Fic: The World is a Stage - Part 17/?
Title: The World is a Stage 17/?
Author: agentb81
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Brittany/Santana, Brittany/OC
Rating: 15 - R
Word Count: 3750
Disclaimer: Glee is copyrighted and belongs to Ryan Murphy and Fox. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Use of other personalities is not a reflection of their real lives and is completely fictional.
Summary: Sort of AU/Future fic, the lives of Santana and Brittany in their early twenties.
Spoilers: References to Season 1.
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 / Part 13 / Part 14 / Part 15 / Part 16
Ow my head. I’ll just move a little, ow my stomach, what the hell? It’s all dark in here. Am I blind? I can’t see anything. I can hear a noise, what is that? It’s like a beeping, yeah it is, it’s beeping. Ok that’s weird. Am I dreaming, oh no, I haven’t been abducted by aliens again have I? I could really do without that. They really messed me up the last time. My eyes feel heavy. Oh maybe my eyes are closed. I can hear something else, is that, is that snoring? It’s not really bad snoring like Bryan’s snoring, it’s like a light snoring, just a bit heavy breathing I guess, just like Santana used to. Santana. Oh Santana, and Bryan and why is my life such a mess? And why are my eyes still closed and why can’t I move? And my whole body hurts. I need to open my eyes, I need to see what’s going on. Hold on. I remember a bit. Mom and Santana and voices. And Santana. Is Santana here?
“Santana?” Oh that didn’t sound too good. My mouth is all dry and my throat hurts. I’m so tired. Ok here goes, did they glue my eyes closed or what? And stretch, ok, a bit of light, it’s fuzzy, but now I know my eyes were closed, I’m not blind, at least I don’t think so. Let’s try a bit more. Ok yeah, that’s good, they’re open right? My eyes are open? There’s light I can see light. There’s a shape I can see a dark person shaped shape. Who is that? There’s another one. Oh this is just like when the aliens took me. I don’t want them to be aliens. Oh now see I’m crying, like a baby, I can’t show weakness. I will not cry. Oh I’m crying. I just want Santana to hold me and tell me everything is going to be alright.
“Santana.” Wow my voice sounds really different. Wait didn’t I say that already?
“I’m here Brittany.” Ohmygod, ohmygod.
“Santana?” Oh jeez, I’m crying again, I can’t see fudge through my watery eyes. I want to see Santana, go away tears, go away.
“Brittany, sweetheart, can you hear me?”
“Mom?” I know it’s her voice, I can feel her here. I miss my Mom so much when she’s not here.
“Take it easy pumpkin.”
“Daddy?” Oh now all the people I love are here. But something’s not right. I need to see properly, I’ll rub my eyes, oh wait. My hands feel like they are tied. I’ll just squeeze a bit. That feels like Santana’s warm hand. Oh yes, it’s Santana, no one else strokes my hand like that. Ok blink Brittany, blink. That’s better. Oh, it looks like . . . “Where am I?”
“You’re in hospital sweetie.” Mom, I can see my Mom, wow, she looks older since the last time I saw her. Not too much though, she’s still so beautiful. Speaking of beautiful, where is she? I’ll just move. Wow, there she is, my beautiful, beautiful Santana.
“San.” I’m smiling now, I can still feel the tears on my face, but she’s here, she’s with me, she’s holding my hand.
“Hey you.” I love her voice, it drives me insane, well I guess more insane than I already am, she just turns me to mush. I can’t believe she was out of my life for so long. Oh that feels nice, I love when she strokes my head, this is what dogs must feel like, they have the best lives. Where was I? Oh right Santana, I can’t wait till we can be together again. Oh crap, that’s right.
“Where’s Bryan?” Oh that didn’t go down well. Santana’s taking her hand away, she’s not looking at me anymore. She’s looking at my Dad. And now Dad’s looking at my Mom and Mom’s looking at Dad and Santana is getting up. No wait, San, don’t go. I don’t care about Bryan, I just . . . “San.” I say, my hand is reaching out. She’s turning around again. Ohmygod, what happened to her face. Ouchie, it hurts to frown, I feel like I have one hell of a hangover. “San.” I say it again and she’s coming closer again. She’s just about close enough so I make the extra effort, ow, ow, ow I’m stretching, ow goddamn that hurts like hell, I need to reach. There, I have her hand again. “Your face.” It’s all I can manage because my throat is still dry and sore.
“Do you need some water?” Santana asks me. I feel my head nodding. I’m not sure I told it to do that, but that’s what it’s doing. There’s Mom, in front of my face with a glass of water and a straw. She’s so cute. I love Mom. Oh that feels good, it’s nice and cold and my throat feels much better.
“Thanks Mom.” I smile at her, she looks worried, she has a funny look in her eyes and now she’s looking at Santana. Oh right, what happened to “your face.” I guess I spoke that last bit out loud because Santana’s got that funny look again. I hate that someone has hurt her. She’s always been so good at protecting me and now she’s hurt and I couldn’t be there to protect her. She’s looking at Dad again. Jeez, I’m not stupid, “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” Wow, I sound mean, and that was a lot of words.
What’s that pain in my stomach? Argh, that’s not good, not good. I must be making a lot of noise because suddenly there’s a nurse and a doctor and someone is playing with my drip and the doctor is looking at the clipboard and has a serious look on his face. There’s a lot I don’t know right now and it’s all so confusing. I’m looking at Santana, she keeps me calm, she’s looking at me too. I can see she is worried and scared. I don’t like my Santana looking like that. What if my parents have told her this is it, this is her last chance to see me because I’m married and Bryan is my husband and my future is with him? When they found out about us the last time they weren’t very nice. But something’s happened I can feel it. Santana is hurt and Bryan’s not here and the looks my Mom and Dad and Santana keep giving each other is giving me a headache. She’s still looking at me. I can hear the doctor umm-ing and arh-ing. I don’t feel too bad now. Actually I feel like I’m floating, I can’t feel the pain anymore, this is awesome. Oh Santana don’t look like that. I know Mom and Dad are here. I don’t care. “I love you.” I know I’m saying it as the words leave my mouth. Santana’s smiling a little and then a lot. Ohmygod, is she? Santana’s crying. Now I know I’m smiling, I made Santana cry. In a good way and it feels freaking awesome. Oh wait, I hope it’s not the drugs making me feel that? No it can’t be, Santana has always made me feel so magical. I’m holding out my hand, I miss her when she’s not touching me. Oh how miserable I felt all these years. Bryan just kinda temporarily filled the void, though no one could ever replace Santana, my beautiful Santana. I’m glad she doesn’t hate me, I wouldn’t blame her if she hated me. But now she loves me again. She’s holding my hand and her face is coming closer, I love those big brown eyes. I close my eyes when her lips touch my forehead. It’s the best medicine.
Crap. I think I fell asleep again. I feel better than the last time I woke up I know that for sure and I’m a lot less confused now. I’m in a hospital. My Mom and Dad and Santana are here, or were here anyway. Ok, let’s concentrate on the hospital bit. Think, think, what do I remember? I was dancing on the movie set. That’s right. I had some difficult moves, oh that’s right it was so funny, we all kinda fell over into a pile, everyone was laughing so hard. That was so funny. Mike was not laughing, that made us laugh harder. I was in such a good mood, I was so happy. I’m so glad I went to see Santana on the way to work this morning, I knew I wouldn’t see her at work so I just had to drop in and say hey and then she surprised me with breakfast on the beach that was so sweet. I can still see the look in her eyes when I told her I loved her and then she told me she loved me too and the sun was rising and it was just perfect except we couldn’t touch each other, not how we wanted to anyway. I know I said we had to stay away from each other while I sorted things out with Bryan, but I couldn’t. Every day he was making it impossible to care for him, it took a lot, but I realised he was an ass. Santana tried so hard to be my friend and support our marriage and I truly love her for that, but me and Santana, we’re Brittany and Santana, I knew I still loved her and I think I knew she loved me and when it all came out again, I felt stuck but I knew I had to do something. Bryan kissing Rachel was the perfect excuse, he really didn’t care about my feelings, he never asked me what I thought and what I wanted and Santana did, she’s the most selfless person I know. With me anyway. Oh she makes me laugh how she is with other people. Anyway where was I? Once I decided I wanted Santana, I just couldn’t keep away from her, I couldn’t not touch her, not tell her I loved her. And now, now I’m aching to give all of myself to her, though I think it might be a while yet, damn I hurt so bad. Oh right. I was dancing again, we got back into the routine and my stomach hurt like hell so I had to sit down for a bit. I tried to shrug it off, I’ve danced through pain before. But then I stood up and now I don’t remember anything. Just that I’m here. Oh right, still here, guess I should open my eyes again right? Oh yeah, good choice, there’s my sleeping beauty. I just want to touch, her hair feels so good, I love how my fingers feel in her hair. My life should just be so simple. It used to be. But now it’s not.
-
She stirred a little, was slightly confused and dazed, she had been dozing in a light sleep although enough to dream. It had started on the beach where they had been that morning, only this time they were happy and carefree, running around, chasing one another, rolling around play fighting in the sand, it was perfect. As Brittany had leaned in for a kiss, she felt a softness in her hair, a slight massage of her scalp, it had felt too real to be a dream anymore. She groaned slightly as she lifted her heavy head, the painkillers from earlier wearing off, her head was beginning to throb once again, the cut to her brow stung. She sighed as the fingers worked the tension away. Santana lifted her head, she winced at the light before her eyes softened when they landed on a smiling Brittany.
“Hey.” Santana said with a yawn.
“Hey.” Brittany repeated.
“I was just dreaming of you.” The brunette blushed.
“Really?”
“Yeah.” Santana said without elaborating. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been hit in the stomach with a battering ram.” Brittany giggled as she pictured herself in that situation. Santana smiled, knowing exactly what was going through the blonde’s head.
“You’ve been through quite an ordeal.”
“What happened?” Brittany asked. “I just remember the pain in my tummy and then nothing.” She explained.
“Your spleen ruptured Brit.” Santana began, she took a deep breath before continuing, “They took you into theatre, they had to operate to fix it.” The brunette’s tone shifted, she readjusted her position in the seat and took Brittany’s hand with the two of hers and held it tightly.
“They fixed it right?” Brittany asked, wary of the sadness on Santana’s face. A stray tear escaped from the sad brown eyes before her.
“Yeah Brit, they fixed it.” Santana smiled.
“But why are you sad?” the blonde asked innocently.
“When you were in theatre, your heart stopped beating.” The Latina said slowly, struggling with her words.
“Why?” Brittany asked, her bottom lip quivering.
“I guess there were complications, but they fixed you Brit, you need to rest and heal. You’re going to be ok.” Santana explained.
“I don’t get it.” Brittany stated simply.
“What don’t you get?” Santana asked, her eyes fixed on the confusion dancing in the blue eyes before her.
“Why my heart stopped beating. It beats for you. I love you.” The blonde revealed with a simple, honest vulnerability. Santana sighed heavily absorbing the dancer’s words, more tears escaped. Brittany could tell the brunette was becoming frustrated with herself. If there was one thing she hated, it was crying. Santana had always loathed showing any kind of weakness, although here, with Brittany, she was more frustrated that the words were on the tip of her tongue yet the emotions had completely taken over. She hadn’t felt such raw emotions in years and it was terribly difficult for Santana deal with everything in one blow. So she dealt with it the best way she knew how. To her actions more often than not spoke louder than words. The Latina stood from the chair, and sat on the edge of the bed facing the blonde. She leant forward and traced her fingers lightly over Brittany’s pale yet soft skin. She drew closer, her lips gravitating towards the blonde’s. Brittany closed her eyes in anticipation, Santana too was compelled to close her eyes and enjoy the moment. It was light and soft at first, the brunette wary of the patient. Brittany took a hold of Santana’s shirt and pulled her closer and moaned as the Latina stroked her tongue along her lips. Brittany opened her mouth, inviting Santana to kiss her further, at which she obliged. The kiss was incredibly sweet and caring, Santana had been stunned and somewhat shaken following the revelations of Brittany’s fate in the operating room and now poured everything she had into the kiss. It seemed to be the norm for her these days, not knowing when she will be able to kiss Brittany again. The blonde had professed her love for the actress in front of her parents, she may have not been aware she was doing it, but it had meant the world to Santana and had insisted on staying at Brittany’s bedside when it had gotten late and Valerie and Ray had decided to go to a nearby hotel to get some rest and freshen up after their long journey and hours of waiting in the hospital. The brunette was completely immersed in the moment. She was shaken from her reverie when she heard a sharp intake of breath from the blonde beneath her. She pulled away quickly and studied Brittany’s face.
“Are you ok? Did I hurt you?”
“No.” Brittany said quickly, “I just, that was like wow, but I’m so uncomfortable.” She admitted wiggling to find a more comfortable position.
“Do you want to sit up more? Do you want another pillow? Oh wait, use this, this is so cool Brit.” Santana picked up a remote control for the bed and explained what each of the buttons did.
“I can’t remember what you just said.” Brittany stated. Santana smiled widely, her Brittany was back. “Santana?”
“Yes honey?” Santana said, she had placed herself back into the chair beside the bed.
“Where’s Bryan?”
“Your Dad made him leave.” Santana stated.
“He was here?” Brittany asked. “What happened?” Santana sighed, it was a long story but she knew Brittany would have to hear it at some point and thought it would be better coming from her.
“Brit,” Santana sighed, laying a hand on top of Brittany’s. “Bryan has been sleeping with Rachel - full on cheating since Rachel’s birthday. I’m sorry.” Santana sat patiently as she watched the emotions pass over the dancer’s face. It was some time before she attempted to speak, having absorbed the information.
“Are you sorry?”
“I’m sorry because you tried so hard to make it work and you trusted him and he abused that and treated you so badly.” Santana answered truthfully.
“I’m going to file for divorce.” Brittany said. Santana couldn’t help the smile that plastered across her face.
“He told us he still wants you. He told Berry that he loves her.” Santana said.
“She can have him.” Brittany said. “When I woke up, all I could think about was you and my Mom and Dad. I nearly died and I would have died being Bryan’s wife. I don’t want that. I want to be yours San, I want you to be with me for the rest of my life. If you’ll have me of course.” She said.
“Of course.” Santana said with a large bright smile. “Of course I’ll have you, you know that, I love you so much.”
“Don’t cry again.” Brittany ordered. “It hurts to laugh.” She said deadpan.
“Hey!” Santana swatted at the blonde.
“You didn’t tell me what happened to your face. I don’t like that you’re hurt.”
“It’s not easy for me seeing you in that bed either Brit.” The Latina retorted.
“It was Bryan wasn’t it? Did he find out about us?” the blonde asked worried.
“Rachel told him about our relationship in High School.” She explained. “I dread to think what he would do if he found out we fell in love again behind his back.” The Latina snorted.
“Are you going to press charges?” Brittany asked.
“I don’t know.” Santana answered.
“You should, he shouldn’t get away with that.”
“And what about me? I hit him before remember?” exclaimed Santana.
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about, it was like, ages ago and he hasn’t reported it. Besides, I don’t think he’ll have any witnesses.” Brittany winked.
“You’re adorable.” Santana concluded as there was a knock at the door. “Come in.” Santana yelled.
There was a hesitation before the door opened. Both girls had their eyes trained on the door to see who would appear. Valerie popped her head around the door, a smile spread across her face when she saw Brittany was now awake. She walked in, Ray following, although he hovered near the door.
“Mom, Dad!” exclaimed Brittany, happy to see her parents.
“Hey sweetheart,” Valerie said as she leaned over and kissed Brittany’s cheek. “How long have you been awake?” Brittany shrugged and looked at Santana.
“Bout half an hour?” Santana asked, also with a shrug.
“How are you feeling sugar?” Valerie asked, her hand placed on the blonde’s forehead, feeling her temperature.
“I’m sore, but ok.” Brittany said with a smile.
“Oh, so you haven’t told her yet?” Valerie turned her attention to Santana.
“She told me about Bryan Mom.” Brittany replied. “I kinda had a feeling, Santana caught them kissing a few weeks ago but he swore to me that was all it was.”
“You don’t seem very upset.” Valerie noted through narrow eyes. Brittany shrugged and looked over to her father who was standing nervously in the corner.
“What’s up with you Dad?” Brittany asked.
“I err, Bryan’s here, he wants to see you.” Ray answered. Brittany looked at Santana who gave a slight nod in agreement.
“Ok, let him in.” Brittany said. Santana didn’t move from her side, her mother was placed the other side of the bed, Ray moved further into the room and Bryan followed him. ‘Nice to see someone had time to go home, wash and change’ Santana thought to herself, her arms instinctively crossed her chest, her eyes narrowed, waiting for the tripe that was about to spill from his mouth.
“Brittany.” Bryan addressed the blonde. “How are you?”
“I’ve just had a major operation, practically died and found out my husband has been sleeping with a dwarf behind my back, how do you think I am?” Santana had to keep herself from laughing at the blonde’s insult of Rachel. Instead she let out a deep breath and continued to stare her friend’s husband down.
“Brit I’m sorry, I’m really sorry, we can get passed this.” He as good as begged.
“You hit Santana! Because of something that happened years ago.” Brittany challenged. “If I hadn’t have been with Santana then I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”
“Please Brittany, she hit me too remember?” Santana’s mouth gaped open in disbelief at Bryan’s words.
“You were making out with Rachel Berry.” Santana blasted.
“Why are you even here Santana? Huh?” Bryan snapped.
“Why do you want to be with me Bryan?” Brittany asked quickly, it was a great question Santana thought, she was intrigued what the answer would be. However, the voice she heard next was not Bryan’s.
“His parents promised to release a large amount of his inheritance upon the birth of their first child or their fifth wedding anniversary. Whichever came first.” Ray said from the back of the room. Three pairs of wide eyes looked first at Ray, and then at Bryan, darting backward and forward, everyone in the room waiting for someone, anyone to say something.