The final chapter! I hope I did your expectations justice, and your impatience didn't get too unbearable! :D

One thing that all this waiting has definitely taught her, Brittany realizes two weeks after New Years, is patience. That there are some things worth waiting for, and that excitement builds as time goes by. Anticipationis okay. It can actually be fun sometimes. Like when Glee did The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when she'd had to smother her smile when Santana licked her lips as Mercedes said "Antici…pation!" That time, the waiting was kind of fun. And the singing and dancing down the hallways later was almost as fun as the long shower after-hours in the Cheerios changing room.

But just because the waiting has been okay for her lately, doesn't mean that Santana feels the same. Almost every day, Brittany catches her fidgeting nervously with her hair, awkwardly hanging up phone calls with Puck when she walks in, or running her thumb endlessly over the inside of her ring finger and looking away uneasily when she glances at Brittany's similarly empty finger. After two weeks of Santana uncertainly dodging around Brittany's obvious eagerness to kiss her every chance she gets, hoping one of the kisses will be the one that Santana promised would be binding for every year to come, Brittany realizes the brunette is having more trouble getting up the courage to propose than she, Brittany, is having trouble waiting for it.

She doesn't understand it. Not completely. Santana must know she will accept (probably with a screech so high-pitched that only dogs will be able to hear it); she's done everything to make it clear. All the legal stuff is beyond her; Mike tried to explain it again, but Eggy was trying to say something and she hadn't really been paying attention. It doesn't matter anyway, she decides; it's just about her and Santana being together, no matter what anyone else says. It's about not caring if the moment is perfect, because there's plenty of time to make other moments. It's about making New Year's kisses optional, because it's understood and promised that the coming year, and every year after that, will be pledged completely to kissing only each other. It's about allowing impatience to show, and not needing so much courage, because it's understood they'll meet each other halfway and make things easier for both of them.

It's with the last realization that Brittany makes her decision. With Santana's birthday only a week away, the birthday present idea comes quite naturally, and Brittany smirks at her own genius.

The guest list for Santana's birthday party is even shorter than for Brittany's because Santana had seen all her friends only a few days before when they celebrated her promotion to assistant manager of Courtyard Hotel with a night on the town. She reluctantly invites Quinn, but greets her relatively warmly when she and Puck arrive. It's a school night, so Santana promises to come home in the weekend to see Enrique and her family, but Kurt and Mike also make the guest list. This time, it's Mike that drags Brittany into the hallway closet when he sees the look on her face.

"What are you so smiley about?" he asks.

"Oh, now I get your joke about the closet!" Brittany laughs, twirling a scarf between her fingers and looking around idly, a smile still stretched from ear to ear.

"Brittany, hello? Why so ecstatic?"

"What? Can't I smile for no reason? It's Santana's birthday."

Mike raises an eyebrow suspiciously before asking, "Did she propose?"

"Nope," Brittany replies cheerfully, humming a short verse of 'Come To My Window' (it had been stuck in her mind all day) while Mike searches her face, flabbergasted.

"Brittany, come on!"

"I can be happy without her proposing, I told you before."

"In theory, remember?"

"Mmm," Brittany replies cryptically, and refuses to meet Mike's eye. She continues to hum, reaching for the closet door handle. Before she opens the door, she says gleefully, "Just be patient. Wait and see."

"Wasn't that my advice to you?" Mike grumbles amusedly as he follows her out of the closet.

"Yup, you've become the grasshopper," Brittany replies cheerfully, and skips through the apartment to the living room, leaving Mike scratching his head in confusion.

Brittany walks past Santana, slaps her butt, and says "I'll get the drinks, Birthday girl." As she makes her way to the kitchen she hears Puck make a quip that earns him a playful punch in the shoulder from Santana and an appalled look from Quinn – "Oh, live a little Quinn. Not all of us are fake pristine virgins all our lives," Santana jokes, and Brittany smiles at the sarcastic, veiled-insult banter that the two had naturally fallen into in their forced solidarity.

She comes back, balancing a few beers, a bottle of white wine, and a bottle of coke in her arms, as the guests are settling into the living room and Quinn gives Santana her birthday gift. This time, it's Brittany that fidgets nervously, rubbing her thumb over her ring finger, but making sure that Santana cannot see her left hand. Her smile spreads wide as Santana opens the last present, and she's reminded of her own eagerness for Santana's present on her birthday.

She stands up and beckons Santana to do the same. The brunette raises her eyebrows curiously but doesn't comment, and stands across from Brittany. Brittany ignores Mike's growing smile as he realizes what is about to happen.

"Well, San, this has been a long time coming, so I'm just going to come right out and say it. My birthday present for you, is me." Brittany lifts her right hand off her left and shows Santana her left ring finger. Around it is a red ribbon tied into a bow. Santana's curious smile turns into one of shock and slowly dawning understanding. "I wanted to jump out of a box or something, but I couldn't find a big enough box…"

"Britt, what do you – "

"I've been waiting, San. Don't make me wait any more," Brittany says happily, grinning. Santana matches her smile.

"Wait – I mean – stay right here. Just a second," Santana answers quickly, and runs out of the room. Quinn leans forward inquisitively in her seat.

"Brittany, what's going – " she starts to ask, but both Mike and Puck shush her quickly.

Santana runs back into the room clutching a small blue box. Brittany's breath catches. The brunette steps closer and holds Brittany's gaze.

"Marry me?" she whispers as she opens the box. Brittany barely spares the ring a glance, shutting her eyes tightly as her lips collide with Santana's and she whispers "Yes" against her lips, realizing that this kiss is the binding one. They pull apart, and Santana slides the diamond ring over Brittany's finger. It complements the red bow, and the two smile wider at each other amidst hoots of "Finally!", "Oh my god!", and "I'm designing the dress!" as Quinn, Puck, Mike, and Kurt erupt in applause.

Throughout the whoops and cheers, Santana, her arms around her fiancé (Fiancé! Brittany thinks excitedly), whispers, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For giving me the courage the ask." She leans forward for another kiss when her eyes start to glisten with happy tears. "How'd you know?"

"I found the ring months ago."

"You waited all this time?" Santana asks in disbelief.

Brittany smiles. In the background, she hears the guys bickering ("I should be the best man! Technically, Brittany proposed first!" Mike insists and Puck replies "But Santana had the ring! There's no way I'm gonna be the maid of honor. I just can't rock that role."), but she blocks it out and laces her arms over Santana's shoulders, remembering her birthday, Christmas, New Years, and all the time in between with a reminiscent smile.

"Some things are worth waiting for."

Fin