Can't Take My Eyes Off You || Quinntana

Six

The next morning, Santana and Quinn found themselves at the Lima Bean, cherishing their last morning together before their departure.

"You find a table. I'll order for us," Santana offered.

"You know my coffee order?"

"Quinn, an iced coffee with almond milk is not that complicated."

Quinn rolled her eyes, secretly elated to hear that Santana remembered. It was silly, but usually Quinn was the one to remember things like coffee orders, and Santana was off in her own world. Everything felt a bit different now.

After ordering, Santana joined Quinn at a small table by the window.

"I can't believe you're leaving already."

"I know. But I have to get back to Yale, and you have to get back to Louisville."

"Right. Louisville." Santana's face sank.

"Is it really that bad?"

"The truth is—my cheerleading teammates have been acting really strange since they found out I'm a lesbian." Her voice cracked.

"San—oh my god. Why didn't you tell me?" Quinn tried to keep her voice down, but a few heads turned in their direction.

"I was embarrassed. They made me feel so dirty. Like I was some kind of predator. It made me think that maybe my abuela was right." Santana's eyes began to well up with tears.

"You deserve so much better than that. I'll help you find a new school. Somewhere with people who appreciate you for who you are." She paused for a moment in thought. "Do you still want to pursue cheerleading? I mean that song you were playing yesterday was so good. Maybe you should consider going to school for songwriting."

Instantly, the thread strung between them became taut.

"I told you that was private—"

Before Santana could snap, their server appeared with their drinks, and to their surprise, it was Blaine. He smiled his goofy grin at them.

"Oh my god. Hey guys. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

There was a beat of silence. Santana quickly pulled herself together. "Same here," she replied.

"Santana— I heard about you and Brittany. How are you holding up?"

The girls exchanged a glance. Apparently, news had spread quickly.

"I'm okay," Santana said, forcing a smile and a cheery voice. "Since when do you work here?"

"Well, I was missing Kurt since he left for New York, and this place reminded me of him." A flash of sadness crossed his face. "Now, though, it's more of a painful reminder."

"Wait, you two—" before Santana could finish, her attention was caught by a tall blonde walking down the sidewalk just outside the window. "Fuck."

She and Quinn ducked down so as not to be visible from outside. Of course, with their luck, Brittany decided to walk into the coffee shop.

"Want me to sneak you guys out the back?" Blaine asked, not missing a beat.

The girls swiftly followed Blaine behind the counter and through a door. They found themselves surrounded by bags of coffee grounds. Avoiding the questioning look of an employee refilling a machine, they reached the back door and stepped outside.

They simultaneously sighed, then upon realizing what had just happened, laughed hysterically. As per usual, when Santana got punchy, she also got touchy, grabbing Quinn's arm as she laughed.

Quinn instantly froze, butterflies rising inside her. Before Santana could say anything, though, she relaxed and played it off.

"I really need to get going if I want to get a good night of sleep before class tomorrow."

Santana was visibly disappointed. She pulled her friend into a tight hug, and the two lingered in that moment as long as they could, taking in their last moments together before they'd be separated by over 800 miles.

"Text me when you get to New Haven, okay?"

"I will."

Just wanted to thank everyone who's been reading this story! There are only a few of you right now, but I'm glad you're here, and I hope you are enjoying it. I know it's a bit of a slow burn right now, but I promise exciting things are coming soon, so stay tuned :)