Title: Stop Giving Me Choices

Santana rolled her eyes as she spotted the brunette sitting on the bleachers staring out over the football field. She looked around her to see if anyone was watching before she sighed deeply and climbed the steps.

"Seriously, Berry," Santana snarked as she neared the other girl. "Since when do you skip Glee? Some of the others were worried about you."

"Like who?" Dark eyes rose to meet dark.

Santana shrugged. She wasn't about to admit that it was she who had been worried for the girl who had slowly become a tentative friend. She hadn't been worried. "Mr Schue and that piano guy." Most of the Glee kids had wondered as to what had kept Rachel from her favourite class, but didn't really seem bothered that she wasn't there. Santana had sat there for maybe fifteen minutes before curiosity and not worry had gotten the better of her and she came looking. "You coming back?"

Rachel turned her eyes back to the sports field and shook her head. "No."

Dark brows furrowed into a frown as Santana looked down on the small brunette. "You're not coming back to Glee?"

Rachel shook her head again.

"You're shitting me, right?" Santana chuckled. She was sure that Rachel was attempting to pull her leg.

Rachel shook her head. "I shit you not, Santana." Rachel sighed before lifting her watery dark eyes to meet Santana's. "If I wasn't such an excellent lead vocalist, I'm sure that no one would miss me if I never returned to Glee."

Santana pursed her lips. Rachel was right, mostly, but Rachel Berry would never quit Glee. Singing was her life, so Santana knew that, even though Rachel felt under appreciated, there was something more to her decision not to return to show choir. Huffing a little, Santana dropped to the bench next to Rachel and nudged her with her shoulder. "What's really going on Short Stack?"

Rachel scowled at the nickname, but at least it was better than Man-hands or Tranny. She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "Go back to Glee, Santana. Everyone's probably waiting for you."

Santana took a deep breath. "C'mon, Rachel. Come back to Glee. You know we need you."

Rachel blinked at the use of her name. "You guys might need me … but none of you want me there. No one wants me."

Santana blew out a long breath. She understood now. "That douche bag Jesse wanted you." She rolled her eyes at just the thought of the curly haired boy. He was an idiot. "And Finn-ocence definitely wants to get all up on you."

Rachel buried her face in her hands and shook her head. "Finn wants Quinn." She mumbled into her palms. "I was just … someone to make out with." She turned her face so that she could look at the other girl through sad eyes. "He doesn't look at me like he looks at Quinn. He doesn't want me."

"I thought that you guys were really into each other, even if you are confusingly on again/off again all the time." Santana frowned.

Rachel shook her head. "He wants to be friends with benefits."

Santana shrugged. "That could work. At least it shows that he does want you."

"He doesn't want me, Santana." The short brunette huffed. "He wants my hand or my mouth and then he wants to go bowling. That's not wanting me, Rachel Berry."

"I'm sure that he wouldn't turn you down if you did offer him the whole Berry." Santana smirked. Finn hadn't turned her down, even though she wishes now that he had. That experience had been severely lacking for her.

Rachel blinked. She wanted her first time to be special. She wanted her first time to be with someone who truly knew what it meant for her to give them a part of herself that she could never take back. She did not want to give her virginity to Finn Hudson, a boy who was so fickle about their relationship that, one week they were dating and the next, he wanted to explore his inner rock star, only to discover that he preferred having the sure thing (almost) waiting for him, instead of having to chase it down. Finn had also been a complete ass to her when he had found out that she was dating Jesse.

Rachel no longer felt anything but friendship for Finn. "Finn's my friend, Santana, nothing more."

"You sure?" Santana sighed. "Cuz he still looks at you like he wants to tap-that." She smirked at the look of disgust on the other girl's face and stifled a chuckle. "Then what about Puckerman? We all know that he wants you."

"Noah is like a dog in heat." Rachel scowled. "I'm sure he'd try to hump Ms. Sylvester if he wasn't so afraid of her. He wants anyone with breasts."

Santana laughed, she was thinking exactly the same thing (well, except for the part about the coach - eww). She rested her elbows on her knees and wrung her hands together as she thought. "Jew-F …"

"Absolutely not Santana Lopez." Rachel's eyes were wide as she looked at the grinning girl in disbelief for her suggestion.

"What about, B?"

"B?" Rachel frowned as she tried to decipher who B was, and then it dawned on her. "Brittany? You think Brittany wants me?"

"Sure." Santana nodded. "Why wouldn't she?"

"She's a girl?" Rachel blinked owlishly. She hadn't really thought about dating girls before, not that she would ever veto the idea. For her first forays into dating, Rachel had set her sights on Finn, Noah and then Jesse, leading men material. She'd never given much thought to the less conventional, leading woman.

Santana scoffed. "Since when does that make a difference? I know for a fact that B likes smokin' hot brunettes."

"You think I'm smokin' hot?" Rachel swallowed thickly as a faint blush heated her cheeks.

"Erm … sure, Berry." Santana hadn't wanted to admit to anyone, let alone the diminutive brunette that she thought that Rachel was attractive. It was only the girl's lower than low status at school, her horrendous wardrobe and incessant talking that had put Santana off enough so as not to make a move, but Santana was quickly starting to think that none of that really mattered. Santana liked Glee and she liked her fellow teammates, some more than others. "You look okay." She chewed at the corner of her lower lip as she took a long look at Rachel. Sighing softly, Santana straightened her shoulders. "You have … some … appealing qualities." She admitted.

Rachel couldn't help the small smile that lifted the corners of her mouth. "Like what?" She asked shyly as the flush of colour dusting her cheeks deepened. She turned to look at Santana through thick lashes.

Santana licked at her lips and then cleared her throat. She really didn't know if she should be doing this. "Eyes." She took a deep breath, about to explain, but Rachel interrupted.

"Like I have them?" Rachel rolled her eyes. "They're brown? Come on, Santana, you can do better than that."

Santana narrowed her eyes. "Fuck you, Berry." She stood from the wooden bench and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Wait." Rachel called and reached out to grab a hold of the other girl's thigh. "I'm sorry." She sighed and slowly released her grip, letting her fingers linger a little on the smooth flesh before pulling both of her hands back into her lap. "I'm not used to people saying that I have 'appealing' or 'attractive' qualities, even though my dad and daddy tell me that I'm pretty all the time. It's … just … different, coming from someone like you." She looked up to see Santana's scowl melting into confusion. "I'm sorry."

Santana let her arms drop to her side. "What do you mean, 'someone like me'?"

"You know that you're gorgeous, Santana." Rachel blushed. "You don't need someone like me to tell you that. You're beautiful and popular and, it means something more when you tell me that I have 'appealing qualities'" She ducked her eyes.

"No one has ever told me that before." Santana sighed softly as she moved to sit back down next to the shorter brunette. She smiled at Rachel. "They tell me I'm hot and that I have a great body, but no one has ever told me that I'm beautiful or pretty."

"Well, you are." Rachel mumbled.

Santana nipped at her lip as a happy blush tinged her cheeks. "You have really pretty eyes." Santana looked to her right just as Rachel looked to her left. "And killer legs. Seriously, Rachel, you should show them off more."

Rachel looked down and tugged at her short skirt, slightly bashful that Santana liked her legs.

Santana cleared her throat softly so as to draw Rachel's eyes back to her. "And, you have very kissable lips."

Rachel blinked. "Really?"

Nodding, Santana reached out to cup the other girl's cheek. She ran her thumb over Rachel's plump lower lip, wanting nothing more than to lean forward and kiss the girl. "And, don't tell anyone that I said this, but I think you're very sexy when you stand up and take charge."

"Really? But, you always roll your eyes or fall asleep on Brittany's shoulder." Rachel's fine brows furrowed.

Santana shrugged. "I didn't want anyone to know. I couldn't just sit there drooling."

Rachel smiled widely. "I make you drool?"

The Latina rolled her eyes. "Don't let it go to your head, Smurf." She winced when she noticed the flash of hurt cross Rachel's face. "Crap." Blowing out a long breath, Santana reached out to lift Rachel's chin with her fingers. "I'm sorry. Mocking you is going to be a hard habit to break." She licked her lips as she stared into dark eyes. "I think about you all the time, Rachel, and most of the time my thoughts go pretty x-rated. So, yes."

"Why haven't you said anything?" Rachel's gaze flickered between Santana's eyes and her mouth. She wondered how different it would feel to kiss a girl.

Santana shrugged. "Social suicide?"

"Oh."

The cheerleader hung her head. "Glee is my favourite part of the day." Santana sighed, still not raising her eyes to meet, Rachel's. "Not just because its fun and I get to sing and hang out with B and Q … but because I get to see you too." Dark eyes rose to meet the slightly disappointed look in warm brown eyes. "If Coach ever found out that I like you … I'd be off the squad."

Rachel pursed her lips and swallowed. "Sue Sylvester might be evil, but she isn't stupid, Santana. If you only stood up to her, I'm more than positive that she would back down. She wouldn't risk losing you, not over something as trivial as whom you were dating."

Santana scoffed. "She'd kick me off the Cheerio's in a heartbeat, Rachel."

Rachel narrowed her eyes for a second as she thought and then turned her gaze out towards the deserted football field. "What about Brittany?"

"What about her?"

"You suggested that she would be open to going on a date with me." Rachel licked at her lips before turning back to the other girl. "Wouldn't Coach Sylvester kick her off the squad too?"

Santana shook her head. "Coach might be a bitch to her, but no one refuses Brittany. You know how it goes."

"Then perhaps you should give me her cell phone number so that I can call her later." Rachel smiled widely at the Latina as the darker skinned girl scowled. "Stop giving me choices, Santana Lopez, and don't get all angry faced because you're too much of a coward to stand up for what you want."

Santana spluttered as she scrambled to her feet. "Where do you get off talking to me like that, Berry?" She crossed her arms over her chest and glared down at the other girl.

Smoothing out her skirt, Rachel climbed to her feet. Taking a deep breath, she released it slowly before standing on the bench she had been sitting on. Reaching out, Rachel dipped her fingers into the collar of Santana's Cheerio's top and pulled the taller girl towards her until their bodies collided. As Santana gasped her indignation, Rachel pressed her kissable lips to Santana's.

Santana groaned into the kiss, her arms coming up to wrap around Rachel, pulling her closer still.

"Oh wow." Rachel breathed when they parted for air. She was still pressed flush against Santana, arms wrapped around each. "That was really nice." She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, feeling the ghost of the kiss they shared.

"Nice?" Santana squeaked. "I'll show you nice." She said before surging forward and claiming the other girl's mouth with her own, kissing the short brunette with a little more passion.

When their second kiss ended, Rachel rested her forehead against Santana's and smiled as she fought to catch her breath. "You know," She spoke softly. "That since, Sue Sylvester no longer has spies in Glee, what happens in Glee, stays in Glee."

Santana chuckled lightly. "What are you trying to say, Rachel?" She wanted so badly to kiss the girl again, but a little afraid that the longer they stood out in the open, holding each other like they were, there was more chance of someone spotting them.

"I am very open to exploring my sexuality with you, Santana." Rachel took a step back and then down so that she was no longer standing on a seat. "If you're willing to take the risk, I'm sure that Glee could be a safe zone whilst we're in school and Coach Sylvester has no say as to what goes on outside of school." She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. "My lawyer dads will attest to that if she does try something, and I'm sure that Principal Figgins will not enjoy the school board and the local Lima LGBT Alliance, both of which my fathers are highly respected members of, breathing down his neck."

"Seriously, Berry." Santana smirked as she reached out for Rachel's argyle tank top. She fisted her hand in the material, dragging Rachel closer, before she dipped her head. "You had me at 'safe zone'." She pressed her lips to Rachel's again, kissing her fiercely. "Now, are you ready to head back to Glee? You know for sure that I want you there. I can't wait to give the others aneurisms when they see us making out on the risers."

Rachel raised a fine brow at the Latina and pressed her hand to the other girl's chest to stop another kiss. "Music is my life, Santana Lopez. I will not jeopardise my future at Julliard by getting expelled for lewd behaviour on school property."

Santana let out a snort until she realised that Rachel was being serious. "Oh c'mon, Rach. I have the chance to fulfil one of my fantasy's involving you, the risers and my tongue. Don't rule it out just yet."

Rachel blinked rapidly as her thoughts went extremely rude and arousal pooled low in her belly. She swallowed hard. "Well, who am I … to deny you the chance at fulfilling a fantasy if the school is empty and the door is locked?" Taking in a long breath, she reached for Santana's hand and began to pull the girl down the bleacher steps. "Just remember that turnabout is fair play, and that I will be doing extensive research into fantasies, the practise of lesbian courtship and more." She stopped suddenly and turned. "Just remember, I'm not easy, Santana. You will have to work to get into my panties."

"Ay dios mio." Santana groaned as they neared the bottom step of the bleachers. Rachel dropped her hand and she wondered if being with her would be worth all of the effort until Rachel gave Santana one of her beaming smiles.

"Come on, Santana. We're late for Glee."

…

The two girls walked together through the hallways of William McKinley High, Santana quietly asking if, maybe, Rachel would want to go parking with her. She was really surprised when Rachel said okay, but not so surprised when Rachel reeled off a list of what would and would not be allowed. Santana would not be getting past second base for quite a while, but she didn't seem to mind because, when they strolled into the music room, Rachel made sure to pull the door shut behind them before taking Santana's hand in her own and letting Santana guide her to the empty chairs by Brittany and Quinn.

The mini heart attacks had by Hummel and Mercedes, and the stunned looks from all of the other Gleeks, were just the icing on the cake.

The End