Sarah Paulson one-shots: You & Her

To build a home

Another day, another hour, another minute without Lana. It feels like agony. Waking up every single day and not having her by my side. It's been almost six months since I last heard from her.

I knew it was a bad idea for her to go into Briarcliff but I never expected for her to not return. I would never want to step in the way of her dreams. 

Every day, I struggle to get myself out of bed. I can't even manage to maintain a job. My family have stopped speaking to me over it. They say I need to get over her, face the fact that I will never see the love of my life again. 

Of course, I refuse to listen to them. Lana will return home to me, I know she will... I hope she will. 

Her disappearance hasn't been on the news, I watch it every day praying that Briarcliff will be the main headline. It never is.

It's now 1 pm and I'm still in bed. I feel awful, worrying myself sick. 

I decided to peel myself from the bedsheets and take a shower. Hopefully, I will feel more refreshed. 

I trudged along to our, I mean my bathroom. Hopping into the shower, I let the hot water hit my back, slowly putting my head under. I stood there for a while, just letting the steam suffocate me. 

I fell back onto the shower wall and slowly slid down the wall. I put my head in my hands and began to violently cry. 

"Lana, please come home. I need you, I miss you" I pleaded, hoping someone up there would listen to my wishes and grant them.

Memories of the two of us came flooding back. The way we would dance in our living room, not a care in the world. Her beautiful brown hair would fall over her shoulders, framing her perfect face. I would give anything in the world to be able to see her smiling and dancing again. 

I wonder what she is doing right now? Perhaps locked in a room with one bed and a washbasin. Almost like a prison cell. She must be so lonely. 

Does she reminisce the way I do? Does she even remember who I am?

After I had sort of finished feeling sorry for myself, I stepped out of the shower and dried myself off. Wrapping myself in a dressing gown I headed downstairs and switched on the TV.

The news was on and a place I recognised was the headline. Police cars surrounded the building. A doctor with glasses was being escorted into a police car. "The atrocities at Briarcliff manor have been exposed by the brave and wonderful, Lana Winters"

My heart almost stopped. I had to rewind it just to make sure I heard it right. "The atrocities at Briarcliff manor have been exposed by the brave and wonderful, Lana Winters" 

No way, no. It's not possible. It can't be. 

She appeared on my screen, she didn't look the same but it was almost certainly my Lana. My beautiful Lana banana. 

"Ms Winters, what are you going to do now that you have managed to escape this hell?" a reporter asked her.

"Well, apart from continuing to expose Dr Thredson and the other staff at this asylum. I will go home. All I've wanted to do since the day I arrived here was go home to my sweet girl Y/N" I began to hyperventilate. She remembers me, after all this time. After everything she's been through, she hasn't forgotten about me.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I raced to it to see who it could possibly be. Without even thinking, I flung it open.

To my surprise, I saw Lana standing there. 

"Y/N" she whispered. I began to cry, I couldn't believe my luck. She was standing there, in front of me. After all the hoping and praying, my wish had finally come true. I couldn't even function, I just broke down in tears.

I felt her hug me close, she didn't smell the same but she felt the same. "This isn't real" was all I managed to say as she gripped me tightly.

"My love, it is real" she whispered. I pulled away and held her face in my hands. I scanned her features to make sure it was the real Lana. Her eyes were tired and she had a lot of bruises and scars but it was Lana.

"It is you" I smiled, crying. She nodded and a tear fell from her cheek. I used my thumb to wipe away her tear. We made eye contact and I pressed my lips into hers. I've waited far too long to be able to do that.

We broke for air after a while, "are you going to let me into my own home honey?" she chuckled. I nodded and pulled her in aggressively, now becoming aware that the press was watching us the entire time.

"It looks the same" she stated, I nodded.

"I couldn't bear to change anything. It all reminded me of you, it was all I had" 

"Oh, my sweet sweet girl. I am so sorry for leaving you. It all went wrong, but I got what I wanted in the end. Which was for the truth to come out and for me to be reunited with the love of my life" 

Another tear rolled down my cheek as we sat down together. All I could do was stare. "Darling, you're hurt. What did they do to you in that hell hole?!" 

I traced my hand over her cheekbones down to her jaw. There were red marks on her temples and her lip was cut. I have never seen her look so fragile.

"I know you must be worried Y/N but I can assure you that I am fine. They tried to cure me of my 'lesbianism' with electric shock therapy but clearly, it hasn't worked" she said kissing me on the forehead.

I chuckled, kissing her again. "I just can't believe you're back home" I sighed, resting my head on her shoulder.

"I am home sweetheart, where I belong. I love you so much Y/N"