Fic: Untitled Quinn/Santana friendship
It was late, and Brittany was leaving for the fucking Netherlands in the morning, for the entire summer, so Santana just wanted to hang onto her and never let go. The other girl had fallen asleep, her hand still resting on the top of Santana’s head, and Santana softly kissed a path along her collarbone before settling in to fall asleep with her. And then her phone rang. The ring tone told her it was Quinn, and she almost ignored it, but Brittany woke up, recognizing it was Quinn, and urged Santana to answer it.
“What?” Santana said sharply into her phone as Brittany lazily rubbed her back.
“Did I wake you?” Quinn asked lamely, and Santana sighed and got out of bed. If she let Brittany continue to touch her, she’d be even more irritated that Quinn was interrupting.
“No. Do you need something?”
“I just, um… Never mind, you’re probably with Brittany, huh?” Quinn realized, panic in her voice. “Sorry I… Sorry.”
“Quinn,” Santana sighed, “what is it?”
“I just… I can’t sleep,” Quinn said lamely.
“All right, what helps you fall asleep? Tea? Reading?”
“Not feeling alone,” Quinn admitted, and Santana had to suppress a groan.
“I’ll see you in ten minutes,” she said, hardly believing the words were leaving her lips, and before Quinn could protest, she hung up.
“What’s the matter?” Brittany asked, yawning.
“Quinn’s having a rough time, being back at her mom’s,” Santana murmured. “She told me not to tell anyone, but. Well, you’re you.”
Brittany smiled, and Santana leaned down to kiss her. “I’m going to go see if I can do anything for Quinn, okay? You can go back to sleep here if you want.”
“You’re sweet, San,” Brittany murmured, burrowing back under the blankets.
“Don’t tell anyone,” Santana smirked, smoothing Brittany’s hair back from her face. “I’ll be back before you have to leave.”
“Okay. Love you,” Brittany said sleepily, and Santana’s heart froze for a second, before she just pulled on a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt and slipped out of the room.
When she got to Quinn’s, she found the front door still open, so she let herself inside and went up to her friend’s bedroom. Quinn was sitting in the window, her knees pulled up to her chest, looking incredibly small and morose. “What’s going on?” Santana asked softly.
“I had a kid, Santana,” Quinn said emotionlessly. “I had a kid, and I gave her away, and I haven’t slept since that day.”
“Have you talked to your mom?” Santana asked, sitting down beside her.
“I can’t talk to her. When my dad threw me out, she did nothing.”
“Then why are you back here?”
“I didn’t belong at Mercedes’. Not even close. I mean, it was nice to get out of the Puckermans’, but…” She let her head fall to Santana’s shoulder. “At least here I have my own space-and I know this place.”
“You don’t belong here either,” Santana said softly.
“I don’t have anywhere else to go,” Quinn pointed out, so Santana just slipped her arm around her waist.
“Come on. You’re an exhausted mess. I’ll stay with you tonight,” Santana decided, pushing Quinn toward her bed.
“What?” Quinn asked, bewildered.
“You need to sleep,” Santana insisted. “I can’t help you feel better about giving your daughter away tonight, but I can help you sleep. Come on.”
Quinn lay down, watching anxiously as Santana settled beside her. “Relax, will you? We used to do this all the time.”
“Yeah, then you started doing things like telling me to keep my paws off your man,” Quinn reminded her, and Santana sighed.
“Well, that’s over with,” she said dismissively. “Close your eyes. You’re not alone, okay?”
After a moment, Quinn let her eyes close, and Santana took her hand. For a minute, she held her breath, and then she rolled over and burrowed into Santana’s arms. “You’re not alone, Quinn,” Santana murmured, and for the first time in nearly a year, Quinn let herself be held.
“What?” Santana said sharply into her phone as Brittany lazily rubbed her back.
“Did I wake you?” Quinn asked lamely, and Santana sighed and got out of bed. If she let Brittany continue to touch her, she’d be even more irritated that Quinn was interrupting.
“No. Do you need something?”
“I just, um… Never mind, you’re probably with Brittany, huh?” Quinn realized, panic in her voice. “Sorry I… Sorry.”
“Quinn,” Santana sighed, “what is it?”
“I just… I can’t sleep,” Quinn said lamely.
“All right, what helps you fall asleep? Tea? Reading?”
“Not feeling alone,” Quinn admitted, and Santana had to suppress a groan.
“I’ll see you in ten minutes,” she said, hardly believing the words were leaving her lips, and before Quinn could protest, she hung up.
“What’s the matter?” Brittany asked, yawning.
“Quinn’s having a rough time, being back at her mom’s,” Santana murmured. “She told me not to tell anyone, but. Well, you’re you.”
Brittany smiled, and Santana leaned down to kiss her. “I’m going to go see if I can do anything for Quinn, okay? You can go back to sleep here if you want.”
“You’re sweet, San,” Brittany murmured, burrowing back under the blankets.
“Don’t tell anyone,” Santana smirked, smoothing Brittany’s hair back from her face. “I’ll be back before you have to leave.”
“Okay. Love you,” Brittany said sleepily, and Santana’s heart froze for a second, before she just pulled on a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt and slipped out of the room.
When she got to Quinn’s, she found the front door still open, so she let herself inside and went up to her friend’s bedroom. Quinn was sitting in the window, her knees pulled up to her chest, looking incredibly small and morose. “What’s going on?” Santana asked softly.
“I had a kid, Santana,” Quinn said emotionlessly. “I had a kid, and I gave her away, and I haven’t slept since that day.”
“Have you talked to your mom?” Santana asked, sitting down beside her.
“I can’t talk to her. When my dad threw me out, she did nothing.”
“Then why are you back here?”
“I didn’t belong at Mercedes’. Not even close. I mean, it was nice to get out of the Puckermans’, but…” She let her head fall to Santana’s shoulder. “At least here I have my own space-and I know this place.”
“You don’t belong here either,” Santana said softly.
“I don’t have anywhere else to go,” Quinn pointed out, so Santana just slipped her arm around her waist.
“Come on. You’re an exhausted mess. I’ll stay with you tonight,” Santana decided, pushing Quinn toward her bed.
“What?” Quinn asked, bewildered.
“You need to sleep,” Santana insisted. “I can’t help you feel better about giving your daughter away tonight, but I can help you sleep. Come on.”
Quinn lay down, watching anxiously as Santana settled beside her. “Relax, will you? We used to do this all the time.”
“Yeah, then you started doing things like telling me to keep my paws off your man,” Quinn reminded her, and Santana sighed.
“Well, that’s over with,” she said dismissively. “Close your eyes. You’re not alone, okay?”
After a moment, Quinn let her eyes close, and Santana took her hand. For a minute, she held her breath, and then she rolled over and burrowed into Santana’s arms. “You’re not alone, Quinn,” Santana murmured, and for the first time in nearly a year, Quinn let herself be held.