Bound By Destiny - Brittana

Plan

Santana shifted uncomfortably on the couch, her fingers tapping lightly on her knee as her father, Hector, cleared his throat awkwardly. Beside her, Brittany sat with her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her body rigid and clearly uneasy. The space between them felt vast, a physical representation of the discomfort filling the room. Across from them, Santana's parents, Hector and Maribel, sat in matching expressions of tension, their postures stiff as they tried to navigate the delicate conversation.

Hector spoke first, his voice tight with the weight of the situation. "So, as you know, we're in the public eye very often."

Santana couldn't resist the sarcastic quip that followed. "We are?" she shot back, raising an eyebrow.

Maribel shot her daughter a warning look, her eyes narrowing in silent reprimand. Santana sighed and leaned back slightly, knowing she'd crossed a line but not feeling the need to apologize just yet.

Hector cleared his throat again and continued, his tone cautious. "We've been... advised that it might be a good idea for you two to be seen together more often. You know, go out as a couple, do interviews, and, well... the whole 'coupley' thing."

Santana frowned, her irritation creeping back in. "Why?" she asked bluntly.

Hector glanced over at Maribel, silently pleading for help, but she merely shook her head, signaling that this was his mess to clean up. He turned back to his daughter, his gaze faltering as he replied, "So that it's more believable."

Santana's jaw clenched, and she cast a sideways glance at Brittany, whose stiff posture hadn't changed. She could see the discomfort written all over her fiancée's face, and it only deepened her own frustration. Santana's voice dropped, tinged with bitterness. "You couldn't just let us meet naturally? Or set us up on a date like normal people? That would be more believable."

Hector looked away, guilt etched into the lines of his face. He couldn't meet Santana's eyes, and the room fell into a tense silence. Brittany shifted next to her, her body language making it clear how out of place she felt. Santana's heart sank at the sight—this whole situation had been thrust upon both of them, and now they were stuck in it, trying to navigate something that wasn't even real.

After a few seconds, Brittany cleared her throat softly, finally breaking the silence. "I... I don't mind spending time together," she said, her voice hesitant but sincere. She looked over at Santana with a small, almost apologetic smile. "It might help us, you know, get to know each other better."

Santana glanced at her, caught off guard by Brittany's willingness to play along, and sighed. "I guess," she muttered, her frustration softening at the sight of Brittany's gentle expression. "But this whole thing feels like a lie. We shouldn't have to do this just to make it 'believable.'"

Maribel finally spoke, her voice firm but laced with a hint of sympathy. "I understand that this isn't ideal, Santana. But the engagement is public, and people will talk. This isn't just about the two of you anymore—there's a lot at stake for all of us."

Santana clenched her fists, fighting the urge to snap back. Instead, she looked over at Brittany again, who nodded slightly as if trying to reassure her. Despite the awkwardness, Brittany seemed willing to give this a chance, even if it wasn't under the most ideal circumstances.

"Okay," Santana finally said, her voice resigned. "We'll do it. But don't expect us to turn into the perfect couple overnight."

Hector looked relieved, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "Of course not. Just... take your time. Do what feels natural."

Natural, Santana thought bitterly. There was nothing natural about this arrangement. But as Brittany reached out and gave her hand a tentative squeeze, Santana felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could find something real amidst the chaos.

With a reluctant nod, she gave Brittany's hand a small squeeze in return. "Yeah," she muttered. "We'll figure it out."

Hector smiled gratefully at Brittany, his eyes full of warmth as he noticed her calming presence. Maribel's voice rang out, light but powerful. "I think we should all go out. " she suggested.

Santana, however, shot her mother a sharp look, her eyes narrowing in exasperation. "You can't even wait a day before pushing the plan on us?" she demanded, barely hiding her frustration.

Hector gave a weak chuckle and lifted his hands in a peaceable gesture. "There's no issue with starting early," he offered, glancing nervously between Santana and Maribel. It was clear he was hoping to ease the tension, but it only seemed to add fuel to the fire.

Santana folded her arms, raising an eyebrow at her father. "Oh, really?" She glanced over his shoulder, spotting Diego and Sofía hovering uncertainly near the doorway. "Is that why you brought Diego and Sofía with you?"

Diego and Sofía looked at each other and nodded sheepishly, clearly caught in the crossfire.

Brittany couldn't help but smile at the pair's awkwardness, but when she glanced at Santana, her expression turned sympathetic. Santana looked at her with an exhausted gaze, eyebrows raised as if to say can you believe them?

Turning back to her parents, Santana sighed. "Wait here," she instructed firmly. "Brittany and I need to get ready first." She gave her parents a look that made it clear she wasn't in the mood for more discussion.

Maribel and Hector exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement, stepping back slightly to give their daughter space. Satisfied, Santana took Brittany's hand and led her down the hallway, fingers interlaced as she guided her into the sanctuary of their bedroom.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Santana let out a deep breath, running a hand through her hair. "I swear, they're going to drive me crazy," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

Brittany laughed softly, reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair from Santana's face. "At least you know they mean well," she replied, her tone gentle.

Santana huffed, glancing at Brittany with a mixture of irritation and affection before turning to the mirror. She twisted her hair up and examined her reflection, eyes narrowing as she spoke. "I just wish they'd let me live my life like a normal 19-year-old. No one's forcing most people my age to figure out where to hold an engagement party or picking their wedding dress color in advance."

Brittany's brow furrowed as she watched Santana's reflection in the mirror. "But...you're in the spotlight, Santana. There's nothing really normal about that."

Santana rolled her eyes, reaching for her makeup bag. "Yeah, I know. But it's not just the cameras or the interviews. I mean, the second we had an engagement party, they practically shipped me off, like they couldn't wait to hand me over or something." She uncapped her eyeliner, a hint of sadness in her voice. "It's like they're...relieved to finally get rid of me."

Brittany tilted her head, trying to find the right words. "Maybe it's their way of making sure you're set," she said with a gentle shrug. "You know...a guaranteed relationship, or whatever. That's not exactly easy to come by when you're a famous teenager."

Santana paused mid-application, lowering the eyeliner and turning to look at Brittany. "That's exactly the problem, Britt," she replied, her eyes sharp but not unkind. "We're teenagers. But instead of letting us figure out life, they're practically handing me a marriage certificate before I even turn 20."

Brittany's expression softened, and she looked down at the floor, her voice quiet. "I...didn't think of it that way."

For a second, neither of them spoke. Santana sighed, setting down her makeup and turning fully toward Brittany, taking her hand. "At least they chose someone I actually like being around," she murmured, squeezing Brittany's hand reassuringly. "Could you imagine if they'd picked some knockoff version of Rachel Berry? At least you're nothing like that."

Brittany glanced up, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "Wait, aren't you friends with Rachel?"

Santana shrugged, an obvious glint in her eye. "I'm friends with her boyfriend, Britt. That doesn't mean I'd want to be her friend."