I'll Be There for You -- Glee: Quinn/Santana -- Chapter 3/8
Title: I'll Be There For You
Chapter: 3/8
Author: perfectly_vague
Rating: R (language, adult themes)
Disclaimer: I own zero rights to Glee.
Summary: Quinn's had it with Santana being a different person out in the world than she is behind closed doors. Same sucky summary... same request that you don't let it deter you! :p This is the result of one of the iTunes shuffle drabbles I posted not long ago. As always, any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated! Enjoy!
For as long as she could remember, Santana always hated change.
Change is what took her big brother, and hero, away to college when she was 11 and never to visit again after a falling out with Mr. and Mrs. Lopez. For awhile, every time the phone would ring or an unexpected car would pull into the driveway, Santana would be on the balls of her feet, sprinting across the house only to be sorely disappointed. From that point on, any time the relationship between she and anyone in her life altered in the slightest, she panicked at the prospective changes to come.
These days it seemed like change was all she knew. It suffocated once-breathable air and lined her taste buds with bitterness. There was simply no escaping the crippling pain of broken routines and the staggering differences that instead took their place. Warm, inviting looks were exchanged for quick glances away, or even worse - an arched-eyebrow look from Quinn that silently asked, “Why are you staring at me?” Brushes against each other in the rush of the morning that at one time would have turned into an embrace or a kiss instead turned into cold and awkward mishaps, followed up by a sullen, mumbled apology. A small cabinet off to the far left now housed Quinn’s just-enough-to-get-by groceries, still in plastic bags, rather than the communal shelves constantly stocked with both of their favorites. The hardest difference to come to terms with, however, felt like falling face first from a cliff, the breath being ripped from her lungs and tied around her neck. Every time she arrived home from work, seeing Quinn on the couch with her knees drawn to her chest under the one throw blanket she personally owned, the distress and discomfort apparent in her features, hurt. Like absolute fucking hell.
But before she could delude herself into thinking things could not possibly get any worse, a glance at her cell phone for the first time all day illuminated a truth as much as it did the backlight: it was the day before Valentine's Day.
February 14th had always been perhaps the biggest event in Quinn and Santana's year as a couple, as it was Quinn's, and in time, Santana's favorite holiday. Ever since elementary school, she recalled the blonde going all out for the occasion with homemade cards and cupcakes for everyone in their class balanced on a petite, cheerful hip. Santana, however, always had a more cynical approach to the day, whether single or taken. She wasn't a fan of expressing herself on any given day, so this candy-coated, pink-hued day seemed way over the top. Not to mention that for years, she never quite got to spend it with who she wanted.
Freshman year at McKinley had Quinn and Santana walking extra tall, hips swaying to the same rhythm of bouncing ponytails. They may have made the cut for Cheerios for the 2nd semester in a row, but that didn't mean they could just slack off, especially since they were striving for the top.
Because of this, and other pressures to move up the social ladder, Valentine's Day became less of a celebration for Quinn. Gone were the baked goods for all, the pink ensemble, and the overt enthusiasm, but even so, she did come prepared with a small shoulder bag, just big enough to fit the construction paper valentines and conversation hearts reserved for those she deemed close friends.
As Santana methodically spun her locker combination into the dial, out of the corner of her eye she spooted Quinn digging through the mystery bag she had yet to open.
"Before I forget..." she began before handing over the correct card and candy, "Happy Valentine's Day!"
In contrast to Quinn's smile, Santana emitted her signature eye roll and groan. "Ugh, you and this holiday!"
"Ugh, you and this attitude!" Quinn mocked with a laugh. "What could you possibly have against 'this holiday'?"
"Apart from the fact that it's totally gay?" Santana paused, not missing the unimpressed raised eyebrow from her taller counterpart. "I just don't see the point. I mean, shouldn't you just tell the people you love that you love them every day instead of being expected to go to all these cliche lengths to show them?"
"Well, yeah, but you could say that for just about any holiday. What about Thanksgiving? Shouldn't we be thankful for who and what we have every day? Yes, but it's nice to have a day to focus on just that. Same thing with Veteran's Day, Labor Day, even birthdays. It's not an excuse to not care and love and be grateful every other day, but it's a day to especially focus on the love in your life." Upon Santana's silence, Quinn continued. "And you personally don't have to go all out if you don't want to, but you are someone in my life who I love, so like it or not, you're getting a valentine!"
Even though Quinn was being a little more goofy than sentimental, the word "love" washed over the Latina's entire body, commanding a smile onto her lips as she locked eyes with Quinn.
Before either of them could speak another word, Quinn's senior puck-head boyfriend Garth came barreling down the hallway in his true ape-like fashion, knocking into Quinn by throwing an overbearing arm.
"Hey, sexy valentine," he leered as usual, all but pinning the blonde against the locker next to Santana's. Before she knew it, the tan-skinned girl found herself taking slow, deep breaths, more than ever suppressing the urge to knock Garth's teeth out. She didn't know what her best friend could possibly see in him. Sure, she knew how important it was to cultivate popularity, but this arrogant-for-no-reason loser wasn't even remotely worth it, especially since Quinn could rightfully have anyone.
"Hey!" Quinn beamed at her boyfriend, twisting Santana's stomach into knots, "Happy Valentine's Day! These are for you," she said modestly, handing the ogre a card, candy, and a thin velvet case that Santana knew to house a silver chain that the blonde had spent a good amount of money and thought on.
Without examining any of the gifts up close, he stuffed them in his backpack and pulled out an unwrapped, tag-still-on, matted from his bag stuffed monkey with a heart across its chest that read 'I'm Bananas 4 U'. Santana didn't even try to disguise her amusement, which earned her a scowl from the meat head before he turned his attention back to Quinn, "And this is for you."
Santana swore she saw a fleeting look of disappointment behind Quinn's olive-colored eyes, but her face quickly broke into a smile as she looked back up at Garth. "Aww, I love it! Thank you!"
Garth smiled proudly, clearly internally congratulating himself for his dopey gift. "So, are we still on for tonight?"
"Of course," the blonde grinned, leaning up into the sloppy kiss that Garth pressed against her mouth before he retreated down the hallway with his buddies.
Santana slammed her locker door shut. She was back to hating this stupid holiday once again.
Of course, even though her 15 year old mind couldn't comprehend it at the time, things did improve over the years, including later that very day when Quinn and Garth broke up after he kept insisting that his real gift to Quinn should be the "pleasure" of sleeping with him. Lucky for Santana, Quinn and Finn broke up before turning her and everyone else's stomach the following Valentine's Day (and she took it upon herself to distract Puck from making an equally lame gesture as Garth had the year before). The year after that, it was finally their turn, and while Santana was still working her way up to being comfortable with even private displays of her affection, Quinn quickly turned her into a believer when she chose that day to tell her she loved her -- and made love to her -- for the first time. Ever since, Santana's views changed from cynical and indifferent to, shockingly, excited and optimistic.
Although this year, she feared things might be painfully coming full circle.
As she continued to drive by billboards, electric marquees, and street vendors that all reinforced the upcoming holiday, it occurred to Santana that instead of letting Valentine's Day defeat her, it might be an opportunity to do some good and maybe turn things around. She knew more than anyone what the occasion, and specifically the sentiment behind it, meant to Quinn, and that as hardened as her heart might have been lately, she couldn't resist some genuine romance on her favorite day of the year. Her recent and still-in-tact Christmas bonus made the practically endless possibilities even more endless as she pondered several ways to converge all of her former girlfriend's favorites, and weaknesses, as quickly as possible by the next evening.
While the elevator was slowly climbing floors, she rehearsed casual ways to find out what Quinn's work schedule was like the next day, without giving away any of her potential plans. If she was lucky, Quinn would be working one of her usual early shifts and be done by 5 or 6 PM, in which case Santana would pull every string possible to be leaving work by 7:00 herself.
Santana loudly bustled through the front door, hoping to catch Quinn's attention, but as soon as she stepped through the door, she heard an unfamiliar female voice talking over mid-volume music. As the door shut behind her, two pairs of eyes fell on her from the living room couch -- Quinn's and another woman, one whom she had seen before. Two nearly-empty wine glasses sat on the coffee table in front of them, along with the bottle itself, and their arms-length distance away from each other was still far too close as far as Santana, whose skin suddenly felt hot to the touch, was concerned.
To break the brief awkward silence, Quinn politely acknowledged Santana as she hung up her blazer and walked tentatively into the room. "Hey," she said with a soft smile, "Santana, you remember my co-worker, Becca?"
Santana did remember Becca, who she had met upon her first (and only) visit to Quinn's workplace about a month after she began working there. The blonde had fallen under the weather, but was reluctant to take a sick day so close to being hired, so Santana surprised her on her lunch break with soup and tea from Quinn's favorite cafe. Immediately, she honed in on the woman sitting with her girlfriend, and she certainly didn't miss how her piercing blue eyes that were so obviously enamored with Quinn, and the lovestruck smile that fell from her face when she herself was introduced. When Quinn left to use the bathroom, Becca confirmed her interest in her co-worker by asking how long she and Santana had been together, if they lived together, and stating the obvious by telling Santana she was "very lucky." Annoyed, but not wanting to cause problems for her girlfriend at work, Santana nodded and dryly informed Becca that she in fact knew how lucky she was. When Quinn's break was nearing an end, Santana ignored the warnings about not wanting to get her sick and deeply kissed the blonde with a smile before showing herself out.
Snapping back to reality, Santana tried to muster up a shred of composure once more. "I do," she answered shortly. "Hello."
"Hi, there," Becca replied with a grin.
While she wasn't a drop-dead stunner, Santana struggled to convince herself that Quinn could never be attracted to Becca. With shoulder-length black hair contrasting pale skin, she was clearly dressed to impress in an unbuttoned dress shirt with rolled up sleeves, a sweater vest, and a loose necktie. However, it was the subtly smug expression she wore that thrust Santana dangerously close to the edge of losing her cool, and this time she couldn't console herself with the comfort of Quinn being HER girl.
She stood there silently for a moment, contemplating asking a series of questions and in-turn feigning complete bullshit interest that she convinced herself would only make things worse. Clearing her throat, she excused herself. "I'm gonna go to bed. Good night." She considered telling Becca that it was nice to see her again, but she knew that she couldn't stop the sarcasm from dripping off her words.
With a slam of the bedroom door, Santana launched at the bed, wearing her fist relentlessly into one of her pillows and then screaming into it. Not only was Quinn moving on within weeks of their break up to some awkward crunchy, she was purposely trying to rub it in Santana's face -- the day before Valentine's Day, no less. They could have gotten together anywhere at any time, and of all the possibilities, Quinn brings her to their apartment, (to HER apartment, really), at night, for drinks.
It was always a running joke of sorts while they were together that for the most part, Quinn found Santana's protectiveness sexy, at times even provoking her so that she would react out of jealousy. Santana may have let that slide when they were a couple, but it wasn't cute or funny anymore. Quinn wanted to make her jealous? Two could play that game.
She reached for her phone, scrolling through her Contacts until her thumb passed over a cell number. After going straight to voicemail, she tried a second number until someone answered.
Santana cleared her throat. "Hi, Mrs. Pierce. I know it's a little late, but is Brittany home by any chance?"
Chapter: 3/8
Author: perfectly_vague
Rating: R (language, adult themes)
Disclaimer: I own zero rights to Glee.
Summary: Quinn's had it with Santana being a different person out in the world than she is behind closed doors. Same sucky summary... same request that you don't let it deter you! :p This is the result of one of the iTunes shuffle drabbles I posted not long ago. As always, any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated! Enjoy!
For as long as she could remember, Santana always hated change.
Change is what took her big brother, and hero, away to college when she was 11 and never to visit again after a falling out with Mr. and Mrs. Lopez. For awhile, every time the phone would ring or an unexpected car would pull into the driveway, Santana would be on the balls of her feet, sprinting across the house only to be sorely disappointed. From that point on, any time the relationship between she and anyone in her life altered in the slightest, she panicked at the prospective changes to come.
These days it seemed like change was all she knew. It suffocated once-breathable air and lined her taste buds with bitterness. There was simply no escaping the crippling pain of broken routines and the staggering differences that instead took their place. Warm, inviting looks were exchanged for quick glances away, or even worse - an arched-eyebrow look from Quinn that silently asked, “Why are you staring at me?” Brushes against each other in the rush of the morning that at one time would have turned into an embrace or a kiss instead turned into cold and awkward mishaps, followed up by a sullen, mumbled apology. A small cabinet off to the far left now housed Quinn’s just-enough-to-get-by groceries, still in plastic bags, rather than the communal shelves constantly stocked with both of their favorites. The hardest difference to come to terms with, however, felt like falling face first from a cliff, the breath being ripped from her lungs and tied around her neck. Every time she arrived home from work, seeing Quinn on the couch with her knees drawn to her chest under the one throw blanket she personally owned, the distress and discomfort apparent in her features, hurt. Like absolute fucking hell.
But before she could delude herself into thinking things could not possibly get any worse, a glance at her cell phone for the first time all day illuminated a truth as much as it did the backlight: it was the day before Valentine's Day.
February 14th had always been perhaps the biggest event in Quinn and Santana's year as a couple, as it was Quinn's, and in time, Santana's favorite holiday. Ever since elementary school, she recalled the blonde going all out for the occasion with homemade cards and cupcakes for everyone in their class balanced on a petite, cheerful hip. Santana, however, always had a more cynical approach to the day, whether single or taken. She wasn't a fan of expressing herself on any given day, so this candy-coated, pink-hued day seemed way over the top. Not to mention that for years, she never quite got to spend it with who she wanted.
Freshman year at McKinley had Quinn and Santana walking extra tall, hips swaying to the same rhythm of bouncing ponytails. They may have made the cut for Cheerios for the 2nd semester in a row, but that didn't mean they could just slack off, especially since they were striving for the top.
Because of this, and other pressures to move up the social ladder, Valentine's Day became less of a celebration for Quinn. Gone were the baked goods for all, the pink ensemble, and the overt enthusiasm, but even so, she did come prepared with a small shoulder bag, just big enough to fit the construction paper valentines and conversation hearts reserved for those she deemed close friends.
As Santana methodically spun her locker combination into the dial, out of the corner of her eye she spooted Quinn digging through the mystery bag she had yet to open.
"Before I forget..." she began before handing over the correct card and candy, "Happy Valentine's Day!"
In contrast to Quinn's smile, Santana emitted her signature eye roll and groan. "Ugh, you and this holiday!"
"Ugh, you and this attitude!" Quinn mocked with a laugh. "What could you possibly have against 'this holiday'?"
"Apart from the fact that it's totally gay?" Santana paused, not missing the unimpressed raised eyebrow from her taller counterpart. "I just don't see the point. I mean, shouldn't you just tell the people you love that you love them every day instead of being expected to go to all these cliche lengths to show them?"
"Well, yeah, but you could say that for just about any holiday. What about Thanksgiving? Shouldn't we be thankful for who and what we have every day? Yes, but it's nice to have a day to focus on just that. Same thing with Veteran's Day, Labor Day, even birthdays. It's not an excuse to not care and love and be grateful every other day, but it's a day to especially focus on the love in your life." Upon Santana's silence, Quinn continued. "And you personally don't have to go all out if you don't want to, but you are someone in my life who I love, so like it or not, you're getting a valentine!"
Even though Quinn was being a little more goofy than sentimental, the word "love" washed over the Latina's entire body, commanding a smile onto her lips as she locked eyes with Quinn.
Before either of them could speak another word, Quinn's senior puck-head boyfriend Garth came barreling down the hallway in his true ape-like fashion, knocking into Quinn by throwing an overbearing arm.
"Hey, sexy valentine," he leered as usual, all but pinning the blonde against the locker next to Santana's. Before she knew it, the tan-skinned girl found herself taking slow, deep breaths, more than ever suppressing the urge to knock Garth's teeth out. She didn't know what her best friend could possibly see in him. Sure, she knew how important it was to cultivate popularity, but this arrogant-for-no-reason loser wasn't even remotely worth it, especially since Quinn could rightfully have anyone.
"Hey!" Quinn beamed at her boyfriend, twisting Santana's stomach into knots, "Happy Valentine's Day! These are for you," she said modestly, handing the ogre a card, candy, and a thin velvet case that Santana knew to house a silver chain that the blonde had spent a good amount of money and thought on.
Without examining any of the gifts up close, he stuffed them in his backpack and pulled out an unwrapped, tag-still-on, matted from his bag stuffed monkey with a heart across its chest that read 'I'm Bananas 4 U'. Santana didn't even try to disguise her amusement, which earned her a scowl from the meat head before he turned his attention back to Quinn, "And this is for you."
Santana swore she saw a fleeting look of disappointment behind Quinn's olive-colored eyes, but her face quickly broke into a smile as she looked back up at Garth. "Aww, I love it! Thank you!"
Garth smiled proudly, clearly internally congratulating himself for his dopey gift. "So, are we still on for tonight?"
"Of course," the blonde grinned, leaning up into the sloppy kiss that Garth pressed against her mouth before he retreated down the hallway with his buddies.
Santana slammed her locker door shut. She was back to hating this stupid holiday once again.
Of course, even though her 15 year old mind couldn't comprehend it at the time, things did improve over the years, including later that very day when Quinn and Garth broke up after he kept insisting that his real gift to Quinn should be the "pleasure" of sleeping with him. Lucky for Santana, Quinn and Finn broke up before turning her and everyone else's stomach the following Valentine's Day (and she took it upon herself to distract Puck from making an equally lame gesture as Garth had the year before). The year after that, it was finally their turn, and while Santana was still working her way up to being comfortable with even private displays of her affection, Quinn quickly turned her into a believer when she chose that day to tell her she loved her -- and made love to her -- for the first time. Ever since, Santana's views changed from cynical and indifferent to, shockingly, excited and optimistic.
Although this year, she feared things might be painfully coming full circle.
As she continued to drive by billboards, electric marquees, and street vendors that all reinforced the upcoming holiday, it occurred to Santana that instead of letting Valentine's Day defeat her, it might be an opportunity to do some good and maybe turn things around. She knew more than anyone what the occasion, and specifically the sentiment behind it, meant to Quinn, and that as hardened as her heart might have been lately, she couldn't resist some genuine romance on her favorite day of the year. Her recent and still-in-tact Christmas bonus made the practically endless possibilities even more endless as she pondered several ways to converge all of her former girlfriend's favorites, and weaknesses, as quickly as possible by the next evening.
While the elevator was slowly climbing floors, she rehearsed casual ways to find out what Quinn's work schedule was like the next day, without giving away any of her potential plans. If she was lucky, Quinn would be working one of her usual early shifts and be done by 5 or 6 PM, in which case Santana would pull every string possible to be leaving work by 7:00 herself.
Santana loudly bustled through the front door, hoping to catch Quinn's attention, but as soon as she stepped through the door, she heard an unfamiliar female voice talking over mid-volume music. As the door shut behind her, two pairs of eyes fell on her from the living room couch -- Quinn's and another woman, one whom she had seen before. Two nearly-empty wine glasses sat on the coffee table in front of them, along with the bottle itself, and their arms-length distance away from each other was still far too close as far as Santana, whose skin suddenly felt hot to the touch, was concerned.
To break the brief awkward silence, Quinn politely acknowledged Santana as she hung up her blazer and walked tentatively into the room. "Hey," she said with a soft smile, "Santana, you remember my co-worker, Becca?"
Santana did remember Becca, who she had met upon her first (and only) visit to Quinn's workplace about a month after she began working there. The blonde had fallen under the weather, but was reluctant to take a sick day so close to being hired, so Santana surprised her on her lunch break with soup and tea from Quinn's favorite cafe. Immediately, she honed in on the woman sitting with her girlfriend, and she certainly didn't miss how her piercing blue eyes that were so obviously enamored with Quinn, and the lovestruck smile that fell from her face when she herself was introduced. When Quinn left to use the bathroom, Becca confirmed her interest in her co-worker by asking how long she and Santana had been together, if they lived together, and stating the obvious by telling Santana she was "very lucky." Annoyed, but not wanting to cause problems for her girlfriend at work, Santana nodded and dryly informed Becca that she in fact knew how lucky she was. When Quinn's break was nearing an end, Santana ignored the warnings about not wanting to get her sick and deeply kissed the blonde with a smile before showing herself out.
Snapping back to reality, Santana tried to muster up a shred of composure once more. "I do," she answered shortly. "Hello."
"Hi, there," Becca replied with a grin.
While she wasn't a drop-dead stunner, Santana struggled to convince herself that Quinn could never be attracted to Becca. With shoulder-length black hair contrasting pale skin, she was clearly dressed to impress in an unbuttoned dress shirt with rolled up sleeves, a sweater vest, and a loose necktie. However, it was the subtly smug expression she wore that thrust Santana dangerously close to the edge of losing her cool, and this time she couldn't console herself with the comfort of Quinn being HER girl.
She stood there silently for a moment, contemplating asking a series of questions and in-turn feigning complete bullshit interest that she convinced herself would only make things worse. Clearing her throat, she excused herself. "I'm gonna go to bed. Good night." She considered telling Becca that it was nice to see her again, but she knew that she couldn't stop the sarcasm from dripping off her words.
With a slam of the bedroom door, Santana launched at the bed, wearing her fist relentlessly into one of her pillows and then screaming into it. Not only was Quinn moving on within weeks of their break up to some awkward crunchy, she was purposely trying to rub it in Santana's face -- the day before Valentine's Day, no less. They could have gotten together anywhere at any time, and of all the possibilities, Quinn brings her to their apartment, (to HER apartment, really), at night, for drinks.
It was always a running joke of sorts while they were together that for the most part, Quinn found Santana's protectiveness sexy, at times even provoking her so that she would react out of jealousy. Santana may have let that slide when they were a couple, but it wasn't cute or funny anymore. Quinn wanted to make her jealous? Two could play that game.
She reached for her phone, scrolling through her Contacts until her thumb passed over a cell number. After going straight to voicemail, she tried a second number until someone answered.
Santana cleared her throat. "Hi, Mrs. Pierce. I know it's a little late, but is Brittany home by any chance?"