Title: XO
Author: crammit
Fandom: Glee
Rating: M
Pairing: Brittany/Santana
Timeline: S5
Summary: Alone for the night in the loft, Santana's brooding thoughts manifest themselves in a way she never expected. - Rated M for sex and super brief language.

A/N: Glee and its characters do not belong to me. I'm only borrowing them. But I promise to put them right back where I found them.

A/N: This story was inspired by Beyonce's song "XO" as those lyrics consistently kick me right in my Brittana feels and I found myself starting to write this one day after having "XO" on repeat. However, please don't blame Beyonce if you don't like this story. That honor falls to me. :-)

A/N: I took a little hiatus from writing that was partly writer's block and partly I-think-my-brain-just-got-tired-of-writing-fan-fic. Getting back into writing fic is so NOT like riding a bicycle and I feel like I chiseled this story out of rock using a spoon and a thumbtack. Having said that, I really hope you guys like it or, at least, don't hate it. *LOL*

A/N: Big, big thanks to Uvaack for agreeing to read this over and offer editing tips, suggestions, and just all over "Yay, you can still write" support. It's very much appreciated, Mama. :-)

A/N: As always, thanks very much for reading. Reviews are always appreciated. :-)

The glass feels cold beneath Santana's forehead but for the moment, she can't quite bring herself to care. Looking down, she watches the snowflakes dance in abstract patterns around the street lamps, her heavy breath obscuring her view for a few seconds before the cold air once again wipes any trace of her sigh from the window. With yet another sigh, she turns around and glances at the clock on the microwave, debating for the hundredth time whether she should have just gone with Kurt and Rachel to Bryant Park. Not like she particularly felt like ice skating but it might have been good to just get out of the loft for a little bit. Shuffling towards the living area, Santana looks down at her outfit, sighing again at the thought of getting changed just to go out into the cold for a couple of hours. Resigning herself to her decision, she pads over to her laptop sitting next to the couch, randomly double clicking into her open playlist before making her way back over to the window to resume her brooding.

"Figures," Santana's muttered word clouds the window once more as the opening notes of Beyonce's "XO" starts to play, an internal debate starting over whether to make the effort to go back over and change the song. Deciding against it, Santana slumps close to the window once more, letting her thoughts wander as she listens to the song, closing her eyes with a deep breath.

It's been three weeks since she broke up with Dani. Three weeks of moping around the apartment, pointedly avoiding Kurt and Rachel's gently searching questions. She knows they assume her mood has something to do with ending her relationship with Dani but deep down, Santana knows that's not it. To her surprise, Dani had taken the break up surprisingly well and while their interactions were obviously awkward during their first few shifts together, things had sort of settled into a somewhat comfortable pattern now. Santana knows that a big part of why they were able to go from girlfriends to cordial co-workers again has nothing to do with the diplomatic way she broke off the relationship and everything to do with her relationship with Dani itself. Their relationship had been fun and light and most of the things that Santana thought she wanted when she'd made her way to New York City. And for a while, being with Dani had felt good and like it would be enough. After a while, Santana finally had to admit to herself that those few things weren't enough to keep the relationship going because none of those things were the real thing that she wanted. It didn't feel like everything the way it did with…

Santana feels an ache in her chest as she opens her eyes and looks outside once more, the same realization churning inside of her now as it did when she finally took that walk with Dani and told her that she didn't want to be in a relationship with her any longer. Her relationship with Dani couldn't really ever be anything. How could it be when Brittany was everything?

Realizing that her playlist is set to repeat the same song, Santana turns and leans her back against the cold glass, crossing her arms over her chest as she shakes her head slightly, thoughts tumbling around again as the song starts over.

Brittany is everything. And that's the thing that she's been moody about. That's the thing that's been eating at her for the past three weeks. She hasn't heard from Brittany in a little over a month. Not a text, not a call and sure, it's not like she's exactly blowing up Brittany's phone, but still. Now that the safety net of Dani is gone, now that Santana is alone and Brittany is closer and free from Lima…they should be able to…what if Brittany found someone? Santana reaches a hand up to press at the space between her breasts, knowing she can't reach the ache she feels but trying to anyway, her thin gray thermal shirt shifting under the press of her fingertips. Pushing away from the window, Santana stalks over to the couch, falling back onto the cushions as she rests her head across the back of the couch, her hands falling to rest against her jeans as she stretches her legs out.

Sighing, Santana gazes unseeing at the ceiling of the loft, her mind spinning yet again over the possibility that Brittany may have found her own Dani or Dan or whatever other person captures her attention. It is possible Brittany just hasn't told her yet. It's not like Santana jumped at the chance to tell Brittany that she was seeing Dani so she knows she has no right to feel upset if Brittany is with someone else but she really, really hopes she isn't. And isn't that selfish? Brittany should be happy. Brittany should be able to do anything she wants. Brittany should be…hers.

"Fuck," Santana breathes the word out, reaching one hand up to move her hair away from her face, her hand continuing back until she grips the back of the couch, her foot sliding lightly against the floor before stomping down slightly in aggravation. Why did they have to go and make things so complicated? Break up, not a break up, stay best friends, date other people but always, always there was this understanding that it would be them together at the end of it. And yeah, maybe it seemed simpler when they were in high school and forever seemed real and not something that could crumble so quickly and easily. And maybe time apart wasn't necessarily a bad thing when you're supposed to get out and experience other people, or whatever it is that people say, but those things were supposed to make you happy. As she feels the ache double behind her chest, Santana realizes that she's unhappier now than she was before all those stupid experiences and as the lyrics of the song start to come back into focus, Santana knows that the one thing that could really make her happy hasn't talked to her in almost a month. Santana wants to know why almost as much as she's afraid to know why and as she settles into the couch a little deeper, she resigns herself to brooding over the possibilities for one more night.

Hearing a knock at the door, Santana sits up, catching sight of Kurt's bright red knit cap still sitting on the coat rack by the door, rolling her eyes as she stands up and grabs it from the hook, already chastising him as she opens the door.

"Did your elf ears freeze because you forgot your stupid ha…Brittany?"

Brittany feels the rush of warm air brush over her skin as the door to the loft is pulled open, the light that fills the hallway falling away at the sight of Santana standing in front of her. Wiping distractedly as the melting snow from her hair drips across her cheek, Brittany watches Santana's eyes track to the motion, eventually trailing over Brittany's outfit before capturing her gaze again, the uncertainty in those dark eyes making Brittany's heart start to pound.

When she'd gotten Rachel's text a few weeks ago, Brittany had wanted nothing more than to skip her Intro to Psychology class right then and there, a few students pushing past her as she had stood immobile in the entrance of the classroom with her phone clutched in her hand. She'd mumbled a quick apology and made her way to her seat, dying inside as she'd been forced to slip her phone into her messenger bag, swapping it out for her notebook and a pen. The rest of the lecture had passed in a blur, the professor barely wishing the students a good rest of the afternoon before Brittany had grabbed her bag and hurried to one of the benches outside the building, her hands lightly shaking as she'd pulled out her phone and reread Rachel's text.

Hi Brittany! I hope classes are going well. Kurt and I thought you should know that Santana broke up with Dani last week. I know she hasn't told you yet and there's a good chance she will kill both Kurt and I for telling you. But we thought you should know. Maybe you could give her a call? Anyway, I'm off to work. Text back when you get a chance. XO – Rachel

Brittany had returned home to her dorm room, the words of Rachel's text memorized and replaying over and over in her head. Why hadn't Santana told her yet? She knew it was hard enough to have the stilted conversation when Santana had finally admitted to dating Dani but they'd navigated that well enough and if Dani was only brought up minimally in conversation and only when necessary, then that worked out best for both of them. Brittany had wondered what would happen when they broke up…if they ever broke up was never a question…but she felt guilty thinking about the end of something that might be making Santana happy, so she'd gone about the business of making friends and throwing herself into her classes. But no matter how much she tried to tell herself that best friends want what is best for their best friends, at night when she went to sleep with one of Santana's old t-shirts clutched in her hand under her pillow, Brittany had to admit that best friends probably didn't ache this way when they were supposed to be happy. She didn't begrudge Santana her relationship but there was a big part of her that wanted it to end. And now that it did, Santana didn't tell her and Brittany was anxious and unsure about why.

She'd purposely not reached out to Santana directly though she was texting with Kurt and Rachel almost daily. Hearing that Santana had been moping around the loft had at first filled her with despair because she thought it meant that Santana's feelings for Dani were stronger than she first thought. But what Kurt and Rachel's observations started to make clear to Brittany was that it wasn't the end of the relationship that Santana was brooding over, it was what being alone again meant. She understood that feeling because she knew Santana and more than that, Brittany was having the same feelings. The long distance thing ended their relationship the first time and it's not like she was going to school in New York but M.I.T. wasn't that far and if maybe this time they talked more and if maybe this time they could visit more and if…and if…and if…

It ended up being a simple thing that made her go to the train station and purchase a ticket to Grand Central Station, her wallet, phone, keys, and iPod her only companions as she'd boarded the train earlier in the afternoon. As she'd settled into her seat for the four and a half hour trip, Brittany had once again reached into her pocket and pulled out the creased slip of paper, resting her head against the window as her eyes traced over Santana's handwriting, the words blurring a bit as Brittany read them again.

Britt, this note is good for admission to one date night every Friday night. Except once we're married because then your ring will totally be good for admission to anything you want. ;-) I love you! – Santana

When she'd been scrounging around the back of her closet for a fleece to wear to class, Brittany hadn't realized that the one she'd grabbed had been the one with the inside pocket. The inside pocket where she'd put that piece of paper that Santana had given her after school one day and the same inside pocket that Brittany just happened to decide to check before putting it on to leave her dorm. Brittany didn't question the coincidence of finding that note but she was grateful all the same. Because reading those words, and remembering the surety of her and Santana's belief that they would always be together, made the spontaneous decision to head to the train station seem like the most logical thing she could do. She's spent half the time on the train texting with Rachel and Kurt to make sure they could make themselves scarce so she could see Santana alone. And she'd spent the other half of the train ride thinking about what she would say once she saw Santana. Now that she's actually standing in front of her, Brittany realizes that all the things she was going to say are gone, replaced with a racing heart and urgent need to just touch Santana.

Santana still hasn't moved and Brittany looks at her for a few more seconds before slowly stepping into the loft and pulling the door closed, watching as Santana takes a few steps back, her mouth still parted softly in surprise. Pulling her other hand out of her pocket, Brittany walks forward slowly, reaching up to softly hold the side of Santana's face, the warmth of her cheeks soothing the cold skin of Brittany's hands. Taking her chance, Brittany leans closer to Santana and kisses her, gently holding the pressure against Santana's bottom lip, the relief at the contact after so many months making Brittany tremble inside her winter jacket as she presses forward just a little bit harder.

Lifting her hands from where they had been hanging uselessly at her side, Santana pushes softly against Brittany's jacket, breaking the kiss as her heart thumps wildly in her chest. The shock of seeing Brittany has Santana's breathing uneven, the lingering feel of Brittany's cool lips still tingling against her own. Looking into Brittany's blue eyes, Santana has to clear her throat before she speaks, her voice coming out whisper soft, "What are you…why are you here?"

Santana's eyes drop down to watch Brittany's mouth as she just says Santana's name, Brittany's voice catching slightly as she goes to step forward, her hands reaching up for Santana's face once more. Even as she watches the hurt break across Brittany's features, Santana can't help herself as she steps backward, keeping space between them. Part of Santana feels like racing past Brittany and leaving her in the loft, the urge to flee from the tidal wave of emotions racing over her making her feel tense and on edge. As she watches the corners of Brittany's mouth pull down into an uncertain pout, Santana's hand finds its way to her chest again, pressing against her beating heart as she tries to figure out what Brittany is doing there. Brittany kissed her. Brittany kissed her. She hasn't heard from Brittany in weeks and now she's here, droplets of water from the melting snow falling from her jacket onto the floor, her cheeks and ears pink from cold and from emotion and God, she's never looked more beautiful to Santana. Santana has a hundred questions rattling around in her brain and as she takes a breath to speak, the ache in her heart constricts all her words down to just one, "Brittany."

The emotion in Santana's voice pulls at Brittany and she shuffles forward a half step, risking a tentative smile as she nods her head to the unspoken question in the sound of her name from Santana's mouth. Holding still, she relaxes her body and keeps her gaze steady on Santana, waiting for her to accept the fact that she's now standing in front of her in the loft. A few seconds pass before Brittany realizes that the song playing from the laptop behind Santana has been repeating the whole time and as they stand there, Brittany lets herself listen to the words. As the music plays in the room, Brittany watches Santana and her heart breaks as she sees the fear on Santana's face, the same look she saw day after day in high school, Santana always unsure if she should hope for something as good and wonderful as her relationship with Brittany.

Inhaling deeply, Brittany tries to push down the nerves prickling along her skin. She feels guilt churn inside of her, knowing that she played no small part in getting them to where they are right now. To see Santana so unsure and to feel her own uncertainty where Santana was concerned is unfamiliar and Brittany feels her skin flush hot with anxiety. Even as her heart pounds in her chest, Brittany knows that she didn't drop everything and come all this way to not say what she needed to say and so despite the tension she can feel like an unwelcome observer between her and Santana, she knows she has to just be honest with Santana. She owes them both that much.

Blocking everything else from her mind, Brittany relaxes her posture, her palms turned towards Santana in supplication, her voice steady despite the quiver she can feel trying to break free, "I'm sorry I just showed up here without calling first and I know we haven't spoken in a while but…but…"

"But what, Brittany?"

"I really needed to see you. I need you to know that I don't care about Dani or any other person that may have come into your life. Well, I mean, I care because I would hope that they are a good person and treat you well but I'm not upset about it. I'm not upset that you didn't tell me that things were over with Dani."

Looking down at the knit cap in her hands, Santana tosses it onto the couch behind her, her voice soft as she interrupts Brittany, "Which one told you?"

"Rachel. But don't be mad at her, San. I would have called you sooner but I wasn't sure if you wanted to hear from me. So I waited and the more time that went on, I thought that maybe it was better for you if we didn't talk. That maybe the last thing you wanted to do was hear from me when you were going through a breakup but I realized that none of that matters. The only thing that matters is you and us. All this time spent apart, thinking we were doing what's right for each other, and it's been killing me to not be with you. I thought I was doing what's best by letting you go. That this time in our lives should be spent experiencing things and doing things on our own but that's all bullshit."

Brittany watches Santana nervously lick her lips, her expression unreadable as Brittany continues speaking, "I feel like I'm dying inside without you, Santana. I know I have you in my life but there's a part of you that I don't have anymore. A part of you that's always been mine and I want it back. I don't want you to be with anybody else and I don't want to be with anybody else. I just want you. Just you, Santana."

Santana's heart clenches in her chest as Brittany finishes speaking, a helpless noise escaping Santana's mouth as she hears the echo of those same words she spoke to Brittany that day at her locker. That day, she laid bare everything that she was for Brittany and she can see that same emotion on Brittany's face as she stands in front of her. Slowly, she takes a small step closer, hesitating for only a moment before rushing forward, her hands gripping the side of Brittany's jacket as she yanks her forward into a kiss. Absorbing Brittany's surprised moan, Santana keeps pushing forward until she can press Brittany against the loft door, breathing deep through her nose as she changes the angle of the kiss, Brittany's mouth opening on instinct. The warm slide of Brittany's tongue makes Santana's hands clumsy and she groans in frustration, the zipper to Brittany's jacket slipping from her shaking fingers before she feels Brittany's hands reach up, guiding the zipper down for her.

Breaking the kiss for the moment, Santana leans back, tugging Brittany away from the door so she can finally slide her hands inside the jacket and pull it from Brittany's body, tossing it carelessly to the side. Reaching up, Santana grips the back of Brittany's neck, pulling her down for another kiss as she slowly presses Brittany back against the door this time, relief and arousal coiling tight inside her body at the taste and feel of Brittany in her arms again. She can't help the moan she makes as she feels Brittany's breasts pressed against hers, her hips jerking forward at the hint of teeth scraping across her bottom lip. As Brittany's hands tighten against her ribs, Santana feels the pleasure warm her skin and she welcomes the rush it brings.

All Brittany can do is just hold on as Santana's mouth slants across hers, the smell of Santana's shampoo teasing her senses as Santana pushes herself even closer. The door is rough against the thin fabric of Brittany's button down and even as she feels her insides pulse hard at the sensation of being pressed against Santana again, Brittany reluctantly breaks the kiss, a small groan escaping her parted mouth at the look of love and naked lust on Santana's face. Breathing heavily, Brittany cups Santana's cheeks, love gentling her mouth as she tenderly kisses Santana once more before meeting her dark gaze, smiling as she speaks to her, "Wait…I didn't come here for this."

"Oh God, Britt. I'm sorry…I didn't mean…I'm sorry."

Tightening her grip, Brittany pulls her closer, one hand going up to curve around the back of Santana's neck as Brittany cuts off her apology, "No, don't be sorry. I want you…I do. It's been so, so long but I just wanted it out there that I didn't come here to seduce you or anything."

Santana smiles and relaxes her body into Brittany's embrace, her lips brushing across Brittany's with every word, "Noted. It's okay if you wanted to seduce me though."

"Yeah? You want me to seduce you?"

"I just want you."

Brittany's eyes close at the emotion in Santana's voice, turning her head slightly to rest her cheek against Santana's as the ache that had settled in her chest since reading Rachel's text finally starts to abate. Brushing her thumb against the soft skin behind Santana's ear, Brittany's voice is low as she responds to Santana statement, closing her eyes as she pulls Santana closer, "You have me. I've always been yours. I meant what I said before…I want us to be together again. We can make this work, San. I promise you."

She can feel Santana's heart beating wildly against her chest, the uneven breaths from Santana's mouth still carrying with it the fear that Brittany's promise won't hold. Brittany knows Santana better than anyone else in the world and she knows that words will soothe her but touch will speak to her. A thousand words could pass between them and none would come close to the books written by their hands pressing meaning into skin and Brittany feels a rush of excitement at the thought of writing their next chapter.

Kissing Santana's cheek, Brittany leans back and reaches down for Santana's hand, stepping around her and pulling her across the floor of the living space with purpose before pulling up short, a blush of embarrassment flushing across her cheeks. Turning to face Santana, Brittany meets her knowing smirk with a grin, shrugging her shoulders as she looks around the loft, "Um, I don't know where you sleep."

Santana feels her heart tumble in her chest as she looks at Brittany, the sexiness of Brittany taking charge completely overshadowed by how adorable she looks standing there with her lips curved in a sheepish smile. Bringing Brittany's hand to her lips, Santana kisses the back of her fingers before stepping past Brittany and guiding her to the area of the loft where she sleeps. She can hear Brittany's excited breaths behind her and she takes a moment to enjoy this feeling of giddiness and excitement that she only truly feels when she's with Brittany. Inhaling deeply as she gets to her bedroom, Santana exhales slowly and it feels like shedding a heavy blanket of regret and doubt that had been weighing on her shoulders. As she pulls Brittany over the threshold of the makeshift doorway to her bedroom, letting the heavy curtain fall closed behind her, she feels lightness inside of her that she realizes she hasn't felt in quite a long time. Letting go of Brittany's hand, she stands still as she watches Brittany walk towards her bed, the streetlights outside barely mingling with the faint glow of the loft outside of her room. She wants to turn on all the lights in her room so that she can see every part of this beautiful girl in front of her but as Brittany turns to face her, Santana realizes that even in the darkness she'll always be able to see Brittany.

As Santana walks a little closer, Brittany starts to unbutton her shirt, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dimness of the room. Shaking her head when Santana goes to reach for her, Brittany undoes the final button and pulls her shirt off, letting it fall to her feet. Popping open the button on her jeans, she pulls the zipper down and sits on the edge of Santana's bed, pulling her boots and socks off and tossing them towards the middle of the room. When she stands again, she can hear Santana's rapid breaths and her own heart races to catch up to the sound. Gripping the top of her jeans, Brittany removes them until she is standing in front of Santana in just her bra and underwear, the act of offering herself to Santana making her very aware of the arousal between her legs. Santana makes a whimpering sound as Brittany slowly removes the final barriers to her skin, letting them drop unwanted to the floor until she is standing naked and vulnerable, her posture mirroring the very position Santana was in the first time they ever made love.

Swallowing hard, Santana realizes what Brittany is doing and closes the distance between them, pulling Brittany into a hug. As Brittany's arms wrap around her back, Santana presses her lips to Brittany's bare shoulder, the warmth of her body heating the fabric against Santana's body. When she feels Brittany's hands start the pull up the back of her shirt, Santana leans back slightly and takes over pulling her thermal shirt over her head, sucking in a breath as Brittany's hands land low on her stomach. Dropping the shirt to the floor, Santana reaches behind her back to unhook her bra, pulling it down her arms as Brittany's hands open her jeans with an increased sense of urgency, her blue eyes roaming across Santana's body. Taking over, Santana pulls her jeans and underwear down, stepping out of them along with her socks, shivering as Brittany trails her fingertips across Santana's shoulders before sliding them down her arms until Brittany can hold her hands.

"Be with me, Santana."

Looking into Brittany's eyes, Santana knows exactly what Brittany is asking and for the briefest moment Santana swears she can smell the comforting scent of Brittany's old bedroom, her mind flashing back to a time when a younger version of Brittany asked her the same thing. In the secret dark of Brittany's bedroom, Santana had said yes and even while her heart leapt over the edge of love and excitement, there was a part of Santana that knew that her acceptance would have to come with conditions. Those restrictions that she placed on herself and on her relationship with Brittany had ramifications that make her heart hurt as she thinks about them now but as Brittany tugs her closer, Santana feels her heart leap again, this time freer and lighter and she knows that accepting now is the easiest decision she'll ever have to make.

Gently pulling her hands from Brittany's, Santana steps closer and pushes on Brittany's shoulders, guiding her onto her back on the bed and following her down with a low moan as the familiar warmth and softness of Brittany's skin brushes against her own. The moment her body settles against Brittany, Santana's mouth is captured in a kiss, Brittany's tongue finding hers with purpose as she slides her hands across Santana's ribs. Stretching her arms above Brittany's head to grip the comforter, Santana feels her desire rush through her veins like a tangible heat as Brittany's thigh slips between her legs, her stomach pressing against Brittany's with every breath. Holding her weight a little above Brittany's body, Santana breaks away from the kiss, pulling back open-mouthed to look down at Brittany's face, meeting Brittany's slow smile with one of her own as Brittany's hands shift from her ribs. Arching against Brittany as she drags her nails lightly across Santana's back, Santana braces her weight on one hand, the other coming down to cup Brittany's jaw as she holds her gaze for a long moment. Opening her mouth to speak, Santana's words cut off on a grunt as Brittany tenses her muscles and flips them over, her hands finding Santana's wrists and raising them over their heads to press the backs of Santana's hands against the mattress.

Leaning down to kiss the playful frown marring Santana's forehead, Brittany runs her bottom lip across Santana's nose before meeting Santana's darkened gaze with a smirk. "I want to spend hours making love to you."

"God, Britt, I want that too and…"

"But," Brittany shifts her body until Santana's thighs are bracketing her own, Brittany's stomach pressed firmly between her legs. "Right now, all I want to do is make you come for me. I've missed the way you taste."

Releasing her hold on Santana's hands, Brittany rests her weight back towards her heels, her hands pushing into the mattress next to Santana's chest, looking up to meet Santana's eyes as Santana brushes Brittany's hair away from her face. Pursing her lips, Brittany places a wet kiss against Santana's nipple, sucking lightly for the briefest moment before repeating the action on the other side, a humming kiss placed between Santana's breasts in apology for not lingering there as Brittany makes her way down Santana's body. Easing her body over the edge of the bed, Brittany sinks down to her knees, slipping her arms under Santana's thighs and pulling them over her shoulders as Santana pushes up on her hands to look down at Brittany, exhaling harshly as Brittany turns her head and kisses the inside of Santana's thigh. Jerking against the touch as Brittany bites lightly at the skin against her mouth, Santana's voice is rough as she tries to get Brittany's attention, her stomach clenching as Brittany's dark blue eyes look up at the sound of Santana's voice. "Brittany, why don't you come up on the bed? You don't have to be on your knees on the hard floor because I know that…"

That's all she manages to get out as Brittany turns her head, opening her mouth as she licks firmly through Santana's wetness, Santana's hands gripping the comforter as her head falls back. She wants to look and watch Brittany but these first few seconds of the familiar touch of Brittany's mouth on her are almost too much for Santana, the feeling of Brittany's fingers spreading wide against her lower back bringing a sweet ache to Santana's chest. The mechanics of sex are familiar regardless of who Santana had been with but as she feels her center swell and open for Brittany's tongue, Santana knows that to her last breath, Brittany's touch on her body will always be the one she loves the most. As Brittany exhales, Santana has a moment of heightened anticipation as her eyes open, the faint glow of light on the ceiling seeming to roll over her as the slick pressure of Brittany's tongue forces Santana's hands to release the comforter as her body drops to the bed on a moan.

Brittany feels Santana's body land with a dull thump against the mattress, Santana's thighs spreading wider as she rests her feet against Brittany's back. Brittany can sense the building urgency in Santana's body as she begins to rock her hips against the motion of Brittany's tongue, Santana's tiny whimpering noises reaching Brittany's ears despite the rush of blood pounding in time with her heartbeat. Changing the angle of her tongue, Brittany's eyes remain closed as she loses herself in the taste of Santana again, loses herself in the enticing feel of Santana's clit bumping against her nose as Brittany opens her mouth a little wider and flicks just the tip of her tongue firmly against Santana's entrance. At that, Santana's noises turn to all out groans and the sound makes Brittany's own center pulse in arousal, her hands sliding from beneath Santana to grip tight to Santana's hips. At the sound of her name, Brittany opens her eyes, moaning at the sight of Santana's back arched as she rocks her hips against Brittany's mouth. Flattening her tongue, Brittany concentrates all her attention on Santana's clit, her chin sliding against Santana's wetness with every stroke of her tongue against Santana. As she feels Santana's heels digging into her back, Santana's legs trembling against her shoulders, Brittany closes her eyes again, concentrating on making Santana come. It only takes another few breathless moments, Brittany's tongue a constant moving presence, her nails scratching across the concave expanse of Santana's taut stomach muscles as her own moans mix with Santana's before she feels Santana's hands land hard against the bed. She can hear Santana's scratchy voice cursing wildly before ending on a groan, her orgasm stealing her words as Brittany curls her arms around Santana's thighs, holding her in place as she licks against the growing wetness against her mouth. Moaning as she feels Santana clenching rhythmically against her tongue, Brittany finally pulls her mouth away as Santana's heels slip against the sweat against her back, Santana's voice gently begging for a break. Resting her damp cheek against Santana's thigh, Brittany smiles as Santana's hips slowly start to still, her hand reaching down blindly to hold onto Brittany's.

As she feels Brittany interlace their fingers, Santana opens her eyes, licking her slightly dry lips as the rush of her orgasm finally makes its way out of her system. She feels like she should be embarrassed at how quickly she came but as the touch of Brittany's lips shift from her thigh to her hipbone, Santana knows there's no shame in her pleasure when it comes to Brittany. There's nobody else that knows her body the way Brittany knows her body and as Santana finally lets out a heavy breath, she realizes that she doesn't want it any other way.

Sitting up, Santana reaches with both hands to pull at Brittany until she's straddling her lap, the scent of Brittany's arousal making Santana grit her teeth through a groan as Brittany's knees press into the mattress next to Santana's hips. While Brittany's hands settle on her shoulders, Santana reaches one hand up to cup the back of Brittany's head, pulling her down into a kiss and licking the taste of her arousal from Brittany's tongue. Wrapping her other arm across Brittany's back, Santana pulls her closer, the soft weight of Brittany's breasts against her making her toes curl where they hang over the edge of the bed. She can feel Brittany making slow movements with her hips, seeking pressure between her legs as Santana continues to kiss her with deep, slow kisses. Brittany's nails dig lightly into the skin of her upper back as Santana brings her arm from around Brittany's waist, pulling back from the kiss to watch Brittany's blue eyes flutter at the first touch of Santana's fingers slipping between her legs. Resting just the tips of her fingers against Brittany's arousal, Santana looks down to watch as one of Brittany's hands leaves her shoulder to reach between them, grabbing Santana's wrist and urging Santana's fingers to slide against her.

"Santana, please."

Hearing those words fall from Brittany's kiss swollen lips pushes all thoughts of teasing from Santana's mind, Brittany's hand tightening on her wrist as Santana coats her fingers in Brittany's wetness, lightly brushing against her clit for a few seconds before slipping inside Brittany. She watches Brittany's eyes close as she sinks down a little further into Santana's fingers, the flush of her cheeks beautiful against her pale skin. Bringing her other hand down to caress the outside of Brittany's thigh, Santana's breath catches in her chest as Brittany opens her eyes, holding eye contact as she begins to ride Santana's fingers. Santana wants to watch Brittany's body move, she's missed watching Brittany like this, but she can't look away from Brittany's eyes. This connection between them in this moment feels like too much and yet not enough, the feeling of being inside Brittany again making Santana's heart pound a furious cadence in her chest.

Tilting her head up for a kiss, Santana moans against Brittany's tongue as Brittany starts to rock a little harder and faster against Santana fingers, sliding her hand to hold onto Santana's forearm as she brings Santana's palm against her clit. On a gasp, Brittany ends the kiss, her head dropping back as Santana rests her forehead against Brittany's shoulder and looks down to watch Brittany move, the sound of her wetness pulling another groan from Santana's mouth. She can feel the way Brittany is tightening against her fingers so she starts to curl them, thrusting her fingers in quick shallow motions to meet each curl of Brittany's hips, Santana's mouth opening against Brittany's shoulder to suck lightly on her skin as Brittany moans above her. Brittany's panting breaths brush across Santana's skin as she brings her head down, resting her jaw against Santana's temple as her hips start to move in hard jerking motions, each breath a groan as Santana feels the wetness against her fingers increase. Holding tight to Brittany's lower back, Santana keeps her other hand still and lets Brittany take her pleasure, only a few seconds passing before Brittany's body begins to tremble, her orgasm making her hips lock as she pulses around Santana's fingers. Santana turns her head and presses a kiss to Brittany's cheek, feeling the curve of her smile even as she moans softly, her breath huffing out in a small grunt as she finally pushes gently on Santana's forearm, lifting her hips slightly as Santana slips from inside of her.

Kissing Santana's mouth, Brittany shifts her body and urges Santana to the bed, stretching out on her back as Santana cuddles against her side, both of them staring at each other for a moment before breaking out into matching grins. Content for the moment to just hold Santana, Brittany runs her fingers across the arm Santana has flung across her waist, the sounds of the apartment eventually filling the space between them. After a few minutes pass, Brittany's smile finally falls a little bit, her fingertips tapping against Santana's arm as she looks in the direction of the living area before looking back at Santana.

"San?"

"Yeah, Britt?"

"You need to turn your laptop off."

"Why?"

"Because I think that song's time has run out. If I have to hear it one more time, I'm going to go out there and throw your laptop out of your window."

Laughing, Santana presses a quick kiss to Brittany's smiling mouth, getting up to head naked into the living room, quickly going over to the loft door to lock it before picking Brittany's jacket up from the floor, stepping over to shut down her laptop. Detouring to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water to share, Santana hurries back into her room, dropping Brittany's jacket onto a chair in the corner of the room before putting the bottle of water on the table next to the bed. Climbing over Brittany's body to cuddle against her side once more, Santana giggles as Brittany follows her over so that she can drape her body over Santana's. Crossing her arms across Santana's chest, Brittany rests her chin against her hands, smiling wider as Santana runs her hands in a slow caress across Brittany's back. "Hi."

Laughing at the giddy tone of Brittany's voice, Santana squeezes gently against Brittany's side, returning her greeting with a dimpled smile, "Hi."

"This is really happening, right?"

Bending her knee to put her foot against the mattress, Santana pulls Brittany even closer against her body, welcoming the feeling of Brittany's steady heartbeat against her chest as she answers her, "Yeah, Britt. This is really happening. I love you, so much. You're totally stuck with me now."

Looking down into Santana's brown eyes, a relaxed and happy smile hovering around the corners of her mouth, Brittany feels the strain and stress of these past few months finally fall away. She knows they are going to have to put in the effort to make this work but she's not scared of the long distance any longer. They tried being apart and it made them both miserable. Moving her hand so she can place a kiss against the skin above Santana's heart, Brittany knows that what they have is, and will always be, worth the effort. Turning her head to rest her cheek against Santana's chest, Brittany watches the snow fall outside Santana's bedroom window, closing her eyes as Santana's hands reach up to run through her hair. "That's good, Santana. Because I love you, too. And there's no place else I'd rather be."