The Girl Next Door (Brittana Fanfic)

Chapter 20

It's the most tranquil morning Ohio has seen since the winter began. There is no wind to whistle past the branches of the blushing trees as they stand bare in the cold, not even a breeze. The rain has long subsided and only the blue canvas of the sky can be seen. The birds are soundless, still shaken from the rumblings of the previous night as they hide away in their burrows and even in the Pierce residence, the celebration of the new year leaves the house silent in sleepy fatigue. Yet, the only one to witness such stillness is Brittany who leans her chin in her hand as she faces Santana, still and sound asleep next to her. Santana lies on her stomach with her arms underneath her pillow, her back bare with just the white bed sheets covering her bottom half and Brittany watches with an inquisitive expression as she lightly trails her fingertips down the curve of Santana's back before tracing fingers back up again. Her feathery touch tickles Santana, causing her girlfriend to stir slowly awake as her eyes tardily flicker open to witness the new day, yet the first thing she finds is Brittany smiling down at her.

"The rain's stopped," Brittany mumbles and Santana lazily grins into her pillow, glancing over to the window where the sunlight spills through the gaps of the blinds.

"Lies," Santana whispers out playfully. "It's all lies."

"Nope," Brittany leans down and gently kisses Santana on her exposed cheek. "That's one thing I will never be; dishonest."

Santana blinks heavily, still trying to shake the sleep away and twists her body fully to face Brittany, pulling the bed sheet up and over her chest.

"Not even a little white lie?" Santana asks and Brittany shakes her head.

"What would be the point?" Brittany replies, taking Santana's unbroken hand in hers. "Sometimes the truth can hurt but if you keep it in and cover it up for longer, then when it finally does come out, it will hurt so much more," she nods to herself, offering Santana a quick smile. Santana runs her thumb over Brittany's and looks up at her with a differing expression. She doesn't know if it's the building pressure that forms in her temples or the ounce of guilt she feels after Brittany's revelation, but Santana can't help but feel unsettled, despite the events of the previous night.

"Santana, why are you making that face?" Brittany asks while studying Santana's dubious expression. "Santana?"

"Brittany, there's something you need to know," Santana blurts out. She doesn't want to do this. She doesn't understand why now, why in that moment when everything is going so perfectly, she had to wake up and suddenly feel the need to do so. Maybe she truly is a masochist.

"Okay?" Brittany waits as Santana closes her eyes in thought and takes a deep breath. "You look kinda sad," Brittany bites her lip anxiously. "I-is this about last night? Did I do it wrong or something?" The disappointment is evident in her voice as her tone lowers as quickly as her mood. "I-I'm sorry," Brittany apologises sadly but Santana opens her eyes again in surprise.

"What? No! No!" Santana shakes her head before sitting up to lean against the headboard and holds Brittany's hand in her lap. "Last night was... amazing!" Santana chuckles before reaching over to pat down the cowlicks that makes Brittany's bangs stick up from where she slept with her hair wet. "It's something else," Santana sighs deeply, gazing at their hands on her lap.

"Honey Badgers are extinct?" Brittany guesses with a pout.

"No," Santana shakes her head. "Not exactly."

"You've lost the key necklace, haven't you?" Brittany replies dolefully and Santana's hand automatically reaches to her chest. The necklace is gone.

"Oh," Santana puffs out. "Well, it wasn't that either but now that you've mentioned it..."

Santana can feel her heart rate begin to quicken, her pulse begin to sound in her head and her breaths become shaky as her body tingles with anxiety. Surely this feeling couldn't be because she slept with Brittany with a guilty conscience?