Trusting You to Catch Me - Chapter Nineteen
Title: Trusting You to Catch Me
Author: Sio & Maura
Rating: NC-17
Length: 110,108
Spoilers: Everything up to On My Way and then deviating from there with minor Big Brother references.
Pairing: Santana/Quinn, Brittany/Santana/Quinn/Rachel friendship, mentions of Brittany/Santana, some Finn/Rachel (not positive)
Summary: Following her accident, Quinn experiences the gamut of emotion: denial to acceptance to healing and everything in between. But through it all are her friends patiently helping her with caring and friendship and maybe more.
Warnings (highlight to read): eating disorders, severe accident recovery, graphic sex, verbal abuse, minor violence, family issues, cheating, body image issues
Chapter 19
Santana sipped her coffee as she watched Quinn and Rachel shopping. She smiled as they interacted with each other over the accessory rack at the vintage store they had stumbled into. The morning had been good. Quinn was doing pretty well with walking the relatively short distances between the subway and the street cars they have been taking. Across the street, Santana's eyes landed on a music store. She had left most of her things in Lima, including the half broken acoustic guitar Puck gave her when they were dating. She had been teaching herself how to play it but it was no longer in her possession.
"Rachel, this would look good on you," Quinn stated as she held up a headband that was a gold colour.
"Headbands are sort of my thing," she mused, looking at it. "Needs more stars though I think. Santana?" she called over to her. "What do you think?"
"Looks cute," Santana stated as she moved over to them. "I think you should buy it."
"Hmm," she considered. "Alright. I think I will." She smiled at Santana. "You look intrigued by something."
"Oh," she said, as she let her hand slide on Quinn's back. "There's a music and instrument store across the street that looks pretty legit."
"Music store?" Rachel visibly perked up. "Do you wish to visit it?"
"If you two are going to bond over records and stuff, I'd just as soon take a break," Quinn interjected, hating to admit that her back was aching a little more than she liked.
Santana held the girl's hips. "You okay, babe?" she whispered as she looked at her lover. "Do you want to go back to the hotel? Or just take a break?" she asked as she looked into her eyes.
"Just want to sit for a bit," she reassured her, leaning in to brush her lips across Santana's. "Don't worry. I won't push too hard."
"Just let me know when you want to go back," Santana said softly, as she tried to hide the blush playing on her face from being kissed in public. "Do you wanna get that necklace you were looking at?" She asked softly as she saw Rachel move to go buy the headband.
"No, I was just looking," she smiled up at her, lacing their fingers together. "I like being out with you like this. On my feet instead of in a chair." She glanced down at their hands, "Holding your hand..."
"I like it too." She smiled, and handed her back her iced coffee. "Let's go get you a bench, okay?"
They walked over to the bench outside the music store and got Quinn settled. "Have fun in there with Rachel," she teased gently. "Try not to kill her."
Santana sat down next to her as she waited for Rachel to come out. "I promise," she said as she watched Quinn. "You're stunning."
She smiled shyly, sipping her drink. "Flatterer," she murmured with a blush.
"Truthful," she whispered before squeezing Quinn's hand when Rachel skipped over to them. "Don't talk to strangers," she joked as she stood up. "We'll be back."
"What am I supposed to do with them, then?" she laughed. "Feed them like pigeons?"
"Are you ready?" Rachel chirped cheerfully, delighted to get to explore a new music store.
"Yep." She smiled. "Be good," she said to Quinn as she headed into the store. She looked around at the instruments and sheet music. "Can you play anything other than piano?"
"Not really," she admitted, looking around beside her. "Piano and voice are my two specialties. I can tune a guitar and play a few simple chords thanks to Noah, but that's about it."
"Cool," Santana stated as she looked through some of the music books.
"What about you?" she asked, picking up a copy of Broadway Belters Songbook to flip through. "Do you play? I already know you have an amazing voice, if not as developed as my own."
"Uh... thanks?" Santana said, "I can kinda play guitar. I've been teaching myself..."
"Really?" Rachel smiled at her. "That's fascinating, Santana. I didn't see a guitar in the car though. Were you borrowing one?"
"Puck gave me one back in the day... when we were sleeping together, but I couldn't carry it when I left." She shrugged as she looked up at the guitars hanging from the ceiling.
"Oh," she murmured, looking around with the beginning of an idea forming in her mind. "Maybe you could show your skills off a little with a minor demonstration?" she suggested, gesturing at the acoustic guitars.
Santana shrugged and looked through the guitars, she ran her fingers over the wood of the bottoms of them. She smiled as saw a deep red and black guitar and pulled it down carefully. "Pretty," she said softly as she sat down on one of the stools. She carefully strummed the strings, leaning up and tuning it to the right cords. "I like flamenco. I'm really bad at it but whatever."
"Well, that's what practice is for, is it not?" Rachel smiled at her, the evident happiness on Santana's face when she handled the guitar coalescing the idea in her mind into a decision. "Perhaps you could use it to woo your lady," she teased gently.
She started strumming it softly, her fingers fumbling slightly before she started feeling what she was playing. Her hands moved gracefully as she worked over the instrument. She hummed softly with the music she was playing.
"It's beautiful, Santana," she whispered, watching her play. The owner of the shop smiled, leaning on his counter to listen since there weren't many people in the store. "I wish you would have played for Glee before everything went in the proverbial pot."
"Between, Artie, Puck, Sam and the hippy... they didn't need another guitar player. Even then, I wasn't really getting much stage time that I didn't fight for since I came back from the Trouble Tones."
"I'm sorry for that," Rachel offered. "I suppose I shouldn't have tried so hard to horde the spotlight..."
"Wasn't you," she said as she played a quick flamenco rhythm. "Blaine mostly, but I got to sing more than most despite everyone hating me."
"You're better than most. Blaine's insistence on grabbing solos was," she grimaced, "annoying. But I suppose I shouldn't complain given my own habits before his arrival. Never mind that though, do you have plans for a first date with Quinn?" she asked quietly, glancing towards the front of the store where they could see the blonde through the window.Santana took the guitar and hung it back up. "Thinking about taking her to dinner," Santana said. "I'm not really sure. I'm kinda nervous. I looked up a nice-ish Thai place and made a reservation and maybe we can like walk and like just hang out in that square near the hotel? There's like a free concert there tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Rachel smiled - her idea was becoming a fully formed plan, "That sounds delightful, Santana. What are you wearing?"
"Uh... pants? and a shirt? I wasn't really planning on having to go on a date when we packed our duffels for the trip and I don't really wanna rip into the boxes..." she said as she looked through the sheet music.
"We'll go out and find you something," she reassured her. "After all... isn't that what best friends are for?"
"Truth," she stated before looking at her watch. "Hey, we gotta get going..."
"Just let me pay for this," she smiled, holding up the songbook in her hands. "I'll be right out."
"Okay," she said as she slipped out to be with Quinn.
The shopkeeper smiled at Rachel when she came over. "She's good with a guitar," he said as he took the book from her to ring her out.
"She is indeed," she smiled with an agreeable nod. "In fact, if you would be so good as to add the instrument she was playing to my bill with a case, I would deeply appreciate it. Also, would it be possible to pick it up tomorrow night?"
"Of course. You two from out of town?" he asked as he moved from behind the counter and plucked the guitar quickly off the stand and brought it back behind the counter.
"Us three. Her girlfriend is outside." She nodded to where Santana had joined Quinn on the bench. "But yes, we're from Ohio originally. One last hurrah before college."
"Sounds fun." He smiled. "Your sister?" he asked as he showed Rachel the price for the guitar. "The guitar is about three hundred, but I'll knock it down to two thirty five and throw the case in for free... That guitar needs some love, she's been hiding in the shadows for far too long."
"Sister?" Rachel smiled at the dark head visible through the window. "Well, something like that. And I'm sure she'll give her plenty of care, sir. Thank you very kindly for the bargain though. I wasn't expecting it."
He smiled. "It's a perk of owning your own shop, you can give talented travelers deals." He smiled. "Plus, she looks like my daughter." He laughed softly. "Anyway, it will be ready for you whenever you come by tomorrow. I'm David, by the way. If I'm not here, my husband, Pascal will be here."
"Well, whichever of you are here, I look forward to returning tomorrow." She smiled, reaching out to shake his hand after signing off on the credit slip. "Thank you very much, David. I'm Rachel, by the way. Rachel Berry. And that's Santana whom you complimented out there with her girlfriend Quinn. It's been a real pleasure visiting your establishment and I'll be certain to direct anyone I know coming to this area to visit in the future."
"Enjoy Toronto!" He smiled, shaking her hand and bagging her book.
Santana covered Rachel's eyes as they rolled up in the cab outside of the theatre. She had paid the driver with one hand and smiled as Quinn got out and opened the door. "Okay... open them." She smiled and pulled her hand away as they got out of the cab.
Rachel opened her eyes suspiciously. "Santana, if this is some involved..." She trailed off, looking around with her jaw dropped. "W-what.... where?"
"I was reading your admissions package when I was staying with you and you had dance... they said your class will be doing this show. Since you have a small incoming class and all. Student acted and directed... so... when I say it was playing here..." She said nervously hoping Rachel liked it. She had seen that Ryerson University was putting on The Last 5 years and she knew that they had to go.
"S-santana, you... you..." She shook her head, looking at Santana in shock. "I can't believe anyone that's not my fathers put this much effort into something for me," she finally whispered in a tiny voice. "I... I have no words..."
"Happy Graduation." She smiled shyly. "I thought you should see the part since I know you'll get it."
She couldn't think of what to say so she just turned and flung her arms around Santana's neck with a happy squeak and hugged her tight. "Thank you," she whispered, burying her face in the crook of Santana's neck.
"My pleasure," she said as she hugged Rachel. "Let's get inside."
Quinn shook her head with a fond smile, helping Santana disengage from Rachel. "Come on, barnacle. Let off my girlfriend so we can go see your show."
Rachel let go with a soft grumble, but went along willingly enough as the two girls led her into the theater. "Best present ever," she murmured so only they could hear with a little smile on her face.
Santana smiled and handed them all the tickets and let the usher take them to their seats. She sat between Rachel and Quinn and reached over and rubbed Quinn's leg as Rachel excitedly explained the show to them.
Quinn yawned softly where she'd been reclining on the bed the next morning. Setting her book aside she smiled softly at Santana. "I think I'm going to take a nap before we go out tonight, okay?" she reached over and squeezed Santana's thigh. "You should go do something with Rachel. You don't have to keep me company when I'm passed out from my medications."
"Maybe," she said as she pulled the blanket over Quinn's legs. "Though, I love being around you," she said with a blush before leaning over and kissing her girlfriend. She pulled away. "Nope, not enough," she said softly and leaned in again and kissed her more fully.
She smiled up at her when Santana pulled away. "You're adorable," she whispered, reaching up to trace her fingers over Santana's cheek. "Go on, spend time with the hobbit so she doesn't think she's being some sort of obstacle or something else ridiculously dramatic."
"Get some rest," she said, leaning in to kiss her once more. "Call me if you need anything," she added as she got off the bed and turned off the lamp.
"I will." She smiled with a soft chuckle. "Go have fun with your mini-you."
Santana rolled her eyes and grabbed her purse and slipped into Rachel's room. "Hey-Hey. Q's tapping out for a few hours."
"Is she?" Rachel asked curiously, glancing up from her laptop where she'd been working at the table. "She's not feeling badly is she?"
"Just tired," Santana said as she flopped down on the bed. "Medications kicking her ass."
"Ah, well, that makes sense." She nodded, closing her laptop. "How can I help you, Santana?"
"I'm bored, entertain me," she said as she looked at Rachel with a smirk.
"And how do you suppose I shall do that?" she asked, leaning back in her chair.
"Yo no se." She shrugged. "Let's go to that mall down the road. Eaton Centre. Looks huge."
"Okay," Rachel agreed easily enough, reaching for her purse and throwing it over her shoulder. "Perhaps we'll find something to make you look even more visually stimulating than usual for your date tonight," she teased.
"Haha." She shook her head with a proud smirk. "I'm always hot."
"This is true," she agreed blithely, heading out of the room with Santana and locking the door behind them. "But I would think that tonight you would like to compliment your more subtly beautiful date as well as make her tongue tied, am I wrong?"
"Good point," she said as she punched the elevator button. "What do you think I should rock then?"
Rachel looked at her speculatively. "While I'm certainly no Kurt," she began slowly, "and my personal fashion choices have been pointed out as, um, somewhat questionable in the past... might I suggest a more... boyish look? You're gaining weight - which is an applaudable thing in and of itself - but you're still not quite at a weight where a more hyper-feminine style as I've seen you don in the past would be very flattering. But I think a slightly more masculine look may help to emphasize the curves you're regaining while being flattering to Quinn's more subdued style, don't you?"
"Sure," she said as she pulled her sunglasses over her eyes and headed down the road to the mall. "You liked the play?"
"I loved it, Santana!" She beamed happily up at her. "It was simply amazing. Thank you again so very, very much."
"My pleasure," Santana said, "It was good. Even Quinn liked it."
"In return, I intend to do my utmost to ensure you have her eyes fixed on you the entire night," Rachel nodded, her happy smile still firmly in place as they headed into the mall after a period of travel.
"So, how boy am I going?" she asked as they ducked into one of the first stores. She ran her fingers over some of the shirts. "I don't wanna look dumb."
"Not too boyish," she reassured her. "I'd hate to de-emphasize your femininity after all. Just a more masculine style. Shirt, slacks... perhaps a tie." She poked around a rack, "Maybe a vest or not, I'm not sure. But certainly non-heeled shoes so you can support Quinn more effectively if necessary in a dance. You are going to dance with her, right? I think she's missed that more than anything since the accident..."
"I'm gonna dance with her," she smiled, "I'm gonna wear my Converses, though. Tie sounds cool... I could be into that."
"Judging by some of Quinn's behaviors, she could be into that as well," Rachel murmured, ruffling through the tie rack until she found a thin, black silk tie. "What do you think of this?"
"Hey, hey... my lady knows what she likes." She smiled and took the tie. "I like this."
"I may not know an exceedingly large amount about popular fashion, but I do know black goes with anything." She smiled, pleased that her selection had been approved of. "So slacks and a shirt? Then perhaps a special gift for Quinn? I'd normally suggest flowers but that might be inappropriate considering our current transient nature."
She selected her tie and paid for it and headed towards another store with Rachel. "Like what?"
"A piece of jewelry perhaps? Or an article of clothing she could wear when she misses you?" she suggested, walking along beside her.
"Necklace... Quinn doesn't really like rings or bracelets." Santana thought as she moved into another store. She went to the dress shirts and looked through them. "White or a color?"
"White," Rachel nodded after a moment's thought. "She likes you for you, so don't downplay your beautiful tanned skin with a colored shirt. Maybe not bright white, but at least a pale color that doesn't wash you out."
"I like white," Santana stated as she plucked a couple styles off the rack. "What kind of pants... should I just wear my skinny black jeans?"
"As long as you're not going anywhere too formal, I think it'd look nice, don't you?" she smiled at Santana, cheered and happy to have her opinions on fashion seriously considered by the more fashionable girl.
"Yeah, I like that look." She nodded and pulled Rachel with her to the changing room. She went in and pulled off her t-shirt. She looked down at her sports bra. "Yeah... we need to go to Victoria Secret."
"Need to impress your girl?" Rachel asked softly, leaning against the wall. "I think I'll be buying a set of earplugs while you're out," she teased.
Santana blushed and pulled one of the shirts on. "I'm... not that loud," she said softly as she buttoned the shirt up.
"Perhaps," she smirked. "But I'd say you're not exceptionally quiet either and I have quite acute hearing. Also, Quinn is not that quiet either if graduation night is anything to go by."
"Oh, fuck." She blanched. "You really heard us?"
She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Santana. It's nothing to be ashamed of. You certainly never seemed ashamed when Brittany was involved - which is how I know you are less quiet than you think, by the way."
"Yeah... Well, Brittany has less inhabitions and she's kinda an exhbitionist," Santana said as she took that shirt off and tried on another.
"So? Quinn's aware I've overheard and she doesn't seem overly concerned," Rachel shrugged. "It's not like I'll deliberately walk in on you or anything of that nature. That is very much not something I'm inclined to do, Santana, please be assured."
"Alright," she said. "I'm just worried that Q's gonna be overwhelmed by the girl thing... it's different than dudes." She turned and looked in the mirror. "How's this?"
Rachel stepped forward and tugged the shirt slightly straighter. "It looks nice and I especially like this little tuck here." She slid her hands along her sides towards the top of her hips, observing the shirt critically. "it helps emphasize the flare of your hips quite nicely and doesn't hide your slim femininity at all." She stepped back with a smile.
"Then I'll get it," she said as she took it off and folded it and put it down on the bench before pulling her top back on. "So, what else do I need?" Santana asked as she left the cubicle and looked around.
"Besides Quinn's gift? Not over much unless you'd like a vest with your shirt or a hat," she gestured at the hat display.
"Oooh," she said as she headed to the hats and tried one on. It was a black panama style hat that she placed far back on her head. "I like this... just not for tonight. I need to get underwear too, remember."
"I can always get you your hat," Rachel teased. "And of course, you need underwear fit to be seen by a new lover."
"How do you know she'll be seeing it?" Santana teased as she picked up the hat and brought it over to the counter with her shirt.
"Oh, I have my ways," she smirked. "Something tells me I'll get my own room more often on this trip if this date goes well."
"Yeah, yeah... maybe, maybe not," she replied as she paid in cash for the items. "Alright," she said as she took her bag. "Time for panties." She smirked as exited the store and looked at the directory. "This way."
"I'm not going to get in trouble with your girlfriend by helping you with this am I?" she asked semi-seriously, a bit nervous about helping anyone shop for underwear.
"I don't really think I'm gonna try them on and show you," she stated as she turned into the disgustingly pink store. "I kinda know what I want anyway."
"Oh my word," Rachel gasped looking around. "What is this place? I haven't seen this much pink outside of the Barbie aisle at Target."
"Yeah, it's like a Pepto factory blew up on trashy panties," she said with a laugh, as she moved back to the larger less pink section. She moved over to a rack of lace bras and panties and looked through them.
Rachel followed, looking around in astonishment. "There doesn't seem to be much of anything besides undergarments here, Santana..."
"They got like sweatpants or whatever... but nah, this place is for underwear. I only buy sexy stuff here... the rest of my like everyday stuff is from Target."
"Oh," she murmured, glancing at a lacy camisole only to blush and put her hands in her pockets. "I've never felt the need for any of it I suppose."
"Not even when you were sleeping with Finn?" she asked as she picked up a red demi-bra that was more or less see through. Then she looked at the same in black.
Rachel shook her head with a wince at the bringing up of the topic of her ex-fiance. "It was only a few times and well, I don't think he would have noticed even if I had. It wasn't exactly something he was interested in after all. Clothes I mean."
"Sorry," Santana stated with a shrug. "You're hot, he's just stupid... but I should have known that he wouldn't be that observant. I just hoped he was better with you," she said softly. "You deserve that..."
"Well, I wouldn't really know not having anything to compare to." She smiled weakly. "But can we please not talk about him anymore?"
"Not a problem," she stated as she decided on the black bra and panty set. "Black or grey, you think?"
"Black," she replied, pointing at the set in Santana's left hand. "You're not a grey sort of person."
"I thought so, too," she said as she picked out her size and held them in her hand. "Do you need anything?"
Rachel blinked, confused. "Why would I need anything?"
"Cause sometimes you should look sexy for yourself," she shrugged as she walked through the store to the counter.
"That's fairly silly, Santana," she murmured, following her. "I don't spend much time looking at myself in a near state of undress after all. Nor do I understand why I would feel anything but some level of embarrassment from it..."
"Alright," Santana stated. "Some girls like to wear it and some don't." She paid for the set and put them in her bag. "Wanna go find my gimpy lover a present?"
"Certainly." She smiled, happy to let the subject drop. "I think I saw a small vintage shop on the way here we could try. You know how much Quinn adores vintage styles."
"She does," Santana said as she held the bag, "Thanks for helping me get clothing..."
"Of course," Rachel smiled up at her as they walked. "Isn't that a duty of a best friend? I admit to a certain level of surprise as to your agreeing to my suggestions, but I'm grateful for it."
"I don't really know what looks good on me anymore." She shrugged as she held the door open for Rachel as they left the mall and headed across the street. She followed Rachel silently for a while. "I'm excited for you to meet my sister, Rachel."
"Really?" she glanced at Santana shyly. "I believe that would be the first sibling of a friend I've ever met. Excluding Kurt and Finn, of course, as they really don't count as siblings."
"I've only really met her once myself, but yeah," Santana stated. "She's insane. Lots of energy, I think she's the only reason I'm letting Daniella into my life."
"For now," Rachel pointed out. "I'm sure you'll find other reasons to have her in your life over time should all go well. I admit to being excited to be allowed to meet her as well. Your sister that is. It must be an entirely novel feeling to have a sibling after all. I rather envy you."
"Well, yeah. You have Beth... but Shelby's a cunt so I doubt you'll be chilling with her anytime soon," she said as she slipped into the store and looked through the first aisle.
"No, I will not and I've never met Beth besides." She shrugged, looking around until she found the jewelry display. "I don't even know that's the child's name."
"Yeah... I kinda hate your biological mother, Rachel," Santana stated. "Not only did she fuck over you, she hurt my girlfriend and she abandoned my team and made us look like fools."
"I shouldn't say this out of loyalty to the New Directions, but," she took a breath, thumbing through the display of necklaces, "the Trouble Tones should have won. Your choreography was better as was your musical arrangement and direction and overall stage presence." She looked down. "We didn't deserve to win. Even if I'd been on stage with them. Especially after the way your - possibly not entirely - selfless but still very generous offer was handled."
"Yeah, we should have... I wished you and Q would have come over, too. It was fun... like actual fun and damn we even got Mercades to dance," she laughed as she ran her fingers over some of the items on the shelf.
"Congratulations on that," she teased. "What about these?" she asked, pointing at the necklaces.
She looked at the items and her eye got caught on an oval locket with a tiny ornate bird on the chain. It was a worn gold and she smiled as she held it in her hand. "This one."
"Oh, that's beautiful," Rachel breathed looking at it. "Does it open? It'd be perfect if it opened."
She flicked the hinge and showed Rachel the inside. "Yeah, this is perfect."
"You can put a picture inside." She smiled happily. "So you can always be with her. Oh, this is definitely perfect, Santana!"
"I'm gonna get it then we can go back to the hotel." She smiled and headed over to the counter and got it wrapped up. She held it in her hands as she met Rachel out front. "I'm starting to get nervous."
"There's no need to be," Rachel reassured her. "It's Quinn. You're playing to a favorable house, Santana. She already adores you. Just relax and be yourself."
"Yeah," she said. "I'd bring her flowers... but she doesn't really like them that much." She shrugged as she walked slowly, "Can I get ready in your room? So she can have ours?"
"Of course you can and it'd be impractical to bring something like flowers when we're travelling. Get her candy if you must offer a perishable, but I firmly believe the necklace will more than suffice."
She nodded. "Let's go see if she's awake." She smiled as she got into the elevator of their hotel.
She was nearly buzzing with excitement as she walked down the hall. She let Rachel into their room and saw the Quinn was still sleeping. Santana kicked off her shoes and slipped onto the bed with her girlfriend. She pressed light kisses to Quinn's face, she kissed her eyelids then her forehead and then down to her lips. "Baby," she whispered, "wake up."
"Hmm?" Quinn yawned, rubbing at her eyes before smiling up at Santana. "Hi, baby. What time is it?"
Rachel moved to her room via the adjoining door to give them some privacy and store the bags Santana had acquired.
"Like nearly four, you slept for three hours." Santana smiled and rested her hand on the girl's stomach. "Feeling better?"
She stretched, sitting up a bit. "Much. Did you have fun with the hobbit?"
"Mmhmm," she said as she reached up and played with Quinn's fingers, leaning up to kiss her softly, needing to be close to her.
Quinn hummed appreciatively into the kiss, reaching up with one hand to cup the back of her neck. "I do like kissing you," she breathed when they finally parted, a lazy smile on her lips. "Excited for our date?"
"Maybe," Santana said softly. "Yes," she added as she slid onto Quinn's lap. "Though, you look so beautiful, I'm almost okay with just staying here and kissing you all night."
"But you went to all the trouble of asking me out," she teased, her hands coming up to rest on Santana's hips. "It's our first real date, baby. Don't you want to take me out? We can," she licked her lips shyly, "come back to the kissing after all..."
"I wanna take you out," she said softly. "We can kiss when we get back," Santana agreed, as she ran her hands through Quinn's hair. "You wanna start getting ready? You can have this room... I'll go in Rachel's."
"You trust her to help you get ready for our big date?" she teased gently. "Wow, you two must have bonded. How long was I asleep again?"
"Shut up, you. I was actually gonna see if you wanted her to help you out." Santana told her softly. "I know you might need a hand..."
"So which is it?" Quinn asked with a softly teasing smile, playing with Santana's fingers. "Do you want her to help me or calm your nerves?"
"I wanna not worry about you getting hurt, so I think maybe spending some time with her and letting her help you would be cool." Santana smiled. "Plus, this way I can get all sexy for you."
"You already are all sexy for me," she growled softly, nipping at her lower lip. "But if it makes you feel better, I'll let her help."
Santana leaned forward and kissed her girlfriend deeply. "I like when you two get along," she said as she ran her hand down the girl's chest, lightly brushing over Quinn's breasts. "If you're good," she whispered leaning over and sucking gently on her earlobe, "I'll thank you later tonight."
Quinn raised a brow with a smirk. "Don't you mean if you're good? Cause then I might let you."
"Maybe I'll just handle myself if you don't let me play with you," She pouted before smiling at Quinn. "Your choice, beautiful."
"You're right," she murmured with a knowing smirk, trailing a finger along Santana's neckline. "It is my choice, but playing with yourself isn't an option, babe. I say when that happens if you want me in charge."
Santana shuddered and watched Quinn. "You're right," she said softly. "Your choice... if you want it," she said as she bit her lip and willingly gave all the control over tonight to Quinn in regards to their sexual progress.
"I want it," she whispered, smirking at Santana as she ran the tip of her tongue over her lip. "Guess we'll see how tonight goes to see how I'll decide."
"Okay," Santana said, her eyes black with want. "We should get cleaned up for the date," she said before sliding off the bed onto weak legs. "I'm gonna shower..." she mumbled as she grabbed her toiletries bag and slipped into Rachel's room.
"Remember," she called out, "no fooling around." Rachel stepped into the room uncertainly looking shocked. "Hi, Rachel."
"Um, hi?" Rachel squeaked nervously, having overheard more of the conversation that she'd really wanted to. "Um... Santana said you wanted some help?"
Santana held the door open for Quinn after having an intimate dinner in a small Thai restaurant in Toronto's gay district, Church Street. She noticed the influx of people on the street since they had gone in. "You do look amazing, Quinn," she remarked as she watched her lover's dark blue sundress flutter with a gust of night wind. "Do... do you want to go up to this bar thing... We can dance for a bit if you want?"
"I'd love to dance with you," Quinn smiled, reaching to take her hand as they walked down the street.
"The place is a few blocks up," she said as she hesitated before taking Quinn's hand, looking around to make sure no one was paying attention to them as they walked.
"Santana," Quinn stopped walking at the hesitation. "Look around please. Everyone here is gay or friendly. No one cares we're out together. Stop being so afraid for one night please?"
"Sorry..." Santana mumbled as she stopped walking, "Just think people will stare like they did back home."
"No one will stare because they're busy with their own lives." She sighed, "Baby, I could kiss you right now and most of these people won't even care. The ones that do will be like Puck and wanna watch."
"Maybe." Santana sighed. "Sorry, I'll work on it."
"Don't work on it," she muttered, grabbing a handful of her shirt and pushing her back against the wall. "Just do it." And with that she pressed her body full along Santana's and kissed her with as much possessive, lustful passion as she could summon up.
Santana groaned, her body arching into Quinn's. She kissed her back, forgetting they were in public, forgetting they were on a busy street.
Quinn continued kissing her for a long moment before pulling back to smile at her with dark eyes. "Still worried?" she asked softly, her grip relaxing from Santana's shirt as her fingers smoothed out the wrinkles she'd created.
"What?" Santana asked as she looked at Quinn dazed.
She laughed, taking her arm. "I'll take that as a no." Smirking, she tugged her away from the wall and headed towards the bar. "Ready to dance with me?"
"Uh-huh," Santana mumbled as they got to the door.
They showed their IDs - Santana's fake to hide that she was younger than Quinn - and slipped in. It was a mixed crowd, older gays, women, straight couples all wrapped in each other's arms. "Do you want something to drink?" she asked as she played with Q's fingers.
"Not really," she smiled down at their joined hands. "I would like to dance with you though. If you're up for it..."
"I can do that," she stated before tugging Quinn over to a section if the floor and wrapping her arms around the girl's neck, "How's that?"
"Good," she whispered, shuffling closer to lean on Santana slightly. Her arms wrapped around her waist, wrists crossing loosely at the small of her back. "I've had a really nice time tonight, Santana."
"I did too," Santana stated and held Quinn close. "I thought after everything, dating you might be strange for us... but it's not."
"Why would it be strange?" she asked, looking down at Santana curiously. "We've wanted this for a while, haven't we? It shouldn't feel strange."
"I don't know," she stated. "For forever I just kinda thought it would never happen because you were straight... or didn't think about me like that."
"Guess I'm not as straight as we thought," she teased with a tiny smile. "Berry says sexuality's fluid and can change... maybe you changed me."
Santana smiled. "Maybe," she said as she kissed Quinn softly. "Maybe, you were just super gay and forgot to tell me."
"Nope," Quinn laughed, moving with Santana as they danced, their bodies lightly brushing. "I think I just saw you and lost interest in guys. You're just too beautiful."
She laughed, "Right," Santana stated and rolled her eyes. "You're insane."
"You like it," she smirked, her fingers stroking over the small of Santana's back through her shirt. "You look amazing tonight. Did I tell you that?"
"You tried, but you were drooling a bit too much," Santana teased as she stroked the back of Quinn's neck with her fingers.
"Do you blame me?" she teased, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "I wanted to do very naughty things to you when I first saw you dressed like this." She let a hand run up to tug gently at her tie. "I especially liked this."
"Do you?" she asked. "That's good to know...."
"Is it?" she whispered, watching her with a knowing little smile. "I think I like dancing with you, baby. I'm glad I waited to go out with you until I could."
"Me too, I think that you have good ideas," she said softly as she leaned over and pressed a kiss to Quinn's neck.
She shivered at the kiss. "Trying to influence me to decide in your favor?" she breathed in the ear by her lips. "It's working."
"I think either way this ends is in my favor," she pointed out. "As long as you are there will me."
"That is incredibly sweet." Quinn grinned. "And not really hurting your chances. Do we want to stay here all night?" she asked softly, watching Santana as they danced. "Or head back before I get tired?"
"I think head back, that way I can tire you out in other ways," Santana winked as she took Quinn's hands and lead her back out onto the street. Silently, she walked slowly with her girlfriend down the street back towards the hotel, hand in hand.