Out of Kindness
Chapter Two
Santana held Brittany in her arms and rocked her back and forth on her bedroom floor as Brittany sobbed into her neck. Santana was running her fingers through blonde locks and making gentle shushing noises in an effort to try and calm her friend.
"Come on Britt, calm down and talk to me. It can't be that bad," Santana said, evidence of slight desperation in her voice as she was trying to understand what had made Brittany so upset."It's okay Britty, it's gonna be okay."
"It-znot...not...won't be okay." Brittany stuttered out between her sobs. Yet, the more she tried to talk, the harder she cried. Santana just tightened her grip, holding her hysterical friend for a few more minutes until the violent sobbing subsided somewhat.
Moments earlier, a dishevelled Brittany had come bursting through Santana's bedroom door, throwing herself into her best friend's arms and mumbling incoherent words that the Latina had failed to understand. Santana had yet to get any sense out of the blonde and had since given up trying. The two sat tangled in one another on the floor where they landed when standing had become too arduous for Brittany in the throws of a meltdown and Santana had failed to be able to hold the both of them up.
"How do you feel?" Santana asked after she noticed Brittany's breaths had started to even out.
"Probably like how an anteater feels all the time with all that nose and not enough nostril. I'm all stuffed up and I feel like my head's wants to cave in on itself."
Santana let out a tired, breathy laugh at her friends analogy, but the gravity of the situation kept her from feeling the humour in it. "Well how about I get you some tissues before that happens and then we can move to my bed before my ass feels like it wants to cave in on itself?"
"Yeah ok," Brittany said in a shaky voice and then moved to stand on even shakier legs. Santana was right behind her to guide her up and held her hand as she led her friend towards the queen size bed. As Brittany sat down on the edge, Santana grabbed a box of tissues from her nightstand and held them out for her. The blonde took a couple of tissues from the box giving a gracious nod to Santana and began to blow her nose loudly.
Santana moved on to the bed knee first and shuffled her way on her knees until she reached the middle. Leaning with her back against the headboard the patted the space between her legs and then held out her arms for her friend to resume the position they were in on the floor. Brittany needed not to be prompted twice as she swiftly moved into Santana's embrace, letting her side fall into the Latina's front and nuzzling her face into the crook of her neck.
They sat this way for a long while, holding onto one another so tightly that it felt like they could easily and comfortably melt into each other. Their chests formed kind of a dance as they inhaled and exhaled in such synchronicity that it was easy to believe they had fused into one perfectly formed being.
Although reluctant to break the peaceful silence, Santana, still understandably plagued with worry, decided to speak up.
"Britt," she said gently as she continued to stroke the mane of blonde hair. "Will you tell me what happened now? Did somebody say something to hurt you? Do I need to morph into Snix and go Lima Heights Loca on someone's junk? Because I will, you know that right?"
"San...my mom's back." Brittany said in an emotionless, empty tone causing Santana to freeze the hand that had been gently stroking her hair.
"What!"
"She turned up last night with some guy she said she married. His name's Tom and he's some kind of soldier or whatever. He seems ok, I mean Grandpa doesn't seem to like him all that much but I think it's just the shock of them turning up and everything, him and Grandma have both been quiet about it all. Well...quiet until this morning..." she trailed off.
"What happened this morning? Britt?" Santana could hear sniffling and seconds later felt wetness on her neck from the tears her friend was once again crying.
"She said...my mom, she told me..." Brittany was struggling to get the words out amongst her tears."She's not here for good. Her and this Tom dude are on their way to Florida to live and the only reason they came is..." she was finding it especially hard to force the words out now but took a deep breath through a sniffle and tried to force the last of her sentence out. "They came for me."
"What do you mean Britt? Came for you what?" Santana asked bewildered, not quite understanding.
"I have to go with them San, that's what she said."
"What! But you can't! You're about to start high school."
"I know, that's what I said to her. But she told me it didn't matter about school because they have schools there and I have to go. And then I started yelling and Grandma and Grandpa started yelling and Tom was just kind sitting there all awkward and then it all became too much. You know that feeling when the walls and the roof are getting closer and the air gets hot and thick and you feel like you can't really breathe?" Santana nodded. "That's how I started to feel so I ran out and didn't stop until I got here."
"Well, what are we gonna do? She can't just take you, right?"
"I don't think I have a choice, San. My grandparents were getting super angry, I've never seen them like that, but she wouldn't back down. She said that she has every right to take me because she's my mother and still my legal guardian because no paperwork was ever filled out when she left."
"That fucking bitch," Santana breathed out. She could feel the anger and panic rising inside of her. "She can't just come back after two fucking years and think it's okay to take you away from everything you've ever known. I'm not going to let this happen Brittany, damned as fuck if I'm going to let her do this to you. I'll think of something Britt, this can't happen."
Santana pursed her lips and tasted a distinct saltiness; she hadn't even realised she was crying and now she couldn't stop. Sobs wracked her body and tears streamed down her face like a torrent. Brittany shifted slightly to sit on her knees and wrapped her arms firmly around the Latina. Still with her face buried in her friend's neck she began placing desperate kisses there in an effort to calm the both of them.
"It's okay, San. We'll figure this out, it'll all be okay." Brittany tried to reassure her as she moved her face up to rest her forehead lightly on Santana's.
"What am I gonna do without you Britt? I just...I don't know how to do this on my own. I need you so much."
"Do what, what do you mean?" She asked, looking straight into a pair of eyes so dark they were almost black.
"Live. Survive. All of this shit's gonna eat a hole right through me if I can't look at your face every day and convince myself that everything's okay."
"Don't talk like that Santana. You're going to be fine, both of us are. I promise." And in desperation she leant down and captured Santana's lips in her own in a yearning but sweet kiss that could have lasted an eternity.
XxXx
"So let me get this straight," Charlie said before taking a drawn out sip of his beer. "The two of you are like, long lost friends?"
"Uh-huh, we grew up together. We were best friends from the second grade up until my mom made me leave Ohio with her in the summer before we started high school."
"Yeah, and then we never saw each other again...until now." Santana fixed an almost steely gaze on Brittany for the briefest of moments while she spoke before regaining her composure and casting her eyes down to the drink she was nursing in her lap. Brittany saw it though, and wondered if she still held her apt ability to read the brunette's emotions. If she did, something in that look told her that there was resentment and anger buried within Santana. But Brittany let it go, deciding she didn't want to read too much into things just yet. Instead she was going to take this night to become reacquainted with the best friend she ever had.
The three of them spent the rest of the afternoon and well into the night talking, laughing, drinking, telling stories of the past and bringing one another up to speed on what was happening in their lives right now. Santana learned that Brittany was now quite a successful dancer, which would explain that body, she thought with an indiscernible smirk.
"Alright, my favourite ladies, I think I'll leave you to it. I have to work in the morning and if I have any more to drink there's no alarm in the world that'll get me out of bed on time." Charlie yawned out as he stretched his arms above his head and moved to stand from his seat. "So freakin' good to see you, Shithead," he directed towards Santana.
"You too Up-Chuck, sleep well princess. You definitely need a fresh dose of beauty sleep there."
He let out a breathy laugh and leant over Brittany. With one arm on the back of her seat, he looked into her eyes and asked, "Are you coming?"
Brittany gave a sideways glance to Santana before looking back up at her boyfriend. "I'll be in soon, okay."
He looked a little defeated but hid it well before turning to take his leave. "G'night girls."
"Night," they called out in unison as they both watched him disappear inside and down the hall.
The two of them sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, occasionally stealing glances at one another when they thought the other wasn't looking.
"I just can't get over this, San. Don't you think it's the best coincidence ever?"
"Yeah. Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all world, right?"
"What? Santana, this isn't a gin joint. How much have you had to drink?" Brittany deadpanned.
Santana laughed at that and couldn't stop. "Oh my god, Britt...you're just...I can't..." She stuttered out trying to gain composure. "It's a famous line from a movie. Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine. You've never heard of that?" Brittany just gave her a blank stare causing Santana to give out a small chuckle. "Never mind, Britt. I was just agreeing with the whole coincidence thing is all."
"I just feel like this is some crazy dream that I'll wake up from at any moment and you'll be gone...you are here, right?"
"Yeah, I'm here Britt," Santana said, once again casting her eyes down into the glass resting on her lap. She focused her gaze on the ice-cubes floating amongst the glistening liquid as though she were trying to find among them answers to the questions she so desperately wanted to ask, like why Brittany never kept in contact.
Brittany noticed the concentrated thought going on inside her friend. She wanted to pry but thought it too soon in the reconciliation to try and climb those walls she knew Santana was so good at building. Instead she remained patient, waiting for Santana to open the door and invite her in. However long that would take, it didn't matter because she was willing to wait.
"I really missed you," Santana spoke up, still with her eyes downcast. "Everything was super hard after you left. It took a long time for me to feel whole again, if that ever happened."
Whether it was the alcohol she had consumed, the sudden re-appearance of her once best friend, or a combination of the both, Santana noticed her walls starting to crumble and the feeling unnerved her. So, she opted for what she did best; escape.
"Anyways, Britt-Britt," Santana said, feigning a yawn. "I'm going to follow Charlie's lead and go to bed before I pass out and you draw weird shit on my face."
"I swear I've told you a hundred times already, it was Lord Tubbington that time, not me. I'm innocent."
"Yeah-ha, so innocent. Cotton candy wouldn't melt, right."
"Exactly!"
Santana stood to walk inside but Brittany jumped up to stop her and pulled her into a tight yet comforting hold. She tried to convey all things unsaid in her embrace, making sure Santana felt that Brittany had missed her just as much, if not more, in her absence.
As Santana walked inside, Brittany sat back down for a long while, taking in everything that had just transpired. Happy as she was to see her friend again, she couldn't help but feel that something was very wrong. She also hadn't failed to notice Santana's valiant attempt to keep Brittany locked out, so she sat up for a long while devising a plan to earn her place back on Santana's side of the wall.