AN: Just a little one shot, trying to get back into the swing of writing again. It's kinda hard, life keeps getting in the way.
Enjoy.
There's something odd about being an adult back in your childhood home.
It's hard to describe. It's not just like being back in your hometown after moving away and noticing old buildings gone and new ones up or four houses on lots where there used to only be one or running into people you only knew as being seventeen, being in their thirties and somehow managing to be surprised anyway even though you are in your thirties too.
It's just…odd, not good or bad, just odd seeing how things feel so familiar, yet different.
"What are you thinking about?" Brittany whispers.
They're lying in bed in Santana's old bedroom. They're facing each other, legs intertwined. It's morning, neither of them are sure how far into the morning it is, but Santan suspects that the kids have been up for a little while.
Call it mother's intuition.
"Nothing," she says softly. "Just…being back here always feels kinda strange."
Brittany smiles. "It's the same but it's so different," she says knowingly.
"Maybe it's the same and we're just different," Santana ponders.
It's true in a way. Other than less of her stuff being there, the room hadn't changed much. The Lopezes had never overhauled it. The same posters hung on the walls and the same photos were displayed on the bedside table. Honestly, it was still mostly black. It was the same room of the cheerleader, the girl fighting feelings for her best friend, the girl struggling with figuring out how her future would look.
"It's your room, Santana," Maribel had explained once. "We have the guest room anyway if anyone comes to visit."
That guest room had since turned permanently into the bedroom of the Lopez-Pierce children whenever they came to visit, with two twin beds and a bunch of toys and children's books.
"People don't really come to visit anyway," her father had said, explaining the change.
"Yeah," Brittany says airily. "We got old."
Santana fakes offense, by dropping her jaw. "We're not old."
"Hmmm yeah we are," Brittany hums. "Remember when we were seventeen and we thought thirty was old? We're closer to forty than thirty, now. But at least we're still hot."
"Yeah we are," she grins, without missing a beat, leaning over to kiss her wife.
"Gotta say, I kinda miss your old sheets though," the blonde murmurs against her lips.
Ok, those might be the one thing that had changed.
Gone was the black silky material, replaced with pale blue cotton. Her mom had never been a fan and it was the one thing she did get rid of when Santana left for college.
"Hmm, those had good memories," she said fondly, exchanging lazy kisses with Brittany.
"Yeah, they did," Brittany kisses her right back. "You know…we could make memories with these sheets?" she offers, snaking her hand under Santana's t-shirt and letting it rest against her ribcage.
"Could we?" she asks and Brittany nods. "See? This is why you marry a genius? They always have the best ideas."
Brittany kisses her and then re-angles herself to deepen the kiss. She loves mornings like this, at every point in time, she's loved mornings like this. Mornings that were calm and sweet and goofy and sexy.
They're interrupted by a few soft knocks on the door, pulling apart, but resting closely together as Oliver pops his head through the door.
"Abuela said to come get you," their son says, still dressed in his Batman pajamas.
"C'mere," Santana says, extending her arms out, and he gladly runs over and hops up onto the bed to get his morning cuddles, his moms both wrapping him up in a hug.
"How did you sleep?"
"Good."
"Your sister up?" Brittany asks.
Oliver nods. "She's downstairs. Abuela said to come get you, she made migas!"
"Ok, we'll be down in a minute," Santana promises, kissing the top of his head. "Go make sure your abuelo doesn't finish it all before we get there."
The little boy laughs and scrambles off the bed.
"Rain check?" Santana turns to Brittany, who simply laughs and gives her wife a peck on the lips.
"Sure, baby."
They make their way downstairs and into the kitchen, where Maribel is finishing up by the stovetop. Oliver is next to her, helping with the cheese, while Sophia sits with her abuelo in the adjacent living room, watching cartoons.
"Good morning, girls," Maribel greets them. "Grab a plate."
They eat breakfast together and afterwards, as Brittany and Maribel chat, Santana watches her son and daughter explain to their grandfather the rules of the universe of the show they're watching.
There's a princess in space and a talking dog and a pegasus and she's pretty sure he doesn't get it, but he's happy to watch with them and laugh when they do. Sophia sits on his lap and Oliver right next to them.
It was so different. Carlos Lopez felt like such a different person. The workaholic from her childhood was gone and in his place was this loving, doting grandpa. The door to his office that had been closed for much of her own upbringing was now open whenever they came to visit. His marble chess set - a gift from his cardiologist friend, was now shelved away and forgotten, Hungry Hungry Hippos - the kids favorite game - taking its place.
"Mija, your papi and I were thinking of taking the kids to the park this afternoon," Maribel raises, before turning to Brittany. "We thought we could meet you with your parents there, I'm sure they're itching to see the kids."
"That sounds good," Brittany smiles.
"Plus, if you're all together, it should be in public, with witnesses," Santana jests.
Maribel rolls her eyes. Of course being in-laws for over fifteen years now, the Lopezes and the Pierces had grown to get along well enough and care for each other, but that didn't mean they still didn't bump heads from time to time.
The kids are thrilled to go to the park and see Nana and Pop-Pop. Whitney was nana because of family tradition and Pierce was Pop-Pop because he thought being Pop-Pop Pierce Pierce was hilarious. Oliver and Sophia certainly thought it was.
The Grandparents Brigade, as Santana has coined them, were going to give her and Brittany the afternoon off and they'd all meet up for dinner that night.
The kids are both wearing animal beanies with pom-poms and it's just the sweetest thing. Sophia's is a polar bear, Olivers is a tiger.
Sophia is her mini-me in looks and in many other ways, but when Santana sees her in that polar bear hat that she'd picked out herself, she sees so much of Brittany in their little girl.
"You two make sure you be good at the park and you make sure that your Abuelo and Abuela or Nana or Pop-Pop can see you at all times, ok?" she tells the kids.
"Promise Mama," Ollie chirps.
Hugs are exchanged and Brittany tells them to have fun as they head out the door.
"So…" Santana drawls, once they're alone. "About those new memories..."
Brittany laughs, knowing exactly what her wife means and takes her hand, leading her back up the stairs and into her old bedroom.