tina nodded slightly. “Don’t. Dance with me. I’m better.”
Tina thought momentarily that she should protest - maybe be a little offended on Mike’s behalf. He was her boyfriend after all and a really good dancer.
But Brittany looked at her so expectantly that she found herself asking, “W-Why me?”
She wasn’t sure why the fake stutter had decided then to make an appearance.
“Artie talked about you a lot when we were dating, and it was all really nice stuff,” Brittany said.
“Artie did lie about things like the comb, but he wouldn’t lie about that.”
Tina watched as Brittany took a glance around the room. Everyone else had found a partner except Finn.
Rachel and Quinn had formed some kind of alliance of scary. Santana was with Sam looking sullen. Puck was fawning over Lauren.
“Santana’s still mad at you, isn’t she,” Tina asked.
Brittany gave a tiny frown and a nod, which was all Tina needed to make up her mind. No way she was going to make Brittany dance with Finn.
“I would love to be your partner,” Tina said, the way Brittany’s face brightened well worth whatever grumbling she would get from Mike for saddling him with Finn.
//
Tina was excited for their first real practice. They had talked over some options in glee club - no Broadway or traditional partner dancing like ballroom, but pretty much everything else was up for grabs.
“What do you want to do?” Brittany asked, stretching her right leg up into a position Tina could only dream of mimicking.
“I was thinking we could do whatever you wanted since you’re the dancer,” Tina said.
“You’re a dancer too. You dance,” Brittany said.
Tina knew Brittany was just drawing the simple conclusion, but the way it sounded like a declaration made Tina feel better about her own abilities.
“How about we do a hip-hop routine? We don’t do that a lot, and you’re really good at it,” Tina suggested.
“Yeah, I am pretty awesome,” Brittany said. “And you were good at Single Ladies and Can’t Touch This. We’re definitely going to win.”
Tina laughed at Brittany’s faith in the two of them. She deferred to Brittany for song selection, and was mesmerized when Brittany, on the first run-through, was able to put together a cohesive routine. It reminded Tina of Mike how the dance seemed to flow out of Brittany - like the music simply unlocked steps that had been waiting to escape.
But unlike Mike, whose movements were always smooth and fluid, Brittany had taken the opportunity to showcase sharp crisp moves. She hit the beats perfectly, and although her musicality was different the Mike’s, it was beautiful all the same.
//
Practices were always hilarious in Tina’s opinion.
The first time Brittany asked her to mirror her moves Tina thought she wanted it to literally look like a mirror. She did the moves opposite of Brittany until she was stopped.
“Why are you doing that? You’re supposed to look the same as me,” Brittany said.
“Oh, so you want me to shadow you! Sorry I got confused,” Tina said.
“No, you can’t be my shadow,” Brittany shook her head. “The glee club won’t be able to see you if you’re behind me. I’m taller than you.”
And there were all the adorable metaphors Brittany used for the moves.
It’s like a when you microwave pizza rolls too long and they explode when she explained chest pops.
How Kurt looks when he doesn’t like something to help straighten up her back in some moves.
Or like Puck when he’s falling asleep in history when she needed to loosen up.
The strange thing was, all the metaphors made sense. And eventually Tina even contributed some ideas of her own.
“We should use some of your tricks. Like the flip thing you can do,” Tina suggested inverting her index and middle fingers to explain.
“An aerial would be perfect! We could have you crouch down, and I could do it over you back,” Brittany jumped at the idea.
Although Tina was a little nervous at getting kicked in the head, they put the move in anyway.
It wasn’t long before she realized that she had nothing to worry about. Brittany would never hurt her, unintentionally or otherwise.
//
“Ugh, I can’t get it,” Tina stopped mid-dance yet again. Rehearsals had been going well for the most part, but something about the moves that day just wouldn’t connect.
“Sorry for making it too hard,” Brittany said.
“It’s not your fault,” Tina said quickly. She couldn’t bear the discouraged look on Brittany’s face. “I should be able to get it. It’s just getting confused in my head.”
Tina looked up to see Brittany’s eyebrows pinched together in thought. It was endearing how committed the other girl was to teaching Tina the routine.
“Um, sometimes when I couldn’t understand math, San would make the problem lots of small pieces. Maybe if we do the steps in small pieces it will be easier,” Brittany said her voice racing some at the end.
“Alright, I think I can do that,” Tina said Brittany’s enthusiasm motivating her.
Brittany’s was patient with Tina, working the steps into even smaller groups when they still proved to be too complicated. She never seemed bothered by Tina’s mistakes.
“Let’s to it all together,” Brittany finally said.
“I’m not sure,” Tina said hesitantly. She had hoped they would wait until tomorrow to put the routine together so she could put in some extra practice. She didn’t want to disappoint Brittany again.
“Look, I’m awesome so you’ll be awesome,” Brittany said. “You’re a dancer.”
“I’m a dancer,” Tina repeated under her breath, her muscles tense in anticipation.
Tina felt a rush of elation when the song ended, and she had completed the moves without a single misstep. She smiled as she heard Brittany clapping and squealing over her own labored breathing.
And suddenly in the next moment Brittany’s arms were snaked around her waist and their lips were pressed together.
Tina didn’t have time to register what was happening until Brittany pulled away. Now she couldn’t catch her breath for an entirely different reason.
Brittany, completely oblivious to Tina’s reaction, had gone to restart the music.
“Woah, what was that?” Tina stopped Brittany before she could hit play.
“Dancing,” Brittany might was well have said the unspoken duh.
“No… no, after that,” Tina clarified.
“Kissing?” Brittany said like she’d been asked a trick question.
Tina should have been amused at having Brittany question her intelligence, but she was too confused to see the humor.
Brittany must have noticed her discomfort because she asked gently, “Did you not like it? I’m a good kisser. We could try again.”
“No, you were good,” Tina said, realizing she wasn’t just saying it to get Brittany to back off. She would have described the kiss as great even. It was soft and sweet, but there was passion behind it.
“I can’t because I’m with Mike,” Tina explained and hoped she didn’t hurt Brittany’s feelings.
Brittany’s brow furrowed like Tina’s reason wasn’t good enough, but she nodded solemnly anyway. “Okay,” she shrugged.
Tina wasn’t sure if Brittany truly was okay or not. The girl was so hard to read sometimes.
“But we can still dance,” Tina said desperately wanting to get back on track.
It must be the right thing to say because Brittany’s face brightened, and she started up the music once again.
“No good job kiss this time if you get it right,” Brittany said, and soon was showing Tina a whole new set of complicated moves.
//
That night when Tina was in bed, her thoughts kept returning to her kiss with Brittany.
It shouldn’t have been a big deal. Brittany kissed everyone. It wasn’t as though her friend was declaring some deep seeded feelings. It was only a good job kiss as Brittany had explained.
But if the kiss meant nothing, why did Tina keep dwelling on it?
Tina had kissed girls before. Back when she started her rebellious faze in middle school she dressed in all black, stayed out late, and kissed a few girls. The fashion choices stuck, but everything else didn’t. Tina found she was definitely more of a goody-two-shoes who happened to like kissing guys.
But she had to admit, kissing Brittany was not like kissing other girls. First, Brittany was a really good kisser and second… her brain was having a hard time moving past the first.
Did she even like Brittany like that?
When Tina thought about it, she realized many of the things that attracted her to Mike could easily be seen in Brittany.
They were both sweet, go with the flow kind of people. Sure, Brittany could throw a mean comment in here and there but with no malicious intent. And Mike was the more academic of the two, but they both were endearingly hesitant when it came to things outside their expertise. And they both had fabulous abs.
Tina didn’t know if she was willing to admit that she was attracted to Brittany, but it didn’t matter because she was with Mike and she was happy with him.
At least she thought she was.
//
Tina was still confused how things could have ended so quickly with Mike.
It was weird, because she didn’t even know who had broken up with whom. It was so unexpected.
Mike had been complaining about all the time she spent with Brittany, and how she should have chosen him in the first place for the competition. Tina had fired back that she was her own independent woman who could make her own decisions and work with whomever she pleased.
The fight escalated until Mike shouted, “If you’re so independent why don’t you just break up with me!”
It was the first time Mike had raised his voice to her, and Tina didn’t think before she fired back, “Maybe I will!”
The two stood in stunned silence before Mike asked hesitantly, “Is that what you really want?”
“I don’t know,” was all Tina could say.
//
Tina wasn’t lock-yourself-in-your-room-with-a-tub-of-ice-cream devastated, but the breakup still hurt. She was sad that they weren’t together anymore, but she also felt oddly freed by it as well. Mercedes and Rachel did their best to be supportive.
“I can go kick him in the shins,” Mercedes offered.
“Or I could present an organized flow chart on the merits of dating you,” Rachel proposed. “Or not,” she said when she was given looks of disbelief.
“I’m fine, really,” Tina said. “I need a couple days to mope. That’s it.”
Tina honestly did believe she would be fine.
When she walked into the dance room that afternoon, Brittany swept her up into a strong hug that lifted her a little in air.
“I’m sorry. It’s okay to be sad,” was all that Brittany whispered.
Tina broke down, unaware until that very moment that she needed the hug that triggered her release. She was a little embarrassed when she finally pulled away and wiped her eyes. Apparently she had been a little crushed by losing Mike.
“We’re going to get some ice cream and then go to my house to watch movies,” Brittany said.
“What about practice?” Tina asked.
“You’re more important,” Brittany said, and Tina’s heart swelled. “Make sure you get something chocolate. It has something in it that makes your heart happy.”
“Caffeine?” Tina half laughed.
“No, that’s not it,” Brittany shook her head. “Trust me there’s something in it that makes it better.”
“Alright, chocolate ice cream and movies it is. Something girly, right?” Tina said the heaviness in her chest already a little lighter.
“Of course,” Brittany said taking Tina’s hand.
Brittany insisted on paying for Tina’s ice cream and snuggling with her on the couch.
While Tina tried to protest, she was glad she gave in on both accounts. The length of Brittany’s body pressed against her was surprisingly comforting.
Maybe breaking up wasn’t so bad when you had a friend like Brittany to cheer you up.
//
Rachel and Quinn finished their routine to “Choreography” from White Christmas. The song choice was little unoriginal, but it was clear the two had put in the most work of any of the other teams so far.
“Don’t worry, we’ll beat them. Artie likes us better,” Brittany whispered to Tina as they took their spots as the last ones to go.
When Brittany gave her shoulder a tight squeeze, Tina felt all the anxiety drain away, and then it was only them and music.
Just like Brittany had assured her, Tina’s muscles knew what to do from the hours of practice. After Brittany did her aerial over Tina’s crouched form she heard the room erupt with shouts and whoops.
The entire club was on their feet at the conclusion, cheering and whistling. It had been no contest. Tina felt giddy with adrenaline as Brittany swooped her up and twirled her around.
“We did it!” Brittany said as she continued to spin them.
“We did,” Tina said. The flip-flop of her stomach causing her to miss the glares from Mike and Santana.
//
Tina picked Brittany up for their Breadsticks dinner, only to wish she had dressed a little nicer.
She looked fine in a her typical black skirt and top with distressed sleeves, but Brittany looked fabulous in a formfitting green strapless dress and pink jacket.
“Y-you look great,” Tina tried not to dwell on why her stutter only reappeared with Brittany.
“Thanks. It’s because it shows off my legs,” Brittany said, and Tina could not disagree, appreciating the sight before her.
“You look nice too,” Brittany said. “I like the pink eyeshadow. You don’t do that a lot.”
“Thanks,” Tina said shyly.
Tina had wanted to match the little pink that was in her shirt. But she never expected Brittany to notice. Artie and Mike had never said anything about when she did little things like that.
Dinner was pleasantly easy. Tina had finally gotten used to Brittany’s non sequiturs, and when she should laugh or not.
“Don’t order that. Angels like to keep their hair.” Not laughter appropriate.
“Why are they called snowbirds if they leave when it snows? Shouldn’t they be called no-snowbirds?” Perfectly acceptable to laugh, as long as you don’t choke on your drink.
Everything was light and fun, until surprisingly Brittany changed topics.
“Do you think you and Mike will ever get back together?” Brittany asked.
“I don’t know,” Tina said and paused to think. “I care for him very much, but there were times that he didn’t give me the space I wanted. He was sweet, although a bit unimaginative when it came to romance.”
Brittany frowned, “Santana used to be sweet.”
“Oh, Brittany,” Tina reached across the table and took Brittany’s hand in hers. “Santana’s a moron if she doesn’t want to be with you. Trust me.”
“I feel like I lost my best friend because she’s stubborn,” Brittany said. “I can’t make it better. I tried.”
Brittany looked to be on the verge of tears, and it hurt Tina to see.
“Look, it’s not your fault. And you can’t wait around for her forever. You never know who you’re going to miss while you wait,” Tina said.
“But what if she’s the best one for me?” Brittany said.
“Maybe she is. Maybe she isn’t. We all knows she loves you, but you have to ask yourself if that’s enough,” Tina said.
“My mom says only crazy people talk to themselves,” Brittany said.
“Just ask it in your head,” Tina said.
The check was brought while the two sat in silence, Tina never letting go of Brittany’s hand while the other girl thought.
Despite the more serious end to the meal, Tina wished it had been a real date. She hadn’t enjoyed herself that much in while, and she didn’t want the evening to end.
Once Brittany’s face cleared, Tina stood from the table and held out her hand. “Let’s go get some ice cream. My treat.”
“I love ice cream,” Brittany said and interlaced their fingers.
It was a warm Ohio evening, but Tina still got chills as they sat on the bench outside eating.
Brittany, without prompting, removed her jacked and placed it around Tina’s shoulders.
The scent that was so distinctly Brittany permeated Tina’s senses, and she let out a happy sigh.
“You know someone told me that chocolate makes your heart happy,” Tina gestured to the obscenely large chocolate ice cream cone Brittany was eating. “How’s your heart?”
“It's happy,” Brittany sing-songed before she rested her head on Tina’s shoulder.
“Good. Mine is too,” Tina said leaning her head on top of Brittany’s.
Tina hoped next time she could make Brittany’s heart happy without chocolate.
//
They were watching Disney movies one afternoon a couple weeks later when Tina decided to finally go for it.
She had admitted to herself her growing attraction for Brittany during their Breadsticks dinner. It was time to let Brittany know. Plus, reclining on the couch meant that Tina didn’t have to worry about Brittany’s height advantage when it came to kissing.
Unsure of exactly what to do, Tina gathered her courage and pulled Brittany to her for a firm but chaste kiss before hastily drawing back.
“That wasn’t a good job kiss,” Brittany’s brow furrowed in the confused expression Tina had come to adore.
“No, it was a ‘I want to kiss you’ kiss,” Tina said and leaned in for a second one, this time intense and full of passion.
It was long before Brittany’s tongue probed along Tina’s lips teasing them open before slipping into her mouth. Tina was surprised at the involuntary moan that sprang from the back of her throat.
She had to back away again when she realized oxygen would be needed to continue.
“I told you I was a good kisser,” Brittany said. Coming from anyone else it would have been cocky, but with her it was sweet.
“I never said you weren’t,” Tina said, ducking her head as heat rose to cheeks.
“I’m good at other stuff too,” Brittany whispered against her lips.
“I’m sure you are,” Tina panted, “But can it just be kissing tonight? I want the… other stuff to be special.”
Tina dove back in towards Brittany’s lips, but the other girl moved away.
“You want there to be feelings?” Brittany sounded hopeful.
“Yes,” Tina said, softly grasping Brittany’s hands. “I may be a bit confused, but I want to see where this goes.”
“We’re going somewhere?” Brittany looked around the room.
“No, I want to be right here with you… and all your feelings,” Tina said.
“That’s good. That’s where I want to be too,” Brittany said.