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wheresmynaya · 9 months

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Blame it on the Mistletoe Ch.5 | Brittana

A/N - Apologies for the delay, it's been a busy week for me! I'm a tad behind so thanks for your sticking around. Hope you all have a lovely holiday celebrating it in the best way that brings you joy! I found title inspo from the song Blame it on the Mistletoe so make sure you blast it at some point!

If you're feeling generous and would like to show your appreciation a little differently this week, consider sending a coffee my way through Ko-Fi: wheresmynaya.

Thanks yall!

Available on ff.net (x) ao3 (x)

Four long days have gone by since Santana last saw Brittany at the Understudy. It's not that she's actively avoiding her – okay maybe she is. What she did with the waffles that night was meant to be a big fuck you but really, it awakened something entirely different. It reminded her of little tricks they would play on each other, tricks that would lead to stolen kisses in the walk-in or quickies in the backseat of Brittany's car. It's exactly why she needs to keep her distance. For them, there's a very fine line between doing petty things to irk the other person and flirting.

The whole reasons Santana and Brittany even started talking was because Brittany would secretly move all of Santana's prep to the top shelf where she knew Santana couldn't reach. It was supposed to be her way of getting Santana to ask her for help because she had this crush. It went on for weeks, Santana would get so pissed about it – threatening every other line chef except Brittany since she was too innocent to do such a thing. Brittany thought it was hilarious until she caught Santana scaling the wire shelving trying to get things down herself. She nearly plummeted to her death from the two-foot drop if it wasn't for Brittany being in the right place at the right time.

From then on, they did little things to get back at each other – nothing ever too serious because it was all about the teasing. It became their love language and Santana knows from personal experience how easy it is to fall into that pattern with her again.

Scary thing is that she is starting to want to.

For good measure, Santana avoids Market Days since they seem to be a hotspot for them and instead sends Quinn in her place. Miss Maggie isn't happy about it, but she still sends Quinn back to the restaurant with a little treat in hopes it'll entice Santana to venture out.

It's tempting, but Santana stays put. She can't go jumping into things just because she misses being with Brittany. For all she knows, it might be the holidays playing with her head. If only there was some sign that could point her in the right direction!

"Hey Santana," Rachel greets as she enters the kitchen. "There's a VIP out here wanting to see you."

Santana grumbles to herself; this isn't the kind of sign she was talking about.

"Stop calling Brittany a VIP."

"She's not – "

"Rachel, I don't want to see her." Santana turns her back on Rachel in favor of continuing her last few checks before service starts. She'd be lying if she said her heart didn't race a little knowing Brittany was out there though.

"I'll let her know then," Rachel says before heading back out to the front of house. The peace lasts for less than a minute before Rachel returns. "Sorry Santana, she's insisting."

"So am I!" Santana snaps as she whirls around. "Service starts in twenty minutes and we have actual VIPs booked in tonight. One of them could be a reviewer so I don't have time for this!"

Rachel lifts her hands in defense and backs away slowly. "Okay, I'll let her know."

"Thank you." Santana returns to the Pass and continues her work in silence. She can feel her crew's eyes on her but she ignores it so she can focus.

"Hey, you can't go back there!" It's Rachel's voice followed by the sound of the doors being slammed open again.

Santana looks up worriedly only to find Chef Holly Holliday is the one busting through the doors with Rachel close behind.

"This how you treat your beloved mentor?" Holly asks through a smirk. "Where's my welcome wagon?"

"Shit. Sorry, Chef." Santana scrambles to meet Holly halfway.

"See?" Rachel argues. "I told you it wasn't Brittany."

"You did not say that," Santana counters. "You said it was a VIP."

"Am I not?" Holly asks.

"You are, we're just on high alert right now," Santana explains.

"I will return to the host stand then," Rachel grumbles. "Lovely to meet you, Chef Holliday."

Santana lets out a deep sigh, feeling only somewhat more relaxed now that she realizes the VIP was actually Holly.

"Damn, busy night? Why are you so tense?" Holly asks as she goes in for a hug. "You love pressure cookers like this."

"I do, normally. There's a lot of buzz around the new menu but it seems like everyone is trying to throw me off my game," Santana explains. "It's hard to stay focused when personal life keeps finding its way in."

"You mean Brittany?" Holly asks. "You two still haven't squashed things yet?"

"It's complicated."

"You guys didn't seem to have any trouble uncomplicating it at the awards ceremony," Holly jokes. "Being around you two like that, it was like no time had passed at all!"

Santana remembers the night well, how she and Brittany easily reconnected…in more ways than one. She remembers thinking how easy it was to pick up from where they left off, how for a brief moment she could forgive her for leaving and maybe they could move past it.

But then the news about the restaurant broke and the happy bubble burst and she's been struggling to adjust since then. Meanwhile, Brittany can just offer jobs and give all the right kind of feedback on her menu without any remorse? Not a chance, no matter how charming she can be!

"What brings you all the way out here?" Santana asks, avoiding the topic of Brittany.

"Just making my rounds before the New Year. Pop-Up's is slammed with catering events but I was in the area. I thought I'd check on my girls while I'm here," Holly answers. "Although, I thought you two would've been back together already so I could make this trip a two for one."

"Well, we are definitely not together."

"Why the hell not?"

"Like I said, it's complicated."

"Is this about the restaurant?"

"I don't know, maybe?" Santana pulls Holly aside, moving further away from the line chefs so they don't overhear. "Do we really need to talk about this now?"

"Uh yeah, we do," Holly replies like it's obvious. "How are you still mad about that, I thought you'd be happy for her?"

"You clearly don't know me very well," Santana quips.

"Come on, you know she would've told you about it sooner if she could."

"So why didn't she?"

Holly tilts her head to the side, looking confused.

"We told each other everything. She wasn't just my girlfriend; she was my best friend. How could she keep so much from me?" Santana takes a settling breath to calm herself down. "I'm not sure I even know how to move past this, what she did hurt."

"Oh I know it did, honeybun. And I mean, if you have already talked things out and heard Brittany's side of the story then there's not much else you can do," Holly explains. "Time will have to fix the rest, I guess?"

Santana looks around guiltily.

Holly picks up on it instantly. "What?"

"We haven't actually talked. I mean, we have – just not in depth."

"Seriously?" Holly quirks a brow. "So you don't know anything about her job or her psychotic boss?"

Santana gulps. "No?"

"Girl…you two need to talk! Actually no, you need to let her talk. It's no wonder you're still holding a grudge!"

"I don't hold grudges," Santana grumbles. "I don't know why people keep saying that."

"Because you do," Holly laughs. "God, this makes so much sense now! I didn't think you would actually write Britt off for what she had to do."

"What did she have to do?"

"That is not my story to tell," Holly replies. "Look, I won't keep you because I'm getting hungry and you need to get back to work but listen up – make some time for her."

Santana scoffs. "Yeah, I don't think we're even on speaking terms right now."

"Just try," Holly tells her. "Resist the urge to be a stubborn pain in the ass that you love being. Now I'm gonna love you and leave you." Holly steps forward to give Santana one last hug. "Knock'em dead tonight, Sweet Cheeks."

Santana spends the rest of service thinking about what Holly said. It's the first she has heard of a psychotic boss so her interest is piqued. What she seems to be having trouble with is finding the time to talk to Brittany.

Or rather, making the time to do it – her pride involved afterall so she isn't really rushing to reach out and find out she has misunderstood this whole thing. She already feels like an ass for how things went down the other night.

Two days later, Santana is going through the deliveries ensuring everything that was ordered actually turned up. It's a small load today so it takes her no time at all to process everything. With the extra free time, she decides to get a jump on breaking down the lobsters for tonight.

"Sorry to interrupt you, Chef." Santana looks up to find the kitchen gardener, Joe, lingering at the back exit of the kitchen. "There's a strange woman out here rooting through the garden."

"Okay? Why are you telling me this? Get rid of her."

"I tried."

"Try harder?"

"I can't. She said she's looking for someone you've kidnapped."

"Kidnapped? What the hell?"

"I don't know," Joe looks around worriedly. "Do you think I should call the sheriff?"

"Please, Snixx will handle this," She says as she puts down her knife and pulls off her apron.

"Snixx?"

"Don't worry about it." Santana brushes him off. "Where's she at?"

Joe leads the way outside while Santana stomps the whole way behind him. She expected this type of interruption in the city because there are all walks of life out there, but here? This is the country. Everyone knows everyone and the little shit-head kids don't have the balls to mess with her so what the hell is going on?

"She's in there." Joe points to his shed.

Santana can hear the rummaging around and for a split second, she wonders if she should've brought some type of weapon to defend herself with. Snixx is prone to verbal takedowns, not so much the physical. But she's not backing down, so she looks around and grabs a nearby rake to wield instead.

"Okay, I'm going in," Santana says aloud.

"You want back up?"

"You couldn't even handle her on your own. You should probably sit this one out."

"Good call. I'll have my phone ready."

"Wonderful." Santana takes a deep breath and tightens her grip on the rake. She knocks the tip of the handle against the shed. "Yo! You've got five seconds to come out before I go all Lima Heights on your sorry – "

The door whips open and Santana's standing so close, she nearly gets hit with it. Thankfully, her awesome reflexes kick in and she's able to dodge the door.

"Have you lost your goddamn mind, lady?"

"What have you done with him?" Brittany accuses.

"Britt?" Santana's face screws up with confusion. "What are you doing in our shed?"

"You know why I'm here!" Brittany snaps. It's the angriest Santana has ever seen her. "I know I'm on your shit list right now, but you didn't have to take it out on PB."

"PB?" Santana sets down the rake. "I'm so lost right now…who or what is PB?"

"My pig!" Brittany explains. "You kidnapped my pig."

"Now why the hell would I want to do that?" Santana laughs but Brittany only glares back. "No seriously, why would I want your pig?"

"Because you do petty things when you're pissed," Brittany says. "You could've at least had the decency to send a ransom letter or something."

"Believe me, Britt. I didn't take your pig," Santana replies. "That is way too much work. Where would I even hide a pig here?"

"Spoken like a true thief," Brittany quips before returning to her search. "I've already found a clue so save your alibi for the judge."

Santana's flabbergasted.

Meanwhile, Joe trails behind Brittany, fixing up all the pots and bags of soil she has upturned on her hunt for said clues. Santana's at a loss as she watches Brittany continue her hunt. It's like watching a car accident, she can't look away.

"Okay Britt, stop." Santana finally says when she starts heading for the firewood shed. At first Brittany brushes her off and keeps walking but Santana tugs on her jacket to get her to stop.

"Why on Earth would I still a pig?" Santana asks. "Is he meant to be a special on your menu or something?"

"No way! PB isn't just a pig, he's a friend," Brittany explains. "He came with the restaurant so he's like our mascot. He's also a great listener."

"I see." Santana sees that fearful look in her eye, she's actually pretty hurt about this.

"I'm supposed to take care of him," Brittany tells her. "Now he's gone and everyone's really worried."

"I can tell." Santana nods over to a couple tree stumps and gestures for Brittany to sit. "I honestly have nothing to do with the disappearance of your pig."

Brittany watches her for a moment before relaxing. "I believe you."

"Okay good because I cannot have you spreading rumors that I've kidnapped someone. People might think I've gone all Sweeny Todd."

"True. Although that would be pretty on brand for the Understudy," Brittany says through a tiny smile. It doesn't stay for long though. "I have to find him, San."

"Look I'm sure he's just taking a leisurely stroll through the countryside," Santana says optimistically. It seems so out of character for her to be the one to planting a seed of hope, that's usually Brittany's job, but she can tell she needs it. "Pigs roam, right? And we work in a beautiful area so it makes sense for him to do a little sight-seeing. Or maybe he's visiting his extended pig family, it is the holidays after all."

"Or he's been murdered."

Santana's jaw drops at Brittany's deadpan. "Let's not jump to conclusions."

Brittany hangs her head low. "Anything could've happened."

"That's right," Santana agrees. "But that doesn't necessarily mean the worst thing did."

Brittany only shrugs. "I guess. This is all my fault. I was the last one to see him…alive. I must've forgotten to lock the gate on my way out."

The way she looks so distraught and helpless, Santana would give anything to make it better – she's just not sure what that is. Well, she knows but kissing the worries away probably wouldn't go down so well considering she was just the number one suspect ten minutes ago.

But damn, does she want to give it a try anyway.

"I have to get back to work but I'll keep a lookout for PB," Santana tells her as she stands. She holds her hand out, waiting for a sulking Brittany to take it. "Come on, I'll walk you back."

The short walk back is spent in silence, but Santana can tell the gears in Brittany's head are working overtime. Who would've known she could be so stressed over a lost pig? She thinks about what Holly said too and wonders if this is the universe's sick way of forcing her and Brittany together. The last thing on Brittany's mind would be taping together the scraps of their relationship though.

"Let me know if you hear anything," Brittany says as they get to her car. "PB loves his veggies so keep an eye on your compost pile."

"I will," Santana says. "And you, don't go lurking in the Joe's shed anymore. I almost hit you over the head with a rake."

"I won't. I'm sorry for scaring him. I'm also sorry for accusing you."

"That's okay," Santana shrugs. "Things between us have been weird so I get why you'd think it was me. I wasn't very nice to you the last time you were here."

"I've seen you not play nice, that wasn't it."

"Oh, have I lost my touch?"

Brittany chuckles. "Maybe?"

"So you're saying should've gone with my gut and made you an eggs royale?"

"I was a little disappointed I didn't get to try your galette, but the waffles were very tasty – even if I despise them. I know you're capable of being way worse, so I'll take it." Brittany jokes. "But if you are looking to redeem yourself, I know a great place where you can."

Santana suddenly feels warm all over. This right here, this is why she needs to keep her distance! She feigns annoyance although she's sure a smile gives her away. "Don't say your restaurant."

"I wasn't going to but glad to know you're thinking of it still!"

Later that night, Santana ventures outside toting a bucket of veggie scraps. The chatter from the kitchen can be heard as the door hangs open in the breeze. There's enough light to illuminate a path and she peers around to make sure no ones watching before she sets the scrap bucket up on the tree stump she and Brittany sat on earlier.

"PB!" She calls out. "I have some of your favorites, I think? PB!"

She listens for any rustling or the telltale signs of a pig nearing, but nothing. She can't believe she's actually doing this as she calls out to him again. Even in the midst of their feuding and awkwardness, Santana's still wrapped around Brittany's finger.

Santana arrives to work later than usual a few days later in preparation for the weekly meeting she has with Kurt and Rachel. They talk about important stuff like sales and revenue and making sure Santana stays within her budget. It's draining but necessary; that doesn't keep Santana from dragging her feet to attend.

However, this time Rachel opens up the meeting with exciting news. She tells Santana that the Understudy will be hosting a huge Christmas event this year unlike any other and it's likely that it'll be a sellout thanks to the latest menu! Apparently they've teamed up with an awesome marketing team who are on top of their game and they're already receiving so many requests for a booking! It's great news for the business, even more so for Santana. Lately she's been feeling off, distracted by this pig thing and Brittany – it'll be nice to refocus her attention on her work.

"I can't wait to start the planning," Rachel beams. "I have so many ideas already!"

"Hang on, I thought we said we'll work on that together?" Kurt asks.

"Shouldn't someone who actually celebrates Christmas be in charge?" Santana chimes in.

"I'll have you both know that although I don't celebrate Christmas, I am excellent at throwing parties with a theme," Rachel explains.

"Who told you that and were they on your payroll?"

"Many people have said that to me, Santana and no they were not on my payroll. Also, while we're on the topic of holiday parties – you haven't rsvp'd to our staff party." Rachel passes Santana an ornate invitation, one she has thrown out several times because it keeps reappearing. "We really need to lock in numbers for the caterers."

"Oh sorry." Santana takes the paper and scribbles over the NO box then passes it back. "There you go."

"Santana, you've checked the wrong box."

"Pretty sure I didn't."

"What?" Kurt cries out when he spots the NO. "You have to come!"

"I need to stay focused, especially now that we have this Christmas event. We haven't even talked about the menu or seating times or what the number of bookings will be. There's a lot left to prepare."

"One party won't kill you," Kurt reasons.

"If Rachel's hosting, you never know. Remember how she tried poisoning me last time?"

"She did not," Kurt insists.

"That's right. You ate a bad oyster."

"Given to me by who?" Santana glares before pointing her finger at Rachel. "You."

"I swore it was a reputable supplier, I'm sorry!"

"You might as well get them from a grocery store," Santana complains. "I'm sure it'll be a fun night for everyone else though. I'm perfectly fine sitting this one out."

"You can't be alone on Christmas though," Kurt reasons. "That's just sad."

He has a point; outside of work, there's no one. It used to be Brittany before things went bad. She realizes this'll be the first Christmas they won't spend together and the thought actually pains her.

Santana always loved the holidays, especially Christmas. Not because of the presents or the shopping deals, she loved how the family always came together. She loved the special dishes her abuela would cook and how it felt catching up with her cousins. She loved the sense of belonging; she loved the warmth.

But living so far away from her actual family and being too busy with work to visit meant that Santana had to miss out on a lot. Thankfully, her family understands the nature of her job but still that melancholy feeling never truly goes away.

It wasn't until she and Brittany became a thing that the feeling began to return.

Despite the busy schedules and exhaustion, Brittany always found a way to sprinkle in the holiday magic. That was love, pure love. It may not be the same as being surrounded by a big family, but it didn't matter. Being surrounded by Brittany was enough.

When Santana thinks about it now, there's no reason they can't have that again. The only one standing in their way is her.

On the third night of PB's disappearance, Quinn goes out for a smoke break and catches Santana in the middle of an attempt at pig-calling. Quinn nearly wets herself with laughter meanwhile Santana is pulling out every excuse in the book to explain what she's doing.

Ultimately, she really can't talk her way out of it and ends up telling Quinn about Brittany and how distraught she is over this pig.

"Okay, so you're back together?" Quinn asks.

"No, we're not back together. I'm just helping a friend."

"Friend? I thought she was your competitor?"

"Por qué no los dos? I don't know!"

Quinn smirks at Santana's obvious floundering as she takes a drag of her cigarette. "You must care a lot about her if you're out here in the middle of the night, cold, missing family meal."

Santana only crosses her arms. "Are you going to help me or just stand there and judge?"

"I'm perfectly fine here, Chef. Thank you."

"Come on, you're already here. You might as well do something useful," Santana complains. "You grew up on a farm. What am I doing wrong?"

"It was a lemon orchard," Quinn corrects. "We didn't have pigs so I have no idea. Pretty sure the oinking you were doing before isn't it though."

"I was not oinking."

"Sounded like it. I have a recording if you want to see?" Quinn starts to take out her phone.

"No you don't," Santana scrambles to see. "Delete it right now!"

Turns out Quinn's full of shit when Santana finds there isn't actually a video of her calling out to PB.

"Should've seen your face!" Quinn laughs. "Priceless."

"You suck so bad, Quinn Fabray."

Despite Santana solely spearheading the search party, Rachel is the one who actually finds PB early the following morning. Santana's barely awake to register the news although Rachel's practically screaming down the line at her to come help.

"I cannot have this, Santana! Our work Christmas party is tonight and I cannot have a pig in attendance! That's just absurd and unhygienic! You need to come help us get rid of it right now!"

In any other circumstance, what the hell was Santana going to do about a pig running amuck in the kitchen garden and why was the first person Rachel thought to call her?

When she arrives onsite, Rachel and Kurt stand with Joe on the outskirts of the garden watching who she assumes is PB rolling around in veg scraps. Rachel and Kurt look like they're seconds away from pulling their hair out while Joe looks around confused.

"Has anyone called Brittany?" Santana asks as she joins the group.

"Why would we call Brittany?" Rachel asks. "This is a pig."

"I don't know, you called me and it's not like I'm a pig wrangler," Santana mutters. "I think he belongs to her though."

"How were we supposed to know that?" Kurt asks. "It's not like he's wearing a collar."

"Actually, I think he is." Joe points to the pig's neck and sure enough, there is one.

"I can't believe I got out of bed for this," Santana groans. "None of you could've spotted that before waking me?"

"Sorry Santana," Rachel says.

"You should be. Now one of you can call Brittany and tell her to come get her pet so I can go back to bed."

"Aren't you two friends?" Kurt asks. "Why don't you call her?"

"No way, we're – " Santana is quick to shut him down but finds herself pausing.

She's nowhere near ready to face the day yet, let alone Brittany. But on the other hand…She's spent nearly a week secretly looking for this pig and now that she's found him, it would make sense for her to finish the job and reunite him with his owner.

So what if her hair is a little messier than normal and what if her ratty old sleep shirt and shorts are the only things she's wearing under her heavy coat? It's not like she cares about how she looks if she's going to see Brittany, then again it's not like she hasn't seen her like this before?

"Fuck it." Santana suddenly makes up her mind. "I'll do it."

While Joe and company coaxed PB onto his trailer and have it hitched up to the work truck, Santana goes to her office to pick up a couple things where she then paced the room wondering why the hell she offered to see Brittany alone.

Once upon a time, the thought of being alone with Brittany was the only thing that got her through a long shift. Now, she's riddled with nerves – the good kind or the bad, she's not sure. She spends the next ten minutes convincing herself that it's neither – this is purely a business transaction.

It's a short drive to Brittany's restaurant but it takes her twice as long with PB in the back. She's actually never been to the restaurant, she's only familiar with the raggedy old barn that used to be there, but as she pulls into the driveway, she's pleasantly surprised by what she sees.

What she can only assume is the raggedy old barn has been completely transformed! There's still the rustic charm associated with being out in the country, the weathered wood and brick, but new iron accents elevate it into something more contemporary. From the outside, the place looks amazing!

"Santana?" Brittany calls out as she comes around the side of the building. She's wearing that familiar beanie again and the tips of her nose and cheeks are rosy from the chill. "What are you – oh my God, you found PB!"

She sprints over to the trailer and as Santana comes around. "He was rooting through our veg scraps. He scared the shit out of Rachel and Kurt."

"I told you he loves his vegetables!" Brittany replies as she gives the pig a loving pat on the side. When she looks at Santana, there's so much adoration in her eyes that it makes Santana want to start pacing again. "Thanks for bringing him home, Santana. I've been so worried."

"Yeah well, you should be thankful he was close by," Santana replies dismissively although the butterflies in her stomach flutter about. "Babe could've easily been roasting on an open fire by now."

Brittany gasps and does her best to cover PB's ears. "He can hear you!"

"Good! Maybe that'll scare him straight and he won't go wandering around anymore," Santana replies. "Seems like he's got a pretty good life here. Maybe he shouldn't fuck it up just because he feels like traveling."

Brittany side-eyes PB, ultimately agreeing with Santana. "I guess she's right. It's your lucky day, sir."

When PB bows his head, Santana starts to wonder if he really can understand what they're saying. Maybe it was just coincidence?

"Could you unlock the gate?" Brittany asks. "I'll get him back to his pen."

Santana nods and goes around to the tailgate. She can feel Brittany's eyes on her and that has her fumbling to get the latch undone. She blames her trembling hands on the cold though. Brittany goes off to unload PB from the trailer.

Thankfully Santana has to do minimal work. She's still only running on a few hours of sleep, no caffeine, and she was rudely awakened by Rachel of all people. It hasn't been a great start to her morning. Seeing Brittany so overcome with happiness because she's finally reunited with her piggy friend and Santana being the reason for that reunion might just make up for all that.

"What's PB stand for anyway?" Santana wonders. "Peanut Butter?"

"What's peanut butter have to do with a pig?" Brittany laughs as if she didn't once tell Santana she used to have a cat named Lord Tubbington when she was a kid.

"I don't know? That's the first thing that came to mind," Santana explains.

"It stands for Pork Butt," Brittany answers.

"Oh wow…"

Brittany only giggles as she guides PB around the building. After Brittany secures PB in his pen, she joins Santana over by the entry of the restaurant. Santana's staring up the at the sign – she hadn't known the name of Brittany's restaurant before today; she didn't want to purely out of stubbornness or spite. But now, she stares at the letters that form the word she and Brittany used to toss around together when they dreamed of opening their own place.

To see it now, come to life, and looking the way it does…Santana isn't sure how to feel and there's no time to dwell on it as Brittany returns.

"PB is safe and sound," Brittany says. "The only way he's getting out of there is if he learns to fly."

"Great. I'll head off then."

"Wait, don't you want to come in?" Brittany asks. The hope is unmissable, the same could be said about her sudden bashfulness. "This is your first time here, it's not how I planned it but you're here and I'd love to show you around."

Santana looks up at the wooden doors and it's oddly inviting – like she's being drawn in or tempted, probably tempted. Brittany's there batting her eyelashes, hope brimming. She can't deny that she's curious about the interior, wondering if it's just as aesthetic as the outside.

What color scheme did she go with? What type of tables and chairs? Is it an open concept? Does it look anything like what they used to daydream about together?

"You're calling it The Stix," Santana mentions.

"I thought it was fitting," Brittany replies. "We always talked about opening up a place off the beaten path, in the sticks. We wanted fine dining but make it feel like customers are at home for Sunday dinner. We wanted warmth and good food and we wanted to do it somewhere that deserves more recognition – like here."

Santana takes a deep breath. "But you named it The Stix. That was our name that we picked together. You did this without me."

"You were all I thought about when I did this," Brittany explains.

"And yet, you never thought to call me?"

"I couldn't!"

"You keep saying that…"

"Because it's true," Brittany explains. "Everything happened so quickly once I came back; I didn't have time to catch you up, all I could do was act fast or I'd miss the opportunity. I figured if you saw the name then you'd be just excited as me about this and you'd let me explain."

"I wouldn't really call this excitement, Britt." Santana frowns. "Look at this place, I would've loved doing this with you if you had given me the chance but you didn't. You told me about it once it was already done."

"It's still a work in progress."

"One that you're working on alone."

"I was bound by contract, Santana. I had to do everything alone!"

"Contract?" Santana drops further into confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, so now you want me to explain? After all this time?" Brittany shakes her head and laughs angrily. "You're unbelievable."

"Hang on, I'm not the one that's been keeping secrets," Santana counters. "You made this mess. I'm just trying to make sense of it."

"Yes, I know. I'm the one that ruined everything, it's all my fault," Brittany says. It looks as though she's on the brink of tears but they never fall. "You know I could've answered all your questions if you would just let me? I have been trying to make it right ever since that night at the awards ceremony. I have been trying to explain. I have been trying tell you these secrets. I have been trying to fix things but you keep shutting me down. It's like you don't even want this anymore."

"I do want this," Santana says without thinking. "More than anything."

"Then what are we doing?" Brittany asks tiredly. "I understand making me sleep in the doghouse because I know I put you through hell while I was gone. What happens next or is this it? I'm a patient person, but you've got to tell me now if I'm wasting my time because I love you, San. I love you but pushing me away like this…you're just as much to blame now."

Santana only stands there, feeling as though she's just been stung. "I don't know. I'm figuring it out."

"Can't we do that together?" Brittany asks, hope brimming in her pretty blue eyes. One look at her and Santana feels like she could conquer anything – even her own insecurities. "Don't you think we're stronger together?"

"I know we are," Santana says truthfully. She hasn't felt this sure of herself in a long time, especially not when it comes to Brittany.

"So what do you want to do?"

"I want – " Santana's interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. It's Rachel again so she's quick to ignore it but she catches a glimpse of several unread texts from Quinn that can't be as easily ignored. "Oh shit. I'm sorry, I need to go."

"Is everything okay?" Brittany asks as Santana hurries to the truck.

Santana's speed-reading through the missed texts but only finds Quinn uncharacteristically panicked which makes her feel even more uneasy. She spins around to apologize one more time for cutting this short only to find Brittany right on her heels, so close that they collide.

"Shit, sorry," Santana rushes out but Brittany's hand keep her from falling.

"Are you okay to drive?" Brittany asks as she steadies Santana, eyes searching hers for a sign. "Do you want me to come with?"

"No, no. I'm good," Santana assures her.

Brittany looks at her like she's waiting for more. Despite everything, Brittany still cares for her as if nothing has changed. She's still putting her first and that just about puts Santana over the edge.

"Are you sure?" Brittany looks at her warily. "I mean, you look good in your pj's and cute bed-head but you don't look good good."

Who knew a simple sentence could put Santana at ease? Apparently, Brittany because she always knows the right thing to say when it counts.

"I'm sure. For all I know, it's something ridiculous like Kurt has a hangnail or Rachel's annoying Quinn," Santana tells her. She gives into temptation and reaches out to touch Brittany's cheek. It's welcomed warmth against her icy fingertips, she can't help but linger there. "I'm sorry for leaving."

"Hey, that's my line." Brittany's smile is kind as she leans into Santana's palm. "I understand. Duty calls."

Santana pulls away and goes to get settled in the driver's seat. She pauses just after she starts the engine and looks back at Brittany. She knows she should leave but finds herself unwinding the window. Brittany draws closer.

"Changing your mind?"

"It's not that. Rachel and Kurt are putting on this thing tonight at the Understudy," Santana explains. Suddenly she's riddled with nerves but they don't keep her from holding out the olive branch. "I was wondering if you'd like to come?"

"What kind of thing?" Brittany asks through a grin. "Is it a party?"

"Something like that," Santana replies. "There's decorations and food, probably music."

"Sounds very much like a party," Brittany jokes. "Will you be dressing up?"

"I might be," Santana shrugs. "Depends what time the lunch service wraps up. We're all supposed to have an early finish."

"Okay," Brittany finally answers. "Well, I'm supposed to be working the Pass tonight. I gave one of the chefs asked for the night off, her son's first Christmas. I couldn't be a Grinch and say no, not on Christmas Eve."

"Oh," Santana frowns at the sound of her olive branch snapping in two. She hadn't realized Christmas Eve had crept up on her so fast. "That's cool. Don't worry about it."

"I didn't say it was a no." Brittany smirks as Santana backtracks. "It's a maybe."

Santana sits a little taller; she can live with that. "So maybe I'll see you tonight then."

"Maybe you will," Brittany replies. "But if not Merry Christmas, Santana."

"Merry Christmas, Britt."

#Blame it on the Mistletoe #Brittana #Santana Lopez #Brittany S Pierce #Chef Brittana AU #brittana fanfics #fanfiction

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brittanafanfichelp · 4 years

Text

Brittana Fic Masterpost

Alright here are most of the lists I have made in one neat (read: barely organized) masterpost. I hope that makes finding whatever fic you are in the mood for a bit easier :).

classic tropes (more or less):

friends with benefits best friends to lovers soulmate au slowburn rivals Britt hates San at the start popular!Santana / unpopular!Britt popular!Brittany / unpopular!San fake dating roommates NYC loft dynamic living together in NYC meeting in college meeting on a plane meeting years after break up G!P Brittany G!P Santana badass Brittany badass but whipped Santana affair with each other one of them thinks the other is cheating age difference famous (but just one of them) rich/poor

my favorites:

my top 20 another top 20 favorite one shots favorite shortish fics favorite humor/comedy fics fics that make me laugh fics that make me cry favorite family fics favorite happy/fluffy fics ao3 recs

family Brittana:

Brittana with kids Brittana as parents biological kids teen mom single mom to family Brittana with their siblings Brittany’s mom pov / bonding with Santana

canon compliant/specific

season 4 while broken up missing scene / canon compliant season 3 compliant angst about Santana getting outed

everything else:

christmas / thanksgiving divorce drugs evil superhero vampire werewolf demon / witch / ghost mafia prison firefighter / cop / cop 2 military chefs doctor!Santana lawyer!Santana teacher teacher/student relationship motocross wild west honeymoon surfer/beach mma / boxing first time / experimenting couple-y infront of Glee club jealousy fight pet centric country historic fics world war 2 long series switched personalities / bodies suddenly nice Santana guy!Santana

deaf or blind mental illness Brittany severe (mental) illness Santana self-destructive / depressed Santana eating disorder suicidal (no actual suicide) Santana’s boob job Santana disowned after coming out

Harry Potter Buffy Game of Thrones

lap dance smut / PWP bdsm

heya heya part two

Tina friendship focus Britt jealous of Dani Britt finds out about Quintana Unholy Trinity threesome side Faberry Quitt

#something for your quarantine reading #i really have no idea how to organize this better #sorry #brittana #fic help #heya

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randomcanbian · 3 years

Note

(re: Fandom Meme) B, D, N, P, R, Y ??? (also if you feel like answering T again about anything else pls do (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) (also let the record know that your first answer was *chef kiss* wonderful and should've been canon imo (╯▽╰ ))

B - A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind

Felix x fem!Byleth from FE3H... I thought it’d be the same as f!Dimileth (the fandom version of it at least) where the man is like ~~ohhhh I’m a monster I’m so broken ahhh I push people away and go on berserker rages because of my tragic backstory~~ and the woman has to be gentle and kind, the epitome of femininity (despite being a mercenary who had been trained to kill since she was 11...), basically put himself above her on so many levels and the onus is on her to ~~fix him~~~...but apparently not??? The fancontent is so gorgeous and has them as equals, both lonely people who’ve had their childhood taken away from them, both who’ve closed themselves off from the world (or in Byleth’s case, has never known how to open herself up to it), both of them seeing themselves in each other, both taking it upon themselves to meet each other half-way and from thereon help each other process their past and walk forward into the future...damn man, the kinship and the partnership in this ship... (also it really helps that 1. Felix is awed at Byleth’s swordsmanship and tactical mind and pushes himself to surpass it, forming a foundation for a healthy rivalry 2. the fandom does not forget that Byleth is her own person and not just Felix’s partner *cough* Dimileth *cough* Edeleth *cough*)

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t

Hmmmm well sometimes I wished (in general) that I could actively ship mlm couples, just because there’s so much content for them :)) (don’t get me started on how fandom gravitates towards male characters and mlm ships...lmao someone way back then gave me the excuse that it’s because the actual creators put more effort into their male characters and that they end up becoming more complex and interesting and like *looks at my fandoms where there are just as many girls as guys, just as interesting (if not more so) backstories and dynamics and interactions for the female characters, looks at the sheer number of mlm shippers in those fandoms who squeeze the most out of every insignificant moment for their male characters while ignoring the depth and complexity of the female characters* sure)

N - Name three things you wish you saw more of in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice)

Glee

1. Fanfic with more “out-there” ideas :)) (Don’t get me wrong, there are fanfics that fall far from Glee’s high school/young adult/modern-coming-of-age setting, and even for fics that do fall under those spheres there are some that deal with complex, intricate themes in such an incredible manner or even if not that are just plain enjoyable but like,,, there aren’t enough for my ever-expanding hunger HAHA)(my last couple of fandoms were dark fantasy/sci-fi/whatever The Good Place is so I guess I just got spoiled lmao)

2. More analytical thinking LMAO I guess it just frustrates me that there are so many people in the fandom who take things at face value??? Given how biased the writers are and how shit they are at continuity it really doesn’t make sense to me that so many people take things so literally haha

3. More fanart unu I totally understand though that the fandom isn’t as big as it once was but a girl can dream, you know?

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas)

Something that I had wanted to write for Brittana (since 2012!) but never had the brain cells to: a sailor!AU where the characters live on a flat world and they’re trying to sail towards its edge (encountering so many mythical beasts and legends on the way) (may or may not be inspired by C.S. Lewis’ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader haha)

Special mention to this AU since I've used for at least three fandoms by now haha: Pygmalion&Galatea!AU wherein one character creates a statue and her love for it brings it to life :)))

R - A pairing you ship that you don’t think anyone else ships

LMAO I went through Bae Doona’s body of work (what was available of it at least) in 2015 and ended up shipping her character Park Hyun-nam with her best friend (Yoon Jang-mi) in 플란다스의 개 (Barking Dogs Never Bite)...I wrote a very small ficlet of them (I literally had to create the section for them in ao3...and lmao I just checked and I am still the only fic in there HAHA)(please don’t look for my account btw all my fics are so self-indulgent and atrocious huhu) and I also made this gifset of them :))) As far as I know I am literally the only one in the entire world who ships them HAHA

Similar story for her character Ri Bun-hui in 코리아 (As One)...although honestly if it turns out that a decent number of people have seen this movie I’d be surprised that no one else shipped Bun-hui with Hyun Jung-hwa??? Because they??? Tennis table rivals from North Korea and South Korea who have to team up to win at the Olympics??? Jung-hwa trying to get Bun-hui and her team to loosen up??? Them becoming closer??? When the Olympics are over and the North Korea team have to go home, and Jung-hwa chases after the bus and tries to reach for Bun-hui’s hand, realizing that they might never see each other again??? I??? (Just...I had to make this gifset of their hands: when they first meet each other, when one takes the other’s for comfort, the last time their fingers will ever touch...)(Also let’s ignore that it’s a re-telling of real life event akjsndaskj haha)

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending, about anything at all

(Thank you roseate ;u; I’m glad that you agree and are interested with my headcanons ;o;)

Santana’s a trivia nerd and is the type to deep-dive down Wikipedia pages which is why she makes all those obscure references :))) (Also a more specific version of this headcanon, not something that I’d die defending but like,,, something that I won’t let anyone take away from me lmao is that she’s a TV/movie buff, dabbles in comics (specifically, DC and follows character like Wonder Woman, the Birds of Prey, Poison Ivy/Harleyquinn, Batwoman, and Renee Montoya), and started getting a little into theater/musicals after spending time with Kurt and Rachel :))) She also has a record player back in Lima and has a bunch of vinyl records back home (back in high school she’d play a couple of slow songs and just slow dance with Britt in the privacy of their bedrooms uwu)(imagine this scene and this song playing in the background ;u;)

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)

BTS, because so many of my friends are KPOP fans

Genshin, also because so many of my friends are into it

魔道祖师 (The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) because my close friend fangirls over them so much and we just exchange anecdotes with me and Glee/Fire Emblem and her and TGDC

Critical Role and My Brother, My Brother and Me podcast because my gf is a huge fan of them :))

Not quite there yet, but I am looking forward to having Dostoevsky’s extended universe as a secondhand fandom HAHA

#ask meme #thank you for the questions!!!#(mayhaps you'd like to do the ask meme yourself so I could ask my own questions 👀)#(also I am so so sorry for taking so long with replying to your messages ;o;)#(you ask the most interesting things friend and I gotta make sure that what I'm saying isn't complete gibberish aksjdnasjkdna)#(also!!! feel free to chat me up on tumblr even if I haven't replied yet (if you want to!))#(I may take forever to answer messages but I'm a lot more prompt with short-form chatting ;u;)#(also ngl I miss hearing your Thoughts hehe))#roseateinferno

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klaineccfanficlibrary · 4 years

Note

can you recommend any fics where klaine is like stuck in a living situation or hanging out together? Like either enemies to lovers, famous klaine or any situation where one of them is working with or for the other person??? preferably multi chaptered!

True Like by DualWielding

Kurt loves his job at the off-Broadway theater. As for Blaine Anderson, Kurt might have to work with him, but he doesn’t have to like him.

~~~~~

Tumblin’ by @mmerainbows

Competitive cheer is serious business as far as Kurt Hummel is concerned and he’s not about to let some freshman like Blaine Anderson come in and swoop up everything he’s worked so hard for in the past few years. Klaine!AU

~~~~~

Bites by foxxed

Kurt Hummel is a Chef de Cuisine with a tongue as sharp as his knife. But when the restaurant across the street finally opens, Kurt is confronted with an old culinary school rival - the always smiling and opera-singing Italian Chef Blaine Anderson and things are about to heat up faster than the average stove.

~~~~~

Book That by @somethingfishyfan (morethanwords)

‘They have met, and have represented opposite views at these conferences every year for the past 5 years. This year, due to double booking of rooms, they will have to share a room for 3 nights.’ Rivals to Lovers, Sharing a room/bed.

~~~~~

Out of the Blue by @lilyvandersteen

Kurt organises a fake wedding for Brittana to get presents from random billionaires. Cooper is one of those invited, and he shows up with his brother in tow. Sparks fly, but not of the good kind. Enemies to lovers, anyone? With a slight Pride and Prejudice vibe?

~Lynne

#klaine #klaine fanfiction #fic finder #enemies to lovers #Anonymous

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jennamacaroni · 4 years

Photo

im not sure i ever posted this but for those who read my chef brittana au this was the tattoo sleeve santana had

#i pulled out my old computer i never use and its on the desktop #out of the archives #chef santana is a fucking badass #chef au

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g0dblessthefandom · 8 years

Text

Brittana Valentine’s Semi AU (Updated Daily Until Valentine’s Day) February 7, 2017

Wherein I make myself a little sad. ( Special thanks to @lordtubprivateeye who is a godsend and could charge for her brilliance when it comes to getting writers unstuck.)

February 7, 2017

“Rise and shine, buttercups!”

Santana groaned as Rachel’s singsong-y voice filled the apartment.

“Why can’t anybody sleep in in this place? I swear to god.”

The door burst open, and Rachel was standing over the bed a moment later, flipping on lights, and opening curtains.

“Oh what a beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day! I’ve got a beautiful feelin’ everything’s goin’ my waaaaayyyyy!”

Santana threw a pillow at Rachel’s face and was satisfied with the grunt she received in response.

“I swear on everything that is holy, Berry, if you don’t stop singing, they will never find the pieces.”

Rachel ignored the threat, climbing onto the bed, and then onto Santana, wrapping her up in a hug. “Santana! You haven’t seen me in a year and a half, and this is how you talk to me? Oh, who am I kidding? I can’t stay mad at you.”

“Get. Off. Me. Berry.” Santana growled.

Rachel complied, but only moved off of Santana directly and sat on the edge of the bed. “Santana, you’d think that you’d be a bit more welcoming. It’s not as if we see each other every day. And I’ve missed you!”

She rubbed Santana’s leg, and moved slightly as Santana kicked at her.

“I haven’t missed you marching into my room singing show tunes, Berry, so, knock it off.”

“Well, the unasked question is in the air, and I will answer it. My world tour went amazingly. I have a soft spot for all of Asia, but Kyoto will always have a place in my heart.”

Santana slid out of bed, and stumbled out the door. “Mercedes! Mercedes come and get your friend!”

“Of course, Europe was amazing.” Rachel followed Santana out into the hallway, nonchalantly. “We were in England, and Sir Elton John came backstage to see me. He said that it was like watching Barbra live! I couldn’t believe it.”

“Mercedes! I swear if I have to listen to her for another second-”

“And Nairobi! It was amazing, the people, the food, the culture! I loved every minute of it. Highly recommend, do visit.”

Santana stopped dead in her tracks. Mercedes was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee, and scrolling through her phone. She smiled.

“Morning Santana.”

“”Cedes, you didn’t hear me? I was calling you.”

“Oh, I heard you, but how do you think I woke up this morning? I figured I wouldn’t get in the way of this happy reunion.”

“Mercedes, she was singing. How’d she get in anyway?”

“I made the mistake of giving her a house key last June so she could come check on my plants. My plants died, and she never gave back the key.”

“Excuse me, ladies.” Rachel interrupted. “I don’t appreciate being talked to like I’m not here.”

“Well, Gremlin, if you actually gave a person to be civil in the morning, you wouldn’t have to worry about it. Getting up at the asscrack of dawn is no one’s idea of having fun.”

“Santana, it’s 8:30!”

“Besides, I haven’t had my coffee yet, and you know how pissed off that makes me.”

“Everything makes you pissed off, Santana.”

“Mostly just you.”

“But-” Rachel continued, despite the disruption. “To make it up to you, I’ve brought breakfast from Chez Solara, and yes, they have mimosas.”

Santana looked to where Rachel gestured, and seeing the counter full of food, booze, and most importantly coffee, turned and wrapped Rachel in a hug, kissing her sloppily on the cheek.

“Santana!”

“Welcome back to the city!”

...

Breakfast was usual. Santana didn’t really want to get into what brought her into the city. To be honest, she wasn’t sure herself yet. The question of what she wanted from Brittany was getting murkier and murkier. She didn’t want to impose herself, but she wanted to show how much she wanted her back. She didn’t want to make things awkward, but she didn’t want to hide how she felt. She had spent much of the night before wracking her trying to figure out what she could offer. But at the moment she was an unemployed transient who had the bad habit of showing up exactly where she wasn’t supposed to be at exactly the wrong moment. Or the right one. It wasn’t that she was completely without a plan though. She’d probably have a place by the end of the week, and she did have some skills and connections that would be useful on the east coast.

Fortunately for her, Rachel spent most of the time talking about herself, and the tour, of course, and Santana just sat back and drank coffee until she was sharp and then mimosas until she was relaxed again. She tuned out lost in her thoughts, but focused when Rachel mentioned Brittany.

“So, what’s going on with them, are they getting back together or what?”

“I’m right here, Rachel. If you want to ask something.” Santana murmured.

Rachel shrugged. “I don’t know, Santana. It is kind of weird that you’ve gone to all this trouble and now you’re pulling back? What was the point of it all?”

Santana took a sip of her drink. “First of all, what happens between me and Brittany is none of your business. And anyway, who said I came out here for her? Maybe I was tired of being on the west coast all by myself. I don’t know if I missed my friends or what. I was just tired of it.”

“You had Kurt, Santana.” Mercedes offered. “And Quinn when she was in town.”

“Yeah, and that was nice. But it wasn’t the same.”

“Aw, Santana, you missed us!” Rachel squealed.

“I said I missed my friends, Troll.”

“So, I guess that means you’ll be joining us tonight?” Rachel said, ignoring the remark.

“What are you talking about?”

“Santana, you’ve really got to learn to pay attention. I’m having a welcome back dinner party tonight, and you’re all invited. It starts at seven, so don’t be late and-”

“Pass.”

“Come on, Santana, everybody is going to be there, and it’s going to be fantastic, and I have my chef from the tour who’s going to be making some amazing vegan dishes.”

“Oh, in that case, hard pass.” Santana got up from the table and stomped towards the guest room. “I’m going to shower.”

Rachel sat back in the chair in a huff, and Mercedes patted her arm. “Don’t worry, she’ll come around. She just needs some time to process it. Anyway, when I tell her I’m coming, she’ll be gung ho about the whole thing.”

“I certainly hope so.” Rachel paused and took a few bites of melon. “Why did she come, Mercedes? I mean, back to New York? If she’s not going after Brittany…”

“She just doesn’t want to admit it, Rachel, but of course Brittany’s the reason she’s here. Things in that department have been a little, um, strained. But they’ve stopped looking like deer caught in the headlights whenever the other one walks into a room, so that’s an improvement, I guess.”

“Then they’re good around each other?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, that is a relief because I invited Brittany to the party tonight.”

Mercedes balked. “I really wish you’d run it past me, Rachel.”

“You said they’re fine together!”

“Yeah, but a little heads up would be nice.”

“You’ve always been a tremendous reader of a situation Mercedes, I’ve no doubts in your abilities now.”

“Let’s hope so.”

The party was in full swing when Mercedes arrived. She hadn’t expected to be as late as she had, but with the show starting in only a few weeks, rehearsals had started running long, and by the time she got home, showered and changed, it was nearing eight o’clock. She’d been in contact with Santana all night, but around seven thirty, she’d stopped replying to her texts, so either things were going very well, or very poorly.

She still wasn’t sure which.

There was definitely a tension in the air as the guy standing near the door took her coat (she at least hoped he worked for Rachel, otherwise, someone just stole her coat), and instead of the laughter and conversation that usually flowed through Rachel’s parties, all Mercedes could hear was music. And Rachel talking, of course, but there would have had to have been a nuclear fallout to stop that.

She walked down the long corridor, and eyed the small gathering. Jane and Sugar stood near each other in the corner, speaking in low tones. Near them was Rachel, she had cornered some folks that Mercedes vaguely recognized as musicians, and was talking their ear off. On the other side of Jane and Sugar was Santana. She was looking out the window and swirling a drink in her hand. She had the look that she’d always get when she was upset, but she didn’t want anyone to know it. There was no doubt to Mercedes that her glass probably only had water in it. She couldn’t risk getting drunk.

Mercedes smiled and waved, and made a beeline towards Sugar. There was no point trying to get the story of why everyone was so quiet out of Santana. She’d just clam up and insist she was fine, and that wouldn’t be helpful.

“What in the hell happened?” She hissed at Sugar. “I’m only 45 minutes late.”

Sugar looked like she wanted to respond but Jane beat her to it, nodding her head towards the kitchen where several more groups were gathered.

Mercedes followed her gesture, and saw Brittany, standing in the kitchen. She standing close to a man, who had his arm on her shoulder. He seemed like he was trying to cheer her up, but it wasn’t really working. The guy was handsome enough, Mercedes figured, and had a nice smile. She only had one guess to who he could be.

“The guy she’s seeing?” She tried to keep her voice down, with her back to Santana.

“Yep.” Sugar said, with a self satisfied grin. “That tall, boring glass of nonfat dairy is what Brittany chose over Santana. Can you even believe it?”

“Oh man. No wonder she’s in such a bad mood. Has she yelled at anybody yet?”

“Nope, and that’s the worst thing. She just saw them come in, said hello and then moved to where she’s at now. I don’t think she’s said a word in half an hour.”

“What was Rachel thinking inviting him?”

“I don’t think she invited him, I think that she invited Brittany, and well…” Jane trailed off.

“Well, what was Brittany doing bringing him?! Look, I’m glad she’s getting out there, and we all want her to be happy, but was now really the best time to introduce him?”

That line of questioning received a shrug from Jane, and Sugar had already moved on and was nuzzling her girlfriend. Mercedes shook her head and marched towards the kitchen, making a beeline for Brittany.

“Hey Britt.”

“Oh, hey, Mercedes. You’re here, I was wondering.”

“Yeah, rehearsal ran long.” She took a long look at Brittany’s companion. “You want to introduce me?”

“Right, yeah.” Brittany said, as though she’d forgotten. “Mercedes, this is my, um, friend, Dr. Clark Gerber. Clark, this is Mercedes.”

Clark stuck out his hand, and Mercedes shook it daintily.

“I’ve heard so much about you from Brittany, nice to finally meet you. Of course, I’d heard of you before, you’re a tremendous singer.”

Mercedes smiled. “Thank you. I appreciate that. Nice to meet you too.”

“Clark, why don’t you run over and refill our drinks while I gab with Mercedes for a while?”

He smiled and went to the bar. On the way, Rachel caught sight of him, and roped him into her circle, and Brittany seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

“Mercedes-”

“Brittany, what the hell, girl? Why would you bring him here? This was supposed to be a chill night for me. You can’t tell me that you thought it was a good idea to bring him to this.”

“I know, Mercedes. But he was with me when Rachel cornered us in the grocery store, and I couldn’t just not invite him. She wouldn’t stop talking about how I should bring someone and he was standing right there, and once I introduced him, it was all over.”

“You’re telling me you introduced him to Rachel before you introduced him to me?!”

“Well, it wasn’t on purpose, ‘Cedes.”

“We’re just going to mingle, and then we’re going to hit the road, I promise.”

Mercedes didn’t look satisfied. “Have you talked to Santana yet?”

“No.” Brittany looked down at her toes.

“Well, there you go.”

They looked at each other for a moment longer. Mercedes couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed in Brittany. She’d known her a long time, and had never known her to be callous. But bringing her new beau along seemed thoughtless, even for Brittany. She was just about to tell her so when something over her shoulder caught Brittany’s attention. Mercedes turned and saw Santana put down her drink, and walk out the door, and onto Rachel’s balcony. She was about to follow when Brittany put a hand on her arm.

“Let me.”

“Are you sure, Britt?”

“Yeah, I’ve got it. If you hear screaming just ignore it until one of us throws the other over the side.” Brittany took a few steps towards the door, but stopped, grabbing a jacket off of a nearby chair, and turned back towards Mercedes.

“Keep Clark busy for a few minutes, will you?”

“I’ll do my best.”

Brittany nodded, and was out the door.

Santana stood with her back towards the door, and was leaning over the railing. Brittany shivered. It was still pretty cold in the city these days, but luckily, it was a clear night and not windy. She took a few steps forward then thought better of it, and cleared her throat.

Santana turned quickly, her eyes wide. “What are you doing out here?”

“I thought I’d come check on you. Just in case.” She offered the jacket to Santana who made no move to take it.

“Well, I’m not going to throw myself off the side if that’s what you’re worried about. I just came out here to get some air.” Santana turned her back to Brittany, and leaned again.

Brittany closed the distance between them, and draped the jacket around Santana’s shoulders. “It’s freezing out here, Santana, and that dress, while looking amazing on you, does little to keep you warm.”

“I don’t get you, Britt.” Santana said, shrugging the coat off of her shoulders. “You come here with your new boyfriend, and you two are all lovey dovey, now you’re flirting with me?”

Santana’s voice was measured, but Brittany could hear the uncertainty underneath the surface. It was a waver that was slight, and would have been missed only by someone who hadn’t loved Santana like Brittany did. To be honest, she wasn’t feeling to clear on the situation herself. She was there with Clark, of course, but for the past hour, she couldn’t stop thinking about Santana. She couldn’t stop wondering if she was okay, or what she needed. Somehow she hated that she wasn’t that person anymore that could give it to her. It wasn’t fair of her, of course. Santana was right. But she couldn’t help the way she felt.

“I-I’m not flirting. I’m just stating a fact.” Her voice shook, and even to Brittany’s ears it sounded fake. “Anyway, Clark and I are not dating. We’re just friends.”

“Hmm.”

The noise that Santana made conveyed all of her disdain and skepticism, but Brittany couldn’t outright refute it, so she left it alone.

“That still doesn’t change the fact that it’s cold out here, and you should come inside.”

“I prefer it out here.”

“Santana, it’s not-”

“Brittany, I am losing it here.” Santana’s voice was low, but firm. “I am not someone who needs to be taken care of. I’m not an invalid. I can make decisions on my own, and if I want to stay out here, then I will.”

“So, you’re going to keep up with the temper tantrum because you can’t stand to see me with anyone else?”

“It’s not-” Santana took a deep breath to steady herself. “It’s not a temper tantrum. Am I frustrated? Yes. But, I am dealing with my feelings like a rational human being. But I can’t be around you right now.”

“Me? What did I do?”

“Brittany, I didn’t come here because I like the city, I came here because of you! I came here because I wanted you, and I wanted to be with you. You made it clear that it’s not what you wanted right now, and I can respect that, but you can’t expect me to walk around like nothing is happening. I’m a person, okay? I need time to deal.”

“Santana, we’re your friends, we can help you deal.”

“You weren’t just my friend, Britt. You were my life! I love you, and that never changed. I just want to do right by you, okay? That’s all I want on this planet. I fucked up, royally, and I’m dealing with that, and my issues, but I can’t take a battle on every front.”

There was a note of defeat in Santana’s voice, and every fiber of Brittany strained to comfort her. There was a flash of the conflict again. She had no right to comfort Santana. Not anymore. Did she?

She was at a loss, but Santana broke the silence, bending down to pick up the coat and handing it back to Brittany who took it wordlessly.

“Look, I’m going to try really hard, okay? I’m just going to try. But, I want…” She trailed off for a moment, as if she didn’t know the answer herself. “I just want us to be happy. I want you to be happy.”

With that, she went back inside.

This is a fic that will update everyday until Valentine’s Day 2017. To truly enjoy please put on (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You’ve Been Gone by Aretha Franklin. :P

FF.net link and Ao3 link.

#brittana #glee #fanfiction #brittany s. pierce #santana lopez #brittana valentine's fic #what do you want santana???#what do you want brittany???#FIGURE YOUR LIVES OUT

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