Work Text:
"Hey thick thighs, how much for the whole hour?"
Quinn was not in the mood for this. She had just finished a miserable day at school. For the most part she had recovered from her car accident but she still experienced some occasional lower back pain. It had been bothering her all day and all she wanted to do now was go home and crawl into bed for a million years. But no. Due to the fact that she had totalled her vehicle she didn't exactly have reliable transportation anymore. It really wasn't too terrible except on the rough days where the aches in her body were too hard to ignore.
And so. There she stood on the sidewalk when a black BMW coupe with tinted windows came to slow at her side. Even if she hadn't clocked the voice shouting out propositions or the Cheerios bumper sticker she would have known who was behind the wheel just from the revving of the engine. Santana always was an obnoxious driver.
Quinn watched as the window slowly rolled down to reveal a smirking Santana behind the wheel with an amused Brittany in the passenger seat.
"Hey Q," Brittany greeted her with a sweet disarming wave.
"Hey Britt," Quinn greeted back brightly before turning sour again as she looked back at Santana. "And you, I know you inferring that I'm a hooker was a derogatory joke but for the record, Santana, you couldn't afford me.’’
Santana pffted, unimpressed. "It's just as well, I doubt the former president of the celibacy club would know what to do between the sheets. You probably think holding hands before marriage is a sin. I've done things that would keep you up at night."
"Yeah, I'm aware,” said Quinn. “I remember our sleepovers. You and Brittany have literally kept me up at night because you two were doing it like four feet away from me. On my Nana's quilt no less.”
“I miss our Saturday night sleepovers,” Brittany sighed wistfully.
Santana didn't seem as nostalgic so much as bored. “So do you want a ride home or what?”
"I'm fine."
Brittany was the one to speak up next. "Come on, Quinn. We'll drive you."
"Seriously, I'm good," Quinn tried again.
Brittany wasn't letting it go. "Are you sure? You live around the corner. It's on our way. We don't mind. Right Santana?"
“Whatever.”
“See,” Brittany continued. “She doesn't mind.”
Quinn weighed her options. Her back was killing her and a ride would be nice, even if she had to deal with Santana being annoying and Brittany being well, Brittany. Sweet but occasionally cuckoo.
“Ok,” Quinn said with a reluctant smile. “A ride would be nice. Thank you.”
Brittany did a ridiculous little dance in her seat as Quinn went to open the driver's side rear door. She slid herself in and buckled herself up, only pausing momentarily when she found an interesting article of clothing laying around on the seat.
“Um, why is there a random pair of panties back here?” she asked, carefully picking up the offending article with a pen from her bag.
Brittany turned and gave her an expression that was somehow apologetic and smug at the same time. “I forgot I left those back there.” She grabbed the pink undies and shoved them into the passenger glove compartment.
Quinn sat back and carefully placed her hands in her lap. She really didn't want to chance finding any more raunchy items in the back of Santana's car. Not that she took issue with their coupling up of course.
The fact that her two besties happened to be in love with each other never gave her pause or a moment of weirdness. The three of them were the Unholy Trinity after all. Start together, end together and all that.
Quinn had been there since the beginning. Even if she hadn't been witness to slumber party shenanigans, Quinn had seen all those flirting glances and lingering touches early on. By sophomore year it was barely a secret with the way Brittany was all over Santana during glee practice. Giving her unnecessary back rubs or stroking her bare legs. Or the way nearly everyone caught Santana's ire but when it came to Brittany she would deflate into a puddle of goo. Santana reserved a special kind of softness for Brittany and Brittany alone. Quinn once saw them pull half eaten jolly ranchers out of their mouths and trade them with each other which was somehow adorable and gross at the same time.
It was easy for people to dismiss her two friends as those silly cheerleaders who were always in each other's pants. Their sex tape debacle earlier that year hadn't exactly dispelled any of that either (not that Quinn would ever admit to watching it or anything) but Quinn also knew it was more than that, for both of them.
Quinn saw how the second Santana decided to be open and real about her feelings, she had turned into the best, most devoted and loving girlfriend anyone could ask for. Quinn also knew no one had ever looked at her the way Brittany looked at Santana. Full of wonder and light. They were two people who shouldn't have made sense together but somehow did in the most ridiculous and beautiful way. They were perfect opposites who were perfectly in sync.
Still as endearing as she found them to be, she really didn't need anymore details on their backseat activities. She was spared though when Santana hit the brakes unexpectedly making the vehicle come to a sudden stop that made Quinn jolt forward in her seat.
“Oh my God what the hell is this idiot even doing, I swear I-” Santana banged a hand on the steering wheel and was about to start shouting about the car in front of her when Brittany reached over and took her right hand. She laced their fingers together and placed their hands on top of the center console and just like that Santana and her anger deflated. “Sorry,” she said to Brittany. And then after another soothing hand squeeze from her girlfriend she exhaled. “Sorry, Quinn.”
Quinn watched as Santana took a breath, regrouped and then began driving again. This time a little more slowly and a little more cautiously. It was almost as if Brittany worked as a balm to the tiny flash of rage that had briefly sparked inside of Santana. Quinn had seen that happen before but every time she did she still felt a little bit in awe of them and how they just worked.
After several minutes of calm Brittany turned back to her. “So do you have any plans for this weekend?” she asked.
“Not really,” Quinn answered. “Physical therapy on Saturday and church on Sunday.”
Brittany made a small thoughtful noise. “Maybe you can tag along with Santana and me tonight? We're going to see that new Ninja Turtle movie!”
Quinn held in her laughter. “New Ninja Turtle movie huh?” She caught Santana's eyes in the rearview mirror briefly and smirked. Two years ago Santana Lopez wouldn't be caught dead wasting her weekend going to a family friendly movie.
“Don’t look at me like that. I only agreed to go because Megan Fox is playing April O'Neil alright,” Santana sniped. “She's hot.”
“I like turtles,” Brittany said to no one in particular.
“Yeah I don't think so,” Quinn said.
Brittany tried again. “Or we could hit up The Lima Bean on Saturday after your therapy. Frapps are on me.”
Quinn shook her head. “Therapy usually leaves me wiped out.”
Brittany turned back to the road. “Well…what about dinner Sunday night at Breadstix?”
“Um,” Quinn started, searching her brain for an excuse to decline the invitation. “I'm actually trying to cut back on carbs right now.”
“Oh,” Brittany said quietly.
The rest of the short drive was uneventful with Santana being especially careful behind the wheel. When they rolled up to Quinn's house she got out with her bag and bent down to say goodbye through Brittany’s passenger window.
“Thanks for the lift,” she said.
“Anytime,” Brittany replied for her and Santana. “And call us if you change your mind about hanging out this weekend.”
“Totally,” Quinn said, fully knowing she would be doing no such thing. “You guys have fun tonight.”
She waved them off and watched as they drove out of her neighborhood before entering her house. She made her way upstairs and fell face first into bed. She didn't even bother changing clothes or slipping off her shoes, she just wanted to sink into the mattress for the next hour. She fell asleep for longer than she planned though and when she woke her bedroom was dim. She reached for her phone to check the time. 6:37.
She also had a text message from Brittany. “Wish you were here with us at the movie. Also you have such Leonardo energy, Quinn.”
She had to laugh at her goofy friend and for a second she almost regretted saying no to going out with them, even if it was to go see a dumb kids movie.
It wasn't that she didn't want to hang out with Brittany and Santana but rather she didn't want to be third wheeling them. It was one thing when Santana and Brittany were fooling around with each other in their noncommittal way sophomore year but things were different now. They were officially official now and she didn't want to get in the way of that. There was nothing more uncomfortable than being on the sidelines when your two coupled up friends got all annoyingly cuddly and cute with each other. It was awkward when normal couples did that stuff, she could only imagine it would be twice as unbearable with Brittany and Santana who were, well, them. Her horny idiot friends. She loved them but she didn't always need that in her face.
All she needed was a nice quiet weekend.
X
“Don't even think about talking for the next 30 seconds, Fabray,” Santana said as she slammed Quinn's locker shut in front of her face.
It was Monday and school hadn't even started yet and Quinn was at a loss as to how she had somehow already managed to piss Santana off.
Santana leaned against the row of lockers and folded her arms in some sort of defiant stance. “You know how I spent my weekend? Normally I would've spent it relaxing, working on my tan, hanging out with my super flexible girlfriend if you get my drift. But do you know how I spent the last two days? I spent them listening to Brittany whimper and cry about how she thinks you don't want to be our friend anymore. How it's been forever since the three of us hung out or went anywhere or even sat at lunch together. Now I know you got a lady boner for Jesus and all but I also know that you're not a backwards ass thinking person, Q, so I'm pretty sure you ghosting us isn't because you feel any sort of way about Brittany and I being together. That said, I'm going to give you about ten seconds to explain yourself.”
Quinn took a deep breath before starting. Sure she might not be first in command anymore but she wasn't about to take any of Santana Lopez’s attitude. “Okay first of all, chill. You may be head cheerleader now but I will absolutely kick your ass if I have to.”
“You know the last time we fought in this hallway I slapped the crap out of you, right?”
“Only because I wasn't expecting it,” Quinn said lamely. “And second of all, what gave Brittany the idea that I don't want to be friends with the two of you?”
Santana shrugged. “Oh I don't know the fact that she invited you to hang with us multiple times over the weekend and you rejected her each time.”
“Yeah because I didn't want to be a third wheel, not because I don't want to be friends with you,” Quinn explained.
“Why do you think you'd be the third wheel?”
“Because I've always been the third wheel, it's just more apparent now that you two are actually girlfriend and girlfriend. You're still my friends. It's never mattered to me that Brittany's bi and honestly you being a lesbian is your one single non-offensive trait.”
“Yeah well, Brittany thinks otherwise and it's making her sad so you better figure out a way to fix this. Be grateful I'm giving you this opportunity because frankly if you were anyone else I would have already burned your life down.”
Quinn gave her a patronizing smile. “You're so pathetically in love, it's adorable.”
“Shut up.”
“I'm being serious. It's nice…this whole caring about other people's feelings thing you're doing now.”
“For the record I still don't care about other people's feelings, okay. I care about hers. I hate seeing her upset alright, so fix this.”
“Okay. What exactly do you want me to do?”
“I don't know, but you have until the end of the week to think of something to make it up to Britt and it better be good.”
“Or what?” Quinn asked playfully.
“Or I'm gonna slap you across this hallway for a second time, that's what,” Santana said but with a laugh that let Quinn know she was only half serious.
“Fine, if I say I will, will you and your ridiculous fake boobs get out of my face?” Quinn waved her hand at Santana as if to shoo her away.
X
Later that week Quinn watched as Santana and Brittany puttered outside of the door to Calculus class. They were getting in the last few minutes together before the bell rang and Santana had to scram across the hall to History.
Brittany really excelled at all things math which surprised Quinn the first time they sat in class together. It kind of put Quinn in awe. Brittany perhaps wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but numbers somehow just made sense to her. She could figure things out with ease no matter how complicated and complex they were. The thing of it was as easy as it came to her the subject as a whole didn't seem to interest her very much. Brittany usually zoomed through her work and spent the rest of class doodling in a notebook. Lots of cartoon cats, rainbows and ducks. And more than once Quinn had caught her writing Santana Lopez in some flowery loopy lettering, always with a glitter pen and always surrounded by hearts.
It made sense then that Brittany of all people could see past the surface of Santana Lopez, who was probably the most complicated and complex equation to exist.
“Hey Britt,’’ Quinn began that Wednesday when she joined Brittany in class, ‘’I was thinking maybe you, me and Santana could get together this weekend.”
Brittany blinked in surprise. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, you know my physical therapy has been rough but it's also been helping me feel a lot stronger too. I probably haven't been the most available lately which is why for old time sake you, me, Santana, should definitely have an Unholy Trinity sleepover night.”
Brittany perked up. “Really? Like old times?”
“Totally. It's senior year and I want to make the most of the time we have left together.”
‘’Oh my god, this is going to be so much fun. I can’t wait to tell Santana.’’
Quinn smiled as she watched her friend vibrate in her seat with excitement as Brittany pulled out her phone and began to covertly text her girlfriend under her desk. It sounded a lot better than cocooning herself up in a dark room for two whole days. As exhausting as they were, she really did miss them. Even though Santana was totally forcing her hand she didn’t consider it to be a kind of punishment or work. Maybe hanging with her two best friends was exactly what she needed to take her mind off of the rest of her life and relax a little.
X
"Get in, loser, we're having a sleepover," Santana announced as she rolled down the car window, giving Quinn her signature smirk.
Quinn sighed, crossing her arms as she stood on her porch that Friday. She had packed a small duffel bag of clothes and essentials as well as a sleeping bag she had to load up. "You know, a text would have sufficed instead of pulling up to my house like you're about to rob a bank."
Brittany popped her head out of the passenger side. "Yeah, but this is more dramatic. And fun!"
"Come on, Q," Santana added, tapping the steering wheel impatiently. "Load up. I promise you a good time tonight."
‘’What, a threesome?’’ Quinn joked with a roll of her eyes.
‘’I was thinking more along the lines of Mario Kart and cheesy movies,’’ Santana laughed.
Quinn huffed, pretending to be annoyed, but truthfully, a warm feeling spread in her chest. She was grateful. It felt like old Unholy Trinity banter, before senior year, before junior year, before everyone had to grow up.
"Fine," she said, grabbing her things and loading them up in the trunk. "But if I have to witness any disgusting PDA, I’m going home."
Santana grinned. "No promises, but we’ll try to keep the groping PG-13."
X
The night started as most of their sleepovers did, junk food, trash talk, and Brittany absolutely destroying them in video games. Santana, who hated losing, eventually tossed her controller aside in frustration.
"This game is rigged," she grumbled, watching Brittany’s victory dance.
"It’s not rigged," Quinn said. "You just suck."
Santana shot her a glare. "You know, I liked it better when you were too busy praying to hang out with us."
Quinn snorted. "And I liked it better when you were too closeted to be insufferable."
Brittany gasped dramatically. "Rude! My girlfriend has always been insufferable."
Santana sent her an exaggerated frown. "You’re supposed to be on my side."
Brittany patted Santana’s thigh absentmindedly. "I am, baby. But you do have big ‘brat energy.’"
Quinn smirked. "Big?"
"You better watch yourself, Fabray. I'm a sore loser, but I’m an even worse winner," Santana warned.
Brittany suddenly perked up. "Ooooh, let’s play truth or dare!"
Quinn grumbled. "We’re not twelve."
Santana cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes at Quinn. The message was clear: what Brittany wanted, Brittany was going to get. Even if that meant playing dumb sleepover games.
‘’I mean, that sounds awesome,’’ Quinn amended with a slightly forced smile.
Brittany clapped her hands. "Okay, Santana. Truth or dare?"
Santana inspected her perfectly manicured nails . "Dare, obviously. I fear nothing."
Brittany’s eyes twinkled with mischief. "I dare you… to tell Quinn something really nice."
Quinn raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Santana, on the other hand, groaned dramatically.
"Brittany, babe, why do you hate me?"
"I don’t hate you. I love you,’’ Brittany said. ‘’And I think you should practice being nice to your friends. Or Quinn at least."
Santana made a face like she was in physical pain. "Fine," she sighed, turning to Quinn. "Quinn, you… are not the worst person I know."
Quinn blinked. "Wow. That was moving."
Santana rolled her eyes but then softened, just a little. "No, but seriously… you’ve been through a lot, and you still manage to keep your life together. That’s impressive. And… Brittany loves you. So I guess that means I do too."
Quinn didn’t expect that. For all of Santana’s teasing and tough-girl attitude, she had her moments. Moments that reminded Quinn just how much they’d all grown.
Brittany beamed. "That was actually really sweet."
"Yeah, yeah, don’t get used to it." Santana huffed.
X
An hour later, they were sprawled out on Brittany’s bed, talking about nothing and everything. Brittany was laying half on top of Santana, playing with a strand of her dark hair, twisting it around her fingers.
"You smell so good," Brittany murmured, pressing her nose against Santana’s temple.
Santana smirked. "It’s called shampoo, babe. We use the same brand."
Brittany hummed, unbothered, before trailing soft kisses along Santana’s jawline.
Quinn, who had been texting on her phone, sighed loudly. "Oh my God. Can you two not?"
Brittany ignored her, shifting to straddle Santana’s lap. "I can’t help it, Q. My girlfriend is hot."
"And me, your best friend, is right here," Quinn said flatly. "Trying to exist in peace."
Santana chuckled, tilting her head back as Brittany kissed her neck. "Yeah, but if you think about it, you not wanting to see this kinda makes it more fun for me."
"Of course it does," Quinn deadpanned.
Santana pulled Brittany in by the waist, kissing her deeply, their lips moving together in a slow, teasing dance. Brittany sighed happily, fingers threading through Santana’s hair, her body melting into hers like they had done this a million times before.
Quinn tossed a pillow at them. "I am literally right here!"
Brittany pulled away just long enough to giggle against Santana’s lips. "We know," she said before diving back in.
"Unbelievable," Quinn muttered.
After another minute (or five, if she was being honest), Quinn decided enough was enough. She picked up a second pillow and whacked Santana on the shoulder. "Break it up, Lopez! This is a sleepover, not a make-out party."
This seemed to give Brittany a bright idea. ‘’Oh, maybe we should play Seven Minutes in Heaven next?’’
Quinn squinted at her friend. ‘’So you and Santana can go make out in a closet and I’m supposed to, what, just sit here twiddling my thumbs by myself?’’
‘’Obviously not,’’ Brittany said with a wave to her fat cat nearby who had splayed himself out on Quinn’s sleeping bag. ‘’You and Lord Tubbington could have a go at it.’’
‘’I’m not making out with your cat, Brittany,’’ Quinn said dryly.
Santana finally pulled away, but not before nipping at Brittany’s bottom lip for good measure. She turned to Quinn. "First of all, Q, you should be so lucky, okay? LT has game. Second of all, you wish you were in his league."
Quinn threw another pillow at her. "Shut up and go make me popcorn, lovebirds."
Brittany beamed, jumping off Santana’s lap. "Ooooh, I’ll make it! I put cinnamon in it now. It’s life-changing."
Santana groaned, rubbing her temples. "Cinnamon popcorn is a crime against humanity."
Quinn smirked. "Wow, you sound like an old man."
"Whatever. Brittany, if you insist on making yours all nasty like, at least make me the normal kind," Santana called as Brittany bounced out of the room.
Once she was gone, Santana turned back to Quinn who was giving her a knowing smile. ‘’What?’’ Santana asked.
‘’Nothing. It’s just adorable is all.’’
Santana looked offended and ruffled by this statement but at a total lack of any quality comeback. ‘’Oh yeah well…you’re…you’re…adorable is all.’’
‘’Ooo, burn.’’
X
It was the movie marathon portion of the night and all three of them had brought one for the sleepover. The three of them had only hit a snag when they couldn’t decide whose movie they watched first.
‘’Okay so,’’ Brittany began as she held up a blu-ray in her hands. ‘’My pick is the cult classic Earth Girls Are Easy.’’
Quinn squinted. ‘’What is that even about?’’
‘’It’s a musical comedy.’’ Brittany tossed the box into her friend's lap. ‘’Three furry neon space aliens crash land in a woman’s backyard swimming pool. She gives them a totally rad 1980’s makeover and falls in love with one of them. The guy who plays the alien boyfriend looks like Rachel’s dad, too, it’s weird but in a cool way.’’
Quinn could only smile because as weird and wild as the movie sounded, it also sounded so very Brittany. Still Quinn looked to Santana. ‘’And what’s your pick?’’ Santana proudly held up her movie for Quinn to take and read the title herself. ‘’The Slumber Party Massacre? What even?’’
‘’What?’’ Santana huffed defensively. ‘’It’s a slasher classic. Also from the 80’s.’’ She and Brittany high fived over their culty picks being from the same decade.
‘’The movie cover looks…intense,’’ Quinn noted. ‘’Is there a lot of gore?’’
‘’It’s 1980’s gore, it barely counts,’’ Santana reasoned.
Quinn read the back of the box further. ‘’Wait a second, there’s no way you want to watch this because it’s a horror classic. You want to watch it because it has excessive nudity! You’re just trying to see a bunch of naked girls!’’
‘’Whoa,’’ Santana hollered and yanked back her movie box. ‘’Excuse you. For your information, Quinn, Slumber Party Massacre was written and directed by women, thank you very much. That was totally unheard of back then. It’s a parody and critique of the slasher genre of the time. It was made by feminists so like chillax. Also for the record? I can see a naked girl whenever I please.’’ Santana shot a playful wink at Brittany.
‘’It’s true,’’ Brittany added.
‘’Anyway, if you’re gonna be critical about our movies, what’s yours?’’ Santana demanded to know.
Quinn turned around to briefly sift through her overnight bag and came to produce her own movie suggestion.
‘’Fucking Babe?’’ Santana cackled.
‘’The talking pig movie?’’ even Brittany was stunned and amused.
‘’What? It’s a cute movie!’’ Quinn hollered. ‘’I used to watch it all the time when I was a kid, it still holds up!’’
‘’Don’t you have a weird bacon fetish?’’ Santana questioned. ‘’Is this where all that started?’’
‘’I do not have a bacon fetish!’’ Quinn said. ‘’And you know what, whatever. We can watch your weird alien movie or the slasher with naked chicks running around first but mark my words, the two of you will be crying at the end of the night at Babe.’’
‘’Sure,’’ Brittany said.
‘’Whatever,’’ Santana said.
X
As the night wore on, the three of them eventually settled on Brittany’s pick first. Earth Girls Are Easy. It was as ridiculous and colorful as Quinn expected, but somehow, she found herself genuinely enjoying it. It was like if someone had tapped into Brittany’s brain and filmed the contents and made a movie out of it. Space aliens and dance offs and makeover montages and eclectic fashions. Quinn kinda loved it and all of its weirdness.
Santana, of course, spent half the time making comments about the alien guys looking hella sketchy and how Brittany could definitely pull off Geena Davis' outfits better. Brittany shushed her every time, too invested in the storyline to put up with Santana's interruptions.
After the credits rolled, they moved on to The Slumber Party Massacre. Quinn had exactly the reaction Santana had been hoping for, jumping, covering her eyes at the gorier parts, and making disgusted faces every time a girl screamed while running in booty shorts.
“Oh my God, why are they always running upstairs?!” Quinn groaned, hugging her pillow to her chest. “It’s basic survival instinct to run out of the house!”
“Babe, if a killer ever broke into our house, I’d totally carry you out the window,” Brittany said, vowing to Santana.
Santana grinned. “Duh, of course you would. But I wouldn’t need saving. I’d have already taken that dude out in the first five minutes.”
Quinn rolled her eyes. “Right. You’d totally be the final girl, Santana.”
Santana wiggled her eyebrows. “I would be the final girl. And Brittany would be my hot love interest who lives. And you-” Santana pointed at Quinn with a smirk. “-you’d be the skeptical girl at the start of the movie who thinks nothing bad ever happens and then BAM - first to go.”
“That is so unfair,” Quinn huffed. ‘’And I don’t even own a pair of booty shorts.’’
X
By the time Babe rolled around, Santana had been at least pretending to complain about watching a “dumb pig movie.” But by the time they hit the third act, she was silent.
Quinn smirked as she caught Santana subtly dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve.
“Are you-” Quinn leaned forward. “Are you crying?”
Santana scowled. “No. Shut up.”
“Honey, it’s okay,” Brittany cooed, giving Santana’s hand a squeeze. “It’s a really emotional movie.”
Santana sniffled dramatically. “That little pig worked so hard, okay?”
Quinn grinned victoriously. “Told you.”
They all lay there, wrapped up in blankets, watching as Farmer Hoggett whispered, ‘’That’ll do, pig. That’ll do.’’
Brittany sighed, stretching like a cat. “I liked this movie night. It was fun.”
Santana turned to Quinn. “Fine. You win, Fabray. Babe was good. I hope you’re happy.”
Quinn smirked. “Very.”
X
As the night turned into early morning, they found themselves lying in a tangled heap on Brittany’s bed, forgoing the sleeping bags on the floor. Santana and Quinn laid on the edges while Brittany dozed in the middle. Her head tucked against Santana’s shoulder. Santana, too, looked relaxed in a way Quinn didn’t see often—her usual sharp edges softened in the dim light.
“You know,” Quinn murmured, staring at the ceiling, “I really did miss this.”
Santana’s voice was quieter than usual. “Yeah. Me too.”
There was a beat of silence before Santana added, “Look, I get why you pulled back. You didn’t wanna feel like a third wheel. But you’re not, Q. You never were. You’re our best friend.”
Quinn turned to look at her. Santana’s face was unreadable in the dark, but there was an honesty in her voice that struck something deep in Quinn’s chest.
“We started this whole Unholy Trinity thing together,” Santana continued, shifting so she could look at Quinn directly. “That means we - me and Britt - care about you just as much as we care about each other. You’re family, Q.”
Quinn swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Yeah?”
Brittany made a sleepy noise, shifting closer to Santana. “She’s right, you know,” she mumbled, eyes half-closed. “I don’t ever wanna lose you, Quinn. Ever.”
Santana smirked, her usual bravado slipping back in. "Besides, you couldn’t shake us if you tried. Whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with us, Fabray. In five years, when I decide to propose, you’re going to be the person who helps me pick out the ring."
Quinn scoffed. "Oh, am I?"
"And in ten years," Brittany continued, "when I tell Santana I want us to have a baby, you’re gonna be the first person she calls to freak out."
Quinn chuckled. "That sounds about right."
"And in twenty years,’’ Santana said, ‘’when you finally realize you’ve been a pressed little lemon for Rachel Berry this entire time, we’ll be your first phone call."
Quinn gasped. "I hate you."
"Love you, Q."
‘’Love you too, Quinn,’’ laughed Brittany.
Here, in this room, wrapped in the warmth of her two oldest friends, she finally let herself believe it.
X
The morning sun peeked through Brittany’s sheer curtains, casting a golden glow over the three of them as they lay tangled together in bed. Quinn stirred first, blinking the sleep from her eyes as she stretched her arms above her head. She felt the familiar weight of Brittany’s arm draped over her stomach and Santana’s legs tangled with hers.
It was oddly comforting.
For a moment, she just lay there, listening to the slow, even breaths of her best friends.
Quinn had spent so long feeling like she was on the outskirts, like Brittany and Santana were this inseparable force and she was just there, important, but separate. But last night, watching Brittany laugh into her side, seeing Santana try (and fail) to act like she didn’t care, hearing them both say they loved her… it had finally settled in.
They would always be a part of her and she would always be a part of them.
A sleepy groan came from beside her, and then Santana grumbled, "Ugh, why do I smell like you, Quinn? Like basic bitch perfume."
Quinn turned her head, amused. "Because you stole my pillow in the middle of the night, genius."
Santana frowned with her eyes closed. "No, that doesn’t sound like me."
"Well, it happened," Quinn smirked. "You also talked in your sleep. Something about, oh, what was it?" She tapped her chin. "Oh, right. You kept mumbling ‘That pig deserves the world.’"
Santana’s eyes shot open, mortified. "I did not."
"You did," Brittany confirmed, her voice still heavy with sleep. She yawned and rolled over, snuggling into Santana’s side. "You also asked me to get you a tiny pig so you could raise him to be a champion."
Santana groaned. "I take back everything nice I said last night."
Quinn laughed, stretching once more before sitting up. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I actually had fun. I needed this."
Brittany beamed. "Does that mean we can do this again?"
Quinn pretended to think about it, just to mess with them, but the truth was, she already knew the answer.
"Yeah," she said finally, smiling. "We should make this a tradition. One last Unholy Trinity sleepover every month before we graduate."
Santana scoffed. "Pfft. Nerd."
But Brittany gasped in excitement, already sitting up. "Oh! We should get matching pajamas next time!"
Quinn laughed. "Sure, Britt. Matching pajamas it is."
Santana rolled her eyes but there was no real heat behind it. "Fine. But if I get stuck wearing something with cats or rainbows, I swear to God-"
"You’ll wear it and love it," Brittany said, kissing her cheek.
Quinn just shook her head, watching them with a fondness she couldn’t quite put into words.
Whatever happened next, wherever life took them, one thing was for sure:
They were the Unholy Trinity.
And they always would be.
END.