Love In Technicolor

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[loveintechnicolor]

Wild Hope: Chapter 3 - New Beginnings

The slow, jazzy beats of Tears Dry weaved its way throughout the cab of Santana's car as she turned into the familiar parking lot. She had heavily relied on Amy Winehouse's melodic voice to keep her nerves at bay the entire drive over, but even that was no longer enough to help keep her calm as she pulled into the nearest space and mentally prepared herself for the meeting she had with Pierce Automotive. More specifically, with the blonde that had continued to live rent-free in Santana's head ever since she last saw her a week prior. This time around, however, the topics of those thoughts tended to be a little more business-related than before their professional venture.

Brittany had thankfully agreed to all of the billboards Santana had proposed, and after a few phone calls, the brunette was able to start the process of getting those locations booked for the near future. All that was left to do was hone in on the exact direction they wanted to take with their marketing strategy so they could start brainstorming design ideas with the graphic designer her mother had on retainer and, if needed, schedule a photoshoot. Thankfully, Brittany and Santana both knew a freelance photographer who would be perfect for the job if one were needed, Tina Cohen-Chang. The brunette also preemptively reached out to Tina to check her availability just in case they needed to book her services.

In addition to the billboards, Santana had reached out to the nearby carwash and had arranged a meeting between the two parties to discuss the details of their prospective partnership. To her surprise, the owner was elated to be approached by a representative of Pierce Automotive, who his family had used to take care of all their car needs for generations. His excitement to work with the garage only helped to solidify her certainty that things were beginning to move in the right direction for the shop.

Brittany had seemed nothing short of impressed with the marketing associate's progress during their telephone conversation earlier that day. The brunette even swore that she could hear a hopeful tone in Brittany's voice after she explained all that she had accomplished in just a few days. Things were finally starting to look up for the young mechanic, and Santana was hellbent on keeping that upward trend going for as long as humanly possible, which is why she now found herself at the Pierce Automotive.

During their call, Santana mentioned that she would like to try spending a bit more time around the garage to gain a better understanding of the shop's culture and vibe. The idea was that comprehending the inner workings of Pierce Automotive would assist her ability to provide more personalized advertising and marketing opportunities. The thing that caught her off-guard, however, was Brittany's immediate acceptance of Santana's request to spend time at the shop, even going so far as to ask if the brunette was free to swing by that afternoon.

All of Santana's hard work over the past week had led her to that moment, sitting inside her car as she gave herself a quick peptalk about staying calm and playing it cool. It was just Brittany. Beautiful, kind, funny, and smart Brittany. Absolutely nothing to worry about. Unless-

No, Santana interjected before her thoughts could get away from her again. She could do this. She had to.

Using that momentum, Santana thrusted herself out of her car and in the direction of the establishment's front doors. Stepping into the sparsely populated waiting room, she made her way up to the front desk, where she found a girl in a Pierce Automotive polo that looked no older than nineteen.

Realizing the shop had a visitor, the young employee quickly shut the Auto Fundamentals textbook she had been studying and cheerfully greeted, "Hi, welcome to Pierce Automotive. What can we do for your today?"

Santana returned her polite smile, answering, "Hello. I'm supposed to be meeting with Brittany and-"

"Speak of the devil and she shall appear," a familiar voice called out from behind her, effectively cutting her off. "David and I were just talking about you."

Spinning in place, she felt the corner of her lips pull into a smirk, "Hello, Porcelain."

"You know, I thought we would finally move past all the name calling once we became friends," Kurt sighed out with an exaggerated eyeroll. "Silly me, I guess."

"Aw, come on. I've used that one for so long that it's basically become a term of endearment now."

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say. Anyway, Brittany is already up in her office if you want to follow me," the office manager informed as he turned to make his way down a hallway that led to a set of stairs. As they made their way up the steps, he continued, "I've got to hand it to you, Santana. Your assistance has really put a pep back in Brittany's step. We were all starting to get a little worried, if I'm being completely honest. None of us had ever seen her so down before, but I think your offer has delivered some much-needed wind to her sails."

"Well, my mother and I are glad we can help."

Throwing a brief glance over his shoulder, Kurt teased, "Don't act like you aren't the driving force behind all this. Yes, I'm sure your mother is more than happy to lend her assistance, but Brittany also told me about you funding this whole endeavor. That was very generous of you, by the way."

"Kurt-" Santana growled out in a warning tone as she leveled a glare at the back of the man's head, who had already returned to making his way up the stairs.

"Calm down. Your secret crush is safe with me. Also, I know you don't have any ulterior motives and only want to help her with the shop, so don't worry about anyone getting the wrong idea about all this either," he assured with a knowing smirk as he reached to open the door at the top of their path. Pushing the barrier open, he motioned for the brunette to head in first.

Walking into the room, it did not take long for Santana to find Brittany looking over a large book with a pencil in hand, the woman's blonde hair practically glowing as the sunlight shined in through the large window that overlooked the southwestern outskirts of Lima. Santana nearly tripped at the sight of the ethereal appearance that the lighting gave Brittany. Thankfully, she was able to correct her footing and continued her path through the office, intentionally choosing to ignore the stifled snort of laughter coming from the man behind her.

The mechanic seated at the desk seemed none-the-wiser to pair's shenanigans as she continued to pour over the paperwork in front of her, which appeared to be a business ledger.

"Hey, Britt," Kurt called out to the blonde once he realized she had not noticed their appearance. After not receiving a response, he moved past Santana and tapped his fingertips on the desktop, successfully gaining the woman's attention.

Giving a brief look of surprise, Brittany glanced over to the old analog clock hanging on the wall as she fished out the earphones hiding beneath her hair. "Sorry about that. I guess I lost track of time," she lightly chucked as she placed the devices back into their charging case. Shifting her gaze to Santana, she greeted, "Hi, San. How are you today?"

"Not bad. What about you?"

"Same. Just looking over our inventory and transactions," Brittany informed as she moved to close the book. Crossing her arms on top of the desk in front of her, she glanced between the pair and asked, "So, has Kurt updated you about the contract yet?"

"No, I haven't had a chance yet," Kurt answered for her as he turned to address the marketing associate. "I looked over the paperwork you dropped off, and everything seems solid. I've sent it over to our lawyer for a final review before we sign off on it."

"Okay, good to hear. If any changes need to be made, just let me know and I'll have Quinn make the necessary adjustments."

The office manager began to nod his head in agreeance before recognizing the name. Shooting the woman a curious look, he inquired, "Wait, as in Quinn Fabray?"

"Yeah, she does some underwriting for us while finishing up her law degree."

"Ah, so no wonder there weren't any issues with the contract. I expect nothing less from our ex-head cheerleader."

"Co-ex-head cheerleader, thank you very much," Santana teased as she turned to address Brittany. "So, are you ready to show me the ropes, or do you want me to give you a little more time to finish up?"

Watching the brunette motion toward the large book still sat on her desk, Brittany was quick to give a light shake of her head, assuring, "Nah, we can get started. I've been combing over the numbers for a while now, so this would actually be a welcomed break." Glancing over the office manager, Brittany requested, "Kurt, can you review our parts inventory? Mike said he went to grab a cabin filter for a truck earlier and saw we were running low."

"On it. Do you want me to go ahead and place an order for anything we need?"

"I, um- No. Please just shoot me an email with anything we're running low on, and I'll review it before placing an order tonight."

A soft, sad expression involuntarily crossed Kurt's face before he could stop it, knowing the woman's slight hesitation was due to their business funds. He quickly tried to play it off, however, with a small smile, assuring, "You got it, Britt. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Thanks, Kurt," Brittany responded as she watched him turn to leave. Keeping her eyes trained on the open office door, the mechanic quietly informed Santana, "He'll never admit this out loud, but Kurt has really played a crucial role in helping me keep this place afloat."

"I'm glad you have someone like him in your corner. He's a good one to have," the brunette affirmed before adding, "You know, I have to admit that I was initially surprised when I first found out he was the shop's accountant. I half expected you to be one running all the numbers. I mean, Kurt is great and all, but I never exactly pegged him as a mathematician." Suddenly, she watched the blonde quirk her head to the side with a small smile and questioning look in her eyes. Playing back what she had just said in her mind, Santana rolled her eyes in exasperation and sighed out, "Yeah, yeah. Wanky. I know."

"Don't act like you wouldn't have said anything if the tables had been turned."

"You're probably right," Santana returns before receiving a challenging look from Brittany. "Okay, you're definitely right."

Suppressing a giggle, the mechanic decided to move past Santana's choice of words as she pushed herself up from her desk and started making her way toward the other woman, answering, "Just to clarify, I do double-check everything, like I was just now. Plus, he uses spreadsheets that have been programmed with all the necessary formulas, which also helps remove some of the possibility for human error."

"If he uses a spreadsheet, then why were you reviewing a handwritten ledger?"

Leaning in close as if she had a secret, Brittany whispered out with a confident smirk, "Because I'm better at math than any computer could ever dream to be." She then continued to make her way past Santana, unknowingly having made the other woman go a little weak in the knees. Without turning back, she cheerfully instructed, "Now, come on. Let's officially give you a tour of this place."

Making their way back down the stairs, Brittany stopped in front of the receptionist the brunette had previously spoke to, informing Santana, "This is Allie, our receptionist. She is currently studying Automotive Technology at the University of Northwestern Ohio and works here part-time in between classes." Glancing over at the younger woman, she introduced, "Al, this is Santana. She'll be helping the shop out for the next little while, so please be extra, extra nice to her."

"Will do. It's nice to meet you, Santana."

"You, too, Allie."

"Alright, now let's show you around the garage," Brittany cheered as she began leading Santana away from the main lobby. Once they were out of earshot, she whispered to the brunette, "Allie is actually a super promising mechanic. She is smart as a whip. I've been giving her some hands-on training in the evenings after work, and she just picks everything up as soon as I explain it."

"I'm sure it also helps to have a super knowledgeable teacher."

Giving the woman a shy smile, Brittany admits, "Truthfully, I've been getting a lot of enjoyment with getting to teach someone something for a change. I'm not super used to being looked at as a subject matter expert, so it's really refreshing to see Allie enjoying and engaging in our lessons. I'm just hoping that we will still be able to find time as the semester progresses, but only time will tell."

The rest of the tour passed quickly, and once Brittany finished showing her around the shop, Santana found herself not quite ready to leave. Looking for a way to prolong her visit, she requested, "So, do you think you can maybe show me around a car now?"

"Sure thing!" Brittany exclaimed as she motions toward a nearby Honda coupe. Quickly moving to pop the hood, the blonde propped it open and placed her hands on her hips, asking, "So, what would you like to know?"

"I'm not really sure where to start. All I really know is that the big thing is the motor and this container thing holds the windshield washer fluid," Santana admitted as she pointed toward the washer fluid reservoir.

"Ah, I see. Then, let's just start from the very beginning. Like you said, this big thing is the engine, and this here in the upper right-hand corner is the master cylinder and brake fluid reservoir. Now, these little tubes coming out of the master cylinder run under the vehicle and connect to the brake assemblies for each wheel. When you press on the brake pedal in the cab, it causes the hydraulic unit to send brake fluid through these brake lines and to those brake assemblies, which in turn puts pressure on the caliper pistons inside these assemblies. This pressure forces the calipers to push the brake pads onto the brake discs, which slows down the car." Seeing the brunette getting a little lost, Brittany added, "We can go over brake assemblies after we're done in the engine bay if you'd like. I promise it will make more sense once you see it."

"Alright," Santana agreed without a second thought, bound and determined to understand the woman's lesson. As time went on, she did start to somewhat understand the explanations provided by the mechanic. It was not hard to see why Allie would enjoy learning automotive work from Brittany. The blonde was clearly very passionate about vehicles, and she was a natural at putting the terminology easily digestible bits of information. This realization suddenly got the gears turning in her head, but before she could mention anything further, she noticed Kurt and Dave making their way over toward them.

"Hey, we're leaving for the day. I got that inventory email sent over to you, Britt. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Will do, Kurt. I hope you two have a good evening."

"You, too. See you tomorrow, Britt," Kurt replied before turning to the other woman. "By the way, Santana, I forgot to elaborate when you first got here, but David and I wanted to invite you to join us at the bar Friday night for karaoke if you're free. Rachel is already planning to join, and I think Britt also plans to be there," he explained as he looked over to the blonde in question, "right?"

"Yeah, I'll be there. Mike and Tina will be joining, as well."

"Awesome," he responded before shifting his gaze back to Santana. "No need to decide now. I just wanted to let you know."

"Okay, I think I should be free. I'll double-check my calendar, and let you know for sure tomorrow."

"Sounds good. Have a good night, you two, and don't stay too late, Brittany," Kurt stated, pointing a finger at the woman in mock-warning.

"Okay, Dad. I'll try," the blonde sarcastically drawled out as the couple exited the garage, both having a loud bout of laughter at her antics as the side door to the garage closed behind them.

The two women decided to stay back a little while, pitching ideas and gaining a better understanding of their marketing endeavors. While discussing the topic of their next steps, Santana asked, "So, is there someone internally that you would like running the shop's social media accounts, or would you rather me take care of it?"

Giving a moment to think it over, Brittany tentatively answered, "I'm not really sure. I don't want to add anything else to your plate, but there isn't anyone here that I would trust more to run them effectively."

"Then, consider it done. I'll set them up tomorrow and grab some photos at lunch time to use as a profile picture until we can get a more concrete direction with our marketing. Also, a thought hit me earlier while you were discussing how much you enjoyed teaching mechanics to Allie."

Suddenly, Brittany squared her shoulders and took a brief glance around the room, "You got hit? How did I not notice?"

"Oh! No, no, Britt. Not like physically hit me. I meant that the thought just came to me."

"Ah, okay, good," Brittany sighed out as her body physically relaxed. "Just let me know if anyone ever tries to lay a finger on you, okay? We don't stand for violence here."

"You will be the first to know if that ever happens. I promise," Santana swore with a warm smile before shifting her train of thought back to their previous discussion. "So, I was curious to know if you might be open to doing video tutorials for the garage's socials that would help make automotive maintenance more accessible to people who have never had access to that type of knowledge?"

"Like, how to do oil changes?"

"Yeah, that and any other vehicle-related basics you feel would be helpful for car owners to know. It took me a second to catch on earlier since I have never known much of anything about cars, but I was really able to start picking up how certain parts work after you reframed it into layman's terms. I think you would be able to help a lot of people find confidence in understanding basic car maintenance, and it'd be even better to see a badass female automotive shop owner providing this type of information, especially since it is such a male dominated field."

Giving a moment to think everything over, Brittany gave a nod of her head in agreeance, "Okay, yeah. I think I would be up for that as long as it is done during our down time. I don't want anything to distract from our normal business. That will always be our primary focus."

"Of course, Britt, and we can also always take a hiatus or stop altogether if it ever becomes too much to handle."

"Thank you for understanding, and thanks for also pitching this idea. I feel like there could be a lot of potential there."

"Hey, this is just as much because of you than it is me. You talking about your love of teaching Allie and your ability to easily explain everything were really the driving force behind this. I just have a marketing mind and brought it to your attention once the thought crossed my mind."

"Well, it was only able to happen because you are such an attentive listener, so thank you. I really do think this is a great idea."

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," Santana agreed before looking down at her phone. "Oh, wow. It's really gotten late. I better head out so I can go find dinner and prep for work tomorrow.

"Here, I'll walk you out. It's probably about time I head home myself. Kurt will never let me hear the end of it if he finds out I stayed so late," Brittany joked as she locked her computer and grabbed her keys and wallet.

The shop owner ended up escorting Santana all the way out to the car, all the while ignoring Santana's protests regarding her not needing to do so. After ensuring that Santana safely made it to her vehicle, the pair said their goodbyes, and Brittany began making her way over to her truck located across the parking lot. Little did she know that Santana was also keeping an eye on her through her rearview mirror to make sure that the blonde successfully made it to her vehicle, as well. After hearing the sound of the truck's engine roaring to life, Santana pulled out of her spot and started heading over toward the exit with Brittany following closely behind. After she confirmed that the roads were clear, Santana turned left before catching a glimpse of Brittany's taillights through the driver side mirror as the other woman turned right.

Santana arrived home approximately twenty minutes later. Stepping past the threshold of her home, the woman was just able to place her things down on her countertop and kick off her shoes when her cellphone suddenly began to ring. Picking up the device, she instantly recognized the caller's name and answered as she greeted, "Hi, Q. What's up?"

"Hey, San. You busy?"

"No, I actually just got home from work."

"At seven-thirty in the evening? Isn't that a little late for you to be working?"

"Usually it would be, but I had a meeting with Pierce Automotive and got caught up in talking shop. Literally."

"Ah, I see," Quinn hummed out in understanding. "Is everything okay with the contract so far?"

"Yeah, they didn't have any immediate objections. Kurt gave it to their lawyer to review, and he's going to let me know if they find any issues."

"Perfect," the other woman affirmed before continuing, "So, there was an actual reason why I was calling you. I'm sorry for the late notice, but I was hoping to see if I might be able to crash in your guest bedroom this weekend."

"Yeah, that's fine," Santana answered without a second guess. "What's the occasion?"

"Well, it's Beth's birthday weekend, and Shelby invited me to attend. I know I could just ask my parents to stay, but I was honestly just hoping to fly under the radar and have them hopefully not even know I was in Lima."

"Hey, don't worry about it. You will always have a place at my house if you ever need it."

"Thanks, S. I really owe you one."

Rolling her eyes, Santana assured, "You don't own me anything. It's been a while, so it'd actually be a good excuse for us to finally catch up. How is everything going with the Beth situation, by the way?"

"It's as good as it can be. I'm just thankful Shelby was still receptive to the idea of an open adoption after all the shenanigans we got up to during our McKinnley days. Obviously, we are years and years away from even addressing the situation with Beth, but for now, I am happy with playing the part of a former student who is just a bystander in their lives."

"Yeah, it's at least a start."

"It is," Quinn hummed out. "Anyway, that's all I was calling about. I know you must be tired, so I'll let you get back to your evening. Thanks again, by the way. It really means a lot."

"You're welcome, Quinn. I hope you have a good night."

"You, too. Talk to you later," the law student replied before both women ended the call.

Finally feeling as if all her tasks had been completed for the day, Santana quickly ate her dinner and hopped into the shower before getting for bed. She had just crawled onto her mattress and was about to fall asleep when she noticed her phone light up, signaling that she had a new notification. Rolling onto her side, Santana reached to retrieve the device and couldn't stop the wide grin that pulled at her lips once she saw that it was a text message from the blonde she had just seen a few hours before.

From Brittany: thank u seriously so much again for everything you have done to help us, it has rly meant the world to me, and i promise ill find a way to pay you back someday (don't bother refusing. its gonna happen so just accept it) anyway, hope you have a good night and the sweetest dreams!

Sending the mechanic back a reply message, Santana placed the phone back down and flopped onto her back, staring up at the dark ceiling of her room with the biggest grin she could muster as she thought about how much her life had changed in just two short months.

For the first time in a long time, it felt let things where finally starting to look up for her, as well.

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*Please note that there is an issue with FF.Net right now where new chapters are appearing and disappearing, which is hopefully in the process of getting fixed. If Chapter 9 does not initially appear for you, you can keep trying until it eventually appears or read it over on AO3. Hope you enjoy!

[brittanacedes]

Some people love someone because they make them a better person, and that’s not why I love you, because you’ve always just wanted me to be myself. You’re my favorite person in the whole world. We’re a big deal, y'know? No matter how many times we’ve tried to put our thing down and walk away from it, we can’t, because I don’t wanna live my life without my one true love.

[emptinesstomelodyao3-deactivate]

It’s always

“When will fanfic writers update their stories?”

And never

“Does this fanfic writer have adequate enrichment to engage in writing behaviours?”

Fanfiction writers (Scriptor fictus) are intelligent animals who need plenty of enrichment as well as encouragement! If they’re stuck in poor conditions (e.g. have studies, work, have to actually write to have something written) then they require the proper enrichment to engage in more healthy behaviours, like writing. Remember, due to poor breeding and socialisation, over half of all fanfic writers suffer from low self confidence and executive dysfunction so take care of them!

Give your fanfic writers proper care. Fanfiction writers are a life long commitment.

[haru-snixx]

I’ve just been drawing my fave santana performance bit by bit since last year.

I wanted to draw the whole performance, but the camera moving was hella chaotic!! Maybe one day I can finish this.. maybe..

[golden-letters]

bitch this is all you’re gonna get. this life, this face, this body. you better not ‘maybe in another universe’ your way out of everything. sit your ass down and face this. go make tea and have a picnic and read a goddamn book. kiss your loved ones, send that damn text, and hug your siblings. this is all you’re gonna get.

[yeehawpim]

a comic about fix-it fanfics

[catpocalyptic-world]

I just love it! ❤️

[loveintechnicolor]

Wild Hope: Chapter 2

A month passed without any further correspondence from Brittany, and Santana had all but given up on hearing back from the blonde. In the end, she figured it was probably all for the best. Brittany was an intelligent, resourceful woman who knew how to take care of herself. She did not need the brunette’s help in keeping Pierce Automotive afloat. Santana was sure of it.

At least, that's what Santana told herself every time she remembered that day. The brunette could not help but kick herself for finally having an opportunity to talk to the woman she’d had a crush on since she was fifteen and then promptly blowing her chance to even simply befriend her. Regardless, she still preferred having offered help to Brittany and being turned down than to not and have her never know that Lopez Marketing Services was a viable option in the event that she actually ever needed them. Santana just hoped that Brittany did not feel as if she had overstepped or, at the very least, that the mechanic would not hold it against her.

Santana buried her face in her hands, realizing that she had once again found herself mulling over the memory of that day. Reflecting on that moment was something that had taken up the majority of her idle thoughts over the past several weeks, and she was still trying to figure out a way for her to hopefully move on and return to life before Brittany S. Pierce had stepped back into it. It wasn’t that Santana regretted seeing the blonde again after being away for college. It had just proven to be near impossible for her to get the other woman back out of her head after years of working to suppress the echoing thoughts of her woulda-coulda-shouldas. For the time being, she told herself there was nothing she could do to change the situation that caused her latest bout of mortification. Well, nothing outside of calling up the other woman and profusely apologizing, but she would never do that. Not after already embarrassing herself beyond belief.

Releasing a frustrated huff, Santana decided to put her thoughts of Brittany aside for the time being as she grabbed her wallet and car keys to once again pick-up her lunch for the day. On her way out, she stopped by her mother’s office and gave a knock against the open door to gain the older woman’s attention.

Maribel instantly snapped her gaze over to the younger brunette, giving her daughter a bright smile before greeting, “Hey, Sweetheart. What’s up?”

“I just wanted to let you know that I am heading out to grab lunch. Do you want anything?”

“Depends. Where are you planning to go?”

“Well, there’s that new bistro that opened up across town. Rach keeps claiming that their Italian sub is to die for, so I figured I’d find go out for myself.”

“In that case, grab me one, too.”

“Will do. Be back in a bit.”

“Okay, take your time,” Maribel replied with a wave of her hand as she watched her daughter turn to leave.

Santana returned a half-hour later with a bag of takeout in hand. After saying hello to the receptionist, she made her way over to her mother’s office to deliver half the food only to find the woman no longer there. Suddenly, the somewhat distant sound of laughter caught her attention. Narrowing her eyes in confusion, Santana slowly spun around and started following the unexpected voices coming from her own office around the corner. As she approached the room, she looked through the opened doorway to find Maribel leaning back on her daughter’s desk as she spoke to the woman seated a few feet away in one of the office’s guest chairs. Santana nearly shrieked in surprise as she realized that it was the same woman who had unknowingly maintained a near constant claim on her thoughts over the course of the past few weeks.

Not realizing her presence, Maribel continued, “Yeah, my Santanita has always been a little spitfire, but that’s part of her charm. I remember this one time when she-“

“Um, hello?” Santana cut in, refusing to allow her mother to tell Brittany any other potentially embarrassing stories about her life. She watched on as the pair each turned their gazes over to the brunette standing at the office’s entrance, mainly maintaining a subtle glare in the direction of her mother.

“Oh, hey, Santana! We were just talking about you. Brittany came in requesting to speak with you while you were out, so I figured I’d just keep her company until my favorite daughter got back,” Maribel explains and Santana instantly noticed a glint of mischief dancing behind her mother’s eyes.

“I’m your only daughter, let alone child, Ma,” Santana grumbled with an exaggerated eyeroll. She knew what the woman was doing, and although she most likely had her daughter’s best interests in mind, Santana refused to let her mother continue to try to talk her up to the mechanic. Fishing out Maribel’s to-go container, she held it out to her and added, “Here’s your food, by the way. Rachel said it tastes best when it is still warm.”

Catching the hint, Maribel clutched the box with her hand and replied, “Okay, great. Can’t wait to try it.” Glancing between the two women, she continued, “I’ll leave you two to discuss whatever matters Miss Pierce needs to speak with you about. It was good to see you, Brittany. Don’t be a stranger.”

“Yes, ma’am. Have a good afternoon, Mrs. Lopez.”                            

“You, too, Honey,” Maribel returned as she moved to leave, subtly winking at her daughter. Santana instantly shot another thinly veiled displeased look at the older woman, but her mother had already moved past the brunette before she even had a chance to see. It didn’t matter anyway. Maribel knew her daughter well enough to know how she felt about the matter even without meeting her gaze.

Releasing a quiet sigh, Santana put her exasperation aside and addressed the blonde with a friendly smile, greeting, “Hi, Brittany.”

“Hey, Santana,” the woman chirped back in return.

“What can I do for you today?”

“Well,” Brittany began before her expression turned a bit uneasy. “I, um- I was hoping to maybe talk a little more about your offer from a few weeks ago. You know, the one regarding you potentially helping the shop with some marketing-related things?”

Suppressing her surprise, Santana replied, “Yeah, I remember.”

“Well, I was hoping to maybe discuss my options if you had some time this afternoon. Sorry to just barge in like this, by the way. I thought about calling to schedule a formal appointment, but I was out on my lunch break and figured I’d stop by while I was in the area. Now, I’m starting to realize that you might have other meetings scheduled for this afternoon. If you are busy, I could just some back another time.”

“No, I’m free for the time being. You’re fine.”

“Oh, okay. Good, good,” Brittany hums out. Getting more visibly nervous, she adds, “I-I know I could have maybe talked to your mom about it just now, so I’m sorry about that. Like you said the other day, she’s been doing it for a long time now, which of course isn’t your fault because you have to start somewhere, just like she did at some point, but- I don’t know. This is something that is really important to me, and I just feel that I know you a bit better. I mean, we graduated together, and you’ve always been nothing but nice to me, and-“

“Britt-“

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come in here and immediately word vomit,” the blonde apologizes before taking a deep, shaky breath, tears visibly starting to well in her eyes. “Shit, I’m sorry. I-I thought I’d be able to keep it together. I-I’m just really terrified right now.”

"Hey, it’s completely understandable why you would feel scared. The shop is obviously very important to you,” Santana assures as she quietly shuts her office door to give them more privacy. “Please just take a deep breath for me, and we’ll talk everything through, okay?”

“Y-yeah,” Brittany complies as she sucks in another long, unsteady breath before breathing it slowly back out.

“There we go. Now, what’s going on?”

“Th-the auto shop hasn’t done much better since the last time we spoke, and I’m terrified that I’m going to lose everything. I-” she started to say before hesitating, almost thinking better of it before deciding to just speak her thoughts anyway. “To be honest, I’m starting to feel that e-everyone’s right, and I’m just an idiot who-“

“Okay, no. First of all, Brittz, you are absolutely the furthest thing from an idiot, and anyone with the nerve to insinuate that you’re dumb is the actual idiot, alright?” Waiting for Brittany to nod her head, Santana continues, “Good, I’m glad we can agree. Now second of all, you aren’t losing anything. Not over my dead body.” Placing her take out on top of her desk, the brunette slid into her office chair and pulled open her desk drawer to retrieve a folder that had Pierce Automotive written in neat cursive script before laying it on the desktop next to her keyboard. She then moved to log back into her PC as she adds, “I've actually given quite a bit of thought as to how we can maybe help you increase traffic to the shop on the off chance that you’d change your mind. Just give me a second to find the other document I have with my ideas."

While focusing on pulling up the file on her computer, Santana suddenly heard the sound of a loud stomach growl and looked over to find the mechanic with a deep blush blooming on her cheeks.

"Oh, God. This is so embarrassing. I'm so sorry,” Brittany apologized, her mortification clearly shown on her face. “I came right over at the start of my lunchbreak, and I was so worried and distracted that I didn’t even think to eat beforehand."

“Hey, it’s alright. You are more than welcome to have some of my food if you want."

"No, I’ll be okay. I can wait until after we’re done. Let’s just move past it."

"Britt, I genuinely have the stomach of a small bird and hate leftovers, so you'd actually be doing me a favor by not letting this food go to waste," Santana encouraged with a small, soft smile has she nudged the to-go box towards the other woman. "Seriously, please feel free to take half of it."

Another moment of hesitation passed before the blonde tentatively asked, "Are-Are you sure?"

A small smirk pulled at the brunette's lips as she flipped open the container for the other woman, revealing the contents on the inside as she responded, "I’m positive. Now just to let you know, it is an Italian sub on a ciabatta roll with provolone, ham, salami, pepperoni, red onions, tomatoes, lettuce, pepper relish, mustard, some type of Italian sauce, and-" Santana suddenly trailed off as she thought over the details of her order. After pausing for a brief moment to make sure she did not miss anything, she concluded, "Yeah, I think that's it."

"Sounds delicious,” Brittany chuckles as she reaches forward to grab half of the sandwich. “Thank you.”

"Anytime. Now, let me get back to pulling up that list of marketing ideas," Santana stated as she shifted her focus back to the computer screen in front of her. "Okay, so-"

"Wait, please eat your sandwich before worrying about the shop."

Glancing back at the other woman, Santana assured, "It's really no problem. I take working lunches all the time."

"Not this time, please. I really don't want my problems to cause you to get indigestion," Brittany pouted. "Lord Tubbington always gets super cranky when he has an upset tummy."

"Okay, fine. You win, but just know that I'm not aware of any time that working through lunch has caused me to have an adverse bodily reaction," Santana acquiesced with a teasing roll of her eyes as she reached for the other half of the sandwich. After taking the first bite, her eyes instantly widened in surprise before holding out the sandwich in front of her to take a good look at it. “Oh my God!” Motioning toward the sub still grasped in the mechanic’s hands, she encouraged, “Brittany, you have to try this.”

"Oh, okay,” Brittany quietly replied as she chomped into the sandwich. Giving a moment to process the taste, she suddenly released a long hum in contentment. "Wow, this is really good. The crunch of the toasted ciabatta with the melty provolone and spicy pepper relish work perfectly together. This was a fantastic choice."

"Right? I hate to say it, but Rachel has pretty good taste when it comes to food.”

“Apparently," Brittany agreed before glancing back down to take another bite. The pair continue eat in silence for a few minutes before the blonde asks, "So, how has your day been? At least, before I came in to ruin it."

“Oh, hush. You haven’t ruined anything,” Santana laughed. "It hasn’t been too bad for a Tuesday. I actually might even venture to say it’s better now that I get to see you."

Brittany’s face immediately narrowed her eyes at the woman as she teased, "You really don't have to sweettalk me, Santana. I'm already in your office with the intention of asking you for help."

"Oh, I know I don't have to say it. I'm telling the truth. You're a goddamn ray of sunshine, and it'd be extremely hard for anyone to not have their day brightened with you around."

"Aw, shucks. You must be really, really trying to butter me up."

Santana gave a little noncommittal shrug as a sly smirk pulled at her lips. Popping the final bite into her mouth, she dusted off the crumbs from her hands and returned her attention to the matter at hand. "Okay, so back to business. My initial thoughts involve three to five different ads across all local television, radio, and online ad services. I have also already scoped out a few potential billboard locations that we can go look at if you are interested." She then paused to look over at the mechanic, "Does the shop happen to have any social media pages?"

"No, not really."

"Okay, so there is room for expansion in that regard. We might actually be able to use that to our advantage. How do you feel about potentially holding giveaway packages to drive traffic to your social media pages and the shop, itself?"

"I don't see any problem with that. Honestly, I'm pretty much down for anything you think will help at this point."

"Great, but also feel free to veto any ideas that may not work for you or the shop. You are the expert here and will know better than anyone else what works for your line of work. I’m just an outside third-party who is trying to help.”

“Okay, I’ll let you know. Thanks, San.”

“Of course,” Santana replied with a wink. “So, I was also thinking about reaching out to the carwash located down the street from the shop to see if they'd be willing to try a mutually beneficial team-up. Basically, customers at the shop can have a free carwash after receiving routine maintenance services while people who purchase certain carwash packages can get discounts on oil changes."

“Oh, that’s a great idea.”

“Yeah, I thought so, too. Of course, we would still have to reach out to them, but I’ve been told that I can be pretty convincing when I want to be so I don’t think we’ll have a problem getting them to come to the table.”

For the first time that day, Brittany actually started to feel somewhat hopeful about her situation. That was, until she remembered that this kind of help came with a price. Getting a bit worried, she asked, "So just to clarify, are there various packages for these marketing options, or-?"

"All of this is typically included with our premium offer."

"Okay, so how much would all this set me back?"

"Absolutely nothing,” Santana answers in a matter-of-fact tone.

Brittany blankly stared at the woman for a long moment, looking at the brunette as if she just sprouted a second head. Slowly furrowing her brow with a clearly confused expression, as she hesitantly responded, “What do you mean nothing?"

Santana laced her fingers together as she leaned forward to rest her chin on top of her hands as she stated, "Brittany, I've already spoken to my mother about this, and I would like to personally pay for everything we help you with."

"What? Why?" Brittany questioned, her eyes wide with shock.

“Because I’ve caused a lot of bad throughout my life, and I would really like to use this opportunity to add a bit of good to the world.”

“But this would be a lot of money we’re talking about, right?”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Brittany balked, “Of course I’m going to worry about it, San! Are you kidding me?”

“Britt, you literally just tried to do the exact same thing for me not that long ago.”

“Yeah, and last I checked, you refused to let me give you free service.”

“Well like we discussed last time, I’m hardheaded as hell, and I won’t stop until I get my way.”

The blonde gives her a slightly skeptical look, not really sure what to make of the situation. Thinking over her options, she tentatively asked, "Are you're sure about this?"

Placing her hands down onto the smooth desktop, Santana met the other woman’s gaze and swore, "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. You happen to employ several people I have actively terrorized in the past, so I would like nothing more than to hopefully help them maintain their livelihood while also ensuring you don’t lose the shop."

"And you really want nothing in return?"

“Nothing at all,” the brunette assured before her lips pulled into a teasing grin, adding, “but I also won’t stop you if you want to name-drop Lopez Marketing Services in idle conversations and such.”

Brittany gave a light laugh as she sat back in her seat, a look of slight disbelief on her face. “It almost feels like an offer I can’t refuse.”

“You definitely can. I’m not here to try to pressure you or anything. Feel free to take some time and think it over. Potentially even discuss it with Kurt and any legal representation you may have. I can even have some paperwork drawn up if you’d like. That way, it is legally binding and ensures that I am not going to swindle you.”

Taking a moment to think it over, Brittany suddenly seemed to come to a decision as she held up a pinky toward the other woman.

Santana could only stare at the gesture, not really sure of the other woman’s intentions as she questioned, “Um, what’s this?”

“It’s a pinky swear.”

“And what would you like me to swear to, exactly.”

“Do you swear that you are telling the truth about everything we’ve discussed today?”

Finally understanding, a wide grin spread across her face as Santana reached forward to lace her pinky with the other woman’s, swearing, “I promise that I genuinely aim to help and that I will do everything in my power to help your auto shop become as successful as possible. Everything will be paid for by myself, you can decline any idea that is pitched to you, and you will ultimately have the final say in any business Lopez Marketing Services conducts on behalf of Pierce Automotive.”

Seemingly pleased with their deal, Brittany briefly tightens her pinky’s grip around Santana’s before letting it slip from her grasp as she affirms, “Then, I think you have yourself a deal.”

Santana’s face lit up with elation at the news as she cheerily replied, “Good to hear. I’ll go ahead and arrange to start having the official paperwork drawn up. As binding as our pinky swear may be between us, I unfortunately don’t think it’ll hold up as well in a court of law, and I want to make sure we go about this the right way. That way you can have full confidence in our work with you.”

“I already do, with or without the paperwork.”

“Then, it’ll be for Kurt, who I can guarantee will be wanting to see it.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“I usually am,” Santana teased with a wink. “In the meantime, would you like to go check out the billboards I have in mind? That is, if you’re free.”

“Yeah, I think I can spare some time.”

“Awesome,” Santana states as she grabs her keys and opens her door for the other woman. “After you, milady.”

Read on AO3

Read on FF.Net

[transgambit]

what is the truth

[comedyke-deactivated20171209]

they’re married you asshole

[transgambit]

u right, my bad

[h0odierich-deactivated20170708]

[what-ever-what-ever-what-ever]

thats their lesbian daughter

[proudninjawombat]

Reblog if you support the gay papertowel dads and their lesbian paper towel daughter

[petergabrielyuri]

Can’t you guys read it says strength has no gender. That’s their nobinary kid whose name is “Strength”

[brightlotusmoon]

Next time someone asks me to explain Tumblr I’m going to show them this and say “No.”

[yeahokayillreblogthat]

Yeah okay ill reblog that

[sourdough-seal]

“omg you’re so creative. how do you get your ideas” i hallucinate a single scene in the taco bell drive thru and then spend 13 months trying to write it

[mdverse]

after a long day

[slfcare]

as the colder months approach: i wish you all a healthy, calm end of the year. i wish you tasty cups of tea, comfortable clothes, warm beds, nutritious meals in safe homes, good music, new friends and unwavering health. you deserve good things now.

[csarracenian]

37th Anniversary of Metroid? My lucky number!

[cosmonautroger]

[umberisme]

Girls just being girls!

[mispelled]

Every time I see this I watch the whole thing and I just love it a lot so I’m finally reblogging

[between-stars-and-waves]

😄

[mariannekhalil]

a compilation of all my aerith & tifa art

[ad-wills]

[fruitstickerr]

finished two pages of my fruit sticker collection 🍈🍉🍊🍋🍌🍍🥭🍎🍏🍒

[umbrellamoss]

[ID: two pages from a spiral notebook, filled with many fruit stickers of various colours, shapes and sizes. End ID]

[killjo-q]

Been watching FMA again and I've always wanted to draw Olivier