The Way To Each Other - Chapter Nineteen
Title: The Way To Each Other
Author: Sio & Maura
Rating: Hard NC-17
Length: Epic (230,271)
Spoilers: This is AU. Some mentions of Seasons 1 & 2 events though handled differently than in canon.
Pairing: Santana/Quinn
Summary: Santana's life is far harder than it appears to the average viewer. Her dad's in jail and her mom turns tricks in their old family home. Worst yet, Santana herself has to do the same to keep her mom alive and food in her belly. Can Quinn save her? Or will Quinn's domineering father ruin everything? For the Glee Bang
Warnings (highlight to read): talks of suicide, angst, language, graphic het and femslash sex, non-con, dub-con, oral, vaginal, anal, pedophilia, sex work, underage prostitution, abuse, violence sexual and non, minor character death, self-harm, drug use, disease - HIV
Chapter 19
“Don’t worry, I’m going to be right here.” Quinn looked up at Santana perched on the back of the black and white mare, reins and saddle horn held in a white knuckled grip as Beauty fidgeted in the soft tilled earth of the small ring. She gently squeezed the girl’s thigh, smiling as reassuringly as she could. “Just relax and let Beauty carry you around the ring. You can do this, San.”
Santana had her feet firmly in the stirrups, her hips ached too much to really grip Beauty's sides but she was holding onto the horn to keep her balance. "She's... she's not gonna like... bolt or something is she?" her voice wavered as she looked down to Quinn and got dizzy. "It's really high..."
Cindy watched from the side of the ring. She was letting Quinn teach Santana, but she had decided to hang around just in case they needed her. "Looking good, San!" Cindy called.
Quinn just stroked Santana’s thigh, “It’s Beauty, San. You know her. Do you think she’ll do anything to hurt you on purpose? Trust her, okay?”
"O-okay." She said softly as she looked back up and held on tightly. "What... what do I do now?"
“First, relax. You talk to Beauty with your body while you’re riding. When you’re tense like that, you’re telling her to stop. I’m right here, San,” Quinn smiled reassuringly, tangling her fingers in the cheekstrap of the mare’s headstall and slowly starting her to walking around the ring, “Beauty just wants to carry you so just let yourself move with her and I’ll take care of telling her where to go until you’re ready to try.”
Santana nodded and tried to calm down. The tension in her shoulders slowly released and she began to allow her body to slowly rock with each of the horse’s steps. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes again and looked around as she loosened her death grip on the horn and settled into the movement.
“See?” Quinn smiled back at her as she made her way around the ring, Beauty placidly pacing beside her, “It’s not so bad, is it? Beauty will take care of you if you let yourself move with her, San.”
Cindy chuckled softly at the words being used to describe learning how to ride a horse. She watched and smiled as Santana relaxed and started to smile.
"No. It's fine." Santana said as she readjusted her butt slightly in the saddle. "My hips hurt a bit but its okay."
“They’ll stretch out. I was so sore the first time I rode.” Quinn laughed ruefully, shaking her head, “I think I really overdid it that day, but we’ll take this slowly and you’ll be fine. Cindy, you still have that muscle cream for saddle soreness, right?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I still have a jar in the bathroom,” Cindy called back.
“See? If you get too sore, we can work some cream into the sore spots and numb them right up.” Quinn smiled up at Santana, patting Beauty’s neck.
"Alright." Santana said softly as continued to ride. "I'm doing this okay right?" She asked nervous, her black boots rocking in the stirrups as she tried to get more comfortable. "I don't really have any idea what I'm doing."
“You’re doing fine, San. Don’t worry, Beauty will let you know if you’re doing something wrong, won’t you girl?” The horse whuffed, tossing her head slightly, making Quinn laugh. “See? We’ll work on fine tuning your seat and technique once you’re okay with riding in general.”
"Sounds good." she smiled and focused on taking a few more laps with Quinn's help. "Q? Can... can I try without you holding on?" she asked unsure of her self. "I think I can do it."
Quinn hesitated for a second, then nodded and let go of the stall. “Okay. But I’m going to stand in the middle of the ring just in case, alright? Just press against her side with the leg you want to turn away from, okay? And try not to hit her with your heels or shake the reins or she’ll go faster.”
She nodded and held the reins tightly as Beauty started to move on her own accord. Santana stayed focused on not moving too much so the horse wouldn't run. "We can do this right, Beauty?" She whispered to herself and the horse.
Cindy came over and stood with Quinn and wrapped her arm around the smaller girl's shoulder. "You're good at teaching," she smiled, keeping her eyes focused on Santana, "and reassuring your girlfriend that she's fine."
“She’s got this,” Quinn shrugged, more focused on Santana than realizing that Cindy had just called the other girl her girlfriend. “Riding a horse as gentle as Beauty is nothing after being thrown to the top of a pyramid formation twenty times or more in an hour like she was in Cheerios. All she needed was to know she had someone to catch her and she could fly like no one else.”
"That would have been quite the sight. She's quite small, I bet she could go really high." She smiled as she watched Santana get a bit more comfortable on the horse. "She's gonna be really sore tonight. You might wanna take her to the pool or in the hot tub for those legs. I don't how how to get them back to one hundred percent," Cindy said regretfully. "I mean at least she can walk better now but she still limps."
“She's fine,” Quinn muttered, her eyes never leaving Santana as she rode, occasionally waving at the girl with a smile, “I’ll take care of her. It’s okay if she doesn’t get back to one hundred percent, she’s doing better every day and as long as she doesn’t hurt as much as she used to, then that’s all I care about.” For the first time, her eyes left Santana as she looked up at Cindy determinedly, “She is going to be fine, Cindy. She’s amazing and a limp is hardly going to slow her down.”
"I know. Nothing will slow her down." Cindy smiled and hugged Quinn, "We'll make sure she's as close to one hundred percent as she can get always though, okay? She's gonna start her medications soon and that will be hard but it will make her less likely to get too sick and she'll be back to playing with the kittens and keeping us on our toes before you know it."
Quinn started to smile only to be startled by a shrill squeal of alarm from Beauty. She spun around, Cindy letting go of her. A plastic bag that someone had discarded by the road had blown into the arena and startled the mare into spooking. She pushed away from Cindy to try and get to the horse before she reared and risked throwing Santana, but the soft soil of the area made it hard to gain purchase and she was slower getting there than she would have been on firm ground.
Santana didn't know what had happened. All she knew was that one moment she'd been riding along fairly well and the next she was laying on the ground. Her head hit the dirt with a whack and she could barely do anything but just lay there coughing as she tried to drag a breath into her shocked lungs. She whimpered softly even though she was in shock about the whole situation.
“Oh God,” Quinn gasped, hitting the ground hard enough to send up a puff of dirt from where her knees hit the soil at Santana’s side. “Oh my God, please be okay, please...” Her hands fluttered over Santana’s body checking for bumps or bruises or broken bones. “Oh God, I’m so sorry, Santana. I never should have looked away. Please be okay...”
Santana whimpered and rolled to lay on her side curling into Quinn. "Ow," She whispered as she clutched onto the girl's hand.
“Oh my God, Santana, are you okay?” Quinn sounded almost as distressed as she looked, her hands stroking over the smaller girl’s face, “I’m so sorry Beauty spooked. I should have been paying more attention. This is all my fault. I’m so so sorry...”
Santana was oddly calm for someone who just got thrown from a horse. "My head hurts now," she whispered as she tried to sit up.
Quinn pushed her back down. “Don’t move. Just lie still and let me make sure you’re okay first.” She was crying and didn’t even realize it, “I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”
"Quinn, I'm okay," she said softly as she looked up to the girl, she reached for Quinn's hand.
“No!” Quinn shook her head, continuing to search for signs of injuries, “You got thrown because I wasn’t paying attention and you could be hurt and it’s all my fault!”
Santana sighed and laid back. "I don't think I'm bleeding or hurt," She huffed softly as she looked up.
Quinn leaned over her, hands on her cheeks and looking in her eyes. “I couldn’t bear it if you were hurt, San,” she whispered, looking scared, “I don’t ever want you hurt because of me.” Her eyes searched Santana’s, looking for something - reassurance or forgiveness, even she didn’t exactly know what.
Her gaze dipped to Santana’s lips and she took a shuddering breath as she licked her lips before looking back to Santana. Then she was leaning down and her lips were brushing Santana’s, a soft, almost shy caress. “Please don’t ever scare me like that again,” she whispered, pulling away and slowly blinking her eyes open.
"You kissed me," Santana smiled softly as she reached up and ran her thumb over Quinn's lip. "I'm... I'm okay." She whispered as she leaned up and pulled Quinn into a hug. "Just dirty and sore."
Quinn’s arms slid around her and held her tight, burying her face in the crook of Santana’s neck. “I was so scared,” she whispered, “I saw you hit the ground and I couldn’t get there in time to catch you. I’m supposed to catch you, San.”
"You have me now," She whispered as she held onto Quinn. "I.. I think I don't wanna ride anymore today." She stated into Quinn's neck as she held on. "My... my back hurts.”
“We can try again tomorrow and I’ll be more careful,” Quinn agreed, getting an arm under Santana’s legs and standing with the girl cradled against her chest, “Let’s get you in the hot tub unless you’d rather go to the pool instead?” She glanced up at Cindy handling Beauty, seeing the older woman nod at her to take Santana to the house.
"Come in the hot tub with me?" She asked softly as she clung to Quinn.
“Of course. Let’s get you changed.” Quinn murmured, walking back up to the house and heading up to the room they practically shared, rarely going into Santana’s room.
Santana sat on the bed and pulled off her dusty shirt with a cough. A bruise was already forming on her shoulder and on the swell of her ass and she pouted. "Stupid bag made me fall." She sighed, "I was getting the hang of it."
“I’m sorry I didn’t notice the bag until it spooked Beauty, San,” Quinn apologized again as she came back from retrieving Santana’s swim suit from her room. She hissed softly as she noticed the bruises. “Want me to help you put some bruise cream onto your back after we get out of the hot tub?” she asked, coming over and handing Santana the suit.
"Please," she said softly as she pulled her bra off and lay back so she could push her pants and boots off. Santana was not shy of her body but she quickly pulled the bathing suit over her head and up her legs nonetheless. "I just stopped being bruised now I got more."
“I’d offer to kiss it better if it wasn’t your ass that got bruised,” Quinn teased, brushing her lips over the bruise forming on Santana’s shoulder as she helped her get her robe on after changing herself.
"I've told you to kiss my ass before." Santana whispered as she pressed a kiss to Quinn's lips. "I missed kissing you, Quinn..." she said shyly. "I kinda thought you didn't want to anymore."
Quinn smiled lopsidedly, hugging Santana, “I never stopped wanting to.” She reached up and cupped Santana’s cheek, brushing her thumb along her lower lip. “I,” she chewed her lip, a blush coloring her cheeks as she glanced away, before looking shyly back, “Would you mind if I did that again?”
Santana nodded and whispered please against Quinn's thumb. Quinn smiled shyly, her eyes slipping closed as she slid her hand to gently cup the back of Santana’s neck and leaned in to press her lips against Santana’s. The kiss was gentle, soft and careful, almost chaste at first. Gradually, her heart pounding with trepidation, she increased the pressure, finally slipping her tongue out to gently stroke Santana’s lower lip before pulling away.
She looked at Santana with parted lips, breathing deeply, her hazel eyes slightly darker than usual as she looked for a response to the kiss. “Was it,” she licked her lips, “was that okay?”
"Yeah," Santana whispered, her heart beating rapidly. "I liked that." She pressed her lips back against Quinn's and gently flicked her tongue out and slipped it through Quinn's lips. She moaned softly when she felt the muscles touch and she fisted her hand in Quinn's robe as she did.
Quinn’s knees weakened and she barely managed to sit down on the bed, tugging Santana to sit on her lap as one arm wrapped around her waist, the other cupping the back of her neck. She whimpered softly into the kiss as she tangled her tongue with Santana’s, carefully exploring the inside of her mouth. Her nails gently scratched at the short hairs at the back of Santana’s neck as she tugged her closer.
Santana wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck. She gently sucked on the blonde’s tongue as she let her fingers languidly stroke the nape of the girl's neck. After a few minutes, Santana pulled away breathlessly. "Wait... I don't wanna get you sick." She whispered as she traced Quinn's lip with her thumb pad.
Quinn smiled reassuringly, kissing Santana’s thumb. “You can’t. Not from kissing.” She blushed, “Trust me, I looked it up even after Cindy told me it doesn’t transmit like that and I asked Megan too. You can’t get me sick from kissing me unless we’re like both bleeding and neither of us are.”
"Okay," Santana smiled before pressing another kiss to Quinn's lips. "Because I don't ever wanna not kiss you."
“Then you’d better not stop again,” Quinn whispered, resting her forehead against Santana’s and smiling softly. “I think we should get you in the hot tub before you stiffen up though.”
Santana pouted and kept her cling onto Quinn. "Please carry me," she whispered as she kept herself wrapped around the girl.
“Every chance I get,” Quinn smirked, kissing Santana softly as she got her arms under the girl and lifted her into a cradle before heading out the door and down the hall. Carefully making her way down the stairs, she got out to the hot tub enclosure and set Santana on her feet. “Can’t wear robes in the tub,” she pointed out, slipping out of hers, “and I don’t want to risk slipping and dropping you.”
Santana pulled off her robe and hung it up before sliding into the water. "Warm." She smiled and leaned against the jets that she preferred. She watched as Quinn got into the tub. "You’re really beautiful," she said softly.
Quinn blushed and ducked her head, shaking it with a shy smile, “I’m not, but thank you for saying so.” She settled into the water across from Santana, sliding down until it covered her up to the neck and leaning back with her head on the rim with a low moan of appreciation. “I am so grateful Aunt Becca and Cindy have a hot tub. You have no idea.”
"I agree." Santana smiled and teasingly ran her foot against Quinn's thigh. "But you are beautiful, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
Quinn shivered at the touch but didn’t open her eyes. “You must not have seen many girls then,” she joked, stretching her arms out against the edge of the tub.
"You are sexy and stunning so just stop," Santana said softly as she moved to cuddle herself into Quinn's side.
Quinn let her arm slide over Santana’s shoulders and tugged her close, leaning over to kiss the top of her head. “Only to you,” she murmured, finally opening her eyes and smiling lopsidedly at the other girl.
"Good cause if you were being sexy for someone else I'd be sad." She pouted and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. "I just want my girlfriend to know she's beautiful all the time okay?"
“Oh? She is?” Quinn rolled her head to the side to let Santana have more access, shivering slightly despite the heat of the water. “And who might that lucky girl be?” she teased.
The smaller girl continued to pepper kisses down the side of Quinn's neck. "You," she whispered as she carefully took the girl's earlobe between her lips and sucked gently. "Always you, forever and ever," she reminded her.
Quinn whimpered and turned to kiss Santana, pulling her into her lap. “Why do I get you?” she whispered, hands around the other girl’s waist and holding her in place. “What did I do right to get you?”
Santana slid into the girl's arms and wrapped her own around the blonde's neck. "Because we both had shitty upbringings and we deserve to be happy." She shrugged and pressed her lips to the girl's jaw. "Because you're amazing and you deserve to be happy."
“I just want you to be happy, San,” she whispered, tilting her head back slightly, “If you’re happy, then I’m happy. That’s all I want right now. I just want you to be happy and safe.”
"I'm with you," She murmured as she continued to kiss the hollow of the blonde’s neck, "I'm happy and safe in your arms every night."
“Santana,” Quinn finally gasped, her skin beginning to burn under Santana’s lips, “I don’t think we’re ready for what you’re doing to me...”
The girl sat back on Quinn's thighs and smirked devilishly, "Why, Quinn," she pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, "am I turning you on?"
Quinn blushed dark and splashed at Santana, biting her lip. “You know exactly what you were doing to me! Stop teasing,” she ducked her head, too embarrassed to meet Santana’s eyes at the teasing, “you know I’ve never felt like this before...”
Santana moved closer to the girl's ear and whispered, "I feel the same way, Q." She stayed in Quinn's lap as she tried to calm down her body. "If just kissing does this, Quinn... what's it gonna be like if we ever... you know."
Quinn shrugged one shoulder, “I don’t know. But we’ll figure it out right?” She glanced up at Santana shyly, “When we’re ready. We’ll figure it out together. Right?”
"Okay," she whispered as she cuddled into her girlfriend. "I love you, Quinn."
Her voice barely louder than a breath as she buried her face in Santana’s hair, “I think I might love you too, Santana.”
Santana smiled and hugged Quinn tightly. "That makes me happy."
“Don’t let me hurt you,” she whispered, hugging Santana tightly, “promise you won’t let me...”
"I promise." Santana whispered, "I promise if you promise to not give up on me or let me die."
“Never,” she kissed Santana softly, before sliding her tongue between her lips and slipping it along the other girl’s tongue before pulling back and looking at her sincerely, “Not unless I die first because that is the only way I’m going to give up on you, Santana.”
"Then we have an agreement," she whispered.
"Definitely," Quinn murmured, snuggling close.
Neither girl noticed their guardians watching from nearby.
Rebecca elbowed her wife with a nearly caustic raised brow. "Like eleven year olds, are they?"
Cindy rolled her eyes and kissed her wife. "They stopped and we saw their hands the entire time. So, yeah, baby. They're like little pre-teens kissing."
"I certainly didn't kiss like that when I was a preteen, missy," Rebecca chided, wrapping her arms around her wife and leaning into her. "I did kiss you like that when I wasn't a whole lot older than them though and we certainly didn't stay so circumspect."
"I doubt that they're gonna be as ready as we were... to move so quickly. As I remember it you wanted in my dress after the first date, Rebecca." Cindy teased as she held her. "I think they're just testing the waters. They're crazy about each other but I doubt that they're gonna move too fast.
"Mmm, well you were this incredibly sexy vet student, all smart looking with your lab coat and clipboard." Rebecca smirked teasingly, "I still can hardly believe you asked me out but," she brought her arms up to settle around Cindy's neck, casually toying with the short hairs on the back of her neck, "I'm awful grateful you did."
She leaned up and kissed her softly, lips teasing her lover's but pulling away when Cindy tried to deepen the kiss. "Cindy, do you think...maybe they're like us?"
"What do you mean, Babe?" Cindy asked as she moved to kiss her wife's neck.
"Like they just... know," Rebecca looked at her wife with a loving smile. "You were my first, you know. The only woman I ever needed or wanted in my life."
"I hope they're like us then." She whispered, "They've both gone through so much..." Cindy sighed, "and Santana... what she grew up in, what she's lived through? I don't think she's ever going to be really comfortable with another person ever again. I wouldn't be surprised if she never wanted to be intimate again, Rebecca. I mean fuck it's been five months and her legs are still messed up and now she's dealing with HIV?"
"Don't count our little Quinn out just yet, Cindy. Fabrays can be very sensual when we want to be and don't forget that we've never even heard of her being interested in another person romantically before Santana." She rested her head on Cindy's shoulder, relaxing into her embrace, "I don't want either of them to get hurt, so I'm very glad they're taking things so slow. Just...can't they go slower?" she pleaded hopefully.
"The babies might be emotionally stunted, but they're still balls of hormones." Cindy laughed as she teased her lover, "Though I never ever want to hear them... being sensual, Rebecca. I'll have to send them out to the barn or hose them down because I don't need my ears to burn."
Rebecca laughed, "Good to know you don't actually want them to be doing even half of what you tease them about. But," she sighed softly, "I trust them to know themselves. I just want them to be safe when - and we both know it's more likely to be when and not if - things progress to that point."
"Yeah... that is not going to be a comfortable conversation. They're gonna blush. Hell, I'm gonna blush and probably say something stupid," she laughed softly with a smile. "You can parent that one."
Rebecca laughed. "Oh no, perv. You've been teasing, so it's all your game. They can come to me after if they feel the need."
"Woman, why do I need to talk to the baby gays? I can't even remember my first time with a girl it was so long ago! Shouldn't you tell them how it's done? Cause I'm bold enough to sit them in front of porn and tell them what not to do."
"Cindy Maganax! I am not instructing my niece on how to have sex with another woman!" She leaned back and slapped Cindy's shoulder, looking torn between amusement and horror. "I just want them to be safe! I'm sure they can figure out the rest on their own after all."
"Are you telling me that you didn't research how to have sex with a chick before you jumped me in my dorm room? Because for a lady virgin, you had a good idea of what you were doing."
"I just did what felt right and," she smirked, waggling her brows slightly, "I listened. You weren't at all afraid to let me know how you felt about what I was doing. I'm sure our girls are smart enough to handle that aspect when it comes around."
"Mmhmm. Sure. How about," Cindy smirked and tangled their fingers together, "we go and practice what we preach while the kids are occupied?" she suggested as she started pulling her wife towards the stairs.
"Oh, I thought you'd never ask," Rebecca grinned slyly at her, following her up the stairs towards their room.
Chapter Twenty
Author: Sio & Maura
Rating: Hard NC-17
Length: Epic (230,271)
Spoilers: This is AU. Some mentions of Seasons 1 & 2 events though handled differently than in canon.
Pairing: Santana/Quinn
Summary: Santana's life is far harder than it appears to the average viewer. Her dad's in jail and her mom turns tricks in their old family home. Worst yet, Santana herself has to do the same to keep her mom alive and food in her belly. Can Quinn save her? Or will Quinn's domineering father ruin everything? For the Glee Bang
Warnings (highlight to read): talks of suicide, angst, language, graphic het and femslash sex, non-con, dub-con, oral, vaginal, anal, pedophilia, sex work, underage prostitution, abuse, violence sexual and non, minor character death, self-harm, drug use, disease - HIV
Chapter 19
“Don’t worry, I’m going to be right here.” Quinn looked up at Santana perched on the back of the black and white mare, reins and saddle horn held in a white knuckled grip as Beauty fidgeted in the soft tilled earth of the small ring. She gently squeezed the girl’s thigh, smiling as reassuringly as she could. “Just relax and let Beauty carry you around the ring. You can do this, San.”
Santana had her feet firmly in the stirrups, her hips ached too much to really grip Beauty's sides but she was holding onto the horn to keep her balance. "She's... she's not gonna like... bolt or something is she?" her voice wavered as she looked down to Quinn and got dizzy. "It's really high..."
Cindy watched from the side of the ring. She was letting Quinn teach Santana, but she had decided to hang around just in case they needed her. "Looking good, San!" Cindy called.
Quinn just stroked Santana’s thigh, “It’s Beauty, San. You know her. Do you think she’ll do anything to hurt you on purpose? Trust her, okay?”
"O-okay." She said softly as she looked back up and held on tightly. "What... what do I do now?"
“First, relax. You talk to Beauty with your body while you’re riding. When you’re tense like that, you’re telling her to stop. I’m right here, San,” Quinn smiled reassuringly, tangling her fingers in the cheekstrap of the mare’s headstall and slowly starting her to walking around the ring, “Beauty just wants to carry you so just let yourself move with her and I’ll take care of telling her where to go until you’re ready to try.”
Santana nodded and tried to calm down. The tension in her shoulders slowly released and she began to allow her body to slowly rock with each of the horse’s steps. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes again and looked around as she loosened her death grip on the horn and settled into the movement.
“See?” Quinn smiled back at her as she made her way around the ring, Beauty placidly pacing beside her, “It’s not so bad, is it? Beauty will take care of you if you let yourself move with her, San.”
Cindy chuckled softly at the words being used to describe learning how to ride a horse. She watched and smiled as Santana relaxed and started to smile.
"No. It's fine." Santana said as she readjusted her butt slightly in the saddle. "My hips hurt a bit but its okay."
“They’ll stretch out. I was so sore the first time I rode.” Quinn laughed ruefully, shaking her head, “I think I really overdid it that day, but we’ll take this slowly and you’ll be fine. Cindy, you still have that muscle cream for saddle soreness, right?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I still have a jar in the bathroom,” Cindy called back.
“See? If you get too sore, we can work some cream into the sore spots and numb them right up.” Quinn smiled up at Santana, patting Beauty’s neck.
"Alright." Santana said softly as continued to ride. "I'm doing this okay right?" She asked nervous, her black boots rocking in the stirrups as she tried to get more comfortable. "I don't really have any idea what I'm doing."
“You’re doing fine, San. Don’t worry, Beauty will let you know if you’re doing something wrong, won’t you girl?” The horse whuffed, tossing her head slightly, making Quinn laugh. “See? We’ll work on fine tuning your seat and technique once you’re okay with riding in general.”
"Sounds good." she smiled and focused on taking a few more laps with Quinn's help. "Q? Can... can I try without you holding on?" she asked unsure of her self. "I think I can do it."
Quinn hesitated for a second, then nodded and let go of the stall. “Okay. But I’m going to stand in the middle of the ring just in case, alright? Just press against her side with the leg you want to turn away from, okay? And try not to hit her with your heels or shake the reins or she’ll go faster.”
She nodded and held the reins tightly as Beauty started to move on her own accord. Santana stayed focused on not moving too much so the horse wouldn't run. "We can do this right, Beauty?" She whispered to herself and the horse.
Cindy came over and stood with Quinn and wrapped her arm around the smaller girl's shoulder. "You're good at teaching," she smiled, keeping her eyes focused on Santana, "and reassuring your girlfriend that she's fine."
“She’s got this,” Quinn shrugged, more focused on Santana than realizing that Cindy had just called the other girl her girlfriend. “Riding a horse as gentle as Beauty is nothing after being thrown to the top of a pyramid formation twenty times or more in an hour like she was in Cheerios. All she needed was to know she had someone to catch her and she could fly like no one else.”
"That would have been quite the sight. She's quite small, I bet she could go really high." She smiled as she watched Santana get a bit more comfortable on the horse. "She's gonna be really sore tonight. You might wanna take her to the pool or in the hot tub for those legs. I don't how how to get them back to one hundred percent," Cindy said regretfully. "I mean at least she can walk better now but she still limps."
“She's fine,” Quinn muttered, her eyes never leaving Santana as she rode, occasionally waving at the girl with a smile, “I’ll take care of her. It’s okay if she doesn’t get back to one hundred percent, she’s doing better every day and as long as she doesn’t hurt as much as she used to, then that’s all I care about.” For the first time, her eyes left Santana as she looked up at Cindy determinedly, “She is going to be fine, Cindy. She’s amazing and a limp is hardly going to slow her down.”
"I know. Nothing will slow her down." Cindy smiled and hugged Quinn, "We'll make sure she's as close to one hundred percent as she can get always though, okay? She's gonna start her medications soon and that will be hard but it will make her less likely to get too sick and she'll be back to playing with the kittens and keeping us on our toes before you know it."
Quinn started to smile only to be startled by a shrill squeal of alarm from Beauty. She spun around, Cindy letting go of her. A plastic bag that someone had discarded by the road had blown into the arena and startled the mare into spooking. She pushed away from Cindy to try and get to the horse before she reared and risked throwing Santana, but the soft soil of the area made it hard to gain purchase and she was slower getting there than she would have been on firm ground.
Santana didn't know what had happened. All she knew was that one moment she'd been riding along fairly well and the next she was laying on the ground. Her head hit the dirt with a whack and she could barely do anything but just lay there coughing as she tried to drag a breath into her shocked lungs. She whimpered softly even though she was in shock about the whole situation.
“Oh God,” Quinn gasped, hitting the ground hard enough to send up a puff of dirt from where her knees hit the soil at Santana’s side. “Oh my God, please be okay, please...” Her hands fluttered over Santana’s body checking for bumps or bruises or broken bones. “Oh God, I’m so sorry, Santana. I never should have looked away. Please be okay...”
Santana whimpered and rolled to lay on her side curling into Quinn. "Ow," She whispered as she clutched onto the girl's hand.
“Oh my God, Santana, are you okay?” Quinn sounded almost as distressed as she looked, her hands stroking over the smaller girl’s face, “I’m so sorry Beauty spooked. I should have been paying more attention. This is all my fault. I’m so so sorry...”
Santana was oddly calm for someone who just got thrown from a horse. "My head hurts now," she whispered as she tried to sit up.
Quinn pushed her back down. “Don’t move. Just lie still and let me make sure you’re okay first.” She was crying and didn’t even realize it, “I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you.”
"Quinn, I'm okay," she said softly as she looked up to the girl, she reached for Quinn's hand.
“No!” Quinn shook her head, continuing to search for signs of injuries, “You got thrown because I wasn’t paying attention and you could be hurt and it’s all my fault!”
Santana sighed and laid back. "I don't think I'm bleeding or hurt," She huffed softly as she looked up.
Quinn leaned over her, hands on her cheeks and looking in her eyes. “I couldn’t bear it if you were hurt, San,” she whispered, looking scared, “I don’t ever want you hurt because of me.” Her eyes searched Santana’s, looking for something - reassurance or forgiveness, even she didn’t exactly know what.
Her gaze dipped to Santana’s lips and she took a shuddering breath as she licked her lips before looking back to Santana. Then she was leaning down and her lips were brushing Santana’s, a soft, almost shy caress. “Please don’t ever scare me like that again,” she whispered, pulling away and slowly blinking her eyes open.
"You kissed me," Santana smiled softly as she reached up and ran her thumb over Quinn's lip. "I'm... I'm okay." She whispered as she leaned up and pulled Quinn into a hug. "Just dirty and sore."
Quinn’s arms slid around her and held her tight, burying her face in the crook of Santana’s neck. “I was so scared,” she whispered, “I saw you hit the ground and I couldn’t get there in time to catch you. I’m supposed to catch you, San.”
"You have me now," She whispered as she held onto Quinn. "I.. I think I don't wanna ride anymore today." She stated into Quinn's neck as she held on. "My... my back hurts.”
“We can try again tomorrow and I’ll be more careful,” Quinn agreed, getting an arm under Santana’s legs and standing with the girl cradled against her chest, “Let’s get you in the hot tub unless you’d rather go to the pool instead?” She glanced up at Cindy handling Beauty, seeing the older woman nod at her to take Santana to the house.
"Come in the hot tub with me?" She asked softly as she clung to Quinn.
“Of course. Let’s get you changed.” Quinn murmured, walking back up to the house and heading up to the room they practically shared, rarely going into Santana’s room.
Santana sat on the bed and pulled off her dusty shirt with a cough. A bruise was already forming on her shoulder and on the swell of her ass and she pouted. "Stupid bag made me fall." She sighed, "I was getting the hang of it."
“I’m sorry I didn’t notice the bag until it spooked Beauty, San,” Quinn apologized again as she came back from retrieving Santana’s swim suit from her room. She hissed softly as she noticed the bruises. “Want me to help you put some bruise cream onto your back after we get out of the hot tub?” she asked, coming over and handing Santana the suit.
"Please," she said softly as she pulled her bra off and lay back so she could push her pants and boots off. Santana was not shy of her body but she quickly pulled the bathing suit over her head and up her legs nonetheless. "I just stopped being bruised now I got more."
“I’d offer to kiss it better if it wasn’t your ass that got bruised,” Quinn teased, brushing her lips over the bruise forming on Santana’s shoulder as she helped her get her robe on after changing herself.
"I've told you to kiss my ass before." Santana whispered as she pressed a kiss to Quinn's lips. "I missed kissing you, Quinn..." she said shyly. "I kinda thought you didn't want to anymore."
Quinn smiled lopsidedly, hugging Santana, “I never stopped wanting to.” She reached up and cupped Santana’s cheek, brushing her thumb along her lower lip. “I,” she chewed her lip, a blush coloring her cheeks as she glanced away, before looking shyly back, “Would you mind if I did that again?”
Santana nodded and whispered please against Quinn's thumb. Quinn smiled shyly, her eyes slipping closed as she slid her hand to gently cup the back of Santana’s neck and leaned in to press her lips against Santana’s. The kiss was gentle, soft and careful, almost chaste at first. Gradually, her heart pounding with trepidation, she increased the pressure, finally slipping her tongue out to gently stroke Santana’s lower lip before pulling away.
She looked at Santana with parted lips, breathing deeply, her hazel eyes slightly darker than usual as she looked for a response to the kiss. “Was it,” she licked her lips, “was that okay?”
"Yeah," Santana whispered, her heart beating rapidly. "I liked that." She pressed her lips back against Quinn's and gently flicked her tongue out and slipped it through Quinn's lips. She moaned softly when she felt the muscles touch and she fisted her hand in Quinn's robe as she did.
Quinn’s knees weakened and she barely managed to sit down on the bed, tugging Santana to sit on her lap as one arm wrapped around her waist, the other cupping the back of her neck. She whimpered softly into the kiss as she tangled her tongue with Santana’s, carefully exploring the inside of her mouth. Her nails gently scratched at the short hairs at the back of Santana’s neck as she tugged her closer.
Santana wrapped her arms around Quinn's neck. She gently sucked on the blonde’s tongue as she let her fingers languidly stroke the nape of the girl's neck. After a few minutes, Santana pulled away breathlessly. "Wait... I don't wanna get you sick." She whispered as she traced Quinn's lip with her thumb pad.
Quinn smiled reassuringly, kissing Santana’s thumb. “You can’t. Not from kissing.” She blushed, “Trust me, I looked it up even after Cindy told me it doesn’t transmit like that and I asked Megan too. You can’t get me sick from kissing me unless we’re like both bleeding and neither of us are.”
"Okay," Santana smiled before pressing another kiss to Quinn's lips. "Because I don't ever wanna not kiss you."
“Then you’d better not stop again,” Quinn whispered, resting her forehead against Santana’s and smiling softly. “I think we should get you in the hot tub before you stiffen up though.”
Santana pouted and kept her cling onto Quinn. "Please carry me," she whispered as she kept herself wrapped around the girl.
“Every chance I get,” Quinn smirked, kissing Santana softly as she got her arms under the girl and lifted her into a cradle before heading out the door and down the hall. Carefully making her way down the stairs, she got out to the hot tub enclosure and set Santana on her feet. “Can’t wear robes in the tub,” she pointed out, slipping out of hers, “and I don’t want to risk slipping and dropping you.”
Santana pulled off her robe and hung it up before sliding into the water. "Warm." She smiled and leaned against the jets that she preferred. She watched as Quinn got into the tub. "You’re really beautiful," she said softly.
Quinn blushed and ducked her head, shaking it with a shy smile, “I’m not, but thank you for saying so.” She settled into the water across from Santana, sliding down until it covered her up to the neck and leaning back with her head on the rim with a low moan of appreciation. “I am so grateful Aunt Becca and Cindy have a hot tub. You have no idea.”
"I agree." Santana smiled and teasingly ran her foot against Quinn's thigh. "But you are beautiful, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
Quinn shivered at the touch but didn’t open her eyes. “You must not have seen many girls then,” she joked, stretching her arms out against the edge of the tub.
"You are sexy and stunning so just stop," Santana said softly as she moved to cuddle herself into Quinn's side.
Quinn let her arm slide over Santana’s shoulders and tugged her close, leaning over to kiss the top of her head. “Only to you,” she murmured, finally opening her eyes and smiling lopsidedly at the other girl.
"Good cause if you were being sexy for someone else I'd be sad." She pouted and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. "I just want my girlfriend to know she's beautiful all the time okay?"
“Oh? She is?” Quinn rolled her head to the side to let Santana have more access, shivering slightly despite the heat of the water. “And who might that lucky girl be?” she teased.
The smaller girl continued to pepper kisses down the side of Quinn's neck. "You," she whispered as she carefully took the girl's earlobe between her lips and sucked gently. "Always you, forever and ever," she reminded her.
Quinn whimpered and turned to kiss Santana, pulling her into her lap. “Why do I get you?” she whispered, hands around the other girl’s waist and holding her in place. “What did I do right to get you?”
Santana slid into the girl's arms and wrapped her own around the blonde's neck. "Because we both had shitty upbringings and we deserve to be happy." She shrugged and pressed her lips to the girl's jaw. "Because you're amazing and you deserve to be happy."
“I just want you to be happy, San,” she whispered, tilting her head back slightly, “If you’re happy, then I’m happy. That’s all I want right now. I just want you to be happy and safe.”
"I'm with you," She murmured as she continued to kiss the hollow of the blonde’s neck, "I'm happy and safe in your arms every night."
“Santana,” Quinn finally gasped, her skin beginning to burn under Santana’s lips, “I don’t think we’re ready for what you’re doing to me...”
The girl sat back on Quinn's thighs and smirked devilishly, "Why, Quinn," she pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, "am I turning you on?"
Quinn blushed dark and splashed at Santana, biting her lip. “You know exactly what you were doing to me! Stop teasing,” she ducked her head, too embarrassed to meet Santana’s eyes at the teasing, “you know I’ve never felt like this before...”
Santana moved closer to the girl's ear and whispered, "I feel the same way, Q." She stayed in Quinn's lap as she tried to calm down her body. "If just kissing does this, Quinn... what's it gonna be like if we ever... you know."
Quinn shrugged one shoulder, “I don’t know. But we’ll figure it out right?” She glanced up at Santana shyly, “When we’re ready. We’ll figure it out together. Right?”
"Okay," she whispered as she cuddled into her girlfriend. "I love you, Quinn."
Her voice barely louder than a breath as she buried her face in Santana’s hair, “I think I might love you too, Santana.”
Santana smiled and hugged Quinn tightly. "That makes me happy."
“Don’t let me hurt you,” she whispered, hugging Santana tightly, “promise you won’t let me...”
"I promise." Santana whispered, "I promise if you promise to not give up on me or let me die."
“Never,” she kissed Santana softly, before sliding her tongue between her lips and slipping it along the other girl’s tongue before pulling back and looking at her sincerely, “Not unless I die first because that is the only way I’m going to give up on you, Santana.”
"Then we have an agreement," she whispered.
"Definitely," Quinn murmured, snuggling close.
Neither girl noticed their guardians watching from nearby.
Rebecca elbowed her wife with a nearly caustic raised brow. "Like eleven year olds, are they?"
Cindy rolled her eyes and kissed her wife. "They stopped and we saw their hands the entire time. So, yeah, baby. They're like little pre-teens kissing."
"I certainly didn't kiss like that when I was a preteen, missy," Rebecca chided, wrapping her arms around her wife and leaning into her. "I did kiss you like that when I wasn't a whole lot older than them though and we certainly didn't stay so circumspect."
"I doubt that they're gonna be as ready as we were... to move so quickly. As I remember it you wanted in my dress after the first date, Rebecca." Cindy teased as she held her. "I think they're just testing the waters. They're crazy about each other but I doubt that they're gonna move too fast.
"Mmm, well you were this incredibly sexy vet student, all smart looking with your lab coat and clipboard." Rebecca smirked teasingly, "I still can hardly believe you asked me out but," she brought her arms up to settle around Cindy's neck, casually toying with the short hairs on the back of her neck, "I'm awful grateful you did."
She leaned up and kissed her softly, lips teasing her lover's but pulling away when Cindy tried to deepen the kiss. "Cindy, do you think...maybe they're like us?"
"What do you mean, Babe?" Cindy asked as she moved to kiss her wife's neck.
"Like they just... know," Rebecca looked at her wife with a loving smile. "You were my first, you know. The only woman I ever needed or wanted in my life."
"I hope they're like us then." She whispered, "They've both gone through so much..." Cindy sighed, "and Santana... what she grew up in, what she's lived through? I don't think she's ever going to be really comfortable with another person ever again. I wouldn't be surprised if she never wanted to be intimate again, Rebecca. I mean fuck it's been five months and her legs are still messed up and now she's dealing with HIV?"
"Don't count our little Quinn out just yet, Cindy. Fabrays can be very sensual when we want to be and don't forget that we've never even heard of her being interested in another person romantically before Santana." She rested her head on Cindy's shoulder, relaxing into her embrace, "I don't want either of them to get hurt, so I'm very glad they're taking things so slow. Just...can't they go slower?" she pleaded hopefully.
"The babies might be emotionally stunted, but they're still balls of hormones." Cindy laughed as she teased her lover, "Though I never ever want to hear them... being sensual, Rebecca. I'll have to send them out to the barn or hose them down because I don't need my ears to burn."
Rebecca laughed, "Good to know you don't actually want them to be doing even half of what you tease them about. But," she sighed softly, "I trust them to know themselves. I just want them to be safe when - and we both know it's more likely to be when and not if - things progress to that point."
"Yeah... that is not going to be a comfortable conversation. They're gonna blush. Hell, I'm gonna blush and probably say something stupid," she laughed softly with a smile. "You can parent that one."
Rebecca laughed. "Oh no, perv. You've been teasing, so it's all your game. They can come to me after if they feel the need."
"Woman, why do I need to talk to the baby gays? I can't even remember my first time with a girl it was so long ago! Shouldn't you tell them how it's done? Cause I'm bold enough to sit them in front of porn and tell them what not to do."
"Cindy Maganax! I am not instructing my niece on how to have sex with another woman!" She leaned back and slapped Cindy's shoulder, looking torn between amusement and horror. "I just want them to be safe! I'm sure they can figure out the rest on their own after all."
"Are you telling me that you didn't research how to have sex with a chick before you jumped me in my dorm room? Because for a lady virgin, you had a good idea of what you were doing."
"I just did what felt right and," she smirked, waggling her brows slightly, "I listened. You weren't at all afraid to let me know how you felt about what I was doing. I'm sure our girls are smart enough to handle that aspect when it comes around."
"Mmhmm. Sure. How about," Cindy smirked and tangled their fingers together, "we go and practice what we preach while the kids are occupied?" she suggested as she started pulling her wife towards the stairs.
"Oh, I thought you'd never ask," Rebecca grinned slyly at her, following her up the stairs towards their room.
Chapter Twenty