Chapter 4: I could get used to this

The persistent ring of her door-bell jolted her awake. She found herself uncomfortably lying on the couch, her neck hurt from sleeping in such position. Getting up and lazily moving to the entrance, she opened the door to find a cheerful Heather staring back at her.

"Hey! Did I wake you?"

The sight of the tall blonde made her cranky. No one should look that good so early in the day.

"Yes, but I'm glad you did. I fell asleep on the couch." Naya answered, adjusting her messy hair as she crawled back to the living-room.

"All night?"

"No, not all night." Naya muttered sleepily, returning to the same position on the couch despite her aching muscles.

"I know it's early, but Taylor left me here on his way to the gym. I could've just left, but I thought we could have breakfast together."

"Hmhmm…"

"Do you want to sleep some more?"

"What times is it?"

"8:17."

"Yeah, I do."

She still caught Heather's growing smile before drifting back to sleep.

Two hours later, Naya woke up again, this time in her own bed.

"Awesome. Now I dream about her too."

"It wasn't a dream."

Naya jumped back, her head shooting to the side finding the blonde there, watching her intently.

"God, woman! You scared me to death!"

"Good." The blonde answered with a cheeky grin. "Revenge was in order."

Naya rolled her eyes before frowning in confusion.

"Where's Telly?"

"He woke up when I brought you here. Then he freaked out about leaving his washing machine on, yesterday. Apparently it tends to leak."

Naya snorted, knowing exactly how much it leaked since she spent one entire afternoon helping him clean up.

"Wait, you brought me here?"

Heather nodded. "You were complaining about falling asleep on the couch and then went right back to it. So I brought you here. Thought you would be more comfortable."

"My knight in shining armor." Naya commented lazily, her eyes thankful.

Turning her body to her friend, she caught the scent of Heather's shampoo.

She would have to change the sheets again, knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep alone in that bed if it smelled like her. But for now, it felt good.

"Always."

Naya's heart swelled at the sight of those tender blues.

"I could get used to this…"

"What?" Heather asked softly.

Waking up next to you.

"Having people carry me around. My legs still haven't recovered from Friday's practice."

"I know something that may help. Food!"

Naya cracked up.

"You haven't had your breakfast yet, have you?"

"Nope."

"You must be starving." She noted, looking at her alarm that displayed 10:00 am in bright orange tones.

"That I am."

"You could've woken me up."

"I didn't want to. You seemed tired."

Naya shook her head as she got up.

"Damn you."

"Why?" Heather asked, still lying in bed, a grin attached to her lips.

"For being so sweet, that's why."

Heather chuckled before standing up on Naya's bed and pulling the brunette closer.

"That's because I love you, little mix."

Naya hugged Heather's waist, her head resting against the blonde's stomach as the dancer brushed her hair lovingly. The feeling of toned abs against her ear joined the chills caused by Heather's ministrations bringing a nerve-wracking ache to her center.

Needing a distraction, Naya lifted Heather up from the bed, goofily walking backwards as if she couldn't take the weight. Heather shrilled, gripping Naya's shoulders tightly, as the laughter rocketed from her throat. The brunette stood steady, a proud smile on her lips before releasing Heather gently.

"Look at you! Someone's getting stronger."

"Short but tough, remember?"

As soon as she uttered the words, she regretted it. She didn't want those memories haunting her again. And she didn't want Heather's clueless expression asking her what she meant. Hurrying out of the bedroom, she almost didn't hear Heather's faint whisper.

"Yeah… I do."

"So… What do you want for breakfast?"

Naya asked, as they reached the kitchen. A light chill ran up her spine before facing Heather again.

"Do you want to go to that old coffee shop we used to go to?"

"You know I take a while to get ready." Naya confessed biting her lip. "Maybe we could just have something here. I can make scrambled eggs with bacon. And there's still lemonade from yesterday."

"That's perfect."

Heather opened Naya's fridge handing the brunette everything they needed. While Naya cooked, Heather set the table on the kitchen island, joining her excitedly as Naya turned off the oven. It felt domestic. Too domestic.

"It smells great!"

Naya laughed contently, holding the hot pan and moving the eggs to a platter.

"There's also toast if you want."

Naya said setting the large plate on the island. "I'll go get Kevin."

She knocked on the guest-room before entering, finding her friend adorably sleeping sideways with his feet poking out of the mattress. She lay down next to him kissing his cheek.

"Hey, little bee. Breakfast is ready."

"Nooo…" he whined, facing away from her.

"We've got scrambled eggs with bacon. Heather says it smells great."

"Sleep now. Eat later." He mumbled pushing away Naya's nudging hand.

"Ok then. But if we eat it all, don't complain."

As she got back to the kitchen she found Heather staring eagerly at her plate.

"Aww, you didn't need to wait."

"Go on, now. Sit!" Heather rushed her, making Naya laugh.

"Is it good?" She asked, giggling at Heather who tried to speak around a mouthful of eggs.

"Amazing as always."

"I could teach you, you know. It's pretty easy."

"I'm not a great cook."

"You're a lazy student."

"You can't say that." Heather countered slapping Naya's hand lightly. "You never taught me."

"You won't let me. You just love to watch."

"Won't deny that." Heather replied with a mischievous look. "And if I knew how to cook, what excuse would I have to come over all the time?"

"You don't need excuses. Your annoying ass is always welcome." Naya said with a genuine smile.

She noticed that the blonde looked down sadly. Before she could ask why, the look was gone.

"My ass is great. And I'm pretty sure it doesn't annoy you."

She smirked, rolling her eyes. Can't deny that either.

"Besides, there are many things I would rather do with you instead of learning how to cook."

"Like what?" Naya dared, never one to run from their open flirting.

Heather opened her mouth to answer, when a mumbling Kevin entered the kitchen scratching his head.

"Morning."

"Good morning, sunshine!" Naya joked with a beaming smile.

Kevin sat down next to Heather, letting his head rest on her shoulder.

"You said scrambled eggs, right?"

Both girls laughed.

"I did. I'll get you plate."

Kevin nodded, turning to Heather with a frown.

"Wait, what are you doing here so early?"

"I left my car here, remember?"

"Don't you enjoy sleeping?"

Naya cracked up at her friend, setting the plate in from of him as he filled his glass with lemonade.

"She's been here since 8!"

"Woah..."

"I couldn't sleep." Heather replied distractedly.

"Boyfriend keeping you up all night, hum?" Kevin joked.

Heather didn't answer. Naya would have to thank the Gods later for that one.

"So Heather, fess up. How's married life?"

Naya shivered at the words, gripping the pillow in her lap until her knuckles turned white. Kevin really needed to stop being so nosy. Looking at Heather with an unmoving fake smile on her lips, she watched as the blonde hesitated.

"It's fine."

"Oh no, don't 'it's fine' me. I want the juicy details." Kevin probed with his usual innocent and playful look.

"It's weird having him around all the time." Heather faced Naya who gulped nervously, suddenly self-conscious of her demeanor under the blonde's gaze. "I don't have time to miss him when he's living under the same roof."

Kevin made a joke that went unnoticed by both girls. Seeing Heather's awaiting eyes on her, Naya felt the need to comment, but words beyond "I don't want to hear about it" seemed to escape her.

"That's perfectly normal." Kevin eventually said. "You lived with Ashley for almost three years. You need time to adjust. After a while you won't be able to live without him."

"I guess."

When Naya didn't say anything, Heather looked back at Kevin and continued more firmly.

"You're probably right. I mean, I love him. It will be fine."

Naya was relieved she didn't have blue eyes on her anymore. She wouldn't want the girl to watch as her face fell. Naya breathed in deeply, swallowing hard to prevent unwanted tears from staining her weary brown eyes.

"Awww, the lovebirds! You know it's true love when you can handle a long-distance relationship."

Heather cracked a smile.

"What about you, any updates?"

Kevin let his head fall.

"Zero-zilch-nada. It's that awful."

"You'll find someone great, bee. I just know it." Naya finally jumped in.

"Can't we just get married, Nay? We would be the perfect couple."

Before Naya could respond, she felt herself being scooped into Heather's arms.

"No way! She's mine."

Naya broke free of Heather's embrace a little too quickly, leaving Heather with - infuriatingly cute - rejected puppy eyes.

"You can't have them all." Kevin complained grabbing Naya's hand and pulling her out of the couch. "You have your soul mate. Don't be greedy, now."

Heather eyed Naya curiously, ignoring Kevin's rant.

"It's ok, bee. I would choose you, anyway." Naya complied, joining him on the spot near the fireplace.

Looking back at the blonde, she couldn't help but snigger at the other girl's ill-disguised jealousy. Heather could be a bit possessive sometimes. Naya hated that she kind of loved it.

"Fine." Heather spat indignantly with mocked offense. "Go get married. Be each other's beards for all I care."

"Ouch! Jealous much?"

"Not at all." Heather said, directing it at Naya.

A while later Kevin went to get a shower. He needed to get ready before lunch since he had plans with his highschool crew. By then, Naya was back on the couch, her head on Heather's lap while they watched TV.

As Heather's hands travelled to her neck, fingers tracing her collarbone, Naya wondered why she could never keep herself physically distant from the dancer. At least she wouldn't have to endure the frustration that these moments brought her. Even though her expression was as nonchalant as ever, her body reacted to Heather's touch. Her breathing was unsteady, against failed attempts to stabilize it; her skin grew hot under those delicate fingers, and there was that damn heat that seemed to travel lower by the second.

Naya finally looked up at the blonde, as if that would stop the boiling frenzy inside her. Heather met her gaze, smiling sweetly.

"What?" She asked in a soft, almost velvety tone.

Naya didn't have an answer so she just shrugged.

"You're so adorable sometimes." Heather said - filling the silence - as her hands framed Naya's cheeks.

"Sometimes?"

Heather nodded slowly.

"Only sometimes?" Naya repeated with purpose, a playful smile on her lips.

"Not so adorable when you accept marriage proposals from other people."

Naya cocked an eyebrow.

"Am I supposed to wait for yours indefinitely?"

It was a joke. She didn't mean to make it sound like a question. She held her breath knowing a new stab to the chest was coming.

"No." The blonde said simply, moving down and kissing her forehead. "You shouldn't."

And there it was, that sinking feeling threatening to drown Naya. She thought of excuses to leave the room for a while. She needed to slap herself out of it. The girl had a boyfriend for a long time now. Naya was used to it. She had moved past the tension behind their touchy-feely ways, behind the stares and the secret smiles. She had gotten rid of it. She was content with their relationship as it was. Right? The fact that they were living together shouldn't bring all those feelings back. It should bury them for good.

"But would you?"

Heather's somewhat tense, yet playful tone brought her back to their conversation. Naya smiled, her eyes contemplating Heather's twitching leg.

"Marry you or wait indefinitely?"

Heather shifted under her, before pulling her by the waist until Naya's back was against the dancer's torso. She felt trapped between her arms, though she couldn't help gripping her harder in return.

"Marry me, you goof."

Naya smiled - a smile that held more sorrow than anything else.

"How Brittana are you, right now?"

Kevin's voice hit them like a cold splash. They turned to the door where he stood, fresh from the shower, camera in hand.

"This picture is brilliant. Gonna tweet it and make the fans go maaaad!"

"No!" Both girls exclaimed.

Heather's phone rang so Naya took the opportunity to break free of the girl's intense hug. The blonde moved to her bag wavering slightly before taking the call.

"Hey babe."

Naya vomited a little in her mouth, turning her grimace into a full blown smile as soon as she felt Kevin's eyes on her. Whoops.

"Oh, already? Ok… Yeah, yeah. I'll be home soon."

Heather hang up the phone, turning to her friends.

"I need to go. We're having lunch with the basketball guys."

"I'm leaving too." Kevin announced twirling his car keys on his index finger. "Want to join us for lunch Nay-nay? You still have an hour."

"Thanks, Kevs. I'm just gonna stay home and relax a bit. And there are a whole lot of dishes to wash from yesterday. I'll be busy."

"We should've helped. I can come back later." Heather offered, her eyes almost pleading.

"No, no. I invited you guys, I'll do the dishes. It's relaxing, actually."

It really wasn't, but Naya couldn't take any more Heather that day. She needed time and space to clear her head. Heather nodded and joined Kevin on his way to the door. Naya waved her friends goodbye by the porch. Her eyes meeting Heather's before she stepped back and closed the door completely.

Time to start over.

She breathed in wearily.

First step: change the sheets.

She met Megan that evening in a little restaurant just around the corner of her friend's house. They ordered sushi and a bottle of white wine, enjoying the coziness of the dim lit saloon. By the end of their meal, Naya looked out at the window watching as street walkers passed by.

"I need a date."

Megan laughed against her glass, nodding vehemently.

"You and I, both."

"No. Really, I need a date. Like urgently."

Megan's brow creased, inspecting her friend's face attentively.

"Okay… Is something up?"

Naya exhaled deeply.

"I need to get out of my head, let's just put it like that."

"Oooh…" Megan took another sip of her wine, finishing her glass. "Is that mystery love of yours bothering your thoughts again?"

Naya eyed her sadly.

"Sort of."

Megan nodded silently, knowing not to push.

"I'm thinking of accepting Nate's offer and have that dinner he's been bugging me about."

"Nate? My Nate? I didn't know you guys still talked." The girl commented around a mocking smirk.

"On and off."

"He's a good guy. And he's funny. All good things in my book." Megan encouraged.

"I guess…"

"You're so enthusiastic about it." The blonde noted sarcastically.

"Well, he's a little too eager sometimes."

"True…"

"But I'll just give it a try. One date couldn't hurt."

"I agree. And you're so good and dumping them nicely afterwards. It's going to be fine."

Naya chuckled, holding her glass up as Megan re-filled her own.

"To new dates."

"To new dates!" They toasted. "Now all you need is to find a good guy for me too."

"I'll check my list." Naya promised with a wink.

Yes, she was going to start dating. She would try even if it killed her. Anything would be better than this slow demise at the expense of Heather. She wanted her friend to be happy and she wanted to feel happy for her without her heart breaking. It was going to take some effort, but she was willing to try.

Author's note: I hope this doesn't feel too much like a filler chapter. What I wanted was sort of a conclusion to Naya's point of view - for you guys to get a glimpse of how she felt and her decision, before moving to the next part of the story. (Don't worry, there's lots of Heya) I hope I was able to do that with these last two chapters. More importantly, I wanted to thank you all for reading! The favorite and story alerts I've gotten were incredibly motivating. And a big thank-you hug for those who reviewed. I really appreciate it. Hope you enjoyed the update. :)