The world slowed down. Santana thought about what she had just said. She looked at Kurt, desperate for a response. It felt as though everything had been drained from her body, she quivered on her unstable legs- feeling void of energy.
That was it. She had said it.
Her head was woozy, she felt light-headed. Suddenly, she was flooded by emotion. She gagged with the effort of holding back her tears. Kurt stared, dumfounded.
He was stunned that Santana had told him. It took him seconds to judge Santana's state of mind, for her feelings were all too familiar to him. He took her hand, disregarding whether or not she would object to it, and pulled her eyes to focus on him.
"It's okay." He mouthed softly.
Santana was immobilized. It's okay. Those words rang through her mind, repeating again and again. That was what she needed to hear. It's okay. Now, at least, she thought it might be.
Kurt drove her home, he never spoke- he figured she needed some time to think. She appreciated that. Santana's mind was cloudy, aching. She couldn't even muster the energy to hold her head up from the dizziness, she felt numb.
When they finally pulled up outside her house Santana's eyes flashed to Kurt. She paused and then opened her mouth to speak for the first time since they had left the mall. "Thank you." She croaked, but her voice rang out with so much pure sincerity Kurt had to blink hard to remind himself who was speaking. He nodded and pursed his lips together, trying his hardest to give a comforting, encouraging smile.
Santana tried to respond with what energy she could find but the result was more of an upside down grimace than a smile. The two paused again, simply sitting in Santana's drive.
"Thank you for telling me." Kurt suddenly spat out, drawing Santana's gaze to his face. "Really. Thanks." Santana didn't reply. She just looked down, falling into the lapse of her exhausted silence once again.
Kurt hurriedly got out of the car, opening Santana's door.
She clambered out and shuffled slowly to her door, Kurt protectively following behind. As she got inside she lingered in the doorway, looking at Kurt who hadn't failed to make sure she was okay. There was a long, drawn out silence as Kurt waited for her to disappear into her home. She didn't.
"Will you be Oka-"
"Stay with me," Santana interrupted him, taking him off guard and again surprising him by her out-of-character behaviour. She realised what she had said, she was too far past her pride and arrogance to stop herself from saying it. She knew she needed someone now.
Kurt was hesitant.
"Pardon?"
"Stay here with me for a while longer," She asked, looking down out of slight embarrassment "Please?" Kurt swallowed and nodded. He couldn't just abandon her now.
He escorted her in and the two went up to her bedroom. Kurt felt like he was breaking some unwritten rule, wandering aimlessly into Santana's house. He silenced the thought though, not wanting his momentary discomfort to upset Santana.
Once Kurt sat on her bed however, he felt more natural- ready to help. His eyes followed Santana as she clumsily tidied away various clothes scattered on the floor and put CD's back into their places- trying to make her room appear more presentable to guests. He was so busy scanning his surroundings and noting the quirks of Santana's bedroom that he barely heard her when she said "It's okay, by the way."
His eyes returned to Santana and he cocked his head to the side as she continued to do a rudimentary job cleaning up her stuff. "Hm?"
"You said 'Thank you for telling me'," She mumbled, kicking another dress under her bed and joining Kurt where he was sitting "It's okay."
She smiled at Kurt and for the first time he could see Santana, really see her. He nodded as his lips formed into the smile Santana was beginning to become ever too familiar with.