Just A Kiss
Title: Just A Kiss
Author: Race122VE (Coll)
Pairing: Rachel Berry/Santana Lopez
Rating: G
Summary: The mere suggestion of BreadstiX catering a Christmas party is enough to get Santana to go, even though it's at Rachel Berry's house.
Word Count: 2,092
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual.
Author's Note: For T.
The mere suggestion of BreadstiX catering a Christmas party is enough to get Santana to go, even though it's at Rachel Berry's house. She doesn't really understand why Rachel, who's Jewish last time she checked, is having a Christmas party, but she plans on parking herself near the food despite the fact that she's nearly turned around and gone home several times on the way over.
She'd just be sitting at home, alone, so she parks, walks up to Rachel's door and knocks repeatedly until someone answers. It's Finn who answers the door which is weird. Rachel and Finn's breakup was unexpected yet mutual and they've both decided to remain friends. Still, Santana would think that attending your ex-girlfriend's Christmas party would be hard, but Finn's all smiles and hugs as he welcomes her in.
He leads them down to Rachel's basement and it looks like Christmas threw up. There's a giant tree in the corner decorated beautifully with dozens of wrapped presents underneath. Sparkling lights line the walls and carols play in the background as Finn takes her coat and Rachel excuses herself from Sam and walks up to her.
"Santana! You made it!"
Rachel blindsides her and leans in for a hug that she has no choice but to return. "Yeah, you know…free food."
When Rachel pulls away she's still smiling. More than that, she's laughing at Santana as she loops her arm through her own and leads them through everyone at the party. "I knew that was going to be the only way to actually get you to come here, so that's why I specifically instructed my dads to order from BreadstiX."
"Right," she clears her throat and looks down at her arm, waiting for Rachel to break free and keeps going when her arm stays put. "Well…cool beans."
She walks them up to the table with the food. It's like a freaking buffet with trays of different pasta dishes from BreadstiX and Christmas mugs filled with the actual breadsticks right next to an assortment of Christmas cookies and other desserts. "Here we are!"
Santana nods, her eyes glued to the breadsticks as she reaches out and grabs one before bringing it up to her lips and munching on it. Rachel's still standing there with a big smile on her face as she watches her eat. Santana swallows and raises her eyebrows. "Are you going to just stand here the whole night, or…?"
"Sorry. I'm just…" she thinks for a moment before shrugging her shoulders, still grinning so hard her face might break. "Making sure you're accommodated."
"I'm great," she tells her, forcing a smile as she takes another bite of her breadstick. "So…thanks and…you can go be creepy somewhere else now."
Rachel's smile falls a little, but she just nods and backs away slowly before catching Mike's arm and pulling him over to the dance floor. Tina comes to collect him a few moments later and Rachel frowns before being beckoned over by Mercedes and Sugar.
She finishes her breadstick and catches a flash of blue eyes before groaning and turning her back to the party.
One hour. She decides she can last one hour before slipping out of this hell hole unnoticed and with a full stomach.
"She threw this party for you, you know."
It's been ten minutes and Santana's reaching for her third breadstick when Quinn's raspy voice comes from behind her. She plays dumb as she turns, leaning back against the table and shrugging her shoulders. "So?"
"So?" Quinn echoes, shaking her head with an amused expression on her face. "She's worried about you."
Santana arches an eyebrow in response and Quinn sighs. "The Troubletones losing, you being forced to come out, all the stuff with your grandmother, breaking up with Brittany-"
"We didn't break up…" she cuts in roughly, looking just behind Quinn's head to see Brittany laughing at something Puck said. "We just decided we'd be better as friends…"
"Whatever," Quinn says, softening as she takes a step closer. "You haven't had the greatest year and Rachel knew you'd shut everyone out over the holidays so…she wanted to throw you a party."
Her arms cross over her chest and her head cocks to the side as she nods at the rest of the group. "If this is my party, why is everyone laughing and having a good time over there away from me?"
Quinn motions to her. "Look at you. You're all defensive and scary and…I don't think anyone really knows what to say so…they're just here. For you."
She's about to say something back, but she's too tired and drops her arms to her sides. "I didn't ask for this."
"You didn't have to," Quinn tells her as she reaches around Santana and grabs a breadstick. "When you have good friends that care about you, you never have to ask for help."
Quinn snaps the breadstick in half and hands over half. Santana eyes it for a moment before taking it and lets a smile slip through her tough exterior. Quinn attempts to keep a straight face as she reaches forward and grabs her elbow. "Now let's go mingle. And be nice."
There's a retort on her tongue that she swallows as she allows Quinn to pull her over to Artie who's in the middle of a debate over the greatest Christmas movie with Mike (he says It's A Wonderful Life, Mike says Miracle On 34th Street) while Brittany and Tina talk behind them. Quinn says she likes It's A Wonderful Life and when they all look to Santana she tells them that A Christmas Story is the greatest Christmas movie of all time.
Santana ends up staying longer than an hour because the party ends up being kind if awesome. She mingles and she's nice and it has nothing to do with the fact that Quinn's keeping an eye on her the whole time.
After a lot of dancing and laughing and, yes, even some singing, everyone starts saying their goodbyes and trickles out. Quinn's the last one she says goodbye to and when she walks upstairs to leave it's just Santana and Rachel.
Her eyes widen a little and she points and turns towards the closet where her coat is. "I'm just going to…"
"Let me!"
Rachel jumps up and hurries past her. Santana shakes her head as she walks back, coat in hand. Santana reaches for it but Rachel takes a step back and hugs it close. "Did you have a good time?"
Santana nods slowly, stepping forward with her hand still in the air for her coat. "Yeah…it ended up being fun."
It looks like Rachel's breathing a sigh of relief as she laughs nervously and nods. "Good. I didn't want to say anything but…I kind of did this-"
"For me…I know," she finishes with a shrug. "Quinn spilled the beans."
Rachel gets a tiny twitch in her eye but shrugs it off. "It doesn't matter that she told you when I specifically asked her not to…" she takes a deep breath and smiles back up at her. "Anyway, I'm more than thrilled that you enjoyed yourself tonight, Santana."
She genuinely returns the smile and takes another step forward to get her coat. "Yeah, it was dope."
Her coat is still in Rachel's grasp and she doesn't show signs of releasing it. "Um…can I have my jacket, or…?"
"Only after I tell you that if you ever feel lonely over the break that you should call me," Rachel says, taking a step closer to her but still holding tight to her coat. "And, also, I think you should come over to my house on New Year's Ev-"
"No," Santana cuts in, narrowing her eyes as she, too, steps forward. "I have plans for New Year's and I don't need a pity invite."
"Well…can I ask what your plans are?"
Her arms cross over her chest as she looks her over, taking in a deep breath before answering, "My parents have a big party every year for all the other doctors at my dad's hospital and I steal a bottle of champagne from the caterers and hang out in my room with…"
The sentence drops off as they both realize who won't be hanging out with Santana this year. She clears her throat and shifts from one foot to the other. "If you wanted some company-"
"I don't," she says, a little too harshly. "I'll…I'll have plans. Now, can I have my coat back?"
She hesitates before handing the coat over. Santana takes it, but Rachel still holds on tight. Santana tries to yank it free, but ends up pulling Rachel closer. Their bodies collide and Rachel tilts her chin up just as Santana looks down, her lips pursed as she looks into Rachel's deep, brown eyes.
Rachel's eyes are beautiful and mesmerizing and she's not sure how long they're staring at each other before Rachel breaks their gaze and looks up at the ceiling. Her eyes flicker back down to Santana's then down to her mouth as she smiles slightly and says, "Mistletoe."
Her eyes widen and she looks up to see that there is, in fact, mistletoe hanging above them. "Let's just…ignore it."
"It's tradition," Rachel insists. "And it's just a kiss."
There's an argument on her lips, but when she looks back down Rachel's still staring at her lips and Santana can't help but do the same.
"Just a kiss," she repeats in a whisper, her fingers brushing against Rachel's as she pulls the coat and the girl closer again.
For once, Rachel doesn't say anything else and stands on her tip toes as she leans closer. Santana meets her half way, her eyes fluttering closed as their lips touch softly; so soft that it's almost as if they don't touch at all.
Yet she feels it everywhere. A warm, tingly sensation runs up and down her spine and spreads throughout her limbs as she leans her head back down and keeps their lips pressed together.
She lets go of her coat and rests her hand on Rachel's neck and doesn't even notice that the coat drops to the floor between them until Rachel's hand grabs her arm.
One of them sighs as Rachel starts to move her lips over Santana's. Her head tilts and her bottom lip falls between Rachel's and the smaller girl sucks gently on it as her hand slides lower, down her neck and along her shoulder.
She's not sure how long they kiss, but Rachel's the first to pull away. She sucks in a deep breath, but keeps her lips just under Santana's and her eyes closed as she whispers, "Just a kiss."
"Some kiss," Santana mutters before she can stop herself.
Both their eyes open at this and she can see Rachel blush and smile softly. Santana's tongue darts out and she wets her lips, unsure of what to do or say now. Rachel seems to be in the same state and is the first to break their stare, looking down between them and leaning down to grab Santana's fallen coat.
"Here you are," she says quietly, placing the coat into Santana's hands. "I know you wanted to leave and I'm sorry for holding you up."
Santana takes the jacket and reluctantly steps back and slips it on, unable to look away from Rachel's face. "It's cool," she shrugs, forcing herself to back towards the stairs that leads upstairs to the door and out of this strange universe where she kissed Rachel Berry and liked it. "Whatever."
Rachel walks her to the door silently and Santana has to restrain herself from doing something stupid like pinning Rachel against something and shoving her hand up her dress.
"Thank you for coming, Santana," Rachel says formerly as she reaches past her and opens the door. "Again, I'm glad you had a lovely time."
She lingers in the doorway, one foot in and one out as she finds Rachel's eyes. "You know," she starts, closing her eyes and shaking her head at herself before continuing. "If you wanted to…you could come over to my place New Year's or something."
Rachel's eyes go wide. "R-Really?"
Santana nods, stepping out of the door and smiling a little. "Really," she replies. "Maybe even before that…"
When she finally turns away and walks out to her car, she can still feel Rachel's smile on her back and knows it had to be just as big as the one she can't seem to wipe off her face.