Anonymous asked: 6. and 63. "I need a place to stay." [Cause apparently they're duplicate prompts.]


When they pass through Ohio on the tour, Mercedes takes a week off to go back to her hometown of Lima, and Santana joins her. It still remains amusing to Brittany that Mercedes and Santana have known each other since they were in elementary school, mostly because Mercedes has her mom send her embarrassing photos of Santana when they were young to show to Brittany, much to Santana's horrified chagrin. (Brittany would only admit it to herself, but she finds the pictures far more adorable than embarrassing; Santana still has those dimply, chipmunk cheeks when she smiles, and it makes something warm settle on her chest when she realizes it.)

Santana's on the phone with her mom the night before they're supposed to land in Columbus, and as soon as she starts pouting Brittany knows that something's changed. Santana eventually says goodbye to her mom and throws herself backwards on her bed with a groan.

"What's up, buttercup?" Brittany asks, trying to alleviate the sad heaviness that's settled over the room.

Santana scrubs a hand over her face and shakes her head. "My aunt was in a car accident this afternoon, so my mom is on her way to Seattle right now."

"Oh my god," Brittany whispers, her stomach twisting, "Is she okay?"

Santana shrugs sadly. "I don't know. She's in the hospital right now, but she's not awake yet so."

"That's awful," Brittany murmurs, her own heart aching for the fear and sadness in her best friend's voice, "do you need to fly out there?"

Santana stares up at the ceiling and gives the tiniest shake of her head. "We don't— My mom's driving because we don't have enough money to fly there," she whispers, shifting in embarrassment.

Brittany knows how much Santana hates asking for help, so she doesn't mention the fact that Mercedes would fly Santana and her mom out to Seattle without question. "I'm really sorry," she whispers, and Santana makes a small sound of acknowledgement. Brittany's never felt more helpless in her life. "Why don't you just stay here then? If your mom's not even going to be in Lima?"

"I promised Mercedes I'd go with her, so I'll just go and, uh, visit my abuela, I guess," Santana says. Brittany's heart sinks; she knows how badly Santana's abuela reacted when she was outed in high school, a story Santana haltingly admitted one night against Brittany's neck when she woke screaming from a nightmare. Brittany also knows that Santana's abuela has refused to talk to her for the past three years as well, and she can't help the heavy feeling Brittany gets in her stomach when she thinks of how much it will hurt Santana if abuela rejects her again. "I mean, it's been three years. She must have changed by now, right?" Santana asks desperately.

Brittany purses her lips, but knows she can't offer Santana the comforting words she needs, so instead she just slips out from her covers and crawls into Santana's bed. Santana sighs as she lets herself be pulled into Brittany's embrace, nuzzling into Brittany's neck; Brittany may not have the right words, but she does know how to do this, she knows how to hold Santana until the scary thoughts fade away.

They arrive in Columbus around lunchtime the next day and Santana rents a car to drive her and Mercedes up to Lima, planning to leave around two so they get into Lima before supper. Brittany hugs them both goodbye, her two closest friends on the tour, and worries about Santana as soon as the car pulls out of the parking lot. She putters around her hotel room, but can't bring herself to go out with some of the other members of the tour, not when her stomach is constantly twisting every time she thinks about Santana. She goes to bed early, but ends up just mindlessly flipping through television channels. It's the first time Brittany's had a a room to herself in months and she should be happy, but she finds that she just really misses Santana, sitting on her bed and fondly teasing Brittany, changing the conversation from light to serious and back with the ease of best friends who trust each other with everything.

She hasn't dozed off, but the knock on her door around ten that night makes her jump. She cautiously creeps to the door because she's not expecting anyone and she was just in the middle of a Dateline episode. She peeks through the peephole, and her heart stops. Santana stands on the other side, soaked from the rain outside, her shoulders rolled forward with the weight of the world.

Brittany immediately opens the door. "Santana," she gasps, "What are you doing here?"

Santana sniffles and looks up at Brittany with eyes so dull that Brittany's heart breaks. "I— She didn't— She wouldn't— And there's no rooms and I—" Santana stutters, "I need a place to stay."

Brittany shakes her head wordlessly and quickly pulls Santana into her room and into a hug, letting the door swing shut behind them. Santana's freezing and wet, making goosebumps rise all over Brittany's body, but Brittany barely notices because Santana's trembling and sniffling in her arms and Brittany's not sure she can hold her tight enough to keep her heart together.

"Abuela, she— And I tried— But she just— She said—" Santana stutters brokenly.

"Shh," Brittany coos, rocking their bodies back and forth, leaning back slightly so she can pull Santana more fully against her. "You don't have to say anything," she whispers, and she's kissing Santana's forehead before she even realizes it, "I'm here. I know."

Santana shudders and curls closer to Brittany, and it almost feels like she's trying to crawl into Brittany's chest; Brittany wouldn't mind if she did, because then she knows she could keep her safe.

"Why didn't you just call Mercedes?" Brittany eventually whispers.

Santana shakes her head and tightens her arms around Brittany's waist. "I didn't— I didn't even think of it," she admits quietly, and Brittany can feel Santana's face heat up against her chest, "I only thought about getting back to you. I just— I just really needed to see you."

Brittany's never felt more needed in her entire life, she's never felt more loved in her entire life. "Well, I have a bag Fuzzy Peaches and mini Reeses Pieces with your name on it. We can rent a movie and stuff our faces and sleep in for the first time in forever since we have nothing planned for tomorrow."

Santana sighs and smiles so wide Brittany can feel it where Santana's face is pressed against her chest. "I love you," Santana mumbles so quietly Brittany almost feels the vibrations of the words more than she actually hears them, and Brittany's heart stops. Everything in Brittany brightens and perks up at the words, butterflies swarming all throughout her body, but Santana doesn't seem to realize that Brittany's heard her, because she just cuddles closer to Brittany and murmurs her thanks for letting her stay. Brittany lets out a shaky breath and presses a soft kiss to Santana's head, content to keep holding Santana as long as she needs to be held.