I wanted to have this up for mother's day but it just couldn't happen. As always, thanks for sticking around! I only read through this chapter once, so please forgive any mistakes! If you find a MAJOR error, please message me either on ff. net or on tumblr so I can fix it! Thanks ya'll!
Enjoy the chapter!
Forgetting Heather Morris
Chapter 12
Mommy Dearest
Monday
"Heather!" She heard her name being called from the audience in front of the stage and she knew she had screwed something up. The look of confusion that normally sat on Brittany's face so naturally was now firmly in place on Heather's.
"I'm sorry Brad." She said to the director, "What'd you say?"
She was squirming now, feeling like an idiot for being called out into front of all the dancers during the number they were working on. They were in the middle of doing the Troubletones' sectional mash up of I Will Survive and Survivor and right now, Heather couldn't even remember her steps.
"I said." Brad Buecker yelled out, "Grab Naya tight during the number, make sure this tango is powerful… you two are the stars of this part of the dance and I need you to use every ounce of focus to get this shot right so we can go home!"
Heather didn't like being called out on her dancing; normally this was something she could bust out in just a few rehearsals. Step here, twirl there, dip Naya, and Bam! Done!
But not today. Today she had booked her mom's flights to L.A. for her visit and she couldn't shake the feeling that this was all going to go horribly wrong. She had tried so hard all weekend to put on this brave face for Naya and prove that she could do this, especially with the brunette by her side, but after clicking the 'purchase' button on those airline tickets, her resolve and composure just fell away.
And she hated that. She hated that she couldn't just march up to her mom when she arrived and set the record straight about her relationship with Naya. Tell her that there's nothing she can do or say to change the fact that they are together and that she needed to just get over it. But she knew she wouldn't be able to do that, and with each concerned look from Naya across the stage or a small word of constructive criticism from Zach, her thoughts got more jumbled, right along with her dance steps.
"Cut!" Brad yelled out, pinching the bridge of his nose while waving his other hand around in front of his face. "Everyone just, take five and we'll come back and do it again."
The entire crew let out a sigh and Heather could feel a lot of eyes on her as she stood rooted to her position on stage, trying to clear her mind and get this damn dance right.
She was walking through the tango portion in her mind when she heard the small 'hey' coming from behind her. She turned to see Naya standing there, hands behind her back and her shoulders slouched; a position Heather knew the brunette took when she was trying to look timid.
"You ok?" Naya asked, her eyes searching every inch of Heather's face for signs of why she was stumbling over her feet all night. And for a moment, Heather felt irrationally angry with her girlfriend for trying to get a read on her. She hated the fact that Naya was able to read her like an open book and the anger made her turn away quickly, closing off all access to her face as she tried to appear to be concerned with learning the dance.
She felt hands on her hips and a set of lips near her ear a moment later. "You know the dance like the back of your hand, stop trying to distract yourself and tell me what's wrong."
"I'm just thinking." Heather said as she wormed her way out of Naya's grasp and turned to face the smaller girl again, noting how her face dropped a little when she stepped away from her.
"Yea, I can tell." Naya mumbled, looking around and seeing the other dancer's and some crew members watching them.
"Don't criticize my dancing Naya." Heather barked out, not meaning to say it so loud, but she had and it had caused Naya to jump a little in her place, making Heather instantly regret raising her voice.
"Oh c'mon, you know I'm not criticizing your dancing at all!" Naya said as she grasped Heather by the wrist and towed her over toward the snacks table for a drink. The tone of voice Heather had used snapped Naya out of her 'be nice to Hemo' moment, and when they arrived at the table, she handed the blonde a bottle of water and sternly told her, "Don't start that shit with me. Tell me what's going on."
It wasn't that Heather didn't want to tell Naya about her fear of coming out to her mom, Naya knew all about that, she just wanted to be able to handle it on her own and not need Naya by her side to do it; and she said as much.
"I want to tell my mom on my own." Heather said quietly, turning the water bottle over in her hands so she wouldn't have to look up and see her girlfriend's face. "It's not that I don't want you there, I just think it would be extremely overwhelming for her to be bombarded with both of us."
She was still looking at the water bottle in her hands, her ears turning a bright pink after her confession. She was worried about the fact she had used the words 'overwhelming' and 'bombarded' like them being a couple was a bad thing or that Naya would want to be there or that maybe they wouldn't be able to hand all of this or that her mom would freak out or-
The finger on her chin and another hand wrapping around her fumbling fingers was enough to silence her thoughts. The deep chocolate gaze looking at her was holding her steady. And the small smile on those beautiful lips lifted her heart.
"It's ok." Naya said sincerely, her eyes holding their gaze so Heather knew she was being one hundred percent honest. When the stormy look in those baby blue eyes started to clear up, Naya leaned forward and kissed each corner of her mouth, slowly, letting the kisses sink into her skin so they could smolder for hours. "You can tell her however you want."
One more kiss.
One more smile.
Back to rehearsals.
Heather hadn't danced that well in months.
Tuesday
"Nay?" Heather yelled out as she walked into Naya's apartment, "Where are youuu?" She sing-songed out as she reached the kitchen, expecting to see Naya making some sort of breakfast for them before they headed to work, but all she found was an empty room.
The night before both girls had decided to spend the evening apart to get some things accomplished in their own lives. Heather's house had been a disaster while Dianna was craving a wine night with her best friend, so it worked out. But for Heather, it was just another reminder of how much she wanted and needed Naya in her life; her body pillow did nothing but make her miss the brunette that much more.
Heather offered to drive because she never gets to do that, (Naya is a bit of a driving snob and would rather drive than be a passenger) so when she agreed to it late last night, Hemo just figured she had been drunk off the wine and would change her mind this morning. Heather was busy thinking too much to notice where she was heading; she was just moseying in and out of rooms until she got to Naya's bedroom door, pushing it open silently and catching a glimpse of Naya in her bedroom mirror.
"Ass ass ass ass! STOP! Now make that mutha fucka hamma time! Ohhhh oh oh ohhh!" Naya sang out as she bounced around her room, her iPod dock playing a wide array of music as she tried to find some clothes to wear to work. She glanced at the clock and muttered a quiet 'shit' when she saw the time, knowing she was going to be cutting it close if she didn't get moving.
She continued to tear through her closet looking for the right type of outfit to wear on a day like this. It was cold right now, but would warm up during the day, but then get cold again tonight, so she knew she needed layers, but what she really needed was for Heather to get here and pick it all out for her. Almost at the exact moment she thought of her girlfriend, she felt a pair of arms slither around her waist, causing her to swear and jump, but then immediately relax… She knew they were Heather's without even looking.
"Hello gorgeous, uh, I mean flawless, well that's what you are and how I see it is how I call it." Heather rapped along quietly to the new song that was playing, all the while running her nose up Naya's neck, letting it brush under her jaw before placing a kiss to the smaller girl's shoulder.
Naya hummed out a response before she spun around, still a little breathless from being surprised but smiling all the same. It had only been about ten hours since they'd seen each other, but the invisible currant that ran between them was almost touchable, stronger than it had been yesterday simply because they had spent time apart. Naya couldn't ignore the pull and brought herself closer to the other girl, settling herself against the warm body she loved so much and hugging her around the waist. She smiled wider when she felt Heather relax into her and heard her let out a satisfied sigh, as if she was just as happy to see Naya as Naya was to see her.
"I missed you." Naya mumbled out, smiling again when she heard Heather's laugh rumble in her ear where it was pressed against the blonde's chest.
Heather pulled back a little and placed a long kiss to Naya's forehead, muttering about how they shouldn't go so long without seeing each other because it makes her miss her too much. They both laughed a little at how they were being so mushy before Heather mentioned the time and brought them back to their reality. Naya pulled out of the hug first, knowing she needed to get dressed for work if they were going to try and be on time.
"I gotta find some clothes, will you help me pick something out?" Naya asked, walking toward her closet and hoping Heather would follow, but when she didn't feel the blonde behind her, she turned to see what she was doing. When she saw her girlfriend sitting on the edge of her bed with a pout on her face, she immediately forgot about clothes and walked over to her, kneeling in between her legs at the foot of the bed.
"Hey, what's up buttercup?" Naya asked, hands resting on Hemo's thighs as she looked up into her face. She noticed then that the pout her best friend was wearing was exaggerated, but when Heather turned on her puppy dog eyes and mumbled something about not even getting a good morning kiss, Naya couldn't help but bark out a laugh before lifting up and pressing a long kiss to Heather's lips.
She felt a triumphant smirk rise on Heather's mouth and she knew she had been conned into this kiss, but she also knew she didn't care. She knew she could be conned and tricked and tortured into kisses everyday for the rest of her life and she wouldn't mind, as long as it was Heather who was receiving them.
Heather already had her arms wrapped around Naya's waist and was pulling her into her lap when Nay realized what was happening. She broke out of the kiss, pulling Heather's bottom lip between her teeth, loving the way the blonde whined until she let go.
"Oh no." Naya said, trying to scramble out of Heather's lap.
When did I straddle her?
"We're going to be late for work, we gotta go." Naya said, still trying to squirm out of Heather's arms that were now locked tightly around her while she nuzzled her nose into brown hair, which only caused Naya to want to lean into her again.
"You're not playing fair." The brunette said, her resolve wavering each time she felt Heather's lips connect to her neck, just below her ear. A shiver ran through her body when she felt the blonde's tongue poke out and swipe a line from her shoulder to earlobe, pulling it into her mouth and nibbling it with her teeth.
"Heather…" Naya growled, more of a warning to not start something they weren't going to be able to finish.
"Naya…" The way Heather said it made Naya swoon. It was full of everything that couldn't be said; full of promises and want and need and everything else that had been missing from their relationship for so long. It was then that Naya knew she was going to give in to this girl; something she now realized she would be happy to do forever.
Naya reached for Heather's face and twisted until their lips connected, tongues immediately dipping in and out of each other's mouth's in a perfectly synchronized dance. It was hasty, but it was also so hot; hot enough that Naya was beginning to shift on Heather's lap, still straddling her but needing some sort of friction between their bodies.
Heather seemed to understand and immediately flipped their positions and gently shuffled their bodies up the bed until Naya's head was on the pillow's, Hemo's hand resting in her hair. The blonde hovered over Naya, just taking in the way her brown hair was fanned out over her pillow and the way her eyes only looked half open and filled with a look of lust that made Heather's stomach flip over.
Heather wasted no time removing the t-shirt and shorts that Naya wore to bed, loving the fact that she hadn't had a chance to put a bra on yet as she shimmied up the taunt abs of the girl below her; leaving a trail of kisses from belly button to the bottom of her breasts.
She squeezed at Naya's hips, nails raking over her stomach. Heather quivered when she felt the muscles tighten under her hands, unable to hold back from kissing Naya full on the lips and sucking the other girl's tongue between her lips, tasting mint toothpaste as she pulled back. She latched onto Naya's neck, wanting to leave a trademark hickey there for make up to cover up later.
"Get…" Naya breathed out, taking a shaky breath before trying again. "Get your shirt off. Heather. Your shirt, get your shirt off."
Heather pulled up and looked down at her love, watching as brown eyes flickered between her own and then down to her lips before coming back up to her eyes again. When they made eye contact again, Heather shook her head slightly, denying Naya's request for less clothing. When she saw the frown pass over Naya's features, she laughed and began kissing down the brunette's chest mumbling her explanation as she went.
"We have-" kiss "to be at work-" kiss "in about thirty minutes-" kiss "therefore-" kiss "this is only for you."
The final kiss was placed just under Naya's belly button and instead of responding to the words, she bucked her hips up slightly, needing Heather's lips in a far more sensitive area than just the skin on her stomach.
Taking the hint, Heather dipped down, wasting no time in running her tongue from Naya's center all the way up to her clit; savoring how obvious it was that the body beneath her was responding to her touches. Naya was letting out gasps of air and curse words before she could pass her tongue through her throbbing wetness a second time, and by the third, the brunette wasn't even attempting to make noises, her hips and legs shaking beneath that talented tongue.
Naya wanted to feel more. She wanted Heather's lips and tongue around her and inside of her and sucking and licking and everything else that they were capable of. She couldn't get enough of that liquid heat that the blonde's tongue seemed to be drawing from the very pit of her stomach and the only way she could show how much more she needed it was grabbing Heather's hair and pushing her face closer.
Naya was almost doubled over into herself by the pleasure coursing through her body, hands tight in blonde curls, mouth opening and closing with nothing more than whisper's of words escaping it. She felt the heat build into an unstoppable force, and only when she begged for it did Heather give her even more.
Two fingers entered her slowly, teasingly so, and she looked down to see Heather watching her every move. Blue eyes flickered between brown while she smirked against Naya's clit, her long nimble fingers curling inside of her girlfriend. With each curl, the walls tightened around her fingers, and with each flick of her tongue, the hands in her hair found greater purchase. It was only when Naya started gasping her name that she picked up her pace.
Heather loved watching this all happen from her view between Naya's thighs. The way her abs became solid with each flex of muscle but still stayed smooth as silk. She loved how her eyes would clench close for a moment but then would open wide to look at her clearly, lust and love radiating through those brown orbs. She knew she was getting close to her release and she beckoned it with each curl of her fingers, wanting nothing more than to see her come apart and be put back together all at the same time.
It was only a moment later when it happened, Heather's name rolling off of Naya's tongue like a prayer; soft and murmured only like a true lover could when caught up in pure ecstasy. Heather brought her down slowly, removing her tongue from Naya's sensitive clit and only pumping her fingers slowly; one, two, three more times, withdrawing them only when Naya released a low, deep breath.
Neither said a word when Heather slowly made her way back up Naya's body, placing damp kisses to different patches of skin. The tops of her thighs, her wrists after her hand's had been pulled from Heather's hair, the crook of her elbow, then her neck, before finding their rightful place on plump lips. Naya hummed into the kiss, body and soul finally sated after what seemed like months of waiting.
Naya opened her eyes when she realized she was smiling and there weren't another pair of lips attached to her own. She found Heather looking down on her, a small smile on her own lips while she watched Naya savor the moment, pushing a sweaty lock of brown hair off her forehead.
"Quit looking at me like that." Naya said, glancing away with a shy smile, remembering a moment similar to this from the previous weekend.
"Like what?" Heather asked, playing along with the conversation like she doesn't know where it's going.
Naya looked back at her, wanting to make eye contact when she said the words: "Like I'm the best thing in the world."
"That's not true." Heather said, watching the surprised look pass over Naya's face before correcting her. "You're the best thing in the universe."
Naya burst out laughing, slapping Heather's arm playfully as she watched the smile break out on Hemo's lips, leaning forward to kiss her senseless for a moment.
"We're gonna be late you know." Heather murmured, not really wanting to stop but knowing she and Naya needed to get moving.
"Let's skip." Naya breathed out against Heather's neck, lips firmly attached as she flipped them over, hovering over her with a devilish smirk.
"I think that sounds like a capital idea."
Wednesday
"Scratch my arm." Heather whispered, arm thrown haphazardly over Naya's waist and her head lying on her chest.
"Why do you always get arm scratches?" Naya asked, even as she began to scratch the crook of Hemo's elbow, raking her nails softly across the skin.
Hemo just hummed out a response, too content to respond with anything more than a quiet hum here and there as they crashed out on the couch in their trailer together, enjoying some down time between scenes.
"When are we going to tell your mom?"
The question came out of nowhere and the way Heather asked it made it sound like she was merely curious, but Naya knew why she was asking. She wanted to know because she was scared about telling her own mom, who was arriving tomorrow afternoon, and needed reassurance.
The problem was, Naya couldn't give her reassurance, she could only give her the truth.
"She already knows."
0o0o0o0o0o
June of 2009
"MOM! I'm here!" Naya yelled out as she entered her mom's house, fresh from the set of the new T.V. show she's working on.
"In the kitchen hun!" Her mom was probably starting dinner, and just the thought of a home cooked meal brought a smile to the actresses face as she skipped into the kitchen sporting a goofy grin.
"Something smells SO good." Naya said, leaning over to give her mom a kiss on the cheek and to see what she was stirring in the skillet on the stove.
"And somebody had a good day." Her mom laughed out, watching her daughter dip a spoon into the marinara sauce to try it. "Have a good day at work?"
"Yes!" Naya said, closing her eyes and humming at the taste of the sauce, happy her mom was making her favorite. "It's so awesome! There's this girl, Heather, she used to dance with Beyonce and was teaching two of my cast-mates the dance to 'Single Ladies' and now she's on the show! She plays a Cheerio too!"
Naya continued to describe the blonde; how she can dance and how funny she is and how she just fit in so well already. If Naya had been paying attention, she would have noticed her mom watching her closely and maybe would have realized she was gushing about her new tall, blonde co-star.
0o0o0o0o0o
November 2009
"Heather! No one told me you were coming!"
"Hi Momma Riv!" Heather said excitedly, trying to conceal her blush as she strolled into the backyard at the Rivera Family bar-b-que. She got a long hug from Naya's Mom and Sister, before being guided by Naya over to the drinks table. She was blushing because only a few moments ago, she and Naya had had a heated make out session in the car and she wasn't sure how she felt about this newly found level to their relationship.
They were both acting as if everything was fine, but the tension rolling off the girls was palpable and it only took Naya's mom a moment of observing the two to know that something wasn't exactly right with the best friends. Momma Riv decided to leave it be for the time being and hoped whatever was happening between them would get sorted out; she knew they were attached at the hip and she figured that too much time together was starting to take its toll.
She hoped that with the holidays coming up, both girls could get a little space and then resume the happy go lucky friendship they had established during the summer.
The whole rest of the afternoon was spent like this; Momma watching the friend's interact and seeing the way they moved around each other. When one would shift positions, the other would move to accommodate; just like the choreography in a dance. One would shuffle and the other would adjust to stay within reaching distance; it was as if they were physically attached to one another by a string, and it was fascinating to watch.
It wasn't until she saw them say goodbye to one another that she realized how intimate it all had felt to watch; like she was intruding on a personal moment between the two.
Naya grabbing Heather's hand to lead her out of the yard.
Both girls standing close as they spoke; Heather swiping back a loose bang that was hanging in Naya's face.
Their hug, that lasted about four seconds longer than a normal goodbye hug with a friend you see on a daily basis.
The last, and most prominent, was the longing look Naya was giving to Heather's back as the taller girl walked toward her car, only turning around when she got there so she could wave bye.
The smile the blonde received could have lit up all of Los Angeles…
It was then that Mom knew to turn away from the scene in her side yard. She had intruded, she had pretty much spied on them, but she also knew that never in her life had she seen her daughter give someone a smile like that.
After the party was over and everyone had left, Naya casually slipped into her mom's room and lied down on her bed. She didn't want to talk or anything, she just needed a moment to collect herself before she drove back to her apartment in L.A. Her mom looked up from her book, smiling softly at the sight of her oldest baby home with her, even if it was just for the day. The smile faded as Naya let out a huff, clearly annoyed with something.
"You ok sweetheart?" Her mom wasn't dense, she could see the small furrow of her daughters' brow and the way she had flopped down onto the bed; her thoughts were too busy for any mothers' liking.
"m'fine." She responded, face pressed deep into the pillows.
"Everything ok with work?" Mom's don't like to pry, but when their daughter is pretending that nothing is wrong but is laying crossways in their bed like a lost puppy, they have to ask questions.
"s'fine. Hard. But fine."
"You sure?" It's the perfect mom question. They ask because it's open ended. You could get a simple 'yes' in reply and move on, or it could open the flood gates and have your 22 year old daughter bawling in your lap as she clings to your night shirt.
"Shhh.. baby, it's ok. Tell me what's wrong, you know I can fix it." Her mom murmured her reassurance, holding her breath and hoping this stubborn girl in her lap would open up to her about whatever it is.
"Is it Mark? Are you two having problems again?"
"No. No. It's not Mark." Naya said quickly, sitting up and wiping her eyes, "I'm just being a baby. I gotta get going momma."
"Naya Marie you sit your butt back down and tell me what's going on." She said sternly, knowing that her daughter was not going to get out of this that easy.
"Have you ever been so in love with someone you can't function?"
The question caught her mother by surprise, but she was quick to answer.
"Did Mark propose? Naya, you're sounding like Mark proposed!" Her mom wasn't sure how she felt about that, but if her baby was happy, then so was –
"What? No. No. Mom, this has nothing to do with Mark." Naya said quickly.
"But aren't you two dating?
"No, we broke up." This was getting weirder by the second and she was beyond confused, but Momma Rivera was going to get to the bottom of this and find out who or what was causing her daughter so much grief.
"So you love someone so much that you can't function but you're not with this person, right?"
A sniffle and a head nod was all she got, but knowing that Naya was upset enough to cry made her take it all very seriously. She decided to ask indirect questions as to not upset her daughter anymore than she already was.
"Do I know who they are?" She asked quietly.
Another nod. Another sniffle.
"Is it someone you met recently? After breaking up with Mark?"
"No. I've known them for awhile now." Naya said, noisily taking another shuttering breath as a couple of tears escaped down her cheeks.
The simple pronoun 'them', not 'him', caught her mother's attention the most. She wasn't sure if she was heading down a path she could handle at the moment, but this was her flesh and blood, and even if that's the road they were about to walk, she knew she'd walk it with her.
"Ok, are you going to make me continue to ask questions or are you going to just tell me?"
Her mom's abruptness was something Naya had always loved and admired about her. When she looked up, she could see the trust and love in her mom's eyes, and she knew she could tell her. She knew she could tell her and it would be a weight off her chest. One that she had been carrying pretty much since the day she laid eyes on her best friend.
"It's Heather."
The brokenness in her voice as she made the confession was enough to stifle any fear or worry in her mom's mind. What she saw before her was not the daughter she raised to be strong and sure of herself; this was someone who was terrified of their feelings and didn't know how to handle them, and she knew she had to help her through it.
Her mom's reaction wasn't anything like she had expected. She had expected deep sighs, some crying, maybe even some yelling. She expected to be told it was just a new friend obsession and that she would get over it eventually, but what she got wasn't anything like that.
"Well, I guess the only question I really have is why did you let her leave the party so early?"
When her mom cracked a small smile and pulled her close for a hug, she couldn't believe how lucky she was.
Now all she had to do was get up the courage to tell the only person that really mattered.
What she didn't know then was that she had two hellish years ahead of her before her wish became a reality.
0o0o0o0o0o
"You're shittin me?" Heather exclaimed, sitting up immediately when the story was finished, leaving a bemused Naya still lying on the couch. "She's known all this time? Like, even that time when she came into your old room at your house and we were under the covers naked and she pretended she was looking for your sister and she smiled and walked out and-"
"Baby." Naya pressed her fingers against Heather's mouth, effectively cutting off Heather's moment of unneeded panic. "She's known all along, and she knows we are officially together now, and she's perfectly fine with all of it."
She removed her fingers from Heather's lips and replaced them with her own lips, pressing into the kiss for only a moment before pulling back. Heather looked dazed and a little confused and Naya couldn't help but laugh at her girlfriend as she slowly sat back down onto the couch.
Naya was ready for an onslaught of questions and concerns, but was thoroughly surprised when Heather turned to look at her and only had one thing to say.
"I'm sorry for making you wait so long."
Naya grabbed Heather's hand and interlaced their fingers before dragging the blonde back down on top of her body to resume her arm petting.
"It's ok." Naya said quietly, fingers already moving to the crook of Heather's elbow as she dropped a kiss to her forehead, "You were worth the wait."
Thursday
"Heather." Naya said sternly as they circled the LAX passenger pick up zone, waiting on Heather's mom to arrive. "I swear to God if you don't stop bouncing your fucking leg! You're shaking the whole car!"
"I'm sorry, ok!" Heather said, immediately stopping her knee jerking to take up nail biting instead. "I'm just really nervous."
Naya glanced to her right to see Heather chewing on her nails in the passenger seat and reached over to grab her wrist, "Stop chewing your nails, they're too pretty to chew on."
Heather cracked a small smile at that and wrapped both of her hands around Naya's one, instantly feeling some of her anxiety taper off… an affect only the brunette had on her. They continued to drive in circles since there was no place to park that was convenient, just waiting for Heather's phone to ring or to spot her mom standing on the curb. Only one more circle around the loading zone and Naya spotted the woman.
At first she wanted to keep driving; give Hemo another couple of minutes to calm down, but she knew that wouldn't be right. They were only picking her up, there was no reason to freak out.
"I'm glad you drove." Heather said, breaking through Naya's thoughts. "I would have wrecked already with how bad I'm shaking."
"It's ok," Naya said, directing her car toward the curb, pointing out the windshield as she said, "There she is."
"Oh shit lord." Heather said, taking a deep before plastering on a smile and jumping out of the car, sweeping her mom up into a hug.
Naya watched from the car, a smile on her lips as she watched Heather interact with her mom. They were so different from how she acted with her own mother, and she was wondering if that would affect the outcome of this weekend. She didn't have a lot of time to think about it before the back hatch of her Range Rover was opened and she was greeted by Momma Morris climbing into the passenger seat beside her.
She leaned over to give her a hug and a hello, laughing when Heather's mom whispered a 'thank you' for driving. She too was apparently terrified at Heather's horrendous driving skills.
Once the bags were loaded up, they took off, heading for the first In-N-Out Burger on this side of Los Angeles. Heather's mom was craving a milkshake while Naya really just wanted something to do to distract herself from the silly faces Heather was making at her in her rear view mirror.
About thirty minutes of driving and twenty minutes of waiting in line, the ladies sat down for a quick lunch. Burger's and shakes in hand, they all fell into a comfortable silence, just enjoying the company.
"No work today?" Lisa asked, knowing it wasn't easy for both girls to have the day off at the same time.
"Notta." Naya responded through a mouthful of a cheeseburger done up Animal Style. She was eating to keep from talking and she knew one word responses would be sufficient for a little while.
"It's not like I have any lines." Heather said quietly, looking into her strawberry milkshake and blowing bubbles through her straw. "I don't think they're missin me too much right now."
On instinct, Naya reached over to grab Heather's hand for a quick squeeze but stopped only when she had grazed the blonde's knuckles with her fingertips. She had felt Heather tense up and she immediately recognized her error; instead deciding to just pat the top of Heather's hand and mumble to Lisa that the writers were being ridiculous about the whole Brittana relationship and that Heather deserved so much more than she was getting while working for Glee.
"Speaking of which, are either of your characters going to get boyfriends soon?" Lisa asked nonchalantly, not noticing how now both girls were tense in their seats. Naya was thankful when she heard Heather suck in a lungful of air, knowing she was going to speak and hopefully stick up for their on-screen romance.
"Mom, I told you. Brittany and Santana are going to be together for the rest of the season; Ryan pretty much promised us that. They aren't dating anyone else but each other." Heather said it with conviction, and if her mom would have been paying attention, she would have seen the fire that was starting to burn in her daughter's eyes.
"Well yea, and I'm not saying I'm mad that your character is no longer whoring around," Lisa said, taking another bite of her burger and drawing out the tense silence by taking a drink of her milkshake. "All I'm saying is that you two are too beautiful not to have one of those beefcake boys on your arm. It's an insult to your characters."
"They love each other mom! They're not going to date anyone but each other, and when they're not dating it's because they'll be engaged and getting married. They're soulmates, they're not breaking up for some stupid boys."
Heather responded so fast that Naya could do nothing but choke a little on her drink before looking at her girlfriend and giving her a smile. It wasn't a smile, per se, as in, her mouth hadn't moved and her teeth weren't showing, but she knew Heather would see it. She would see the way her eyes were shining and how proud she was of Heather for sticking up for what she believed in. And in a small way, it felt like Hemo wasn't just sticking up for the Brittana relationship, but their relationship too. Naya had always felt that their characters were really just an extension of themselves, and all of a sudden she felt an overwhelming need to stick up for Santana.
"Plus, my character is a lesbian." she chimed in, trying to break up the impending showdown that Lisa didn't see coming. "She's come to terms with that and she's not going to be with guys anymore, plus, she really loves her Britt-Britt."
She said it with a strained smile, willing Ms. Morris to understand that this conversation was getting dangerously close to being one that none of them were ready to have at the moment. She also couldn't help but notice the small blush on Heather's face, knowing that Heather had picked up on the double-meaning of her words.
"Oh well, I stand by what I said. I'm just glad Brittany's not a slut." She said it with a smile, like everything she was saying made perfect sense and she hadn't just stepped into dangerous territory with this conversation. It floored Naya that Heather's mom was completely oblivious to the things revolving around her daughter, but after remembering that Lisa had only been exposed to the Heather/Taylor side of things for so long, she could see how easily a mother could overlook things as important as their own daughter's sexuality.
The wheels were turning in Naya's head and after this conversation she wasn't so sure if telling Heather's mom about them was something she wanted to do anymore.
The beginning of the weekend seemed to be the same as it always had been. Naya went to work on Friday to do some scenes, leaving Heather and her mom to do their thing for the day. Naya knew she wasn't going to get a lot of Heather time this weekend, so she had made plans with Dianna to get dinner and just hang out.
It wasn't until late Friday evening that Naya even heard a peep out of her girlfriend, and when she did, it was in the form of a text message.
I love you Nay-Nay Rivers. Don't forget that, ok?- Hemo
She had to smile, because she loved seeing the word 'love' in a text from Heather, but it was the tone of the message that made her a little anxious. She saw Di watching her out of the corner of her eye from her end of the couch and she knew that right now probably wasn't the best time to have a relationship freak out moment.
She was overanalyzing a freaking text message for Christ's sake!
She knew it all had to do with Heather's mom being in town and as bad as it sounded, she really just wanted this whole 'Momma Morris Extravaganza' to be over with so she could go back to hanging out with her girlfriend every day.
I love you more. End o' story ;) –Naya
She sat her phone back down in her lap after tapping out her response and continued watching the movie, waiting for her phone to buzz again but knowing that it probably wouldn't.
After watching Naya press the unlock key for the hundredth time that hour and sighing when there still wasn't a response, Dianna had had enough. She reached for the remote and paused the DVD, refilled their wine glasses, and shot Naya a look that said, 'We're gonna talk about this and there ain't shit you can do to stop it.'
Naya took a long pull from her wine glass and instantly craved a cigarette, but she had been trying to quit and right now was not the time to give into vices. Instead she decided to voice all of her doubts and fears that had appeared practically from thin air as soon as Lisa had landed at LAX.
"What if she tells her mom and her mom freaks out and then Heather decides to break up with me so it's easier on her family and then things at work get awkward and then they break Brittana up just to make sure we don't have to have scenes together and then I wouldn't know what in the hell to do because that girl is like, IT for me, she's it! And I don't think I could go through losing her when I just got her and-"
"Hold up." Dianna said, reaching over and grabbing Naya's hands, effectively stopping the ramble-fest that was occurring on her couch. "For one, work is the last thing you need to be thinking about. Work would still be work and you're a professional and you can handle anything, ok?"
She waited for a nod of agreement before she continued.
"And two, I don't think Heather could break up with you even if she thought she wanted to." Dianna said lightly, laughing a little at the pouty face Naya was wearing. "The girl is head over heels in love with you, and even if her mom doesn't agree with it right now, she'll learn to accept it. Because she'll see, just like everyone else that knows about you two, how absolutely gross you two are together. Making bedroom eyes on set and always touching each other and bein' all lovey dovey and shit."
Naya reached over and pushed a laughing Di backwards onto the couch, loving the way the blonde's simple view of the world could help calm her down without ever really trying. She was forever grateful for this girl, because without her, she never would have made it this far.
They had never discussed when or how Heather was going to talk to her mom about them, and by Sunday afternoon, Naya was starting to get a little worried. She had mostly texted Heather for the better part of the weekend, neither saying anything incriminating; just in case Heather's mom had somehow gotten a hold of her phone.
To say it was easy was a lie; Heather was constantly on edge without Naya there to tell her to chill out and Naya just couldn't stop thinking about what Heather's mom will do when she finds out. It was a nerve racking way to spend your days when there was so much you could be doing.
Naya decided that she had to do something or she would go crazy and she knew Lea would be down for a spin class, so that's where she headed. She knew Lea's company plus a ball-busting workout would help ease the tension in her high strung body.
And she was right.
By the end of the class she was so exhausted she could barely get to her car. She smiled and waved to Lea as the other girl drove away, reaching for her phone that she had left in her truck. The smile she was wearing fell from her face when she saw the three missed calls and two text messages.
All of the calls were from Heather, with one message from the blonde and the other from her roommate Ashley.
She read Ashley's first.
I suggest calling your girlfriend when you get a free second.- The Zion
She could tell by the tone of the text message that the 'free second' part actually meant, in Ashley's words, 'fucking call her right away you stupid shit!'.
She was extremely nervous all of a sudden to read the text from Hemo, but she knew that something had to have gone down if she was getting this many messages on her phone. The text was simple, but it made her heart race.
I just wanted to let you know that I told her. –Hemo
There was a piece of Naya, however small, that felt so happy and so proud of Heather for telling her mom, but she knew it wasn't as simple as that. If it had been, Heather would have put a lot more in that text message. She was about to call her when she got another text message. It was then that she noticed she had gotten the first text more than a half hour ago and she cursed herself for taking that damn spin class and not being there for her girlfriend. She opened the new text right away.
She just kept asking about Taylor and other boys and I just couldn't keep lying. –Hemo
Another one came right after the first.
She left Naya. She went back to her hotel and I need you to get near your phone and call me or something, please. -Hemo
It wasn't a second later that Naya's tires were squealing out of the gym parking lot, disregarding the parking attendant who needed to validate her parking pass. She just threw a $20 bill at him and kept driving, her mind only halfway on the road, the other on the phone in her hand and the girl across town who needed her.
I'm so sorry, I've been at the gym. I'll be there in 15 minutes.-Naya
Heather let out a sigh of relief when she read the text. She had been pacing with her phone in her hand for almost an hour and she was starting to wonder if Naya had bailed on her. She knew it was a stupid thought and she shook it away immediately, she was just being dramatic after the conversation she had had with her mother went horribly wrong.
"Heath, you want something to eat?" Ashley asked, poking her head into the living room where her roommate was still pacing.
"No, I'm just going to wait for Naya to get here." Heather said, sitting down on the couch and staring at the blank T.V. screen like it held all the answers while Ashley just sighed and disappeared back into the kitchen. She knew this wasn't her issue to help her best friend with; this was between Heather, Lisa, and Naya, and she was just going to steer clear until she was told she was needed.
It was only a few minutes later when their front door was thrown open and Naya was running toward her girlfriend, a look of sheer worry and panic coating her features.
"What happened? What'd she say? Why'd she leave?" It all came out in short spurts of breath while Naya practically fell onto the couch next to Heather, grabbing her hand and giving it a squeeze. She noticed that Heather wasn't crying, or shaking, or anything remotely close to how she was feeling. She was just sitting, staring at her, blue eyes searching brown before leaning forward and placing a long kiss to Naya's lips.
She pulled back slightly, their lips just a hairsbreadth apart when she whispered, "Thank you for getting here so fast."
Naya couldn't help but laugh a little and say 'of course' before asking Heather to explain what had taken place before her mom had left. Heather told her the important parts, skipping over the details of the amazing brunch she and her mother had just had or the fact that they were discussing Thanksgiving plans.
She told her how her mom continued to ask if she was truly over Taylor or if she was going to give him another chance. She explained how she had tried to ease into the subject, telling her mom that there was someone very important in her life right now that was the real deal and how her mom kept asking things like 'what's his name?', 'where's her from?', 'What kind of work does he do?'. Heather told her that she finally just said it, just told her mom that she and Naya were together and they were serious about each other.
Naya listened carefully as Heather recounted everything that had happened. She couldn't help but smile at how animated Heather was being during her story telling and how she sat in awe when Heather mentioned that her mom had asked if she was a lesbian and the blonde basically told her that she didn't care what she was as long as she was with Naya.
It was weird, Naya realized, that not once had they discussed their sexuality; but then again, she figured that in the grand scheme of things, it didn't really matter. She had Heather and Heather had her… everything else was just specifics.
"And then, she just looked at me for a second, all teary eyed and stuff, and just stood up and left." Heather said, her own tears present as she got to the harder parts of the story. "She just said she needed some time to think and she left."
Naya wasn't expecting to have a 180 degree turn of feelings, but that's exactly what had just happened. Heather had been so confident before when she was telling her everything, but right now she was slowly sliding downhill and the frog in her throat was more evidence that she was about to start sobbing.
"I just don't want her to hate me." Heather said sadly, "She's all I have left Naya."
She cried for a few minutes, the thought that she had lost her dad so many years ago and could now be losing her mother was almost too much for her to bear right now.
"Shhh baby, it's ok." Naya said, pulling Heather tighter against her body. "She's your mom. She'll come around. Have you tried calling her?"
Heather nodded weakly into her shoulder, her sniffles subsiding as Naya rubbed circles on her back. Heather had tried calling, probably more times than she cared to admit; but each time it rang and rang until finally going to voicemail. It broke her heart a little more every time she heard her mom's cheerful voice come through the phone only to realize it was her voicemail.
They sat there for a few minutes, neither having much to say while Heather continued to sniffle, trying her best to get her composure. They needed a plan. They needed a way to get a hold of her mom and try again to explain it to her. Maybe if Naya was there her mom would listen, at least, she hoped.
She was about to ask if Naya would go to the hotel with her when she heard her front door open slowly. She leaned forward from her seat on the couch and saw her mother standing timidly in the doorway. Lisa hadn't seen her yet, and Heather watched as her mother took a deep breath and began to walk toward the living room.
The sight of Ms. Morris walking into the living room brought both girls to their feet immediately.
Naya did it just in case Lisa was there to just yell at Heather. It was her protective instinct taking over and she took a half step in front of Heather's body, trying to shield her from any terrible thing her mom could say.
Heather, on the other hand, stood up because her nerves were shot. She needed to be doing something and the sight of her mom made her want to curl up and cry but also stand up and fight for what she knows is right. Her love for Naya was right, and even if it took years, she would never stop trying to show her mom just how amazing it was.
The three women stood in silence for a few tense seconds before Lisa sat down in the arm chair beside the couch, telling them both to take a seat and motioning for Ashley to take her nosey ass back up stairs. When silence enveloped the room once more and the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife, she asked the only question that had plagued her since she had left Heather's house.
"How long has this been going on?" She asked the question to both of them, since they seemed to be inching closer to one another for comfort and protection. She didn't want them to think she was attacking them, but she wanted answers. "And I don't want the generic, dumbed down version, if you please."
She said it in a way that gave Naya a little bit of hope, that maybe, just maybe, she was starting to understand and would be ok with their relationship. She was ready to tell Hemo's mom that it was still a new and fresh thing between them, hoping she would think that she hadn't been so far out of the loop about everything. That whole plan was shot to shit when Heather gave her the whole truth.
"Three years."
It was so simple and yet, to Naya, it meant so much. It made her feel so much better to hear Heather acknowledge the fact that they had been on this merry-go-round for that long, and all of a sudden Hemo's idea of the truth sat much better with Naya.
Not so much with Ms. Morris.
"Three years?" She screeched, standing up from the chair, pacing the same patch of floor her daughter had been pacing before she had arrived. "So you were cheating on Taylor?"
The way she said it made Naya shudder. She hated to think back on those days and nights where they were sneaking around and lying to just about everyone they loved. But Heather seemed to have this all figured out and she took the lead in the conversation while Naya stayed quiet.
"Mom, please, for the love of God don't bring him up." Heather said, pinching the bridge of her nose with one hand and blindly reaching for Naya's with the other. She did it on instinct, and when she felt Naya tense beside her, she thought she had made a mistake by touching her, but she was done hiding this. She laced her fingers more securely around her girlfriends' and stared up at her mother; daring her to say anything.
"And just for clarification, I did cheat on Taylor, but if I'm being honest, I didn't feel bad about it one bit. The only time I ever felt bad about any of this was when I was with Taylor… I felt like I was cheating on Naya. Every time I was with him, I felt bad for doing this to her, it was never the other way around. That's how I knew what I wanted." She stood up and walked toward her mom, standing in front of her and keeping her piercing blue eyes steady. "I knew the moment I met her that we were special… that we were made for each other. And I want you to see how happy I am now. The happiest I've been in my entire life."
Lisa Morris looked down, unable to hold her daughters' steady and sure gaze; it made her feel like the child and that Heather was the parent trying to persuade the younger to understand something. Something that, to them, seemed so simple.
It wasn't that easy for her.
"I just.." Lisa said, still staring at the ground as she spoke, only seeing out of her peripheral vision that Naya was watching her like a hawk. "I just had so many plans for you, dear. But, I guess," she took a deep breath, "I guess I realize now that those were my dreams for you, not yours."
Heather waited for her mom to look at her before smiling slightly, the first feelings of relief washing through her when her mom smiled back.
"Do you want me to be happy?" Heather asked, trying to meet her mom's gaze that had been on their feet since she stood up.
Her mom didn't answer right away, instead taking a step back and looking back and forth between her baby girl and, apparently, her baby girls' girlfriend. She could see it in their faces, this fierce loyalty to each other that wasn't going to be wavered by something as trivial as someone not agreeing or understanding their relationship.
"I can already see that you are Heather." She said quietly, noticing how a smile was gracing the face of both the younger girls in the room. She couldn't believe she didn't notice till now just how in love they were. "And if she is what makes you happy, then I'm happy… for both of you."
She didn't get a chance to say much more before Heather was swooping in and wrapping her up in a hug, laughing a little at how much of a child her daughter could be sometime. She held her closer and ran a hand through her hair, wondering when it was that she had grown up so much.
Lisa looked over and noticed that Naya was still sitting on the couch, wringing her hands together like she was unsure of what to do or say next. But, Lisa figured, this was now not only her daughter's best friend, but also girlfriend, and she had to have a little bit of fun with that. She pulled out of the hug and squared her shoulders toward Naya, watching as the younger girl did her best to stand her ground.
"And I don't expect anything less than perfection from you, young lady." Lisa said in her most intimidating voice. "You said last week on the phone that you will take care of my baby girl and I fully expect you to keep that promise."
"Of course." Naya said, her voice coming back to her after sitting silent for the conversation.
"Then get your cute butt over here and give me a hug." Ms. Morris said with a smile, opening her arms to the brunette, showing that, even though this wasn't easy for her to understand, she was going to try.
Naya popped up from the couch and practically ran into Heather's mom's arms, watching as Hemo grinned and bounced on her toes a little before joining them in a group hug.
They all three pulled away after another moment, grinning shyly at each other before Lisa piped up and told them, "Oh, go ahead you two!"
She watched as her daughter crashed into Naya, squeezing her so tight while the brunette burrowed into her neck. She was pretty sure she saw Naya turn and place a quick kiss to her jaw as they pulled away, and after seeing the cheeky grin Heather was wearing, she knew that they were in this for the long haul. And for the first time Lisa Morris saw a light shining in her daughter's eyes that she had never seen before, and her heart lifted with the thought that this might be a forever kind of thing.
Side note, I changed Heather's Mom's name to appease some people who thought it would be for the best, which I agreed with after some thought. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter.
Two chapters and an epilogue left! So close!
Love ya'll. Thanks for all the reviews and love on tumblr. Drop by and see me if ya want to!
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xoxo-Kat
