A/N: I don't own Glee nor the characters within. Prompt from Llandorian, which I am using as my entry for Pezberry Week Day Three: Locked In; Santana & Rachel can't leave the NY apartment. Every time one tries to leave, they just come right back in through another door/window/curtain, with Kurt being able to leave just fine. Thanks!

It's been three days, and they're still stuck inside. Staring at the wall of the apartment, her tangerine held lazily in her hand as she'd already lost all interest of tossing it up and down, Santana doesn't react when Rachel crosses her line of sight. She still doesn't react when the girl plops down onto the couch next to her.

Rachel's quiet for a couple of minutes, but even she can't last that long. "How are you?" she finally asks. She takes a sip of her tea.

Santana idly wonders if it's hot tea or tepid. She lolls her head in Rachel's direction. "I'm going to pretend you didn't ask that," she lets roll from her tongue. Her fingers tense on the tangerine.

There's silence, and Santana imagines that Rachel's frowning at her. Whatever. It's not her fault this is happening.

Sighing, shaking her head, Rachel mutters something that sounds like, why do I even bother?, but doesn't elaborate or speak up again.

Silence falls again. Santana and Rachel are sitting next to each other, but that's it, and Santana wonders when Rachel will ask her if she's tried to leave the apartment again.

Speaking of… "Did you try – ?"

"Yes, Berry, I tried the far window. Came in through the fucking door. Then tried the door and came in through the shower curtain, of all places."

Rachel sighs. "I tried the kitchen window. Popped out of my bed."

"Bed?" Santana looks at her. "That's new."

"You're telling me." Allowing her lips to quirk up, Rachel meets Santana's eyes over her tea. She curls the mug in her hands. "Are you going to eat that tangerine?" she asks suddenly.

Santana looks at the fruit. She rolls her eyes, "Here," and tosses it at Rachel's body, it hitting her chest and falling to bounce on her thigh, ending up between her legs. "Hopefully it's not too bruised for you."

Sighing through her nose, Rachel picks the tangerine up. Setting her tea down to the side, she digs her nails into the orange skin, starting to peel it. "You want any?"

"Nah." Santana pushes her hands through her hair, suddenly feeling the need to stand up and distance herself, "I've had enough citrus for the day."

Rachel snorts. "That eluding to what the internet used to call smut fiction?" she lilts, looking pointedly at the closed laptop on the coffee table.

Santana frowns at her. "Don't even pretend you're comfortable talking about sex." Sweeping up her emptied mug of coffee from earlier, she turns on her heel, starting to head back into the kitchen; at least that would allow her entrance.

But Rachel's loud laugh catches her off guard, and she turns around.

"Who's the one who spoke openly in that silly club you and Quinn and Brittany used to belong to?" Rachel looks at Santana from under her bangs, biting into the first slice of tangerine, "I'm not afraid of sex, Santana. I'm only private when it calls for it."

"Right, and needing headphones when Brody spends the night is you totally exercising your private-ness." Santana crosses her arms. "At least I'm better with Dani."

Shadows pass across Rachel's eyes, and she sucks on another slice of tangerine. "So you are sleeping with her?" she asks lightly. She splits the last half of the tangerine apart, peeling another single slice away to prepare to eat it.

Santana scowls. "That's what two people in a relationship do, innit?"

Opening her mouth, Rachel obviously thinks better of it, and she shakes her head, looking down, away from Santana. "Going to try leaving the apartment again?" she asks lightly instead, pretending like she's not waiting for the answer.

Her eyebrows twitching, Santana doesn't bother answering.

She also doesn't bother trying to explain why, having gone into the kitchen, she walks back into the living room from the direction of Kurt's makeshift closet.

When Dani arrives the next day, bringing with her Santana's favorite brand of coffee and a box of Bisquick that Santana has been wanting for a while, Santana doesn't stop herself from kissing her girlfriend deeply, desperately, immediately dragging her into the small corner of the loft she "owns," the groceries she'd brought getting left outside the curtain.

Later, after coming down from much needed orgasms, Dani curling around her body as she kisses her way down Santana's chest again, their hands entwining on Santana's other side, the shorter girl asks, "When are you coming back to work? Gunther's talking about firing you."

Santana sighs, pressing her own kisses to Dani's shoulder. "Tell him," she grumbles, grinning as Dani makes an excited noise as she rolls over on top of her, resting her hands on either side of Dani's shoulders, "That as soon as I can leave this damn apartment, I'll be there."

"And Rachel?" Dani asks.

Santana rolls her eyes. "Right. And Rachel."

Pulling Santana down into a deep kiss, Dani sighs, her eyes closing as she holds Santana close. "You'd tell me, right?" she asks, "If you and Rachel start something?"

"What?" Jerking back, Santana stares at her girlfriend. "As if!" she gasps, "What – why would you think that?"

Dani's jaw sets, but she sighs, allowing herself to relax, nodding. "Okay." She lifts her chin, kissing Santana again, "Just, leave this apartment soon, please?"

Santana continues studying her. "Of course," she frowns, nibbling on Dani's lower lip, "As soon as I fucking can."

Why… she thinks as Dani rolls over, straddling her, would her girlfriend think there was anything going on with her and the midget?

Two days later, Kurt practically manhandles Rachel through the front door. Well, as manhandle-ing as he can. With his hands clamped tightly on her upper arms, pushing her out in front of him, he almost stumbles as, as soon as they're past the threshold and he lets her go in triumph, she disappears. One second there, one second later gone.

"Good try," Rachel attempts to smile at him, hopping off of the bathroom counter, doing her best to keep tears back.

"But no luck," Santana finishes for her, scowling from her place inside the apartment door, leaning against the wall. She'd actually watched as Rachel faded from view.

"Right." Rachel's eyes flicker towards Santana, but she turns away before Santana can fully read into her expression; touching Kurt's forearm as he strides back in, she doesn't cry until she's back in her section of the loft, Santana able to hear her from her spot on the couch.

A week into their exile, Santana doesn't even bother to seem like she's keeping her spirits up, spitting mad and happy to snap her opinion at the faintest hint of someone paying attention to her. Kurt barely has any patience any more, and even Dani's starting to get frustrated. Even if she's watched Santana leave through the window over the fire escape and come back in through the front door barely a second later, she doesn't seem to fully accept it.

Santana wonders if she'll have to have the girl carry her outside the front door, only to fade from her arms and appear somewhere completely random, to make her understand what's going on.

Another two weeks later, she gets her answer.

Dani's at the front door, lingering even after Santana pulls it open to let her in. "I could fall in love with you," the older girl starts, "And heaven knows I might have already started to do so."

Santana feels cold, the knowledge of an impending breakup making her chest hurt. "I'm sorry," she states lamely. She wants to reach out and take Dani into her arms, but she can tell that wouldn't be accepted.

Covering her mouth with her hand, Dani looks up, meeting Santana's eyes. There's already tears in her eyes, and Santana can barely look at her. "I'm…" she starts.

"Shut up." Santana takes a step back, shaking her head, "Go."

"Maybe look me up if you c-can – "

"Go." Santana doesn't look at her now ex-girlfriend anymore, "Go."

Taking a step forward to close the distance, Dani's hand curls around Santana's cheek, taking in how Santana's trembling. She pulls Santana close, her lips barely brushing along her jawline. "I'm sorry."

Santana pushes against her shoulders, making her move back. "Go," she repeats, her voice breaking, "Dani…"

Dani backs up. Head dipping, she nods, tears falling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she whispers, her voice cracking as Santana forces herself to slide the door closed after her, "I'm – "

Not sticking around to hear her excuse as the door slams closed, Santana blindly makes her way to the nearest surface; only realizing later that she'd draped herself over Rachel's lap on the couch, crying into the girl's chest as the girl's arms helplessly curl around her back because of a familiar, humming voice making itself known by singing into her ear minutes later, she barely stops herself from jerking away.

"Shh," Rachel hushes her, noticing the hitching in her breathing, "You deserve some minutes of break."

Giving in, Santana allows Rachel to comfort her like she'd only ever let Brittany comfort her before.

A day later, after Santana had stumbled away to spend the night alone on her makeshift bed, it's the first time Santana meets Rachel's gaze. They stare at each other, Rachel calmly waiting as Santana fidgets, uncomfortable.

But when Santana opens her mouth, Rachel shakes her head. "It's okay," she smiles, sadness tingeing her voice as Santana suddenly realizes she hasn't seen Brody around in at least a week and a half, making no move to make Santana sit next to her at the table nearest the kitchen, "I'm happy to be here for you."

Still uncomfortable, Santana gives her a single sharp nod, and disappears into the bathroom where she takes a long, meltingly hot shower.

Another week later, Santana finds herself pushing her bed sheets up and out, making it obvious she's inviting Rachel to slip in beside her. It may not be Rachel's more comfortable bed, but at least it's a passable comfortable surface to sleep upon. Closing her eyes, rolling onto her side and presenting Rachel her back, Santana holds her breath as Rachel shuffles in close to her, almost spooning her.

"Rache?" she breathes.

"Santana." Rachel draws in a deep, staggering breath. "Can I… This okay?"

It's been a week, at least, since Santana's seen or felt her ex-girlfriend. She tells herself that Rachel only feels this good because she misses a body against her. "Knock yourself out," she drawls, closing her eyes.

Rachel sighs into her back, relaxing enough that her arm around Santana's waist doubles in weight. "Thank you," she whispers, but Santana's already forced herself to fall asleep.

Another two weeks later, their hands clasped tightly in each other's, Rachel and Santana, almost as an afterthought, step outside of their apartment…

And stay outside.

Walking further down the hallway, holding their breaths, they turn and stare at each other.

Rachel's eyes shine. "We out?" she asks.

Santana glances down the hallway. "I think so," she answers, her voice trembling, her hand tightening in Rachel's.

Rachel's eyes continue shining as she looks up at Santana. "So…?"

Santana smiles. She moves in, her free hand cupping Rachel's cheek. "Thank you," she whispers, placing her lips against Rachel's.

Rachel kisses her back, her fingers crawling up to take firm hold of Santana's shirt.

"Now." Santana draws back. She continues smiling, her heart skipping a beat as Rachel gives her a tentative, hopeful smile in response, "Let's make the most of our freedom."

Licking her lips, Rachel presses Santana's hand closer into her cheek. "You and me?" she asks.

Santana kisses her again. They slip into the elevator, and start down the building. "You and me," she promises as the floors pass by, "As long as we last."