Glee 1. Part One

Ellipsis

Part One

Seven long years of trials and tribulations had implanted a seed of hostility and one of bitterness in Dani Walker's heart. Once with big dreams and aspirations of studying marine biology and spending her days swimming around with some of the greatest fish known to man, she had little to show for them. At 25, Dani was without a degree at all, in fact a struggling waitress by day and an under qualified gym trainer by night. It wasn't three years earlier that she had saved enough to acquire a monthly gym membership. Working out freed her mind, body and soul of all of its pent up frustrations, frustrations brought on by a stressful work and home life and also a result of years without the love of another. She worked out so furiously and passionately that a gym trainer working there at the time, Albie, had suggested that she try motivating some of the people trying out their 'get fit, not fat' programmes and to this day, she still found herself showing up every evening to work out with them. As payment, they gifted her with a free, forever gym pass and $50 a week, barely enough for the services she offered but she wasn't one to complain.

One thing about Dani is that she isn't exactly one for company. Sure, she used to enjoy partying and surrounding herself with her friends. However, they had dwindled over the years, moving on and moving away and it seemed as though she had become the forgotten one. Years that lacked much social interaction had turned her into what one would describe as a recluse and without a doubt, Dani Walker had become the most unapproachable person you could ever meet.

That's why, on the 8th of August when a group of forgotten faces had walked into the Abacus bar and restaurant, she had harmlessly handed her section over to another and continued her shift in peace. Sure, her eyes had wandered now and again over to the group of adults that she remembered from high school, the sound of them laughing triggering a feeling of emptiness in her heart. Emptiness was something that Dani believed she had left in her past when she'd become content with being alone, but it seemed as though the familiar feeling was easily resurrected. She wondered why they were all here at once, in her city. Over the years she had, had run ins with people from school countless times, but never all at once. And never her.

She was nearing the end of her shift, killing time by collecting empty glasses and serving when she bumped into her. The years had served her well. The baby face that she had once known was missing but she looked pretty much the exact same. Perhaps she was a little taller and her hair a little longer but aside from that, her honey brown eyes and supple lips were just as she remembered and had imagined since.

'Sorry' she mumbled, expressionless. She moved out of the girls way and dodged her, walking away without so much as a word of acknowledgement. Thrusting the glasses into the dishwasher out back, she returned and the girl was gone, sitting with her friends once more.

'Dani, table 6 wants you.' someone called out from her previous section, ahh, the girl she had swapped with.

'Table 6 isn't in my section' she stated simply, turning away.

'And? They asked for you, I'm clocking off now anyway so you've got to take over.' the petite girl she'd never really spoken to before mentioned.

Right. Of course, that would have to happen now.

She took a deep breath and walked to table six, the table that was occupied by the people from her past. She pulled out the pad of paper and the pen from her mandatory, uniform fanny pack.

'How can i help you?' she asked bluntly, refusing to make eye contact with them. She stared so deep into the empty paper that within seconds she was sure that she could read her history essays from seven years prior on it, she could also see her lips and her hair and her honey brown eyes. Her head snapped up in time for one of them to speak up.

'It's Dani, isn't it? Dani Walker...' a guy asked, she looked at him for the smallest of seconds, milliseconds or whatever and offered a small nod. It was Puckerman, Noah. She'd hated him with a passion in high school but without the stupid mohawk he looked easier to tolerate.

'Yessss, i remember... You went to high school with us, wow, i haven't seen you in years.' he remarked, the rest of the table was looking at her intently. Rachel Berry, Kurt Hummel, Blaine Anderson, Quinn Fabray, Santana Lopez. They all looked the same, plus a few years.

'I know I did, what can i get for you today?' Dani asked impatiently, twiddling the pen around her fingers before preparing to write.

'Well, nothing really... We just wanted to see that it was really you' Noah admitted, Dani huffed.

'Well it is, and if you don't mind i have to get back to work.' One last glance in her direction and she was off, walking towards another table. She was looking back, of course she was.

High school had been a difficult time for Dani. She battled with identifying herself and identifying her sexuality. She hadn't dated at all in high school, knowing within her own mind that she possessed a stronger attraction to women than men but afraid of the ridicule and discrimination that she would receive for it to the point that she kept her mouth shut and said or did nothing. Santana Lopez was the only out and proud gay person that she knew of at the time and even she wasn't as 'out and proud' as some would suggest. She had been caught making out with a girl in the basement and all hell broke loose, whilst her parents were fine with it, her peers were not. Lucky for her, Santana Lopez was the kind of girl that didn't give much consideration to what others thought of her and as a result, the torment she received had no effect on her whatsoever. Dani, at the time didn't know whether she was supposed to look upon her as an icon, i mean, she just carried herself and her sexuality _so well_, who wouldn't aspire to be just like her? Well quite frankly, it was all lies. Almost inevitably, Dani had developed a physical attraction to the girl as soon as she heard of her love of the same sex. It wasn't so much a crush, but Dani became aware of her, absolutely everywhere and she shamelessly watched her body at any opportunity. Santana and Dani hadn't been friends by a long stretch. They didn't fit into one anothers lives at all until that one fateful day that changed Dani's life forever.

The only class that Dani and Santana had together was gym class. Dani didn't mind because it meant that she got to watch the other girl in that short skort that complimented her ass perfectly. The shorts part was not visible at all and Dani often found herself imagining what was beneath the pleated red skirt. Well obviously she knew what was there but she wanted to experience it firsthand. She remembered the day as if it was only yesterday. She'd stepped onto the field, late only to see Santana Lopez leaning against the wall wearing her skirt and the smallest sports bra she had ever seen. She was sure that Santana ought to be put in detention for being so indecent but she would be lying if she didn't admit to thinking about everything she could possibly do to that beautiful body. Her attire exposed her toned abs and emphasised her large, round chest. Her eyes stared for too long and she tore them away and down to her long, slender legs. She thought about them wrapped around her head whilst she perched herself between them, her tongue working at her slowly. Slow and steady wins the race. SNAP OUT OF IT. Present Dani was warring with past Dani, she didn't wish to relive anymore of the gruesome tale.

'I see you over there, checking me out, Walker.' Santana Lopez smirked, raising her eyebrow.

Dani's eyes snapped up to meet Santana's, 'Um, no i wasn't.' she lied.

'Hmm' Santana said simply, moving towards her. She took her hand, leading her away from the field and back into the locker room, sitting her down and perching on top of her lap. 'You see, at this point i don't really care if you were looking at me or not.' she admitted, stroking Dani's jet black hair away from her face. 'I kinda haven't gotten any in a while and i feel like you might be able to help me with that.' she stated, rather than asked. Dani just kept her eyes on Santana's, not replying, agreeing, disagreeing- just looking, gulping, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. Santana stood up and took her hand again, leading her towards the showers and locking the door shut. She said no more, pushing Dani down until she was flat on the ground. In a swift movement she removed her skirt and sat on her knees beside Dani. She smiled, pecking her lips briefly. Dani's eyes were wide and unknowing. The Latina had risen on to her knees, positioning her naked centre above Dani's face. She gulped again. 'Don't be shy' Santana said, offering the words of encouragement as she lowered herself closer to Dani's mouth. In seconds, Dani's tongue had tentatively reached out, licking up Santana's slit, absolutely no idea what she was doing. The action didn't gain the desired reaction from Santana so Dani moved her attention to her clit- the pinnacle of sexual stimulation for a women she had once read. She enclosed her lips around it, hesitantly sucking it into her mouth. She was rewarded with a moan from Santana. She continued, her tongue probing into her wherever it could, looking for a reaction. Sometimes, Santana would grumble impatiently, others she would moan quietly, indicating that Dani was doing something right. She continued, her tongue sliding into her, thrusting in and out. It was probably sloppy, she knew it and it took longer than she expected it should for Santana to reach her climax. When she did she climbed off of Dani, sitting beside her again. It was quiet as Dani sat up and wiped her mouth, Santana putting her skirt back on. 'You've never done that before, have you?' she asked. Feeling humiliated, Dani shook her head. Santana simply smiled and pecked her lips, standing up and helping Dani up too. 'Thanks, Dani' she said as they walked back into the locker room and went their separate ways. It was that fateful day that Dani knew that she was undoubtedly gay. She also knew that she'd never be able to look Santana Lopez in the eye ever again.

And she didn't. Dani left school without ever having another interaction with Santana, sometimes she watched her but mostly she avoided her at all costs. She didn't lose her own virginity until months after she'd moved to the city. A one night stand. She'd imagined Santana the whole time.

Present Dani resumed her place behind the bar. Her safest bet, her only opportunity to stay away from the group. A confessed sceptic, Dani believed that luck didn't exist. And if it did, today it simply wasn't on her side. Within minutes of serving at the bar, Santana Lopez had sauntered up to it. 'Hey, Dani' she said with a smile, resting against the bar, purse in hand. Dani nodded, acknowledging her.

'How may i help?' she asked, avoiding eye contact.

'Actually, i wondered if you'd like to join us after your shift ends?' Santana asked hopefully.

Dani shook her head quickly 'No thanks' she said, without any further explanation.

'Oh.' Santana said, disappointed, much like Dani had been that day when she'd failed to fully satisfy her. 'Um, in that case, at least let me buy you a drink?' she asked.

Dani shook her head 'No need, i get them for free..'

'Even so, I'd like to buy you one.' Santana said, opening her purse.

'No thank you.' Dani said, moving on to serve another customer. Santana though stayed still. Unmoving, watching Dani until there was no customers left to serve and the two were left alone again. Dani wished that she could roll her eyes but she didn't want to be rude.

'How have you been?' Santana asked, with a smile. 'I haven't seen you in years.' she said.

'Great.' Dani offered as a response.

Santana nodded, defeated. 'Um, how come you're here? In New York?' she continued, trying to hold a conversation.

'I moved here after graduation.' Dani shrugged, not reversing the question.

'wow, that's great' Santana said with a genuine smile. Dani meanwhile was sure that she hadn't had this much social interaction in years. 'I'm splitting my time between here and Cincinnati at the moment... though I'm hoping to make my time here more permanent... I'm looking for a place of my own' she told Dani who only offered a nod in response. 'Do you think i could get your number, Dani? I'd like to meet up for coffee or something, sometime. It'd be nice to catch up' Dani could almost scoff in response, 'catch up' the two were never friends in the first place, Santana couldn't convince Dani that she actually cared what Dani had been doing for the past seven years if it was the last thing she ever did.

'I don't have a phone' she replied. It was the truth. She didn't have a cellular device because she didn't need one. She didn't need the additional cost every month when she had no use for it. The only people that could ever need to contact her were her boss, for work and occasionally her mom. The both of them had her address and her landline telephone number.

'Oh' Santana said in disbelief. Dani just shrugged. 'You're not great with people. Did you know that, Dani?' Santana asked, pouting slightly. Dani used to like her pout.

'Thanks, yes, i know captain obvious' she replied, acting sassy.

Santana sighed but before she had a chance to reply, Dani's boss called her, letting her known that her shift was over and she could leave whenever she had finished up.

Dani's eyes met Santana's for the first time that evening. The girl was staring at her, intrigued. 'What are you doing for the rest of the evening?' she asked Dani.

'I have to go to work.' Dani stated, wiping down the bar before clocking off and collecting her things.

'You just finished work' Santana laughed, following after her.

'Yes, now i have to go to my other place of work Santana.' Dani sighed, her heart leaping when she said the girls name aloud.

'Where else do you work?' Santana asked, raising her eyebrow, not sure whether to believe her.

'In a gym.' Dani said, restlessly, moving around the bar and heading for the door. Santana grabbed onto her wrist, stopping her from going any further.

'Then i guess I'm going to have to come for a workout' she shrugged, wanting to continue her conversation with Dani.

Dani rolled her eyes this time. 'We don't have day passes.' she said, pulling her wrist away, turning her back to Santana as she walked away.

'Then I'll get a membership' was the last thing she heard as she exited the bar and ran to the subway station, not wanting to be late.

On the subway she thought back on her interaction. Sure, she could be perceived as rude but she wasn't overly concerned about Santana seeing her as 'rude', not after what the two of them had experienced seven years earlier. Dani wasn't one to usually bear a grudge but she harboured some strong, unresolved feelings from that day that she wasn't quite ready to let go of. No matter how much she tried to deny is though, Santana was looking good. She looked just as beautiful as she had done years ago but her face seemed to have softened, indicating that her high school hardness had been forgotten over the years. She looked nicer.

Dani was late for work. By the time she had arrived, the women were already waiting for their class. She quickly changed into her sports bra and shorts, jumping onto the bike at the front of the class, talking the girls through their warm up. This job required her to do more talking than she was comfortable with and she had to be way more enthusiastic than she actually was, but the women were nice and made it slightly bearable. Half an hour in, they were on the treadmills.

'Okay, ladies. If you'd like to up your speed and incline, go right ahead! If not, keep going! TWO MINUTES' she shouted, increasing the speed of her own treadmill, running in time to the music blaring out of the speakers.

'DANI!' her boss shouted from out front. She sighed and cut off her machine, grabbing her towel she wiped at the sweat on her forehead, telling the ladies to carry on until she was back. She walked out front, her boss chatting with a woman at the desk.

'DANI!' her boss smiled. 'I'm going to need you to show this lovely woman around the machines when you've finished with your class if you're okay with that?' Dani nodded hesitantly, still wiping at her forehead. She was exhausted. The woman turned around, their eyes meeting. She was smiling... smirking... Santana. Dani's breath caught in her throat and she averted her gaze to the target bag she held in her hand, no doubt she'd stopped to buy clothes before checking out the gyms close to the bar.

'I'll be half an hour, go to the locker room and change and then take a seat.' Dani mumbled, walking back to the class. She feared that she took out her frustration on the class from that point onwards, pushing them harder than they were capable. She didn't understand why Santana was trying so hard to get in touch with her. It made her uncomfortable. She had the class working to her own personal limit and it was clear that 15 minutes later, a majority of them were in pain. Santana returned, taking the seat closest to her. Whenever Dani's eyes travelled to her, the girls eyes were on her, on her body. Her heart pounded and she ran faster.

By the end of the class, the women were bent double, limping towards the locker room, clutching their sides. Dani probably would have laughed if she didn't have Santana to deal with and if she actually ever laughed. She nudged her head towards Santana, gesturing for her to follow her upstairs where the gym was full of empty machines.

'How can i help you?' she asked impatiently.

'Well i thought if you wouldn't stay for a drink, meet up for coffee or give me the time of day at all then my last option was to have you help me get fit again.' Santana admitted with a confident shrug.

'Why is it you want from me?' Dani asked, not making eye contact, curious as to whether Santana wanted the same as she did last time she'd spoken to her.

'I want you to help me get my abs back.' Santana stated, Dani briefly wondered if that somehow had a double meaning.

'Um, well if you're looking for a good cardio workout you'll probably want the cross trainer, maybe the bike and the treadmill too... We have a stepmill too if you want to work on your thighs.' she explained.

'Are you saying i need to work on my legs?' Santana smirked slightly. Dani shook her head, no. 'So you've been looking then?' she laughed, scrunching up her nose.

'Do you want my help or not?' Dani sighed.

'I know how to use the machines, Dani.' Santana smiled.

'That maybe so, but it's mandatory for me to walk you through it. I can't lose my job.' Santana just nodded and gestured for Dani to show her. That she did, her voice monotonous and uninterested, keeping her eyes away from the girl. When she'd finished giving her the demonstration, she hoped on to the machine next to her, the two of them working out in silence.

'You look well.' Santana remarked. Dani nodded, focusing on matching her running to the music.

'You see, the polite thing to do is say I look well back, unless i don't.' Santana sighed.

'You look well, Santana' Dani said, making the girl smirk.

'Are you out of the closet yet?' Santana asked abruptly, making Dani's eyes widen.

'Yes, i am.' Dani replied, making Santana gasp. Dani guessed that, that wasn't the answer she expected because she seemed to be at a loss for words. They were silent until the timer sounded and Dani indicated for the two of them to move on to the next machine.

'I want to apologise for that day' Santana said sadly.

'What day?' Dani asked.

'You know what day.' Santana sighed, feeling guilty about it for the first time.

Dani only shrugged. 'It's fine, no big deal.'

'It was a big deal, Dani. I didn't realise at the time, but i do now.' Santana frowned.

'I don't need your pity.' Dani said, her frustration growing.

'You don't have my pity, Dani. It was an apology, just accept it.' Dani nodded. 'So what have you been doing for the past how ever many years?' she asked with a smile.

'Not much' Dani replied. 'You?'

Santana smiled, a breakthrough. 'Um, i went to college... I got a degree in criminology but have since changed my career path. I work as a chef now. I have a restaurant in the city and one in Cincinnati.' she nodded. Trying to maintain the conversation, asking Dani another question. 'So, married, kids?'

Dani shook her head.

'Are you seeing anyone?' Santana asked with a smile. Dani shook her head.

'Are you?' she asked, Santana shook her head.

Dani raised her head, her eyes meeting Santana's. The girl was looking at her intently, a smile on her face. Her heart started racing and she looked away, running faster. Santana stopped her machine, jumping down and grabbing Dani's spare towel, dabbing her face with it. Dani raised her eyebrow stopping her own machine.

'We aren't finished yet.' she stated.

Santana shrugged 'I'm pretty burnt out.' she admitted. 'But I'll be back... When do you work next?'

Dani gulped. 'Tomorrow.' Santana nodded, collecting her things.

'See you tomorrow, Dani.' she said, heading out of the door. Dani's jaw was almost on the floor, her eyes wide. She collected herself, gulping and shaking her head. She was being stupid, so stupid. Despite that, a small part of her was intrigued as to what tomorrow would have in store.


	2. Part Two

Ellipsis

Part Two

She woke the next day with anxious anticipation. Dani Walker had never been much of a conversationalist and the prospect of having to talk to someone on a semi-regular basis was actually quite daunting- especially if she intended to stick around. But perhaps that was simply wishful thinking. Santana had never expressed a desire to become a part of Dani's daily life in any form, perhaps Dani had got to a point by which she was simply tired of living a lonely life, maybe she needed this wake up call to push her to break out of her comfort zone and start living her life again. Who was she kidding? This wasn't the epiphany that she'd perhaps hoped for. This meeting wasn't going to bring her out of her shell overnight, nor did she want it to. She was content with the life that she was living, even though it wasn't what she had always dreamt of. She didn't want Santana, she didn't need her to reach out to her like she was. She honestly didn't understand why she was doing it in the first place.

She dragged herself out of bed, at least a thousand thoughts running a marathon in her mind, she didn't think she'd ever been as conflicted as she was at this point in her life. She considered the philosophy that your teenage years are the ones in which you really go about finding and identifying yourself. However, at 25, Dani could tell you for certain that, that wasn't the case in her personal situation. In fact, Dani would go as far to say that she was less sure about herself at 25 than she was about herself at 16. The only thing that she was absolutely certain of that morning as she let the water cascade down on her body was that she couldn't get her honey brown eyes, long hair and supple lips off of her mind.

At 4.30 am she left her apartment, trudging down to the subway station in the pouring rain. She sat down on the ground and waited for the subway that would take her back to abacus, watching with absent eyes as people passed her by. Though her vacant stares couldn't register specifics, she was amazed by the diversity in this city. Her mind, already packed to the brim with incomplete thoughts couldn't comprehend the idea that these people all came from and went to different places. They all had different stories to tell, plans to fulfil. She thought about her own story and realised that she didn't have a very exciting one. Looking at businessmen as they went to work in their suit and ties, she wondered if they'd have a busy day and if they'd make it home to their families before ten. She looked at the homeless man sat in his sleeping bag opposite her and wondered whether his life would change today, maybe someone would drop a winning lottery ticket into his hat and maybe five years from now he'd be dressed in a suit like a lot of these men. It was then that she began to understand that her own story really wasn't interesting at all. By the time her subway approached the platform her skin was ice cold, the slightly warmer temperature when she stepped through the doors caused goosebumps to raise on her skin and she rubbed her arms to warm up.

Sticking to her usual routine, she stopped by at the diner opposite abacus for a mug of tea. It was a tradition she'd adopted since she started working there. Every morning, she'd wake up earlier than necessary, she'd get a mug of tea and she'd sit in the window booth at the diner. She liked tea. It was perfectly timed and by the time the mug was empty it was time for her shift to start. It was slow, as it would be at 6am. Conveniently, it was quite a slow shift overall, it got a little busier over lunch but aside from that she had too much time to think once again. Luck, if it existed really wasn't on her side. She wondered whether Santana would really show at the gym that evening, assuming that she'd be a no show. She tried to convince herself that she wouldn't be disappointed if that was the case. By 5pm she had 3 hours to kill before her shift at the gym. She contemplated going grocery shopping but her desire to sleep found her back in bed, taking a nap. She planned on searching for food later. She woke and showered again, changing into her gym kit and redoing her hair and makeup, not really sure who she was trying to impress. No one, she decided.

The women were already waiting by the time she arrived for her class. Santana wasn't out front like she had been the day before and Dani assumed that she had found better things to do, hardly surprising. She tried to maintain her optimistic approach for the sake of these women taking the class. Mainly because it was her job to do so but also a silent apology for how hard she had worked them the day before. It seemed like her heart harboured two different kinds of frustration towards Santana from one day to the next. Yesterday she had been frustrated that she had showed up at her workplace and today she was frustrated that she hadn't. She couldn't really tell if it was disappointment or something else that was causing her to be so affected by it, her only explanation for her behaviour and extravagant way of thinking was that the girl had said she'd be here and hadn't bothered to show. Trying to take her mind off of it, she ran faster and faster and faster until she was so out of breath. Unable to fill her lungs quick enough that she reached for her inhaler and took four long puffs.

After 3 weeks, Santana had become nothing but a memory once more. Sure, Dani had carefully deliberated the reasons as to why the girl didn't show. Maybe Dani's standoffish attitude had put her off, maybe she had thought it was nothing more than a waste of time or maybe she simply didn't like Dani and had absolutely no desire to talk to her whatsoever. All of these theories were put to bed on the third week. Dani had moved on from Santana's brief appearance back into her life, enjoying the calm peacefulness of her own company. She'd rediscovered that she was content with the life she was living, not overly concerned about her lack of friends, family, money or love. She had chosen this life for herself and it was time she stood by and honoured her decisions rather than constantly questioning them. That was mainly why she felt so conflicted, seeing Santana at the gym on the fourth day of the third week. The girl was at the back of the class, awaiting her arrival like all of the other women. She'd gotten onto her bike and done a double take when her eyes skimmed over the class, her mind welcomed a third kind of frustration, did the woman have no concept of time or what? Tomorrow seemed like such a long time ago. This time she caught her frustration and bottled it before it got the better of her. Hollering her instructions to the class, she was sure to give them a good workout whilst making sure that she didn't work them too hard. A few of the women looked at her as though they understood and acknowledged her mood change whenever the Latina was around.

The hour past quickly and the women went off to change or to go home. She packed away equipment and headed upstairs to continue her workout. The hour simply wasn't enough to satisfy her. She was in the zone when she'd heard the creaking of the stairs, signalling that someone was about to join her. She didn't turn her head to the side, figuring that it would be Santana here to explain herself for a second time. She was right about the first part, it was Santana but she offered no explanation as to why she hadn't shown that day initially, instead she stood in front of the treadmill she was running on, looking at her. Dani didn't even realise that she was speaking until she glanced at her and saw that her lips were moving. She reduced her speed until she was walking and waited for her to repeat her message.

'I wondered if you were free to do some PT now? I figured that it probably isn't your job but you work in a gym right?' Santana said finally.

Dani didn't speak for a minute. 'You're right, it isn't my job... You'll have to book in downstairs with one of the trainers if you're looking for PT'

Santana narrowed her eyes, looking at her. 'You didn't seem to have a problem doing it last time.' she stated.

Dani huffed 'That was your induction, it wasn't a person training session.'

Santana scoffed immediately 'And you can't make an exception for an old friend?'

Dani wanted to cuss and yell at her but took two deep breaths instead. 'We weren't friends.' she said simply, amping up her speed again. Surprisingly she made no comment when Santana jumped onto the treadmill beside her and ran as if her life depended on it. When she got tired she slowed down and looked at Dani, just looking at the side of her face. Her jaw was locked and she wondered why. Perhaps it was determination or anger or something else, she wasn't sure.

'How have you been?' she asked with a smile.

In reply, all Dani offered was a monotonous 'great'. Santana wasn't surprised that Dani's walls were back in place and that she had reverted back to her one worded and one sided answers. The question wasn't reciprocated but she decided to tell her anyway.

'I've been busy... I had a work emergency and had to fly to Cincinnati after the gym that night... I got back this morning.' she said by way of explaining her absence. Dani merely nodded in recognition and turned off her machine. She patted her face with her towel and collected her things back into her bag, heading for the stairs.

'Wait. Dani' Santana called, causing her to stop. 'Please make an exception, if only for tonight... I could really do with a good workout, I've been so stressed' she pouted. That stupid pout.

'I already did give you a workout. I'm tired myself.' Dani replied, her face expressionless. Santana wished that she could master that same look.

'Please.' Santana frowned. 'I really need it... I don't know when I'm going to have time to come back, I have so much going on... I just really need to make use of this time to just... relax'

Dani stood in front of the treadmill. 'Increase the pace, you're not working hard enough.' she said simply, causing Santana to quirk her eyebrow. Despite that, she did as she was told and ran for a solid ten minutes.

'C-can i stop now?' she pleaded. Before Dani could even nod her approval, Santana had stopped the machine and took a long gulp of water.

'You shouldn't drink water like that... Gulping it makes you swallow the air pockets' Dani stated, instantly cursing herself for doing so. She had no idea whether that was even true, she'd just made it up on the spot to have one over on the girl. Santana just nodded and waited for further instructions. 'Maybe try some stepmill if you want to work on your thighs... or the cross trainer, it's up to you' she said, looking at the girl.

'There we go with the thigh comments again, are they really that bad?' Santana asked, looking down at them. Dani shook her head without looking which made Santana laugh. 'You didn't even look' she said to Dani, causing the girl to open her eyes wide and look at her thighs, still shaking her head. 'Okay, okay... So, my thighs are so good that you have no words, or?' she teased. Dani just walked off and stood beside the stepmill. It looked as though Santana would be working on her thighs whether she liked it or not.

'So, um... How is your sister?' Santana asked with a smile as she started the machine.

Dani wanted to roll her eyes 'I don't have sister, i never did have one' she sighed, it was just becoming more evident as time passed that the two girls had absolutely no meaning to each other at all. Santana had simply taken advantage of her sexuality at one point and exploited her for the sake of one lousy orgasm. Dani was bitter about it.

'Oh... Sorry' Santana said, embarrassed. 'I'm an only child too' she said.

'I'm not an only child, i have a brother' Dani said, rolling her eyes.

'Oh... How is he?' Santana asked, afraid of saying the wrong thing again.

'I don't know, he doesn't talk to me.' she shrugged, Santana sighed.

'I'm sorry about that.. Can i ask why? Is that too personal?' Santana pried, Dani nodded and ended the conversation.

'Look, I'm really tired and as much as I'd love to help you' Dani said sarcastically. 'I'm tired and my sleep is very important to me' she lifted her bag from the floor again and walked out.

Santana was sick to death of Dani's attitude at this point. She stopped her machine and grabbed her own bag, following the girl out. She kept a comfortable distance from her so that she wouldn't know that she was being followed. Santana begrudgingly abandoned her car in the parking lot and followed Dani to the subway station. She'd never been on a subway before and the protocol almost caught her out, catching the doors just before they closed and keeping a carriage between her and Dani. She could see the girl sitting down, noticing how she looked so... solemn. There was no other word that could encapsulate how utterly exhausted the girl looked. The deep circles under her eyes suggested sleep deprivation and the rumbling in her stomach that she'd caught earlier suggested that she hadn't had a proper meal in a while.

She was hesitant about following the girl all the way home, considering it to be a breach of her privacy at the very least. She did it anyway and she didn't know why. Perhaps she was simply intrigued about why the girl lived the way she does, being so cold towards people and so private and closed off. She wanted to find out why. Santana was hot on her heels when she eventually got to her stop. The girl walked slowly and it was clear that she wasn't in any rush to get somewhere. The Latina smiled, satisfied when the girl finally pulled a set of keys out of her pocket and entered her apartment block, she assumed it wouldn't be too difficult to find her from there. Minutes later she approached the door and saw 'Walker' written by one of the buzzers. Instead of buzzing up to her immediately, Santana decided to give her a while to get comfortable whilst she went and brought them some Chinese food and wine. Her nerves definitely built up when she neared her apartment block for the second time. She buzzed up and waited, nothing. So she buzzed again and again and again until she was convinced that the girl would never open up. By the fifth buzz, Dani had obviously gotten annoyed, picking up and shouting out to her.

'Who are you and what the fuck do you want?!'

Santana gulped, surprised. She'd never heard Dani talk so loud and confidently in her life and she was quite taken aback by it. 'Um, it's Santana... i bought us some food, i thought maybe we could chat?'

Inside the apartment, Dani's heart race increased by the thousands. Santana was there, at her apartment. She took a moment, wanting to make sure she wouldn't stumble on her words or lose her nerve. 'Why the fuck are you here? How do you even know where i live? Did you follow me?' she immediately regretted asking too many questions.

'Um, if you let me in i could try and explain... Yes, i did follow you... not because I'm creepy or anything, i don't even know why, i guess i just wondered whether we could talk?' Santana asked cautiously.

To avoid the risk of sounding stupid once again, Dani simply buzzed her in to the apartment and opened the door. Waiting by it. As soon as Santana emerged in front of her door, Dani narrowed her eyes at her. 'You can tell me right now what the fuck you think you are doing following me around everywhere, crazy bitch.' she was surprised at how hurt Santana looked by her comment.

'I don't know.. i guess i was worried, or interested i don't know what came over me. I just, i don't understand why you keep being so rude to me, i mean, i'm really trying to be nice but it's like you just hate me or something. I'm not sure if i should take it personally or not but i just wanted to apologise for you know, that day again.. I don't have to stay, i'll just leave this stuff and go if you want?'

Dani felt guilt tripped into letting the women enter her apartment but she allowed her to anyway. She was obviously showered and changed into sweatpants and a sleep shirt. Santana followed her inside and waited for her to shut the door.

'Um, do you maybe want to eat with me... I haven't eaten properly in weeks.' she admitted, Dani just shrugged and got plates for Santana. When the girl handed her a plate heaped with food and a glass of red she nodded towards her appreciatively and sat down on the couch, her eyes watching the TV but the goings on not really registering, preoccupied with thoughts of Santana sitting not too far away. Santana was silent also, eating and glancing between the TV and Dani. Once they had finished, Dani collected the plates and mumbled a quiet 'thanks' as she went to wash up. She sat back down on the couch in silence again. Neither of them communicated with each other at all, watching a film.

'What do you want?' Dani asked, reiterating her question from a few weeks ago. Santana only shrugged, she honestly didn't know at this point.

'Why are you so rude to people?' she asked, not wanting to sound rude herself. Dani sighed and shrugged.

'I just don't like talking.' she replied. Santana nodded, feigning understanding.

'Okay... I better get headed home, what subway do i need to get to get back to the gym? I need to get my car.' Santana asked with a smile.

Dani gave her the briefest of directions and walked her to the door. 'Thanks for eating with me Dani, and um.. for the company. I hope to be back in the gym soon but it depends on my schedule.' Santana smiled, Dani just nodded in response. All at once, Santana's lips were pressed lightly to her cheek. Dani pulled away quickly, a look of shock and disapproval on her face, it looked as though she had been stung. 'Sorry...' Santana said, blushing. 'Goodnight, Dani' she said, backing away from the door and the apartment.

'Night.' Dani said simply, shutting the door. She could feel the burning against cheek. Her kiss. Oh, how she craved it. It was wrong of her to do so, she knew it. Her hand rested on the spot, bringing her fingertips to her lips. Her soft and supple lips, oh, how she had missed them. She'd missed them. It was like she had felt them a thousand times before and missed them for a thousand years. But she missed them and she didn't know how she could possibly stop herself from doing so. She wished to feel them against hers once again. Oh, she was so stupid.


	3. Part Three

Ellipsis

Part Three

Weeks had passed. Weeks, almost months and life for Dani Walker had taken a turn for the worst. Whilst she had lived comfortably during recent months, her landlord had thrown a spanner in the works and upped her rent by $100 a month and because of that, she had been forced to search for another job. Between Abacus and the gym, she didn't really have much time and she wondered whether she'd find time to sleep picking up more hours. First she'd tried getting overtime at Abacus but her boss explained that it was either the hours she currently had, or none at all. She tried to make her work at the gym more of a permanent fixture but apparently she wasn't qualified enough for proper, contracted work. She sat at her table late at night overlooking her expenses, desperately trying to find something that she could cut out in order to make the payments. She pushed her glasses further up the bridge of her nose and ran a hand through her hair. She lived a minimalistic enough life as it is, there was nothing left to cut out. And that fact alone led her to 72, a recently established restaurant only a ten minute subway ride from her apartment. She'd noticed the 'bar staff wanted' notice in the door and dared to enquire. She'd left her resume and hours later her landline phone had rang and a voicemail was left, offering her an interview the following day. They had offered her a job, 12 hours a week and by her calculations, that gave her only 6 hours a day to sleep.

She'd been working at 72 for only a matter of days when she saw Santana again. She walked in, dressed in a posh looking pant suit for what appeared to be a business meeting. A waiter had shown her to her table and she'd sat down, loading up her laptop and opening her books. Minutes later, an older man walked in, wearing a suit and she stood up to shake his hand. She approached their table and asked if they were ready to order. Santana had looked up at her with a slightly surprised smirk.

'We preordered' she said, biting her lip just in time for a waiter to push her out of the way and put their food down on the table. She felt like an idiot. She gave a small nod of her head and turned on her heel, her cheeks blushing profusely. She didn't dare to look back at the table again.

It wasn't until the Latina was standing in front of her much later on that she acknowledged her once again.

'Well, well, well... you're just everywhere, aren't you?' she asked with a smirk. Dani just nodded hesitantly. 'You didn't tell me that you worked here' Santana said with a pout.

'I, uh, i didn't until recently' she said and then coughed to clear her voice. Santana nodded and played with the straw in her drink.

'I'm thinking about going to the gym tonight.' Santana suggested. Dani had to resist the urge to tell her that she wouldn't be working tonight, it would be delusional to think that the girl was going just to see her. Dani nodded in response and bowed her head to hide the blush on her cheeks. This girl made her annoyingly flustered and if she considered herself to be quite a quiet and shy person, she could only be described as mute when Santana was around, words failed her entirely. 'Cat got your tongue, Walker?' Santana half joked, half flirted. When Dani's apologetic eyes looked up and into Santana's, she was surprised to see the girls mouth form an obvious smirk. She opened her mouth to speak and nothing came out so she simply stood there, staring into her honey brown eyes, her mouth slightly agape. 'You look sexy when you look at me like that' Santana stated, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. Dani blushed, a small smile tugging on her lips, she didn't dare to look away again and maintained eye contact with the girl. She'd never been called sexy before and she wasn't even sure how she was supposed to react. Before she could, Santana reached forward and brushed Dani's hair away from her face, stroking her cheek. 'Cutie' she smiled, pulling away entirely. Dani just gulped, looking at her still. Dani didn't know if she was jumping the gun in thinking that the other girl was being blatantly obvious about flirting with her and she felt like she should be flirting back, she just wasn't really familiar with how to flirt anymore, it wasn't something that was second nature to her and she kind of just blinked repeatedly- mainly in disbelief. 'See ya around Walker' Santana smiled, leaving the restaurant without even a second glance. Damn, this girl could quite possibly be the death of her.

Later that night Dani was laying in bed, restless. She wondered whether Santana had gone to the gym tonight like she had said and if so, she wondered whether she was disappointed to find that it was another trainer taking the class this evening. Without much thought or hesitation, her hand moved down her stomach, beneath the hem of her panties. She hadn't done this in so long, years and she really didn't have any motive either. But the thoughts of Santana had consumed her mind for long enough and she hoped to sedate them. Her fingers moved through her folds and over her bundle of nerves, she wasn't too wet just yet so she just allowed herself to familiarise once more. Her fingers were without a doubt out of practice and when she slid one deep inside herself she found that she was quite possibly 'tighter than a nun'- unsurprising, she'd always been a giver rather than a receiver. She pumped in and out slowly, urging herself to adjust. It was uncomfortable and she didn't find the relief that she had hoped for, laying still for minutes on end, pushing her fingers in and out without any physical reaction whatsoever. Removing her finger, she swirled it around her clit instead- maybe there she thought. And she was kinda right. After a short while she felt a sensitivity that she had once been familiar with. A sensitivity that told her that with a little more pressure, her release was imminent. Biting down on her bottom lip, she guiltily conjured up every possible image of Santana, pressing firmer against herself. Her stomach slowly began to tighten and a release eventually took over. Her eyes shot open and she rode it out, instantly removing her fingers when she was done. She felt bad, she didn't feel the good that she had expected to. She was disappointed with herself for using Santana in such a way that the girl had used her before. She felt as though they were now even and she didn't get to clutch on to the bitterness anymore. One, all.

She simply laid there, a panting mess. Her hair was ungracefully stuck to her face and her face itself was red as a tomato. In the light, she would have seen that her eyes were ever so slightly bloodshot and in all, 'guilty' was written all over her face in huge letters. She clenched her eyes shut tight and pleaded with her own body to force sleep, sleep that never did overcome her. So she just lay there, minutes passing by. She figured that Santana would be done at the gym by now. Maybe she was at home in bed, annoyed at her or maybe she was with somebody. Her questions were answered by the ringing of her apartment buzzer. She ignored it, assuming that whoever it was would eventually leave her in peace. They didn't and she reluctantly crawled out of bed and pressed it.

'Hello?' she asked hesitantly.

'Dani, let me in right now... I'm freezing.' Santana spoke back to her. She sighed.

'Okay.' she said simply, opening the door for the girl and releasing the latch on her apartment door. Something pushed her to return to the bed, maybe if Santana saw that she had been sleeping she'd leave without protest and maybe (hopefully) come back another time. Dani was still feeling guilty about reaching a climax at the girls expense and she knew for certain that if she couldn't look her in the eye before, she definitely wouldn't be able to now.

She heard Santana enter the apartment and she played with the edge of her sleep shorts, waiting as she listened to the girl shuffling around the apartment, looking for her. Eventually she was stood in the doorway and her slightly hardened features softened. She walked towards the bed and slowly sat down at the edge of it.

'I thought you would be working tonight?' she asked, almost rhetorically but Dani answered with a shake of her head anyway. 'You could have warned me that I'd experience hell on earth with that other woman' Santana laughed, her hands feeling Dani's sheets with her fingers. 'You okay?' Santana asked, still not mentioning why she had shown up for a second time without invitation.

'Yeh... you?' Dani asked, looking up for a split second.

Santana nodded 'I missed you tonight... i thought I'd come and see how you are..?'

'Good' Dani said, wishing that she could offer a better response. Instead she watched as Santana fell back against the bed.

'I liked you in high school, you know?' she asked Dani, turning her head to look at her. 'I really liked you and what happened that day... I'd fantasised about it for so long.' her words seemed to catch under her breath, Dani almost felt bad but she caught herself just in time. It was news to her that the girl had ever glanced in her direction on more than that one occasion and she wasn't sure of the reaction the girl was expecting. She offered her a shrug of the shoulders. 'I just used to think about how beautiful you were... still are, and I'd wonder why you were such an outcast... i mean, you were different than the others. I couldn't figure you out. And that is primarily why i seized my opportunity that day, i didn't regret it not at first... it wasn't until i saw you again and i don't know, you still give me butterflies, and i know that, that is ridiculous... i mean, 7 years later. But you're just different than anyone i've ever met and I'd like to be your friend?' Dani crinkled her nose at Santana's admission. It was heartfelt and a side to Santana she had never witnessed before. She nodded slowly, acknowledging what the girl was saying and perhaps agreeing to a friendship.

Her eyes shut closed and she took deep breaths, connecting with her senses and slowing her racing heart. Her head fell back against the pillow and maybe minutes later, she felt Santana move beside her. The girl was laying right next to her and she forgot how to breathe again, not opening her eyes for a second. The girls fingers traced the freckles on her cheeks and tucked her stray hairs behind her ear. 'So beautiful' she told her and Dani could almost hear her smiling. She let out an involuntary, content sigh and relaxed into the touch, trying not to think much of it. But when she felt the familiar lips against hers, she knew that she wasn't mistaken. It was all a silent confirmation that the Latina had been on her way to pursuing her over the past few months. Dani didn't kiss back but made little effort to move away, letting Santana press her lips firmly against her own. Holy shit. Her heart was racing and her mind was running away with it. Her stomach felt knotted and uncomfortable and Dani clenched her fists in anticipation, her nails digging into her palms. When Santana pulled away, Dani quickly turned over, opening her eyes now that she wasn't facing the girl. Surprisingly, Santana wrapped her arm around her mid-section, holding her body close. Spooning. She seemed to fall asleep quickly, Dani hearing her soft snores and once she'd managed to sufficiently calm her beating heart, she joined the girl in a peaceful slumber.


	4. Part Four

Ellipsis

Part Four

Dani was the first to wake the next morning with Santana's arm still wrapped around her waist. She had to start her shift at Abacus at 6am and knew that at this rate she would miss her morning cup of tea. Whilst she laid there feeling awkward and uncomfortable she considered what the morning after protocol may entail. Was she supposed to kiss her until she woke? Maybe she was supposed to bring her breakfast in bed or shake her awake and tell her that it was time to leave? As she thought over her options she turned onto her back, Santana's arm falling onto her stomach. She turned her head to the side and looked at the sleeping beauty, she looked so peaceful and content that Dani wondered whether she should wake her at all. After much consideration she let her fingers stroke over Santana's dark hair, playing with it between her fingertips. It all felt so strange, having someone else in her bed, cuddling her, it was a feeling she'd forgotten as the years passed. Whilst she did feel uncomfortable she came to realise that she didn't hate the feeling entirely and she in fact enjoyed the feeling of Santana's arms holding her protectively. Somehow, it felt as though some of the weight was being lifted off of her shoulders, she didn't necessarily have to be the responsible one in this situation and in a way she knew that she wasn't being. It was dangerous for her to admit to herself that she enjoyed this feeling, she couldn't get used to it because she knew that it would once again end in disappointment. But for right now she couldn't deny her careless heart and instead continued to play with Santana's hair, tucking it behind her ear and just stroking it gently, being careful not to wake her. She lost herself in thought and didn't realise that her gentle ministrations had eventually roused the girl from her sleep. She didn't realise that honey brown eyes were watching her intently. It was a content moan from the Latina that alerted Dani of her sudden consciousness and she pulled her hand away immediately and tried to disguise her blush by looking away.

'I liked that' Santana said with a pout, wrapping her arm tighter around Dani's waist and laying her head on her chest. Dani was once again at a loss for words and just laid there, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Santana just stroked her arms, drawing random patterns on her soft skin as she slowly woke up, her lips turning into a grin as she nuzzled her face into Dani's shirt. As if on reflex, Dani's hand found its way back into Santana's dark locks, just stroking them gently. 'How did you sleep?' Santana asked quietly.

'Okay..' she replied, moving her hand away again. 'You?' she added, hopeful that Santana had enjoyed a peaceful sleep as she had.

'Really good' Santana smiled. 'I haven't slept that well in years.' she added, clarification that Dani was somewhat responsible for the fact that she'd managed to sleep through the night so peacefully. Dani couldn't help but flash a cute smile at the girl, her dimples telling Santana all she needed to know. Dani was grateful that Santana had a certain understanding of how she was, she didn't expect much from her and she seemed to have caught on to her body language as clues for how she was feeling, aware that she never really said very much. But she was feeling okay, not necessarily happy but happier than she'd been at least in recent months. Slowly she shuffled out from her position beneath Santana, frowning when the girl pouted up at her. God, how she wanted to kiss that pout. She walked towards her closet and retrieved her uniform before heading off to the shower, smiling slightly towards Santana. Once again, it wasn't until she was alone that she acknowledged how hard her heart was beating against her chest. Santana just had this effect on her that she hadn't had before, not with anyone.

By the time she had showered and dressed, Santana was in the living room, watching GMA. She had made them both a mug of tea and whilst it wasn't the same as the tea at the diner and it wasn't in her favorite mug, it was good enough. Dani surprised herself and Santana by dropping down on the couch next to the girl, barely inches between them. Santana smiled and pulled her closer, draping her legs over her lap and stroking her thighs. Dani sipped at her tea before resting her head against Santana's chest, sighing softly. Santana held her close and kissed the top of her head and Dani was sure that she would lose her mind. It wasn't until it got closer to five that either of them moved, Dani knew that she may be late for work but she couldn't bring herself to leave Santana's embrace. It was eventually Santana that spoke up. 'I have work, I'll have to leave soon' she frowned, tilting Dani's head up to look at her. Dani just nodded, looking over her features. 'Do you want me to drive you to work?' Santana asked, stroking her face. Dani nodded and laid her head back on Santana's chest, cuddling into her. Santana leaned down, kissing her lips. Dani was surprised but quickly wrapped her arm around Santana's neck, letting the girl kiss her slowly. Surprisingly she found herself kissing the girl back, their lips together creating that weird kissing noise that she only ever heard from other couples. They kissed for a couple of minutes and when Santana pulled away, Dani was blushing a deep red. 'We've got to go' Santana smiled sadly.

'Okay' Dani replied, standing up and grabbing her coat, waiting beside the door for her. Santana walked to her, opening the door and leading her down to her car. They drove mostly in silence after they had spoken briefly about where Dani was working that day and Santana had told her that she wanted to see her that evening if she got off of work early enough. Dani's heart pounded at the thought of it. When they pulled up in Abacus' car park, Santana unbuckled her seat belt and turned to look at the girl.

'Have a good day' she smiled, Dani smiled back.

'You too' she replied shyly, looking down in her lap. In just a second, a burst of confidence ran through her and she leaned over the console and kissed Santana, her hand moving to her jaw to hold her in place. Santana moaned in surprise and kissed her back, smiling into the kiss. Dani was the first to pull away this time, opening the car door and swinging her legs out. 'Bye' she said when she turned back and smiled, shutting the car door behind her and heading into the bar. She had an unfamiliar spring in her step, she was quite possibly going insane. She was acting completely different than she was used to, sure, she was still the same in the sense that she didn't have much to say but rather than preferring her own company, she enjoyed Santana's. She was apprehensive about allowing Santana into her life like she was doing, she was afraid of getting hurt. She was afraid of ruining all of the progress she had made. But she couldn't continue being afraid. She was 25 years old, she should be enjoying her life, she should be dating and going out and being sociable. She just wanted a chance with Santana, she just wanted her and she couldn't stop.

Her shift went surprisingly quick. She spent her time cleaning tables, taking orders, serving drinks and thinking about Santana. Speaking of the devil, she showed up for a business meeting over lunch and Dani found it almost comical how her business meeting was being held in her place of work, especially when Santana knew she was there. Her gaze often wandered to the girl and she often found her looking back, smirking at her. That's why when she went on a break and sat down at a table on the other side with a diet coke, she was pleased to see the girl make her way over to her once she'd done with her meeting. She smiled when she saw her sit down and take a sip of her drink.

'Following me?' she asked, trying to be sassy. Santana raised her eyebrow at her and smirked.

'Something like that, how are you?' she asked, intertwining their fingers casually.

'Good, you?' Dani asked, moving closer.

'Great' Santana laughed. 'How is your shift?'

'It's good' Dani said, looking down into her lap. 'How is work?' she asked back.

'It's good... busy. You know, I'm fed up of dealing with asshole men that think i'll take crap from them because I'm a woman. Perhaps that's why I'm a lesbian, i understand girls, i can't understand guys. That asshole i was just with is making me fly out to Cincinnati tomorrow morning for business. I'm trying to establish myself here, settle down somewhere finally but they just keep shipping me all over the country to do their bitch work, i mean, i'm their boss. I should be able to do what the hell i want.' Santana ranted.

Dani listened and smiled sympathetically 'Kick their asses' she told the girl, nodding. Santana erupted into fits of laughter, clutching her sides. Dani just looked at her confused.

'You're so cute and funny' Santana smiled, squeezing her cheeks and brushing her lips against Dani's.

'Shut up' Dani replied, blushing.

'I want to see you tonight. Providing i can actually finish work' Santana told her, stroking her face.

'I have work... um, at the gym' Dani replied sadly.

'That's okay... i'll try and make it to the class, i don't mind looking at you whilst i work out' she winked. Dani laughed and nodded in agreement, finishing her coke, signalling the end of her break. Dani walked her out at the end of her break and giggled for quite possibly the first time in her life when Santana pressed her against her car, arms wrapped around her waist.

'Stop it, Santana' Dani said, blushing and wrapping her arms around her neck. She wasn't surprised when Santana kissed her again, pulling away and smiling.

'I'll see you later' Santana smiled, pecking her lips once more and letting her go. Dani walked away, a crazy big smile on her face for someone that doesn't usually smile.

She hurried to the gym that night, eager to see Santana again. She prepared for the class and greeted the women as they arrived, her eyes fixed on the door awaiting Santana's arrival. At 7 on the dot she began the class, minus Santana. She arrived barely minutes into the class, smiling at her and running to go change, joining them minutes later. Dani tried to keep her eyes off of her but found that it was near impossible. She was wearing this tight, pink nike sports bra and tight, black nike shorts, both of which accentuated her assets. She admired her body before looking up and into her eyes, she was staring back, a smirk on her face. Dani rolled her eyes playfully and looked away, her eyes fleeting back seconds later. This went on throughout the class, the both of them watching each other. Dani allowed her mind to think about the effect Santana's body still had on her 7 years later. She bit her lip and smiled at her, running faster. After the class she cleared up and moved upstairs as always, Santana already there and waiting for her. She jumped onto a treadmill, continuing her run.

'You look so sexy right now' Santana said from behind her, causing her to bite her lip.

'So do you' Dani smiled. Santana walked over and turned off her machine.

'I'm tired' she pouted, wiping the sweat from her cleavage before grabbing another towel, wiping away the sweat from Dani's face. Dani smiled sympathetically. Usually she would live for her workouts but now she just wanted Santana to come back to her place so that they could lay together. Unsure of how to ask though, she just stood there, looking at the girl. 'Do you want a ride home?' Santana asked her. 'I can wait for you to finish up here'. Dani shook her head and took her hand, leading her downstairs. She waited for Santana to grab her things and walked hand in hand with her to the car. They drove, holding hands, Santana stroking her hand with her thumb. Pulling up outside of Dani's place, she unbuckled Santana's belt and nodded towards the apartment, silently asking for her to come inside. She caught on and nodded, the both of them walking up and into Dani's place. She headed straight to her bedroom, pulling out sleepwear for her and Santana, hoping that she'd stay. After the both of them had showered separately, Santana joined Dani on the couch. She laid down and wrapped her arms and legs around Dani, pulling her close. 'Do you want to order some food?' Santana asked, stroking her face. Dani nodded and let Santana order for them, cuddling against her chest. 'You not talking to me again?' Santana frowned, still stroking her face.

'Sorry' Dani croaked, looking up at Santana 'I don't know how to act' she admitted nervously.

Santana smiled at her 'It's okay... Just relax, you can act how you want to.'

Dani relaxed in her arms, tilting her head up for kisses. She liked kissing Santana. They must have kissed for a long time because it was the buzzer that pulled them away from each other. Santana stood and retrieved it, sitting back down and pulling Dani onto her lap. They ate, feeding each other occasionally. Dani finished first and cuddled down into Santana's arms, kissing and nibbling at her neck. She hardly knew what had gotten into her, this wasn't like her at all to be so forward. She'd never been able to stop herself with Santana and she knew that she never would. Santana moaned into her ear, pushing the food away and pulling her closer. They cuddled close to each other, holding each other. Santana quickly fell asleep and Dani stroked her hair, smiling at her. Eventually she leaned down, kissing her until she woke, carrying her to bed. Santana groaned and cuddled into her, the both of them falling asleep together for the second night in a row.


	5. Part Five

Ellipsis

Part Five

Dawn broke and Santana was gone. Without so much as a word or a kiss goodbye, she had left Dani alone in her bed, in her apartment, in New York and headed off to Cincinnati. Dani's sleepy eyes searched the room for any sign of her, there was none. Trudging out of bed she couldn't help but feel disheartened that the girl had left her without saying goodbye. Sure, they weren't dating and they were barely even friends but still, Dani hadn't let anyone get close to her in years and she'd quickly built up a slight attachment. She was fond of the time she had managed to spend with Santana and part of her wished that it would never end. It was a side effect of loneliness. If loneliness was a diagnosable disease, you could list the side effects of having it, feeling it as being bitter, as being antisocial but also as living for finding a cure. Santana over the past couple of days had become Dani's cure. She didn't feel as lonely or as empty and her confidence was growing in leaps and bounds. She worried that with Santana being away so often, this thing they had going on, whatever it was, would eventually fizzle out into nothing and all to quickly she'd fall back into her nasty habit of hating other human beings. She found that she no longer desired her own company, in fact she was coming to despise it for robbing her of the best years of her life. She was bitter now, bitter towards herself and bitter towards Santana for putting her in this situation. She walked into the living room and flipped on the light switch. Sitting down with a cup of tea, she noticed a note on the table from Santana. It was short and sweet but did nothing to calm her tormented mind. The note outlined that Santana had to leave too early to wake her and that she wasn't sure how long she'd be out of the state for, she'd written her number on the bottom of the page and told Dani to find some way of calling her if she missed her too much. It was probably meant as a joke but Dani couldn't help but take it to heart. She looked so pathetic, craving Santana like the teenage girls they once were and the Latina was no doubt picking up on it. She didn't want the girl to think that she was clingy, in fact, she didn't want to come across as overly interested at all. The last thing she wanted to be was annoying and that's why she folded up the note and shoved it in the back of her drawer, intending not to call her whilst she was away, hopeful that she would pay her a visit when she returned.

Her mind wouldn't quit thinking about the girl that day and the days following after it. She was sure that her mind had conjured up theories about every aspect of Santana's life all by itself. She figured that Santana probably had people like her all over the country that she went to whenever she was visiting. I mean, it wouldn't be too hard. She was beautiful and she'd find people easily. That thought brought out a jealous side of Dani. Without much reason she found that thinking about Santana with other girls didn't sit well with her so she tried not to think about it. Instead she thought about where she might be staying. It was probable that she had a home back in Cincinnati considering that was close to where they were from and was where she had established her first business. She spoke about a permanent move to New York eventually so Dani suspected she didn't have somewhere as concrete here- not that she minded, she enjoyed sharing her bed with the Latina. Mostly though, she spent her time worrying about whether the girl was thinking about her. She wondered whether their lives were running parallel to one another and she prayed to God that the girl was thinking about her just as much as she was. Furthermore, she hoped that her return would not take as long as it did last time. Part of her wished that she was with her right now, in Cincinnati. This was ridiculous.

Unsurprisingly, Dani spent more time trying to stop herself from thinking about Santana than doing anything else. She was on her mind at work, at home and appeared in her subconscious mind much too often. Several times she had retrieved the note from the back of the draw, staring it out, her mind trying to win the fight against her heart which desperately wanted to call her, to admit to her that she was in fact missing her and hoped for a swift return but she was a coward, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She was afraid and so to avoid temptation, she ripped the note into a thousand pieces and then tried to stick it back together. Eventually, it found its way into the trash can and was quickly forgotten.

It was a couple of weeks before she heard anything from Santana, and when she did finally hear from her, it wasn't actually from her own mouth. She was reading the Times at the diner one morning when she saw a small ad printed on the corner of page 14. It spoke about the opening of a new restaurant, not too far away from where she was currently sat, a couple of days prior. Santana's name was printed all over the article. She had been back in the city for days and hadn't even bothered to see her, tell her. Dani rolled her eyes and cursed under her breath. She should have expected this, she should have been more careful. Instead, she had set herself up for disappointment and regretfully, she was disappointed. It was as if she underwent a physical change right then, her walls came back up and her face hardened, the smile vanishing from it. Her body felt tense and achey and she was tired. Gulping at her tea, she left the diner and went to work, trying to forgot about the tall Latina that had been running through her head for months. It was time for her to move on.

And move on she did. It took her 6 days to realise that Santana was on her mind less and less and she felt proud of herself. She'd become a more extreme version of her former self, rarely speaking unless spoken to or forced to take orders, she lacked the optimistic, hopeful attitude that had grown with Santana's presence in her life, but her swift exit had given Dani a strange kind of determination. She was determined not to think about Santana, she was determined to continue living independently and she was determined to be happy alone. Still she wondered what Santana's problem was, she didn't understand why the girl had played around with her when she knew how guarded she was, but she got over it like she always did and she moved on.

It was around three weeks after Santana's disappearance when she resurfaced again. Dani had just got off of the subway between Abacus and 72 and was walking down the street when arms wrapped tight around her waist from behind and lips planted themselves on her neck. Dani furrowed her brows and pulled away, narrowing her eyes and glaring at Santana once she had realised who it was. She rolled her eyes and walked on into 72, walking quickly off into the staff room, Santana waiting in the main bar looking surprisingly confused. Dani, being the coward that she was hid out in the break room for as long as possible, only moving back into the restaurant when her boss called her out. He put her on tables for which she was grateful, Santana was at the bar and it meant that she wouldn't have to deal with her, at least not yet. Luckily, she was made busy by another old man for another business meeting and she hoped that she could go on break in time for her leaving. She didn't understand how Santana could think that they were okay. She served tables and took orders and faked smiles until her boss called her over for a second time and told her to go on her break. She glanced around the restaurant and noticed that Santana had left, she breathed a sigh of relief and entered the break room, tensing up again when she saw her sitting on the couch, waiting for her. She rolled her eyes again and tried to make a quick getaway, Santana catching her wrist and turning her around. 'Please.' she frowned, releasing her hold on her wrist, now appealing to Dani's good nature to stay and talk to her. 'What could you possibly want this time?' Dani bit back, glaring at her. She was mad and she believed that she had every right to be. 'What have i done wrong? You didn't call and i don't know... i worried' Santana tried to explain. Dani looked up and into her eyes, she looked unhappy and that wasn't exactly what she had anticipated, she moved back slightly in surprise and just shrugged her shoulders. 'You didn't worry enough to check... i saw you in the paper so i know you were back in the City' she said, her dark eyes and hard face looking at Santana expressionless. 'You're wrong' Santana told her with a smile on her face, Dani didn't understand why she looked so pleased with herself all of a sudden. 'I was in New York for a matter of hours, and you don't know how desperate i was to see you. I didn't have enough time. I flew in last night and it was late and considering i hadn't heard from you, i figured that you wouldn't be okay with me just coming over.' Santana explained, reaching down for her hand, Dani immediately pulled away. 'Don't touch me, Santana' she warned.

Santana sighed and stood back. 'I'm sorry Dan... I wanted to get into contact with you but i didn't know how... let me make it up to you?' she asked, frowning. Dani shook her head, looking down at the floor. 'I want you to just leave me alone' she admitted with a shaky sigh. 'You don't mean that Dani' Santana said 'Let me take you out on a date or something, i really like you just let me prove it.' Dani shook her head, no, again and left the break room, getting straight back to work and watching Santana leave. She felt strong and in control but she felt unhappy, it seemed that they never would go hand in hand for her.

Dani's anger toward herself worsened as time passed. She was angry at herself for giving in so easily and letting Santana get to her as she had before. She'd done it again. 7 years later, she'd allowed the girl to play her and embarrass her and humiliate her. Getting home that evening, she shut the door, falling against it. Her barriers collapsed completely and she cried for the first time in over 7 years, she cried for her old life and her new one. She was disappointed with herself, knowing that the only reason she'd gotten comfortable with the Latina so easily was because she was a reminder of her past life. Whilst once it was one she would rather forget, she found herself missing it with Santana around. The girl somehow had her missing how carefree she used to be and as if by magic, she turned Dani back into that teenage girl, forcing her to forget all of 25-year-old Dani's principals. She'd wanted the love of the girl once before and it wasn't hard for her to want it again. Santana was everything she had once wanted, everything she still wanted to a certain extent. She wished that she could snap out of her ways, she wished that she could change the way she was entirely and she cried because she wasn't able to. Dani was strong, Santana made her weak.

It was that, that made her decision to cut Santana out that much easier. She'd fooled her once and she'd be damned if she was going to do it again. If she ever questioned her decision, she thought back to the time when she was pushed down onto the locker room floor, Santana's pussy in her face. And she remembered how the girl had been so unsatisfied, embarrassing her and making her look like an idiot. The girl had taken advantage of her vulnerability and she was so mad that she had even considered giving her a second chance. She justified it as desperation. She was desperate in all senses of the word, she must have been. She hadn't had sex for years, she'd never had a stable relationship. Who could judge her for wanting them things, not Santana that was for sure.

Weeks, months later she decided that one of these years, maybe this year or next year or the year after that, she'd return to Ohio and she'd free herself of the chains that tied her there. She figured that her personality disorder stemmed from being stuck between two universes. The simple fact being that her old life couldn't mix with her new one. It was like some bizarre chemical formula in which the two reacted violently and created a toxic her. Her with Santana was toxic, her thinking about Ohio was toxic and she decided that a trip to Ohio could probably fix her, make her better and happy.

She was thankful that Santana had made little/no attempt to contact her since that day. Months later she was in a completely different place in her life. She'd moved out of her apartment and downsized to a studio apartment close to Abacus. Her boss at the gym had finally decided to give her the training she needed to become a qualified gym trainer and it finally looked like things were on the up. She was settled back into her old life, the one she had chosen for herself and she was happier. She was finally on her way to being happy, or so she thought.


	6. Part Six

Ellipsis

Part Six

It had been a little short of a year when a pretty Latina made her magical appearance back into her life. It happened in phases, the woman meant all or nothing to her so easily. She came and it was as though nothing else in the universe could matter as much to Dani then she went and so quickly it was like she had never been there at all. She gave her attention, she gave her what she hadn't had in years and she latched onto it, disappointing herself each time. In that year, Santana had become a distant memory. She was existing still, working every day, sleeping most nights, but she wasn't living. If she was to put a name to the biggest thing to happen to her all year, it would probably be the fact she had invested in a cell phone. She didn't use it much, in fact, she almost regretted getting one in the first place but she really did enjoy the evenings where she could come home and play candy crush whilst laying in bed. She was still a technophobe for sure, and it took her at least 10 minutes to even find the application in her phone but it was a nice change.

Dani was working hard to save up some money. She wasn't really sure what for, but she felt as though she would be reassured by a safety net of money in case she needed it. She'd thought over what she wanted out of her future recently and come to the conclusion that she didn't even want to try to pursue relationships with anyone. When she was growing up, she had always thought that she wouldn't want to marry, but as she had gotten older, she came to the conclusion that it was inevitable that she probably would and she had been won over by the idea of maybe having a family. But Dani looked at herself now and realised that she was in no position to take care of anything when she couldn't even take care of herself. She wasn't ready now and her heart told her that perhaps she never would be. It was disappointing to think that she might never get the relationship that you see in the movies, but she was tired. Though now she was only 26, she felt at least triple that. She was exhausted with existing, life had done nothing but screw her over.

"Dani?" the voice said from behind her, she could see the smile even though she wasn't looking at her. She had been daydreaming she realised, her head resting in her hand as she sat at the table during her break. How ironic that she would show up again when she was just thinking about her. She could feel her, hear her and even smell the perfume that she always wore. She felt like a small part of her died a little each time that she heard the girls voice. When Santana was around, she lost sight of everything, her entire existence became focused on her. She cocked her head to the side and gave the girl a brief look of acknowledgement, she didn't want to say anything because she knew her voice would tremble like her hands were. Santana took the seat opposite her without permission. "You look great" she mumbled. Dani blinked and worried her bottom lip between her teeth, causing the other woman to sigh. "I've missed you.. um, I'm living in New York now, full time and i thought maybe i would come and see if you are still working here or not, i guess it was my lucky day" she explained.

Dani just kept blinking. "You shouldn't have done that" she told her, standing up and turning to leave. "No, please don't" Santana sighed, holding onto her wrist. "I miss you Dani, i miss you and i just want a chance to make it up to you." she admitted. Dani frowned and gently removed her hand "I'm sorry, I can't" she said, smiling sadly and leaving the girl behind.

She went to work at the gym that night and she almost knew that Santana would be there, and she was, right at the front of the class and she smiled when she walked in. Dani taught the class and avoided eye contact the entire time, looking at everyone, anyone else. She ran and allowed the fast pace to rid her of her frustrations despite how hard it was with her frustration standing right in front of her. She was looking good, as always and Dani ashamedly focused on her mid-section as she ran. She had these beautiful abs and despite herself, she wished that she could run her tongue over them. It was completely unlike her but it wasn't unusual for Santana to bring out a different side to her. She ran until the class ended and long after it, thinking about everything and nothing at the same time.

It was Santana that stopped her, pulling her off of the treadmill and into a tight hug, she was far too strong for Dani to pull away and she eventually gave up. 'I'm not going to let you do this again, Dani. No way. I won't let you push me out again.' she whispered into her ear and within seconds, her lips were on Dani's, pushing her back with such force. Dani found herself defenceless again the wall, trapped against Santana's body. She moaned and turned her head to the side 'Stop, Santana' she sighed, Santana pulled away, looking at her. She didn't seriously think that she could just waltz back into her life for maybe the fourth time and just pick up right where they left off. Why couldn't she just accept that she wasn't interested. "I live in New York now... things would be different" Santana said, her tone of voice laced with desperation. Dani stroked her arms gently. 'You gotta stop bothering with me' she smiled, sadly. Santana shook her head, tears forming in her eyes but she quickly blinked them away. "No. Please, just give me another chance, i want you, i want only you, you are all i have ever wanted" she rushed, her hand going over her mouth, she hadn't meant to say that. She hadn't meant to admit to having these feelings since she was a teenager. This stunned Dani completely, if she was silent before, she was sure her heart wasn't beating anymore. "W-what?" she asked, confused. Santana grimaced "Okay, yes. I've thought about you, in that way for a long time, i don't know why but i have and i want you to be mine. I live here, everything is under control and i know that i can give you what you need now" she rambled. It was impulse, almost reflexes that made her say yes quickly, just yes, yes and nothing else. She said yes and she didn't even know what she was saying yes to. "Yes?" Santana asked, obviously confused. Dani didn't know, but Santana's admissions could never go ignored. 'Yes... you can take me on a date'. She watched as Santana's desperate frown turned into a large grin. 'Really? I can?' she beamed, wrapping her arms tight around the girl. 'Yes, you can' Dani said, barely finishing before Santana's lips were on hers. She pulled away 'You can't kiss before a first date.' she informed the Latina who shrugged her shoulders and continued. Dani raised her arms around her neck and kissed back for a while.

When they finally decided to part ways, the two of them discussed their date. Santana told her that she was going to pick her up the following day at 6pm. Being that, that was the only day she had free from the gym besides weekends. Santana told her that all details surrounding their date would remain a secret but she was to dress 'casual and comfortable'. Dani turned down the offer for a ride home. She still had reservations surrounding what she was getting herself into, she couldn't set herself up for disappointment and despite her agreeing to a date, she was going into this with a guarded heart. She wouldn't let herself come to depend on Santana because their relationship was liable to end at some point. She was out of practice and things were bound to go very wrong, very quickly.

Despite her reservations, Dani spent longer than she was willing to admit getting ready the following day. After her shift at 72, she went home and showered, drying her hair and slipping into her best underwear- not that she was expecting anything. She tried on outfit after outfit, unsatisfied each time. She spent most of her life wearing a particular uniform and she never really had to dress in her own clothes other than at night time. She settled for some dark blue jeans and a t-shirt, wearing the outfit with a jacket to keep away the New York City chill and some boots to make her look a little taller. She waited anxiously, bouncing her knee as it drew closer to 6pm. Santana didn't disappoint and arrived two minutes before she was due to. Dani opened her apartment door and Santana stepped forward handing her a bunch of flowers. 'You're taller' Santana laughed 'I like it when you're short, i get to look after you'. Dani smiled softly at her 'I'll take them off when we get back.' Santana smirked at her 'Inviting me back already, huh?' she asked, wiggling her eyebrows. Dani nodded shyly, looking down at the ground, letting Santana lead her down to her car.

She drove for what seemed like hours, pulling up outside of the restaurant she recognised from the newspaper over a year ago. Santana led her inside and to Dani's surprise, the place was completely shut down. Dani looked over at her for an explanation. 'Yes, i shut the place down for the night... i thought I'd cook for you and open a bottle of wine, we can just relax and talk?' she asked, hoping that Dani agreed because she'd spent the day perfecting the food. Dani nodded and allowed Santana to sit her at the only candlelit table in the place. She felt relaxed albeit slightly under dressed. Santana excused herself with a kiss and fetched them a bottle of wine followed by their first course. Dani wasn't a big drinker but she made an exception. They ate quietly at first, Dani reveling in the taste of the amazing food. Santana watched her looking for a reaction and Dani blushed, dropping her cutlery and looking at "It tastes really good' she said, unable to meet her eyes again. Santana reached over and took her hand, stroking it. 'You're beautiful, you know that?' she asked. Dani blushed again and shook her head.

The two of them were quiet during the first course, splitting time between enjoying the food and admiring one another. Their main course was quite possibly the most delicious thing Dani had ever eaten and she couldn't help the moan that escaped her lips. She blushed and Santana laughed at her 'That good, baby?' she asked, Dani raised her eyebrow at the nickname. 'Yeah' she replied, smiling over at her. They moved to a booth for dessert, Santana pulling Dani into her lap. They had a selection of different desserts and Dani intended to try them all. Looking at Santana, she allowed the girl to feed her a strawberry covered in chocolate. She swallowed and lifted Santana's hand, licking the remaining contents from her fingers before feeding her one back. 'You drive me insaneeee' Santana complained, pulling her closer as they trialed the other desserts. 'Good' Dani told her, smiling. Once they were finished, Dani sighed and let out a small yawn. "Are you tired?" Santana asked, stroking her hair out of her face, Dani nodded and laid her head down on her shoulder. "I can take you home if you like?" Santana smiled, lifting her up and carrying her when Dani nodded in agreement.

Dani held tight onto Santana's hand as she drove back to her place, lifting it and kissing it. She liked her. Entering her apartment, Dani pulled her towards the bedroom. She kicked off her boots and looked up at Santana. 'Lay with me?' she asked, moving to the bed and getting comfortable. Santana collapsed beside her and cuddled her close, holding her tight. Dani laid against her, stroking her arms, Santana leaning down and placing a soft kiss on her lips. She took control of the kiss for the first time, deepening it. It got heated quickly, the two of them gasping for breath and kissing desperately. Dani smiled, refusing to part their lips. It was Santana who pulled away first, giggling. 'I don't do that on first dates' she told her, running her thumb over her lips. It was then that Dani became aware of the heat between her thighs and the rapid beating of her heart. She thought it over in her head, it had been years. She couldn't deny herself any longer. 'Please' she whispered against Santana's lips, causing the Latina to pull back slightly. 'What?' she asked, looking up and into her eyes. Dani gulped and looked back at her. 'I want to" she said, biting her bottom lip. Santana stroked her hair, her arm holding her protectively against her. 'You don't want to wait?' she asked, needing clarification. Dani shook her head , no. Santana nodded and massaged her shoulders, pulling her back into a deep kiss. Santana helped Dani out of her t-shirt, peppering kisses over her chest. Dani's heart was thumping against her chest, she knew that this was a rushed decision but she just wanted to feel something. She'd thought about Santana for over 7 years and she couldn't deny herself the simple pleasure of feeling her at last. To make them equal, she pulled Santana's shirt away from her body, admiring her larger bust. She couldn't help her smile, looking up and into Santana's eyes. The Latina laughed and stroked her hair, muttering 'perv' under her breath. Dani shook her head, laughing. She pulled at her jeans, Santana lifting her hips to help her remove them. Once Santana was left in only her underwear, Dani stripped off her own jeans and straddled her hips again, suddenly nervous. Shyly, she leaned into her lips again, relieved when Santana flipped them over and took control. She kissed her for a while, moving her lips down her jaw and neck, unclasping her bra and pulling it off once she had reached her chest. Dani's heart was thumping embarrassingly fast against her chest and she tangled her fingers in her dark locks, allowing herself to enjoy it. She moaned when Santana enclosed her lips around her nipple, sucking it into her mouth, biting and licking at it before switching to her other breast. Dani moaned, breathing heavily. She hadn't had this in so long and Santana was so good.

She liked that Santana took her time, not rushing her or pushing her too far, giving her time to get used to everything. Her lips travelled down her stomach, her arms wrapping around her thighs as she travelled further down her body. Dani watched her, mesmerised. She loved the feeling of another woman, Santana more specifically. Santana kissed down to the hem of her panties and looked back up at her 'I want you to be sure, Dan... I'll do whatever you want.' Dani smiled down at her, biting her lip. She found it incredibly sweet the way that Santana cared for her, it made her decision that much easier. 'I want it' she said, smiling and stroking her face. The Latina nodded and hooked her fingers beneath Dani's panties, pulling them down her legs. She kissed her naked thighs and settled down between her legs. It seemed immature to comment on how wet Dani was, but being with her made her feel like a teenager again and she couldn't resist. 'All for me?' she remarked, looking up from between her legs. Dani nodded, Santana couldn't tell that she was blushing under the dim light. Santana licked her lips and moved closer to her, licking up her slit. The both of them moaned simultaneously and Dani threw her head back against the pillow. Santana flicked her tongue repeatedly against her clit before pushing into her. Dani was overwhelmed by the feeling, crying out and pulling at Santana's hair. She became intoxicated by the way Santana brought her closer to her orgasm. She was nothing but moans and whimpers and after little time she climaxed and fell over the edge, crying out for Santana. In a blur, she pulled Santana up and relaxed into her arms, kissing her lips frantically. After calming down sufficiently, she looked up at Santana with sleepy eyes. 'Thank you' she said, blinking away tears that could easily fall. She smiled at the girl and pulled the sheets up and over them, kissing her. 'You're welcome baby' Santana smiled, stroking her back. They laid silently, holding each other, the both of them equally overwhelmed. It was highly likely that tonight was a turning point for the couple, either way, Dani knew that she had come to think a lot of the other girl, she couldn't deny it any longer.


	7. Part Seven

Ellipsis

Part Seven

A/N: Just a short chapter with everything I didn't manage to fit into part six. It's focused more on Dani and how she struggles with everything going on between her and Santana. She has some deep rooted issues which should come to light in part eight but for now, this chapter is focused on their evolving relationship, enjoy!

That night had definitely been a turning point, at least for Dani. She'd woken with the other woman sleeping almost naked beside her and her eyes widened when she was finally able to admire her body in the light. Santana definitely looked different than she had in high school. Her breasts were fuller, as were her curves though her abs had definitely become so much more defined over the years. It was only when noticing Santana's attire or lack of that she noticed how exposed she was herself. She looked down at herself completely naked and frowned, her body wasn't nearly as impressive as Santana's. She shook off her insecurities and turned so that she was facing Santana, her head laying against her chest as she stroked her fingers over her hips. Last night had been... unexpected. It was definitely a change and it was completely out of her comfort zone but it only took her thinking about how well Santana had managed to please her, how powerful her orgasm had been for her to ignore how overwhelmed she felt. She hadn't managed to return the favour, half out of exhaustion but also because she was scared. She was scared that it had been so long since she had been with a woman, what if she had forgotten what to do? That was a poor excuse, she decided. She was scared that the last time she had dared to touch Santana, the woman hadn't been satisfied at all, it was embarrassing and she didn't want a repeat of the day that may or may not have changed her life. She was over thinking and she knew it.

It was as though the other woman had heard how hard her brain was working in her skull because she opened her eyes and pulled Dani closer, kissing the top of her head and stroking her back. "Stop it" she said with a soft chuckle. Dani didn't even have to ask what she meant, simply settling in the woman's arms, thinking about the fact their breasts were pressed flush against each other. "I'm naked" she told Santana dumbly, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. Santana laughed louder then "Yep... I think i remember that happening" she told her, reaching down to give her ass a light squeeze, making Dani gasp. Dani laid quietly for a while "Maybe i should put on some clothes?" she asked, looking up at Santana. The Latina shook her head slowly, definitely. "Nah, i think you're good" she told her, peeking her head under the blanket to look at Dani. It made her uncomfortable and she curled into herself, covering herself as best she could. "Hey! Don't do that, i want to see your beautiful body." Santana told her, stroking her face and trying to move Dani's arms away so that she could admire her. Dani's heart raced, what if Santana didn't like how she looked? She dropped her arms and closed her eyes tight, a dark red blush taking over her pale cheeks. She could almost feel Santana's eyes raking over her, but quickly she felt familiar lips on her own. "So beautiful" Santana told her with a huge smile on her face. She meant it, Dani was so beautiful and it was a shame that no one had admired it recently.

Santana parted their lips and kissed down her jaw and neck, nipping her skin and leaving little love bites all over her chest. Dani moaned and opened her eyes, stroking one of her hands through Santana's jet black hair. She furrowed her eyebrows when the girl settled against her chest, hesitantly wrapping her arms around her waist and holding her. "I want to shower with you.." Santana told her. "I'd offer to take you for breakfast but i assume you have work, right?" she asked, Dani nodded. "I thought so... maybe i can come and see you after your shift at the gym tonight? I can bring food?" she asked hopefully. Dani was so completely overwhelmed by everything that was happening and even though she wished she could have some time to process everything, she didn't want to be rude so she agreed anyway.

The two of them showered together, Santana having to prevent Dani from falling over countless times as they kissed each other relentlessly. Santana could see that Dani needed a little coaxing, the girl tentative, not really sure what to do. Santana tended to take the lead, treading lightly in case Dani was uncomfortable for which the girl was grateful.

Her patience was relatively short lived though. She tried to see the girl as often as she could over the next couple of weeks. Sometimes the two of them would go out, sometimes they would stay at Dani's place. They hadn't had sex again and nothing had really developed between them, it was kind of at a standstill. Dani felt bad that she wasn't yet comfortable enough with Santana to explore their relationship, but they didn't have the best track record and she was trying to protect herself whilst giving it the best possible shot. It was only about 2 weeks since Santana had come back to her, she'd done a shift at the gym and gone home to shower. Santana came over with Chinese food and the two of them ate, cuddling up together on the couch. Dani's head rested in its usual place, on Santana's chest and the other girl stroked her fingers through her hair. "Hey, Dan?" she asked, the shorter girl looking up at her. "Do you want to come and see my place tomorrow?" she asked. Dani's face scrunched up and she shook her head slowly "can we stay here?" she asked nervously. Santana couldn't help the roll of her eyes, this wasn't the first thing that Dani had turned down, in fact she was fairly reluctant to do anything besides go out for dinner or cuddle up on the couch with a take away. "I'm really trying here." she almost snapped, causing Dani to withdraw from her. "sorry" she said, looking down in her lap. Santana sighed frustrated, running her fingers through her hair "You don't have to be sorry, Dani. I just wish you would at least try. I'm trying really hard to make you feel more comfortable around me, you just keep shutting me down." she told her. Dani squeezed her eyes shut and put her head in her hands. She still hadn't had the opportunity to come to terms with what was happening, Santana was there all the time and she thought that was what she had wanted, but she was quickly discovering that she wasn't exactly moving at the same pace as the other girl.

She sighed and opened her eyes, looking over at her. "Can you go, please?" she asked politely. "I just really need some time" she said, sadly. Santana raised her hands in surrender, standing up and leaving wordlessly. Dani wasn't working with her at all and she was running out of options. Having a conversation with Dani was like trying to draw blood from a stone. She avoided being overly affectionate with her and sometimes turned her head so that Santana kissed her cheek. She just didn't know what Dani wanted from her, if she wanted anything from her at all.

Santana decided to leave her for a few days, wait to see if she came around. It was hard to be away from her when they had spent every spare moment together, but she tried to give her the space that she needed. She was right to do so, because 5 days later, Santana was working at the restaurant, working through paperwork in the office when one of her employees knocked the door and informed her that someone was asking to see her. She was more than surprised when Dani knocked on the door sheepishly and entered the office, taking a seat opposite her. Santana found her adorable, even when everything was so uncertain between them right now. "Hey" she smiled, putting down her pen. "..Hey" Dani replied, blushing. She was wearing her abacus uniform so Santana knew that the girl had probably walked across town to come and see her. "How are you doing?" Santana asked. Dani nodded "good, i wanted to say sorry" she said, looking into Santana's eyes for probably the first time. "You don't need to apologise" Santana said with a smile, moving around the desk to sit in the chair beside Dani. "Yes, i do... You've been trying really hard and i haven't made it easy." she explained with a sigh. Santana just waited for her to continue, smiling encouragingly. "I want to stay at your place today" she said simply, frowning at how direct it had sounded. Santana raised her eyebrows, her face still soft "Sure, you're always welcome" she told her, trying not to make a big deal out of it, even though it kinda was. Dani nodded, satisfied and just sat there awkwardly. "Um, i have to finish up here... are you hungry?" she asked, Dani nodded. "Okay, do you think you could go through to the kitchen for me? Tell Ricardo what you want and get the same for me too" she said with a smile, reaching over and squeezing the girls hand. Dani nodded and smiled, standing up and walking over to Santana, leaning down and giving her a hard kiss, stunning Santana. She walked to the kitchen, getting lost on the way and asked Ricardo to bring them some pasta to Santana's office, he nodded and asked if they wanted drinks. She asked for Pepsi.

Walking back into the office, she sat in the seat and pulled out her cellphone whilst Santana worked, playing candy crush. She didn't disturb the girl, not speaking again until Ricardo walked in, hand delivering their meals and drinks. Dani politely thanked him, eating and smiling at Santana. The girl smiled back and the two of them ate, engaging in light conversation. It was an hour or so before Santana packed up her things and offered Dani her hand. The smaller girl took it and walked with her to her car, sitting quietly as Santana drove them to her place. She felt nervous but she knew that she had to try harder if she wanted Santana to stick around.

Santana pulled up outside of a luxury apartment building and Dani tried not to show how surprised she was, it must be expensive to live in such a place. Santana handed her keys to the valet and took Dani's hand again, walking them into the lobby and into the elevator, punching in a bunch of numbers and scanning her fingerprint. It took them all the way up to Santana's apartment, the doors opening and revealing the girls living room. Everything was white and tidy and clean and she walked so hesitantly into the room, taking in her surroundings. She smiled when Santana looked at her, kicking off her shoes and sitting on her couch, looking at Santana, expecting her to join her. She did, sitting down and pulling on Dani until her head was laying in her lap, leaning down and kissing her lips. "I missed you" she told her. "Me too" Dani replied, cuddling into her.

She didn't know how long it was going to take her before she felt as though she could relax around Santana but she could feel herself slowly coming around, she only hoped that Santana didn't get bored of how slow they were moving.


End file.
