Once again, I'm sorry it took me so long. I definitely need to buy a new computer. I hope you enjoy this chapter that will end the night at Lea's. From now on, things will change for both our girls. This is sort of a conclusion to everything that happened up until now.
11. When you sing
10:00 pm
When they got downstairs, they were blinded by the neon lights that had apparently been set in the middle of Lea's living room. The music was deafening and the air felt cramped, but you could feel the excitement in your bones just by walking in.
Naya and Heather joined the crowd of familiar faces, dancing freely and without pretense. Lea jumped to Heather's arms and they hugged tightly, the inebriated state of the brunette transferring to the blonde as if she had been drinking too.
Telly looked at her in the midst of people and made its way through them until he was facing both girls. Lea jumped from Heather's arms to Jenna's, in her usual over the top displays of affection.
When Heather looked at Telly, he moved to grab her shoulders and mouthed an "I'm sorry" that felt as honest as it was simple. The blonde smiled at him, and let him envelop her in a bone crushing hug.
"Come on, old man. Let's dance." She whispered against his ear, not sure if he had heard her until he pulled her for a tango just like the last time they had danced together.
The laughter erupted from her throat and she let her head fall back. She noticed a set of eyes watching her and looked to the side, catching Naya gazing at them adoringly. Heather couldn't help the grin that burst inside her and made its way to her face. She winked at her friend, the gesture not containing the surge of happiness she was feeling.
So this is what it felt like. It had been so long.
10:45 pm
Naya pulled Heather by the hand following Kevin to Lea's office. He motioned for them to sit down, Telly following closely behind and locking the door on his way in.
"What are we doing here?" Naya asked with a huge questioning smile.
Heather and Naya sat on the small couch, while Telly and Kevin went through a cabinet as if they had done it a thousand times before.
"This is where Lea hides her precious treasures." Telly explained, standing up next to Kevin who had all but entered the cabinet, kneeling down.
When Kevin reemerged, he had a box in one hand and a hookah dangerously hanging in the other.
Heather gasped, excited with the prospect.
"What's in the box?" the blonde asked.
"Lea's stash!"
Naya clapped her hands at this, while the boys sat on the floor in front of them.
When Kevin opened the box all the girls saw was a pile of old photographs.
"Oh believe me," Telly started. "Even the pictures will get you high."
Kevin laughed bobbing his head in agreement as he passed the photographs to Naya's awaiting hands.
"Should we be doing this?" Heather asked, before leaning in to Naya's side to catch a glimpse of the pictures. "I mean going through her… Oh my God!"
Her hesitance was cut short as soon as looked at the first picture. Four girls were rounding that same hookah, only instead of taking a drag, they were kissing. Naya flipped the pictures and it soon became clear that they were holding the scandalous proof of Lea's old wild parties. Truth or dare, strip poker, skinny dipping… Even though none of the pictures was too exposing, it spiked their imagination to fill in the blanks. Heather and Naya shared a shocked look, not because they weren't aware of those times, but for being able to see it. And they weren't about to deny how hot it looked.
Kevin and Telly's laughter broke their glance and they finally realized they were being watched.
"Hot, right?" Kevin excitedly asked. "And don't worry, Lea knows we know about her safe haven."
"Does she know we are here, right now?"
"Well, sort of. I asked her if we could, but she only laughed and downed her drink. And then screamed for me to keep it a secret. I took that as a 'yes'." Kevin explained, helping Telly get everything ready.
Naya was still studying the pictures. Heather smirked at her, but the brunette's eyes didn't even glance her way. She leaned closer again as Naya moved to the next photograph, where Lea stood in a nurse outfit while a vampire girl licked her neck. The next picture showed them kissing in the background, with a clueless guy posing with a beer bong.
Heather's eyes searched for Naya's, who this time returned the look. They were silent, just looking at each other. When Heather gulped tensely she saw her action reflected on the girl facing her.
Her eyes dropped to the soft neck just inches away. Heather licked her lips and unconsciously crossed her legs, before a nudge on her foot brought her back from her reverie.
Telly was watching them but he simply said, "It's ready."
Heather heard Naya softly clear her throat and couldn't help a smile.
She watched Kevin take the first drag. A wave of white smoke left his lips, slowly spreading through the room. It smelled amazing, like strawberries. Telly took a drag himself before passing it on to Heather. She was about to take a drag when she stopped.
"Wait, is there weed in this? I shouldn't. I need to drive Naya home."
She missed the adoring smile on the brunette's lips as Telly explained the effect wore off very fast. Apparently Lea had found this on an organic smart shop so it wasn't that strong to begin with. And it did smell wonderful, just like a regular hookah.
Heather relented and took a long puff, releasing the smoke in one slow exhale.
"That's hot." Kevin noted yet again, already feeling drowsy.
"Definitely." Naya whispered back.
Heather turn to her with a confident smile, taking one last drag before passing it to her. While Naya inhaled, Heather watched her. She held her breath, her eyes never leaving Naya's in silent understanding. When Naya was done she got closer to the blonde, who mimicked her movement and they exhaled. Standing mere inches apart, their smoke softly collided, reverberating on their lips before the white fumes surrounded them.
Heather grinned watching her friend's mouth in a mix of playfulness and longing. It had been years since they last smoked together, and they hadn't done this since that first year. It had started as a joke to look sensual, but the soft caress of the smoke hitting their lips was much like a kiss. The softest of pecks. That's the reason Heather had started doing it repeatedly, and the sensation was more than she could have wished for right now. The fact that Naya was looking at her in that half embarrassed, half seductive way – just like before – made a familiar heat rise up on her stomach and engulf her chest.
"This feels familiar." Heather managed to say.
"I hadn't seen that in a long time." Telly noted, in what almost sounded like a nostalgic tone.
"Smoke kisses." Naya said so lowly it was barely there.
Heather felt a pang in her chest as a shiver ran through her body. She smiled so broadly it felt like her face would rip apart.
"My turn!" Kevin interrupted, pulling the hose back. "But I'm not doing that with you!" He finished bumping Telly's arm.
The four laughed lightly. Heather was still in a daze, absentmindedly watching the water gurgle with a foolish grin plastered on her lips.
Her mind soon drifted, not bearing any thoughts but the ones she would speak up impulsively.
"So… explain me this." Heather started, looking at the boys. "If this is a 'girls and gays' party, does that make Cory and Darren gay too?"
The all laughed soundly, but it was a slightly buzzed Telly that answered.
"Lea says the Glee cast doesn't follow any rules. Glee cast is always allowed."
"And that means you too, boo! You're like one of us!" Naya excitedly added.
"And he's gay! You've got a double invitation." Kevin continued with wide eyes.
"Look who's talking!" Telly snorted amusingly. "And Glee is pretty gay by itself."
"We are the gayest!" Heather exclaimed with her fist up in the air.
Naya chuckled loudly, grabbing Heather's arm before putting on her best Santana face.
"Hmhm, that's right girl. Wez be gay!"
Kevin was deliriously amused at this point, reclining back, rolling with laughter.
Even though she felt very similar to Brittany most of the time, Heather found it harder to get in character as fast as Naya did, so she just raised her eyebrows suggestively and said. "I'm bilingual."
From that point on everything seemed hilarious and the laughter escalated until it was hard to breathe, much less smoke, with the pain in their stomachs.
"Should we just hide it and clean it up later?" Kevin suggested when the hookah was almost done.
"The least we can do is clean up for ourselves." Naya said standing up. "Don't be lazy, bee!"
"I'll clean this up." Telly offered.
"I'll help." Naya announced.
When Kevin and Heather were left alone in the room, he started pointing out random objects in Lea's office. She was still a little unfocused, so when a hyper Kevin started throwing things at her she could barely move enough to protect herself.
"Show me those reflexes!" He prompted her enthusiastically.
"Are you crazy? Stop it!" Heather whined before being quickly shut up by a hard kick to her forehead.
Luckily her hand eased the impact, but it did nothing to save the object from a strong fall. Her wince wasn't loud enough to muffle the cracking sound that jerked their eyes to the floor.
Kevin's panicked cry startled Heather. He flew to the ground grabbing it, his face wrenched with concern.
"Right, worry about the damn doll. My head is just fine." She sarcastically commented, when the pain really started bothering her.
"It's not a doll." Kevin whined, coming to his feet with a headless figure. "It's Lea's Oscar!"
"What?" Heather asked confused. "Lea didn't win an…"
"…The one she made when she was three! She takes this everywhere! It's made of clay and she painted it gold and she polishes it every year!"
Heather wasn't sure what sounded crazier: the way Kevin was talking about the clay doll, or the fact that Lea polished it. But then the most relevant information kicked in. She had made it when she was three. People were sentimental about this kind of stuff. Lea was extra sentimental about this kind of stuff.
"What's going on here?"
They both jerked around hiding the headless figure, until relief flooded them at the sight of Naya.
"Heather broke the Oscar!"
"What?!" Heather turned to Kevin looking offended.
Naya seemed lost and entertained at the same time.
"He's right. I broke the Oscar… with my head! After he threw it at me!"
Naya finally registered what was going on and closed the door behind her in a frenzy.
"You broke the clay Oscar?!"
"He did." Heather insisted.
"Show me!"
When Kevin did, Naya gasped covering her mouth.
"You beheaded it!" She whispered in a mournful tone that made Heather crack up.
"Don't laugh. She's going to kill me." Kevin shrilled, looking seriously nervous. "Now what?"
"Go get glue. The super strong one. Telly knows where everything is so he'll find it."
"Ok!" Kevin complied, as if Naya's orders were coming from a general.
When he left the room, Naya set the statue on the desk behind her and looked back at Heather.
"You broke it with your head?" Naya asked, not keeping the grin from her face.
"You think it's funny?" Heather complained, touching her forehead with a pained look. "It hurt like hell."
Naya neared her and used her hand to push Heather's away. The sight of the petite brunette (not so petite in those grey pumps), inspecting her forehead so closely made it incredibly hard to breathe. It was probably best that way, anyhow. Since all Heather could smell was the scent that was so Naya mixed with the strawberry aroma left by the hookah.
"It's going to leave a bruise." Naya noted, frowning when watching the redness on white skin.
"See?"
Naya's eyes drifted downwards to meet Heather's. She bit her lip in an apology before lifting her face to press a soft peck against the bruise.
The touch of her lips sent an alarming wave of heat down Heather's body. It was confusing how the shivers could feel so cold they made her shake, but she still felt like she was burning inside. Not prepared for that turmoil, Heather grabbed Naya's arms firmly, as if to steady herself. It seemed to alert Naya to what she was doing, so the girl quickly stood back. She didn't go far since Heather's firm grip wouldn't let her. Blue eyes were staring at brown ones intensely, when Kevin barged in, tube in hand.
"I've got it! I've got it!"
Heather immediately let go of Naya, who nonchalantly turned to grab the broken statue as if nothing had happened. She held both pieces and gave them to Kevin to prepare the glue. His nervous hands kept spoiling Naya's meticulous attempts to fix it, so Heather cut in, holding it for her. Naya applied the glue and looked to Heather to signal she could press the head back on. Heather was distracted by Naya's eyes for one second too long and before they knew it, Lea had joined them.
"Guuuuys, I miss you! Stop smoking! Let's party!"
Her eyes fell on Heather's hands and she gasped, nearing the dancer quickly. Naya had masterfully hidden the tube of glue and was now staring at Heather in panic.
"Pretty cool toy!" Heather started, holding it together firmly but away from Lea's prying hands.
"It's not a toy. It's my Oscar! I made it when I was three." Lea quickly informed. "But why are you playing with it? Give it back! I don't want that out there in case somebody breaks it."
The muffled cry that erupted from Kevin's throat would be enough to blow their cover, if it wasn't for Naya's quick thinking.
"I know. I was telling them precisely that. But Heather was absolutely enamored by your craft."
Heather stepped on Naya's foot, albeit animatedly nodding in agreement. For a 3 year old, it wasn't bad. But to say anyone would be enamored by it was a stretch.
Naya elbowed Heather trying to keep from laughing.
"You were?"
Heather could tell it wasn't yet glued firmly enough, so she decided to stall.
"Definitely. It's amazing that you could do this at such a young age. The detail is just…" Her eyes focused on the figure, barely visible under her grip. "Fantastic. I'm getting nervous just touching it."
Thank goodness for Lea's drunkenness or she would have figured it out by now. The whole conversation couldn't sound faker. Kevin was still hiding behind Lea, looking pale as a ghost, while Naya's face grew hotter the more she tried to fight her grin. Looking at both brunettes, Heather thought a little revenge was in order.
"Actually, we were reenacting the Oscar's ceremony and I was just about to hand it over to Naya for her to do her speech."
Naya glared at her, but it was more amusing than it was menacing.
"Go on, now. Take it."
Lea turned to Naya expectantly, apparently fascinated with the idea.
Naya stepped closer to Heather trapping both her hands between her own and erupted in violent over-the-top sobs.
"I-I can't believe it. I can't believe this is happening. It must be a dream..."
Letting go of Heather's hands, she wiped inexistent tears.
"I want to thank the Academy…"
"This is pathetic!" Lea pulled the statue out of Heather's tight grip.
The three gasped which made Lea eye them suspiciously, the toy miraculously holding itself together just like before.
"Stop masturbating to my Oscar and make your own." She said, locking it inside her cabinet. "Can we dance now?"
12:39 am
Heather was sitting on one of Lea's couches in what she called "the art room". Despite the aching of her body and her tired limbs, she was jumping in her seat as soon as Naya agreed to sing the last song of Darren's impromptu concert.
Even after agreeing, it took her a while to choose a song, finally whispering it on Darren's ear.
It was just the three of them now and Naya sat cross legged in front of the coffee table, a few steps away from the blonde. Darren was sitting at the piano, waiting for her signal. When she nodded he started playing, surprising Heather by how skillfully his fingers moved hitting every note.
Until now, he had been playing the guitar just as flawlessly.
Heather's eyes moved to the brunette, impatiently waiting for the lyrics to start. Naya smiled at her before locking her eyes on the floor, her jaw hardening right before she started.
"Oh, you can hear me cry
See my dreams all die
From where you're standing
On your own."
She was huskier than usual, maybe because she had been smoking a while before, or maybe it was the song gaining life inside of her. Her whole demeanor had changed and all Heather knew was that her insides were burning. Her heart quickened its pace, and she couldn't stop staring even as her eyes watered at the sight. Naya's sorrowful expression added impact to the words flowing out of her mouth.
"It's so quiet here
And I feel so cold
This house no longer
Feels like home."
The lyrics were punching her gut, as if just by being uttered aloud they held power over her. It hit home and Heather knew her knuckles were turning white from the force with which she gripped her knees. Her muscles hurt under the strong grasp of her own hands but the pain didn't bother her. All she could feel was the tightness in her chest.
The shivers running through her body made her skin crawl, and the blonde couldn't think of a day when a song had had such effect on her. Her lips turned up in a smile as a memory resurfaced. She had felt this before, in a very different occasion, with only one common element: the singer. But this wasn't like listening to Naya sing "Songbird", because here they were just them, and even if Naya wasn't facing her, even if Naya wasn't singing for her, Heather's body reacted like she was. Most of all, her heart did.
"Oh, when you told me you'd leave…"
Heather gasped inaudibly. She noticed the change. She noticed and she couldn't erase it.
"I felt like I couldn't breathe
My aching body fell to the floor"
A single tear made its way down Naya's cheeks and at that moment Heather broke. Her flustered cheeks were covered by a sudden, silent tear fall that despite its quietness made brown eyes find hers. It still stunned her how acute Naya was, like she could feel Heather's pain in her bones; even when Naya herself was in pain. Brown eyes met Heather's tears and when more followed, she paused. It was barely noticeable, but Darren caught on, repeating the note as Naya looked away and continued.
"Then I called you at home
You said that you weren't alone
I should've known better
Now it hurts much more."
Heather pressed her lips together, her hands giving her knees a rest to wipe away the stray tears. She knew she was shaking and the tremors only increased when Naya's eyes scanned her body.
"You caused my heart to bleed and
You still owe me a reason
Cause I can't figure out why"
The guilt ran through her veins like poison. Her throat closed and it suffocated her, but she knew she was breathing. She knew she was breathing because her lungs burned with each intake of breath. The warmth was completely gone now, as if Naya's voice had opened a door, the only wall keeping the cold outside.
"Why I'm alone and freezing
While you are in the bed that he's in
And I'm just felt alone to cry"
The guilt may have been wearing her limbs down, but her heart was jolted awake. As frozen as she felt, her mind would not be stopped. And now as she looked into brown eyes, she was more than apologizing, she was finally beginning to understand.
The memory that had hunted her earlier before came back as a movie, blocking everything else but the pained singing.
Heather knocked on Naya's door, having just arrived from a long weekend in her hometown. She hadn't seen Naya in person ever since they shot Special Education.
Her heart sped up when the faint noise of footsteps made its way through the door and before it had even been fully unlocked, Heather was already breathless with a mix of excitement and dread.
When the brunette came to view, there was barely enough time for Heather to take in the sight before thin arms enveloped her neck. Heather smiled against the soft tanned skin, breathing in Naya's scent as if that was the only oxygen she knew.
When their bodies parted, allowing Heather to actually look at her, the blonde's heart almost stopped. She was gorgeous. Wearing simple sweatpants and a white t-shirt, her hair in a bun, and glasses on, she looked naturally beautiful. If "cozy" could be used to describe someone, Heather would use it on Naya. She felt like she could nestle in her lap and stay there forever.
The heat that engulfed her heart was suddenly broken by a jab of freezing fear. Her mother's words came back to her and a wave of nausea hit her stomach. Heather's smile, that she didn't even know was there, faltered. The brunette seemed to notice immediately.
"What's wrong?"
It had been easy to ignore her mother's criticism concerning Brittany's storyline with Santana when it had just been over the phone. But it was that much harder in person.
'I don't like my daughter playing this slutty highschool girl that is so beyond promiscuous she even gets laid with her best friend just to kill the itch. It's so wrong.'
The accusation felt more personal than it should have. She knew her mother was conservative, but she was also kind. Her homophobia had decreased over the years and Heather hoped one day it would be gone for good. Brittany was just a character, she wasn't even real. Heather didn't need to feel so hurt. And it wasn't a lie. Brittany was a bit promiscuous, it seemed. Not because she slept with Santana, but because she slept with the whole school. It's just a character, she kept thinking.
What Heather didn't expect was a talk about Naya. How could she tell her best friend that her mother had reacted horribly to the rumor mill around her and Naya's relationship. Heather didn't even know how she had found all that crap, and from that day on she decided she hated the internet and everything surrounding it. Her mother made sure to show her, to advise her on how to dispel those 'crazy rumors'. And while she did so, clicking on pictures and shoving her fingers at comments, Heather could only concentrate on not crying. She felt sick to her stomach as her mother's words and reprimands entered her head. What would she think if she knew about the kisses? How disappointed would she be?
'Naya is too liberal.'
'Naya doesn't see the difference.'
'Naya is careless, she doesn't worry about what other people will think of her.'
The memory still burned in her brain and she felt embarrassed by simply remembering it. She felt guilty as if she had said it herself. And it frustrated her, more than words could say, how her mother was criticizing Naya for what was actually amazing about her.
She defended her and their friendship. She reminded her mother that she wasn't even famous. She barely had lines not over a year ago, she didn't need to worry. But her mother wouldn't give up. She kept pressing and pressing. Heather felt exposed and her relationship with Naya felt almost violated.
Her mother could never find out about the kisses.
Everything Heather thought made them unique and special turned promiscuous and wrong under her mother's worry. She didn't believe it, her heart wouldn't accept it. But suddenly, knowing what she would be faced with if her mother found out made her nervous.
It wasn't like she had to worry too much. They were just friends. And as much as she loved her mother, she couldn't let her dictate her life. She refused the suggestion to 'hang out with other people'. She already did so but she would never distance herself from Naya. That was out of the question.
But then Taylor showed up. Heather wasn't naïve enough to think it was just a coincidence. Her mother was giving her another option, and could Heather decline it? Her mother wasn't totally wrong, after all. She wasn't that farfetched. One should trust their mothers, right?
Naya and she were just a little off track. They were probably just lonely and being so close they started using their bond as a way to satisfy too many of their needs.
That could turn messy. It could cause problems in the future. Maybe her mother was right after all. Mothers are always right. Naya couldn't let the rumors affect her promising career because of Heather.
And their relationship wouldn't change if they started compartmentalizing. It wouldn't change if they took the less friendly part of their relationship out of the equation. They were best friends. That's what they were. It wouldn't be wrong to act just like any other best friends.
"Nothing." Heather finally muttered, feeling weak at the knees but not in a good way. "I just missed you, that's all."
Naya seemed to believe her, grinning widely while reaching for Heather's hands, pulling her inside the house without ever breaking eye contact. The gesture made her giggle adoringly, but the cold had already settled in her chest.
She couldn't quite comprehend why she felt this sad; she wasn't being forced to do anything. She had to stop worrying before Naya caught on again. This wasn't something she wanted to talk about, so she ignored the gut feeling telling her she should. It just seemed irrational to feel this way. Truth was her body seemed to act abnormally around the brunette anyway.
They moved to the living-room and Naya immediately told her hilarious stories of how she had spent the last few days. It was amazing to Heather how the girl could make her laugh until she cried, and be so incredibly captivating while talking about a weekend where she had basically done nothing.
The carefree conversation made her forget about the weight in her chest, even though it never actually left. It was only when Naya asked about her weekend that it all came back to her.
"My mother tried setting me up with my ex-boyfriend."
It was out before she could stop it.
Naya's eyes widened in surprise and she let out a low chuckle.
"How did that go?"
Heather paused for a moment trying to decide how to word it. Ever since she had spent time with him there was this heaviness following her around. She felt like she needed to talk to Naya about it, even though it didn't mean anything yet.
"He's still cute."
The tender tone in Heather's voice caught Naya's attention. She was still smiling but not as broadly, and her curiosity seemed different now. Heather couldn't pinpoint the different emotion and something inside her made her feel safer ignoring it.
"Does that mean you're interested?"
Even Naya's voice didn't sound like her and suddenly Heather didn't want to talk about this anymore.
"I don't know. Maybe. But anyway… Have you watched the latest episode of…"
"You don't know?" Naya interrupted wearing an unreadable expression that Heather was not familiar with and found herself not liking.
This was her best friend, but now she looked like an inscrutable therapist.
"I mean he wants to talk more and we're going to spend some time together on Christmas. I guess we'll see."
Naya's face didn't change so Heather felt like she had to continue. "I mean I'm single so I guess something could happen, if I wanted to."
She didn't say it defensively. Her voice was soft and hesitant like a child afraid of messing up in front of a teacher. But for a fraction of a second - a moment that lasted so little Heather could have easily missed it -, Naya looked as if she had been slapped. Her face barely twisted, but her eyes changed immediately and even as she put on a smile it didn't feel warm anymore. It didn't even reach her eyes. The only light that crossed them was frighteningly similar to tears.
"I'm not saying something will happen." Heather quickly added. "But I work so much. I don't meet anyone anymore. I don't have time to go on dates. He feels familiar, you know? Like comfortable. I don't know if I like him that way, I mean… I used to. But I don't know if I love him enough to date him again, but it was nice. Not like overwhelmingly nice, but it was nice."
She knew she was rambling but Naya wasn't stopping her and honestly she didn't know if she could. This conversation was making her anxious and she didn't remember ever feeling like this in front of the brunette. But her mother's nagging words were still in her mind.
"I wouldn't mind having a boyfriend. It would be good for me. The only romantic life I have now is as Brittany and that's so weird. I mean it's almost confusing. It shouldn't be. Glee can't be my life."
She was sure she wasn't saying what she meant to say. And why was she stating words that weren't hers? She meant these words as a question, she wanted Naya's opinion, but it almost looked like she had lost her in the middle of all that blabbering. Naya wasn't looking at her anymore. She was nodding at something, and simply agreed.
"Yeah, I get it. You should do it."
Heather felt as if she has just tripped down the stairs. That feeling in your stomach like you're falling from a great height. But Naya had just agreed, that was a good thing, wasn't it? So her mother had a point.
She reached for Naya's hand instinctively, but the brunette seemed sort of aloof now. It was as if Heather was having a dream, where the emotions change as randomly as the places you're at. She had never felt so lost.
"Maybe I should do it too. Give Mark his chance after all his begging."
Heather contorted her face in disgust almost immediately. For the first time Naya seemed to be back, when she chuckled at seeing the blonde's look. It wasn't as if Mark was unattractive. Most would say he was pretty attractive. But the idea itself was repulsive. As if Naya had just suggested dating her own brother.
"I don't want to talk about dates anymore." Heather stated flatly.
Naya just exhaled, nodding wearily.
"Me neither. Let's watch a movie."
"You're crying." Naya croaked, as if just noticing, bringing Heather back from the past.
Watching her friend staring at her with puffy brown eyes and a bashful smile - looking both worried and hesitant under Heather's gaze -, left the dancer speechless. After all this time, after all they had been through; they were still such good friends. There was still so much love in there. How could Heather be so lucky after being so damn stupid, she asked herself?
"That was really beautiful." Darren's voice seemed to come out of nowhere.
His eyes were gentle as he smiled at them before turning to Naya. "Your voice is raw emotion."
"Thanks." Naya said somehow bashfully, her eyes glancing at Heather before they zeroed in on the floor.
"You turn my world upside down." Heather whispered, her voice cracking.
Naya's eyes were on her immediately, a questioning gaze Heather was familiar to.
"But I would take that dizziness for the…" Heather paused," straight world, anytime."
The blonde giggled, stopping herself from saying more as she wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes.
Naya watched her. She watched the way the blonde was taking long, slow breaths and how her hands shook slightly. A wave of warmth filled her chest and she stood up moving to sit next to the dancer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Heather chuckled through a few disobedient tears, letting her body be pulled into Naya's, her head finding a comfy spot on the crook of her neck.
"You're amazing." She whispered, gripping Naya's shirt.
"Thanks." Naya spoke lowly, kissing the top of Heather's head.
The softness of Naya's touch made Heather feel both terrible and forever grateful.
"Naya Rivera, breaking hearts since 2009." Darren announced with his out stretched hands pointing at Naya.
"You're going to take over the world." Heather admitted. "I'll tell my grandkids that I used to be your best friend and they won't believe me. They'll think I'm trying to be cool."
Naya chuckled throatily, gripping the shoulders under palms, her fingers playing with a few loose strands of golden hair.
"Well, I'll show mine old episodes of Glee. By then, the quality must seem as awful to them as an old VHS seems to us. Still, they'll notice the blonde with never ending legs. That kind of hotness never loses its appeal."
Heather looked up and found Naya's eyes. There was a blush in her own cheeks but she smirked at the brunette before saying, "Is it so hard for you to be told how amazing you are without throwing a compliment back at me?"
Before Naya could answer, Darren laughed loudly joining them at the foot of the couch.
"You are both amazing. And your grandkids will totally know each other."
Naya and Heather shared a look that was both surprised and excited. It looked as if they had never considered that option before.
"And they'll lock you in the basement with all your Glee crap just so they won't have to hear about it ever again." Darren finished jokingly.
"And I'll keep asking for you to sing, but my hearing won't be that good anymore. So you'll have to sing really loudly and they'll be able to hear it upstairs." Heather continued ecstatic.
"By that time, I'll have lost my voice so it's going to sound really husky or terribly off beat."
"Well, since I'll be partially deaf I won't mind."
"You do listen to music really loudly." Darren interrupted Heather with a soft smile.
"Or you'll wear dentures and they'll fall off every time you hit a high note." Heather giddily added, ignoring Darren's comment.
Naya was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes, which made Heather's face crunch up in happiness as it always happened when she made her friend laugh like that.
"And I'll forget them everywhere because I already keep misplacing stuff. So you'll have to remind me to wear them."
When Heather started impersonating a toothless Naya, both girls doubled over in laughter.
"And being the klutz that you are, you'll dislocate a joint trying to show our grandkids some elaborate dance move."
Only Darren seemed to notice the slip of tongue. Heather was nodding veraciously, her blue eyes shining brightly with tears and her face red as fire.
"I'll walk out of the house with my cane, holding your dentures, yelling your name as you leave for the market."
When their laughter subsided, Darren sighed, looking up at the ceiling before facing both girls.
"I love to think of growing old, but isn't it weird thinking about the end of Glee? You guys were there from the start so I imagine it's even worse for you."
They turned to look at him as if only now reminded of his presence. Heather shrugged noncommittally.
"It's my life now. I love it. I don't want to think of doing the same thing my whole my life, but it will always be bittersweet." Naya eventually said.
"Very bittersweet." Darren agreed.
She realized now that Glee had never been her life, unlike she had feared. But it had given her a chance to live a happily ever after, like everyone dreams of since they're little kids. If only she had been smart enough to understand it.
"It will be really sad, but I don't worry about the future as long as I'm with the people I love." Heather shrugged.
"That's also true." Darren nodded.
Naya was watching the blonde in silence and when she spoke her voice was much quieter than before.
"You're ready to leave already, aren't you?"
The question hung in the air. Heather tried to ascertain the meaning behind Naya's words and only when the brunette averted her eyes solemnly did she finally get it.
"No. Not at all." Heather finally answered.
Naya smiled softly, keeping her eyes on the floor. She still seemed sad, and Heather wanted nothing more than to bring that contagious laughter back.
"I totally ruined the good vibe, didn't I? I'm sorry. I'll just go depress someone else now." Darren jokingly said, actually standing up and leaving when the girls remained quiet.
"The best future I can imagine is one where I can still make you laugh like today."
At this, the brunette finally seemed to smile genuinely. She looked at Heather the way you look at a child who just screwed up but at whom you can't stay mad at.
"You're so fucking adorable." Naya said through a puff of air.
Heather moved her hand to Naya's hair, allowing her fingers to play with the long locks. Naya grabbed Heather's wrist, pushing it from her hair, but before the blonde could miss the contact, her arm was being set on Naya's back, as if the girl was directing Heather to hug her. The blonde did just that, smiling against Naya's neck, breathing her after what seemed like an eternity.
Naya always smelled so sweet. But not just sweet like you get when a girl just sprayed perfume over her body, it was the kind of sweet you get when you enter a garden. Fresh and melting at the same time. That was the comparison that always popped in Heather's head when she hugged her friend. The skin of Naya's neck felt velvety soft when it brushed Heather's cheek and the blonde would have been lost in that moment if it wasn't for the fastening heartbeat that pulsed under her lips.
Slightly dazed, but very much aware of their closeness, Heather let go, failing to ignore the butterflies that burst in her stomach at knowing the effect she still had on Naya.
For a moment she thought of saying something about what she had just remembered. But nothing had changed in her life so far; wouldn't that be repeating the mistakes she had so recently apologized for? Did it make that much of a difference that now she wasn't drunk?
Naya made the decision for her by standing up, pulling Heather with her.
"Come on, the party is dying. Let's help Lea spice things up."
Saturday, 03:05 am
After saying their goodbyes to a very tired hostess and few party troopers who were now drunkenly playing video games, Heather and Naya left the apartment and walked back to Heather's car.
The ride home was quiet but Heather felt the most comfortable she had in a long while. With Naya by her side, even without talking, there was immediate warmth surrounding her whole body, erasing every ounce of sadness.
Lea couldn't begin to imagine how grateful Heather was for this party. It was like a break to refill, to get back her strength before the changes in her life started.
Naya touched Heather's hand lightly when it hovered by the car keys, just when Heather was about to kill the engine.
"You don't need to stop." Naya said, and it broke Heather a little, even if she knew it wasn't wise to prolong this night any longer. "Thank you for the ride." Naya smiled sweetly, her eyelids closing with sleep. "And everything else." She finished firmly before kissing Heather's cheek.
Heather had to let her go. She couldn't stop her now and burst out everything she had been feeling. It wouldn't be right. But she really did miss her best friend. Not just her best friend, but the person Naya had been to her so long ago. She needed that person to tell her everything would be okay, even if it wasn't. She needed those tender brown orbs to look at her without the shadows of Heather's mistakes. She needed everything she didn't know how to ask before. But knowing she couldn't have it, Heather just hugged her, locking her in her arms before Naya could leave.
And it was as if Naya knew. When Heather gripped her so urgently, Naya held her in her arms without question. Her hands making soft patterns on Heather's back before moving to blonde hair. Naya's soft fingers seemed to mend her broken heart, giving her a sense of security like she had never experienced before. But it wasn't like Taylor; it wasn't that kind of safety. It was so much more. Like Heather was invincible, like nothing could stop her as long as those fingers were threaded in her hair.
When Heather's grip subsided, Naya moved to look at her, her hands holding Heather's face gently. Naya didn't say anything, she didn't pressure for answers. She simply looked at the blonde tenderly.
"Goodnight." Heather whispered.
Naya didn't leave the car until she had hugged Heather once more, leaving a kiss on her temple with the softest words whispered against her skin, "I'm here if you need me."
And with that in her mind, Heather drove home.
She was ready.