They decide to go upstairs again after that, probably because hiding out is never as much fun after somebody finds you.
After collecting Santana's toothbrush from her Cheerios duffle, they head into the bathroom and brush their teeth side by side, holding hands between them. Brittany bumps her hip against Santana's hip and then Santana bumps back. They smile at each other, their mouths all full of foam, and Santana has a hard time keeping all her toothpaste in her mouth. Brittany counts it as a personal victory when Santana has to break their handhold so that she can cover her mouth to keep the foam from dribbling all down her chin.
Santana bends and spits into the sink. "Dork," she says, her words still thick from the leftover toothpaste. She grins at Brittany, first in the mirror, then to her face, and sticks her tongue out at her. Brittany keeps brushing and crosses her eyes, focusing on her toothbrush. Santana laughs; the way she smiles make Brittany feel like the best person in the world.
Once Brittany spits her toothpaste into the sink, too, Santana leans over and kisses her ear.
"This is really nice," Santana says, slinging one arm over Brittany's shoulders, and Brittany knows exactly what Santana means by this.
They stare at themselves in the mirror, and for a second Brittany thinks she can see them the same way that maybe her mom or her dad might do. They look young and old at the same time, their faces more set and deep cut than last year, but not so changed that you can't see the them from when they first met, back before they knew anything about anything, behind the new lines. Brittany thinks she likes it like that.
"So are you gonna want a shower tomorrow?" Brittany asks.
"Um, sure," says Santana. They both still look at their reflections while they talk, which is a little bit weird, maybe, but neither one of them can seem to look away; they just fit so well together. "Do you need to shower? I can wake up early. I won't use all the hot water this time, I promise—"
Brittany shakes her head no and turns, pulling Santana into a hug and pinning her arms to her sides. Brittany whispers down into her ear, "I've got a plan: We'll shower together, but we'll turn off the water halfway through and then start it again so it seems like two showers. My parents will never know."
Santana gulps, "Britt…"
"Showering with friends saves water. It's environmentally conscientious, San."
Brittany watches Santana quirk an eyebrow in the mirror. A slow smile curls her lips. She nods and presses her head against Brittany's, relaxing in Brittany's arms. "Okay," she agrees. "But what will we do for the part where the water is off?"
Brittany smiles, wicked: "Keep each other warm."