It wasn't their plan to end up living together, it really wasn't.
Quinn had gotten the apartment in June and spent almost two months settling in. She had bought rugs and cutlery and a shower curtain. She loved her very own small apartment off campus, sharing a small room in a dorm wouldn't have worked for her. She was too much of a princess for that sort of thing. Quinn wanted space to make food, not making it share a fridge with some unhygienic cheese. She wanted her own bathroom, without other people's hair in the sink. She just needed space.
So, Santana moving in was not part of the plan.
…
"I thought you were going to Ohio State" Quinn said when she found Santana on her door step, two days before classes started.
"Changed my mind."
"Why?"
"Can I just crash here or what?"
"Fine."
But it wasn't fine. Because Quinn didn't move hundreds of miles to be share a room with Santana.
…
"This place is tiny, Q."
"It's supposed to be for one person."
Santana rolled her eyes. She sat on (yes, ON) the kitchen table and ate chicken fingers for breakfast. The smell made Quinn want to go back to bed.
"I enrolled today."
"Good for you."
"I'll be out of hair soon. Promise."
"Okay."
…
On her third day, Santana came home drunk. With a guy. Quinn threw him out before they could do anything nasty on her couch.
"You're such a prude, Fabray."
"And you're a lesbian, remember?"
"Maybe I changed my mind."
"About that too?"
Quinn was tired. She crept between her sheets again. Santana came after her and sat down on the bed.
"Don't puke on my sheets" Quinn warned her.
"I won't."
Quinn closed her eyes. All she had wanted had been some peace. This was not that.
"Brittany met someone else."
"Where?"
"At some dance thing."
"Have you met her?"
"Not her, him."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
Quinn took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, San."
"Whatever."
…
"I had a nice time" the boy named Arthur said.
"Me too" Quinn agreed.
He kissed and she kissed him back. This was exactly as planned. It was their seventh date. They had gone the movies, to dinner, studied together in the library, made out in his car and now he was here, at her door step.
"Wanna come in?" she asked.
He nodded and she pulled him in.
"Oh, come on" Santana growled from the living room. "You get to bring boys home, but I don't."
"Ignore her" Quinn whispered.
"Who is she?"
"My roommate."
Arthur pulled a sympathetic face and kissed her again. But Santana wasn't done.
"Quinn, isn't this the guy that Isobel got herpes from?"
"No."
"Look" Arthur said. "Maybe I should just go home."
And he did.
"You're the worst friend ever" Quinn hissed at Santana.
"And you're in love with someone else, remember?"
…
"Maybe you should just call Brittany…"
"And say what?"
"That you miss her."
"Fuck off."
Quinn sighed. She was trying to do homework but Santana moaning about how much she hated California.
"Maybe you should call your boyfriend" Santana said pointedly.
"I don't have a boyfriend."
"Oh, I'm sorry, you're fiancée."
"Shut up."
"What's his name again? Oh, I know. Noah Puckerman."
"We're not together anymore."
"And why is that?"
"He wanted to stay, I wanted to leave."
"So?"
"Santana, can I just do my homework? Please?"
"Fine."
…
Santana brought a girl home the next night. Quinn could hear them giggling and moaning and god knew what else. She put on her headphones and listened to Debussy until she fell asleep. If she ever wanted to meet a new guy, it wouldn't work to have Santana on the vindictive side. A night of classical music was better than an entire life of loneliness.
…
"You're buying, Fabray."
"How can I be paying again when I also pay our rent and fill our fridge with food?"
"'Cause your dad's loaded."
"Is my dad here?"
Santana yawned.
"His credit card is."
Quinn rolled her eyes and swiped her card.
"I talked to Puck yesterday" Santana said.
"Good for you."
"I invited him to come and visit."
"You didn't."
"I did."
"Fuck you."
Santana smiled.
"I did it for you, babe."
…
Santana was holding a sign that read PUCK with big bold letters. Quinn leaned against the wall and watched the passengers file into the arrivals hall. She wondered if Santana wanted Puck to come or if she just wanted to make Quinn's life hell.
"There he is" Santana giggled.
She waved and the form of Quinn's ex-fiancée came closer. Quinn squinted, she didn't want to see him properly.
"And there she is" Quinn mumbled under her breath.
Behind Puck came Brittany, smiling and cheerful. Santana tensed.
"Fuck you, Fabray."
"I did it for you, babe."
…
It was the most awkward and horrible dinner that Quinn had ever had. But she still found some satisfaction in that Santana was just as uncomfortable.
"This place is so pretty" Brittany said.
"It would be even prettier if someone didn't mess it up every time I clean" Quinn smiled
Santana kicked her leg under the table.
"So, how do like California?" Puck asked.
"Quinn just loves it. Tells me how she wished she moved sooner" Santana sneered.
Quinn stomped on her foot. Puck bit his lip. Brittany took a drink of water.
"Well, isn't this nice" Santana sighed.
…
"You still with that dude?" Quinn asked.
Brittany nodded.
"Jay is great."
Quinn sighed heavily.
"Can't you just get back together with Santana so that she'll move out of my place?"
Brittany smiled.
"Sorry."
"I didn't think it would be that easy…"
"But if she drives you mad, why you don't you just kick her out?"
"She would never leave."
"If you really meant it, she would."
"Nah."
Brittany shrugged.
"Maybe you want her to stay."
"Don't be an idiot."
…
"You invited me here just to fuck with her."
"No, I didn't" Santana said without any real conviction.
"When are you two going to grow up and stop fighting over everything?"
Santana rolled her eyes and lit a cigarette. Quinn hated when she smoked.
"I invited you here so you two could make up."
"And why would we do that?"
"'Cause you had a crappy reason for breaking up."
"And what's a good one?"
"I don't know, maybe having your girlfriend fall in love with a guy."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
Santana passed him the cigarette. He shook his head.
"What's in it for you, San?"
"If you two get back together, she'll move to Lima and I'll get this place."
Puck shook his head at her.
…
"You want me to leave?" Puck asked.
Quinn shrugged.
"No, it's fine."
"But you won't look at me."
She met his eyes and immediately felt herself fill with warmth.
"Santana's messing with me" she whispered.
"I'm not so sure that she is."
"How so?"
"If you moved out, would you give her this place?"
"No, never."
Puck grinned. Quinn smiled back.
"How do you like California?" she asked.
"I love it."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"What do you like about it?"
"Mostly, you."
…
It wasn't their plan to live together, it really wasn't. But that didn't mean that it was easy to move out. To sell the apartment, throw away the old shower curtain and store the rugs. Quinn cleaned and Santana sorted through shit they had collected during the six months they had been living together.
"When are you moving into your new place?" Santana asked even though she knew.
"Friday. And you?"
"Thursday."
Puck and Quinn had rented a bigger apartment. They were trying out living together. If that worked, maybe she would make him ask her marry him again. Maybe.
"Do you want the coffee pot?" Quinn asked. "I don't need it."
"Yeah, thanks."
Santana wasn't trust fund kid. She couldn't afford this apartment on her own. But it was okay, she was going to move into a dorm. Share bathroom and kitchen with 20 other girls. At least for now, that was okay.
…
"It has been a misery living with you" Quinn said, extending her hand.
Santana shook it.
"Likewise, Fabray."
Quinn snorted. Puck was waiting in his truck.
"You know, if you break up again, you can crash on my floor."
"Thanks."
"If you get fed up with your roommate, you can sleep on our couch. For a while."
"Believe me, I've had enough with sleeping on your couch."
"Okay."
"Okay."
…
