Title – Halfway To Anywhere
Summary: Naya's not sure how she ended up in her bathtub; hung-over and with Heather on top of her, but the kink in her neck suggests they slept there. Sequel to Behind Closed Doors. RPF. HeYa.
Disclaimer: Rah-rah-rah! Nope.
A/N: over 200 reviews! I love you guys! Thank you so much for the reviews :) also this chapter is like 10k! WHAT! I seriously couldn't end it. So you're stuck with a long chapter.
-ooo-
It's not until Friday night that Naya finds herself sitting in a small café just down from the set of Glee. It's a small place. Cozy, with an actual fire crackling away in the featured stone wall and dimmed lights. The curtains that cover the windows are long and drape on the floor and the table tops are shinned wood.
Naya's never been here before, but apparently Dianna has. Although the café itself screams Dianna so Naya's not exactly surprised on that note.
It's 7pm, or just gone past and Naya is sitting at a two seater table in the corner of the room. There are not that many people around; just a man with white hair enjoying what Naya thinks is a scone. He doesn't seem interested in her though, which thank God because Naya is a nervous wreck. She's sure if the man happened to look over at her he'd think she was about to faint or cry or maybe he would just think she was a typical LA resident that looked displeased with the home-style café.
It didn't exactly cry five stars. But Naya thinks that's why Dianna likes the place so much, it's under the radar. She likes it herself too.
"I got us sugar packets," Dianna says as she comes over to the table, she had been ordering for both of them. She puts the two mugs down and three packets of sugar slide from her hand. "Organic." Dianna tells.
Naya stares at the sugar before pulling her coffee mug closer towards herself, "thanks," she says and Dianna smiles while she sits down.
"This is the best coffee you'll ever have, trust me." She's excited, Naya can tell.
Although the coffee does look appealing, with its chocolate sprinkles and swirls of milk – Dianna herself as Naya can see has some type of tea. By the smell of it she's pretty sure it's blueberry or maybe raspberry or at a guess just something with cranberries in it.
She reaches for a packet of 'organic' sugar and rips the very edge of the paper packet, "I'm taking it you come here a lot." Naya smiles, "how haven't I heard of this place?"
Dianna just grins, "It's my little secret."
"That I now know of." Informs Naya with a grin of her own, she pours the sugar into her coffee and the grains sink into the froth on top before dissolving.
"You wanted to talk, so I figured somewhere public but quiet would be nice and I know how much you love your coffee."
"Live for it."
Dianna breathes a laugh, "So I figured it would be okay to share my secret place with you, just this one time."
"You are aware I can find my way back here right?" Naya asks with amusement. "So it's not just one time."
"You're hopeless with directions, so I'm quite sure you couldn't find your way back here."
"I am not hopeless with directions…."
"You got lost on your first day on set."
"It's a big place."
Taking a quick sip of her tea, Dianna raises her eyebrows. "You were ten meters from your dressing room." She smiles.
"I was nervous, I got disorientated." Despite trying to pull off a frown, Naya finds herself chuckling around her words. "And anyway, we're not talking about my direction skills, we're talking about this café. How'd you find it?"
"I put an ad online and waited for a match." Dianna says seriously. Her deadpanned humour catches Naya off guard and for a second she earnestly thinks Dianna's is telling the truth, logic aside.
It's right up until Dianna cracks a soft smile, that Naya realizes she is joking.
She shakes her head in amusement and looks down to her coffee, "I think you've found the perfect match then." She plays along.
Dianna nods her head once, briefly looking around the café. "So you like it then?"
"It's nice," Naya gives, "Heather would love it." She adds without much thought. She sees Dianna tilt her head almost curiously, like a puppy watching its owner with interest.
Dianna doesn't say anything – which if Naya is honest – makes her feel strangely caught out or maybe uncomfortable, so quickly she lifts her coffee and takes a gulp.
Dianna is right about it being the best coffee, Naya's pretty sure heaven just moved into her mouth. With the added sugar the coffee isn't as bitter and it leaves a subtle caramel taste on her lips, the chocolate sprinkles are sweet and the milk is light and Naya actually shuts her eyes just to cope with the caffeinated heaven she's in right now. Because God is everything magical and perfect!
Dianna chuckles, "it's pretty fantastic, right?"
Opening her eyes, Naya licks her lips. "Heaven. It's heaven." She's being serious but Dianna chuckles again, amused.
"I think you've found your perfect match as well."
It's a joke.
Just a friendly conversation, a simple sentence that shouldn't mean anything other than something funny; but Naya doesn't find herself smiling, instead she finds herself immediately thinking about Heather and despite herself the butterflies take over her stomach and chest, and seemingly bite away her resolve until she's sitting down her coffee and staring at Dianna with a serious look.
"I'm taking Heather out." The words slip from her mouth before she can filter them, and Dianna tilts her head again. This time in confusion.
"I'm sorry?" She asks in a way that suggests she didn't quite hear what Naya had mumbled.
Don't say it again!
"I'm taking Heather out."
Dianna looks no less confused, "is this what you wanted to talk to me about?" She inquires lightly.
She has no idea what Naya is trying to say, so self-consciously Naya grabs for her coffee again and moulds her hands around the sides. It's hot but she presses her palms tightly and securely anyway and with a breath in, she prepares herself.
She can tell Dianna. She is after all the one who asked to talk so it should be easy. Dianna basically knows anyhow, Naya would just be confirming it. She can tell Dianna.
She can tell Dianna.
But maybe she shouldn't. Maybe she should wait and talk to Heather again, just to see if Heather wants to tell Dianna together. But why would they, they're not even a couple and Naya's really unsure about how to deal with that conversation. What if Heather didn't think anything of the date? Naya knows that's not the case, but still. She's damn nervous and a little confused still and Dianna is willing to listen.
She can tell Dianna.
No.
She will tell Dianna.
"Yes." She answers before she adds again, "I'm taking Heather out."
"Out?" Dianna echoes, it's done lightly and Naya's stomach burns with how nervous she's feeling.
"Yeah…."
Dianna still looks confused, but there is something behind her eyes that twinkles in acknowledgment. "Where are you taking her?" She asks.
"I was thinking paintball."
Dianna raises her eyebrows in intrigue and she glances to her tea in thought, Naya breathes in with a noticeable jitter.
"There is a place out of town; it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere I guess, I googled directions on how to get there." She adds.
"A paintball place." Dianna muses. Naya thinks she is picturing it because she looks thoughtful.
"Yeah, it's outside paintball. The kind with like tunnels and walls and I don't know, maybe trees." She swallows, "I thought it'd be fun."
Heather liked outdoor stuff.
Dianna is smiling and she looks Naya over slowly, "Why are you acting so…so nervous?" She inquires with a raised eyebrow.
Naya hadn't realized she was being obvious, and subconsciously she leans back. Withdrawing from Dianna's steady gaze, "you keep looking at me." She defends lamely.
Dianna actually smiles wider, "because we're having a conversation." She explains slowly.
"Right."
"Naya," Dianna whispers in a voice that is so amused and yet completely comforting all at once. It actually makes Naya's nerves intensify and she's not too sure why because at the same time she feels slightly comforted and it leaves a weird tugging feeling in her gut.
She's pretty sure Dianna hasn't picked up on her taking Heather out-out and not just out as friends.
Or maybe she has, it was hard to tell with Dianna.
"It's just, ugh, I don't know. It's just too complicated to explain." Naya tells quietly. There's the sound of a chair scraping and Naya glances to the old guy as he stands and pats down his trousers. He looks content. Naya wishes she could feel the same way. She wishes her body wouldn't tense with nerves and the urge to just take a calming breath, but it does and she's quietly annoyed by that.
"What's too complicated?" Dianna softly asks. She's leaning closer, her tea forgotten in favour of watching Naya curiously.
"This." Naya says strongly, waving her hand around. She's referring to her nerves but Dianna doesn't know that so Naya continues, "Everything. I'm not sure." She watches the man leave the small café before looking down to her coffee.
"Taking Heather to paintball is complicated?"
No.
Naya scoffs at herself, "No. No, that's not complicated. It's…, it's the reasons behind why I'm taking her to paintball that's complicated."
Dianna bows her head and stares seriously at Naya, "Naya, it's paintball."
"I'm taking her out."
With a light laugh, Dianna leans back. "I heard you the first time."
"I'm taking her out, Di. I'm taking Heather out to paintball and I don't even completely know why I'm taking her out, or I guess why I feel the need to take her out. With just me, by ourselves – and y'know, together." She says pointedly.
Dianna's eyes widen and a spark of clarification shines through them, "You're taking Heather out." She hushes lightly.
Naya's quick to nod, "yes." She quietly clarifies.
Dianna picks her tea up and rests her elbows upon the table, effectively holding her mug near her lips. The steam hangs around her face almost heavily. "I knew it." She remarks in a gentle tone, hazel eyes glance down to her tea and then back to Naya. "I knew it!" She repeats with a smug happiness, only Dianna's smug look is anything but smug. In fact she comes across as genuinely pleased.
Pleased to hear Naya is taking Heather out or pleased at the fact that her suspicions were corrected, Naya isn't sure.
But Dianna's lips curve up into a friendly smile, and it's soothing and warming and Naya wants to tell Dianna everything. Everything and nothing at the same time.
Her lips feel numb as she swallows, "I don't know what I'm doing, Di. I have no clue."
She wants to say more, maybe even laugh a little at her situation, but all that comes out is a broken exhale that hangs between them both with a heavy silence.
Silence, a pause, a moment – in reality a second and then Dianna is talking.
"You're finding it complicated." She states. It's not a question. It's a thought over response, but Naya responds to it anyway.
"Sometimes."
Dianna blinks around the steam from her tea, "only sometimes?"
"Mm," Naya hums. Her lips still feel numb but she can't seem to stop her next string of words, "I mean, Heather keeps saying it's simple. And that it can be simple if we make it that way and sometimes it is. But it's like fifty-fifty, y'know? Half simple but also half complicated." She pulls her coffee closer so that it sits near the edge of the table, the bitter liquid moves against the sides and a bit drips over the rim.
She ignores it.
Although that's kind of what her heart feels like, reckless and uncontrolled and falling out of her chest messily.
God, Heather has screwed her up.
And she isn't always sure it's in a good way.
Dianna lowers her tea without taking a sip and Naya looks to it, "do you like her?" Dianna quietly questions.
Naya keeps her eyes on Dianna's mug, "she's my best friend."
"No, I meant, do you like her? As something more?" Dianna presses.
It probably should be a simple answer on Naya's part – but she honestly doesn't even know where she would start in responding – of course she likes Heather. That's simple.
She's attracted to her without a doubt and it's not a big jump to suggest there may be other feelings surrounding them both, what those feelings are Naya isn't sure, but there's something there. Something more than the kisses and touches and lingering glances, something that means a lot more than what Naya is capable of dealing with. Or maybe she can deal with it; maybe it is as simple as kissing Heather. Because kissing Heather is not hard.
She just doesn't know how to start.
Start what though?
Being with Heather as more than friends?
Because if that is the case, her little date she has planned is probably going to help that along.
Or is it that she doesn't know how to start admitting her feelings?
"Don't over think it." Dianna tells. She breaks Naya from her thoughts. "Do you like her?"
Yes.
"Yes."
Without hesitating, Dianna grins widely. "How so?" She further questions.
Naya's heart is about the break from her chest and bust a rib if it beats any faster. "I don't understand."
"Well you already said you want to be around her – on a date – but is it more than just enjoying her company?"
Looking sideways, Naya swallows. "I'm not following."
Dianna's tea is held up again and from over the rim she watches Naya, a serious expression on her face. "Heather gave you the hickey, didn't she?"
Naya, feeling rather affronted looks down and Dianna sighs kindly.
"Naya, it's me."
She knows that.
But her heart hurts from booming so loudly and her mind aches with her own complicated outlook and somewhere in her mixed up thoughts she wants to drink her perfect coffee before it gets cold, and damn is she feeling awkward.
Just speak!
"Yes," she croaks, "yeah, she did."
"I knew it." With a sneaky smile and one Naya thinks is acceptance, Dianna takes a small sip of her tea. "So that means you have both kissed." Again it's stated, but again Naya feels compelled to answer.
"Is it weird?" She says around a throat full of air, it makes her sound like she's a different person. "Is it weird that I'm kissing her?"
Dianna actually looks shocked, "What? No, Naya. To be honest I'm not even all that surprised."
"But it's Heather. Heather." Naya throws out, "She's like, I don't know. This amazing person that also happens to be my friend and co-worker and I'm just making out with her, like some hormonal teenager! And I feel bad because when I'm around her I can't control myself, I have this – this need to be near her, or touching her in some way and I don't know why. Because I shouldn't be feeling that way about her. About Heather. She's my friend, she's HeMo. Dianna…, I don't know why and now I sound like a creep."
"First of all sweetie, breathe. Second, what you've explained isn't complicated." Dianna lightly says.
Naya flicks the back of her nail against her coffee and looks to the actress carefully, "How is it not complicated?"
"Because it's a crush." There's a smile on Dianna's lips that Naya isn't sure she can read, but it's caring. "You have a crush on her, and my guess is she has one on you as well."
"A crush?" Although that sounds completely simple and also completely true, Naya still frowns.
"Yes." Dianna confirms around a laugh, "Naya, the way Heather looks at you is obvious. I mean she practically has puppy dog eyes for you, which is adorable, considering she follows your every lead." She pauses and leans forward with her tea still firmly in her hands. "You're both crushing on each other."
Naya shakes her head, "It – I don't know. It feels like more than a crush." She admits.
Naya's had a crush before and it certainly didn't make her heart and head and whole body a mess when she was around said crush – not like when she's around Heather.
With a shrug, Dianna smiles. "Crushes always do."
"I like her though." Naya fumbles. She doesn't know what she is saying. Or why she is saying it. But the thought that this is only a crush, a simple – little crush, makes Naya want to argue her feelings for Heather. Because it feels stronger than a crush, scarily so. "I like her," She repeats. "A lot. I think I've always liked her in some way, and I mean, I guess I just didn't realize it until the trailer. At least not completely anyway. Because now she's seriously the only thing I can seem to think about, and that's crazy, Di. I can't even remember a time this last week that I haven't had her on my mind…and that sounds so much like a crush now that I've said it out loud. Worse yet, I sound like my teenage self before I became aware of self-control!"
Dianna is grinning so much, Naya has to look down.
Her emotions were too scattered. Or at least they felt that way. It was almost like she had been punched in the heart by like a fairy or something and although it didn't hurt, she felt the jab and now that she felt it, she couldn't stop feeling it.
It was like Heather had permanently taken a piece of her and she didn't know what that piece was, or even if she wanted it back. But a part of her wants to miss whatever Heather took and a part of her wants to give more, to let Heather have everything.
"Oh, Naya." Dianna laughs in such a caring manner, Naya actually feels like she's been hugged. "Are you okay?"
"I'm crushing on Heather, Dianna. Would you be okay if you were doing that?"
Dianna raises her eyebrows slowly, "honestly, probably." The truthful statement makes Naya laugh a little and Dianna grins. "Look, I don't know the whole story between you and Heather and I'm not going to pretend I do. But what I do know is that you both have this chemistry when you're together and you just click with each other. Call it a friendship or call it more, that's just how it is. Don't ruin that by worrying. Just relax."
"Relax?"
"Yes," Dianna says simply, "if you want to take things slow, take things slow. Don't do anything you're not comfortable with and be open with Heather as well, communicate. Talk to her and get her to talk to you."
"You sound like a fortune cookie."
"I'm serious," tells Dianna around a soft smile, "the more you talk with each other the easier it'll be to understand where you're both coming from."
"Can I just say that you're taking this really well?"
"I kind of knew already, I think if you told anyone else they'd be a bit thrown though. And thank you, for telling me that is."
Naya breathes out, "I was going to do it with Heather, but honestly I think that would have been harder. I'm also not entirely sure if she's ready to take that step anyway. I'm probably confusing her with my 'it's complicated' shit."
"She won't mind me knowing though?" Dianna asks with a concerned frown.
Naya shakes her head quickly, "It's Heather, of course she won't. I just meant that telling you herself or even with me might have been too soon for her. She's aware you're on to something also, she thinks you're going to try and talk to her." Naya smiles.
"I probably would have done had you not of said anything to me."
"Nosey."
"Absolutely, but it's always a caring nose I'm sticking in your business."
Naya chuckles warmly, "I know."
-ooo-
Naya's hands tap the steering wheel of her car as a random Indie song softly flows from the radio.
She's excited.
Nervous, but excited, which is to be expected considering she's about to pick Heather up for a date. A freakin' date.
She had texted Heather earlier a quick; 'meet you in ten' and practically broke her jaw smiling when Heather responded with, 'can't wait x'
The kiss at the end of the message was enough to get Naya's stomach fluttering and she debated for a good minute whether to send a kiss back, or just leave it. She eventually decided to leave it, because a random kiss would be weird. Unless she coupled it with like a winking face or something; but she didn't want to be suggestive.
It was just a kiss. Heather did it all the time in response to her dancer friends. Jeremy mainly.
Still, Naya's unable to lose her dorky smile as she pulls up outside Heather's apartment. Heather is waiting outside, dressed casually like Naya had suggested. She's wearing a simple blue tank top and a pair of fitting jeans and Naya kind of wants to take a picture.
Which is a random thing to do, so she doesn't, instead she pulls up slowly; flashing Heather a wide grin and getting a soft although equally wide smile in response.
Heather practically skips to Naya's car and with a cute bend; she peers through the open car window.
"So paintball huh?" There's a friendly greeting in Heather's eyes as she speaks, and Naya nods.
"It's kind of off the grid though, so we have a long drive." She states.
Heather pinches her lips together, "cool, so it's like a road trip?"
Naya chuckles, "something like that, I picked up coffee on the way over so get it while it's hot." She smiles.
"Of course you did." Heather singsongs rather fondly before she rounds the car to jump into the passenger side, the door closes with a soft thump and Heather pulls her seatbelt. She looks excited, which makes Naya even more excited but it also calms her somewhat and her nerves start to disappear.
This was Heather.
Heather.
And paintball was awesome – and yeah, okay, so it's not exactly a romantic or mushy first date. But honestly Naya isn't sure either one of them would know how to act if there was this big dinner and candles and music and maybe, just maybe rose petals. She thinks it would be overwhelming, so for now it's paintball and if Naya's not a nervous wreck afterwards – she hopes Heather will come back to her apartment for a glass of wine – or two.
But for now she's just focusing on the paintball part.
"Ready?" Naya asks, watching Heather pick her coffee out of the cars drink holder appreciatively.
Heather nods once, "so ready, I haven't gone to paintball since I was a kid."
"I went last year with Mychal and Nickalya. But it was like indoor paintball and the fumes from the paint made Nickalya feel sick." Naya tells as she pulls away from the curb and back into the flow of traffic. "And Mychal insisted on army rolling everywhere, so embarrassing!"
Heather's watching her with a smile, "your siblings sound so much like you."
"Nickalya is, well kind of, she has a large personality. I think you'd get along with her. Is it weird you haven't met her yet?"
"I've met your mom," Heather shrugs, "besides even Dianna hasn't met your sister and you've known Dianna a bit longer than me." Heather reminds.
Naya nods, "my mom's really cool right?"
In reality Heather hadn't actually talked in full to Naya's mom, it was a brief introduction that consisted of a polite hello on Heather's part and Naya's mom exclaiming afterwards; 'was that the girl who toured with Beyoncé? The one you mentioned? She's nice.' And the whole cast was present so it was like a group introduction.
It was basically a 'meet my mom new co-workers' and as awkward as one would expect.
Heather takes a quick sip from her coffee, the white lid hardly containing the steam. "Yeah, she's awesome." She replies and it's so genuine that Naya kind of wishes Heather and her mom had talked more.
They would have got along so well.
"She was so excited to meet the cast and crew." Naya says around a fond grin.
"I haven't even thought to invite my mom on set,"
"You should," Naya encourages, "I mean as it is we're getting more screen time. It'd be cool to show your mom where you work and all, y'know?"
"You just want to meet her." Laughs Heather, Naya side-eyes her with a nod. "She's not as relaxed as your mom." Heather adds.
"My mom's not relaxed." Naya chuckles, she is friendly, easy-going when she's comfortable. But Naya doesn't think she's exactly relaxed.
Heather seems to disagree because she takes a decisive sip of her coffee, "compared to my mom she is."
"You're making your mom seem edgy."
"No, no, I just meant that your mom is like super easy to talk too and stuff."
"You only said hello to her," tells Naya, Heather shrugs lightly.
"Yeah, and it was super easy. Not that my mom is hard to talk to or anything, 'cause she's not. It's just, I don't know, I feel like your mom would be the type to cook dinner for your friends and stuff."
With a smile, Naya looks to Heather fully. "She so would."
-ooo-
It's an hour later when they see the sign for the seriously out-of-the-way paintball dwelling and all Naya can really see is a bunch of trees and empty grassy fields. She's hasn't past another car for a good twenty minutes and its weird, because she's so use to LA traffic.
"It's like we're in the country." Heather voices as she rests her head against the window and just stares out.
Naya watches ahead, "we practically are."
"Don't pick up any random hitchhikers, I feel like that would be a mistake out here."
"Heather, that would be a mistake anywhere." Naya quickly says.
From her peripheral vision she sees Heather nod.
"Either way, don't pick anyone up."
"I'm not okay with a three-some date so trust me I'm not planning on picking anyone up." Looking ahead, Naya adds. "Also, can I just say, the only hitchhiker we're coming across would be like a cow or something."
Heather chuckles, "so true!"
-ooo-
When they finally arrive at their destination Naya's legs are cramping and she looks beyond tired and Heather just emerges from the vehicle like some beautiful creature. Like it's that easy to look perfect. Legit, she just steps out like a perfect being and Naya's left all but falling out her side of the car. Driving drains her sometimes.
There's a small office like building that looks old but weirdly comfortable before them, and a rusted sign that reads in all its simplicity; 'outdoor paintball'.
Simple.
Naya locks her car and looks to Heather, "It's quaint." She says about the building and Heather gives her a smile that even the sun couldn't rival. "We should go in. I read online that we need to go through like a quick introduction. Get our gear and I guess our paintball guns."
"Neat," Heather enthuses, and to Naya's surprise she leans closer to link their arms together.
It really shouldn't be a surprise, but it is.
They walk up to the main entrance and enter by a small glass door that Naya tries to push instead of pull, and then they make their way inside. There are two people already inside, both elderly men. Well, old enough to be sporting salt-and-pepper hair anyway and they give polite smiles to both Naya and Heather.
Heather returns the smile but Naya is too busy setting her sights on the information desk to respond.
She practically drags Heather over and a lady with bright red lipstick looks up.
"H'w may I help ya'll?" She drawls.
"Hi," Naya sort of awkwardly says before recovering, "I was just wondering about the paintball introduction."
Honestly, she has no idea what she's saying. She isn't even really sure if what she read was correct about the introduction, so she very well could be making a fool out of herself. Plus, this place is not like the city. It's large and outdoorsy and different.
Looking for some form of comfort, Naya glances to Heather. She's watching the receptionist with a friendly gaze and Naya kind of really wants Heather to be looking at her and not some random person. She tightens her arm around Heather's and looks back to the lady.
"Pat will be out soon, he's just preparing a few things. If ya'll want to wait with the others he'll be out quick as a cricket." She says in a loud voice, her red lipstick stains her teeth. "You look familiar, darl…." She adds to Naya with a smack of those lips. "Got a friendly face."
Naya laughs and it so awkward, "um, thanks." She tightly squeaks, "So we just wait over there?" She points behind her at the two men and the woman nods largely.
"That's right, sweat pea. Like I said Pat won't be too far along."
"Quick as a cricket, right?" Heather says in a friendly banter sort of way and it startles Naya somewhat, not that it should. Heather's social. Socializing comes easy to her.
The lady smacks her lips together in a big smile, "quick as a cricket, sweet girl."
The pet names weren't annoying until right now and fervently Naya pulls Heather away from the information desk and towards the men. Only there are two more people now, a man; dark haired and looking fairly LA-ish and a woman who looks almost double his age.
Naya smirks, a cougar perhaps.
She goes to say as much to Heather but the opening of a door quiets her and she turns to see who she assumes is Pat.
He's holding a clipboard and grinning at the group, "hello everyone, my name is Pat and welcome." He stops like directly in front of Heather and Naya looks at him strangely, he doesn't see it. "Now first off, I just want to start with a quick introduction on safety and give out your protective gear. The rules are simple, no shooting lower than the belt or higher than the chest – in other words aim for the torso people – and also for safety reasons do not put your paintball gun at point blank range. We've had incidents in the past of that happening, and it can be painful." He looks down to his clipboard. "There are no teams but the person you are here with,"
From near them the two elderly men fist bump. It's so distracting Naya kind of misses half of Pat's continued speech just replaying the image over and over in her head.
The next thing she's aware of she's being handed a loaded paintball gun, a vest, some weird hat that reminds her of a baseball cap only squarer and strict instructions to 'have fun'.
-ooo-
Ten minutes later Naya finds herself crouched behind a massive log with her paintball gun clutched tightly in both her hands and Heather to her right.
The hat she's wearing is tilted and her hair flies out waywardly and despite her agility her vest is pretty much painted green.
She grinds her teeth and looks over at Heather. Her vest is clean, un-hit.
"How did you not get hit?" She asks around her embarrassing pants. She can't seem to catch her breath. "As soon as we got on the field that one guy went crazy and practically gunned us all down." She adds, Heather is sitting Indian style and side-eyes Naya briefly.
"Actually that was because you were running towards him, honey." She looks at her own gun that is casually sitting on the grass and continues slowly, with an air of confusion. "And it probably didn't help that you were waving your arms around…."
Naya shakes her head, "That's just how I run." She explains, because it was, so she has a weird run – it's like Dianna's – hands out to the side and sway those arms! Except Naya likes to bend her arms, so the arm swaying looks more like she's some hulking beast that wants to elbow everyone within a foot of her.
"And you were the only one to get hit." Heather clarifies.
Ten minutes in. Ten minutes in and already Naya was making a damn fool out of herself. Weren't there meant to be like teams in this game?
"Who is Mr Green's partner?" She asks around her still heavy inhales. Heather looks to her.
"Mr who?"
"Mr Green. The guy who went bananas with his gun and got all up in my grill," she sounds like her character, but honestly the moment needs some Santana sass. "Everyone had a partner right? It's like a partner's game, we're together, that older couple that fist bumped earlier are together. So who is with Mr Green?"
"You're seriously calling him that?" Heather asks, a small smile curving her lips.
Naya holds her gun closer to her chest, "yes." She draws out.
"Why?"
"Because he has the green paint," Naya states seriously, almost as though it was the most logical thing in the world.
Well, it kind of was.
"Does that mean I'm Ms Purple?" Asks Heather and Naya squints when the blonde grabs for her gun and waves it loosely. Heather points to Naya's gun with her free hand, and pokes it strongly. A small part of Naya fears it'll go off or something. "And you're Ms Orange?"
Naya stares for a moment, half trying to keep up with Heather but also kind of checking her out. Heather's own hat sits straight, only slightly tilted back so more of her forehead is showing then Naya's and her hair is tied into a loose and low ponytail. Soft blonde hair falls past her cheeks and it frames her face in a caressing sort of way.
Heather not wearing makeup so her freckles are visible, dusting across the bridge of her nose and across her cheeks; it makes her look young. Young and beautiful.
Naya smiles, "yeah, something like that." She says and her grin turns lazy.
"Mr Green's partner is a woman I think." Heather tells, resting her back against the log. The cougar! How could Naya forget!
Naya forces her eyes away from Heather and chances a quick look over the top of the mentioned log. Nothing. No one. Not even trigger happy Mr Green.
"What colour paint does Mr Green's lady friend have?" Naya inquires as though this is a serious situation; she ducks back into her hiding position and Heather smiles with amusement.
"No idea, amigo."
"Amiga." Naya corrects, when Heather blankly stares she adds, "Amigo means 'male friend'. Amiga means 'female friend.'"
"Noted."
There's a distant pop that stops Naya from responding and then a green bullet of paint is soaring past Naya and Heather's head, skimming the top of the log and leaving a bright green trail. Naya flinches sideways and Heather gawks at the paint.
"Shit." Naya squeaks out, because although this is only paintball and a game, she just came centimetres from being shot and she pretty much overdosed on adrenaline.
Why didn't they get the option of wearing like a helmet or metal armour?
A flimsy hat seemed like a health and safety hazard.
Another pop sounds off, closer this time, and then it's followed by a second.
Naya shimmies her body down so that she's practically lying on her back with her head awkwardly propped up on the side on the log, and Heather ends up on her side. Her own head is resting near Naya's waist.
The two shots reach them much like the first, a scraping of green shoots over the top of the log and hurls over Naya and Heather's hiding forms with a scary speed and then a red paint ball flies past as well.
"I'd say Mr Green's partner is Ms Red," Heather mumbles, Naya can see that Heather's whole body is tense. "You must have given us away when you looked over the log." She accuses around a tight laugh.
It's a laugh that suggests an overload of adrenaline and also an appeasement of sorts at being caught off guard.
Naya clutches her gun tighter against her chest, "must have."
Another paint bullet flies over the top of them and Heather curls further into a ball, her old jeans gathering bits of dried grass.
"Actually I don't think they know we're here." Heather says around another mumble. Naya glances to her again.
"How can they not know we're here?" She questions dubiously. Her neck hurts from how she's lying and she feels exposed on her back.
Two more shots whizz over them again and Heather breathes out a puff of air between her lips, she even shuts her eyes for a minute and Naya smiles at the action.
"Because they're like shooting over us, it makes no sense, they're wasting bullets." She murmurs out, "wouldn't you think they would come up to us and shoot us? Instead of shooting randomly over us?"
Naya wriggles a bit to lessen the strain on her neck and her face falls, "Oh God, what if they're getting closer? What if they pummel us with bullets and shoot us in the face?"
It's dramatic, no doubt. But she's pumped up on adrenaline and she honestly wouldn't put it past Mr Green.
Heather rolls onto her stomach, uncurling from her popcorn ball easily. "First of all, I think that it's against the rules to shoot someone in the face. You're meant to aim for their vest and all." She squirms closer to Naya, not even worrying about her gun that's lying on the grass. "Annnnd, second of all, you've already being pummelled with bullets." She slaps her palm lightly against Naya's midsection and her paint covered vest, a second later she pulls her hand back, "ew, it's still wet."
"It taunts me." Naya deadpans about her marred vest. Heather wipes her green palm against the dry grass. "We need a plan." Naya continues.
Heather wriggles on her stomach but doesn't say anything; she just squints at Naya under the sun.
"If we could get to a better advantage point then we could easily take everyone down." She continues, "Like say we hid in a tree."
"A tree?" At Heather's reluctant look, Naya nods.
"You're good at climbing trees, HeMo."
"Truth."
There's a hollow pop again and unconsciously Naya tenses as a taunting green bullet flies over then, yet again.
Heather ducks her head so quickly; Naya thinks she bumps her forehead on the grass although it's hard to tell when she herself is resisting shutting her eyes.
"Check to see where they are." She urges Heather in a whisper. She doesn't know why she's whispering, but for some reason it makes her want to smile and a large grin covers her face once she's said the words.
Heather is quickly returning the smile, and breathing out a chuckle. "Why me?" She giggles.
"Because you're taller, I don't know. Just check. Real quick." Naya lets go of her paintball gun with one hand and waves her fingers upwards, signalling for Heather to peek over the log.
Heather breathes out but shuffles into a kneeling position and with a slow movement she raises up until her forehead peeks over the dry wood, blue eyes follow soon after, bright and alert and scanning the grassy surroundings cautiously.
Naya watches her from her position, eager and tense. "So?" She asks.
A shot goes off and Heather practically throws herself down until she's effectively crumpled on top of Naya's body and gun, her hat falls off her head and slaps Naya in the face on its decent to the ground and blonde hair cascades in Naya's eyes. She only just makes out the splattering sound of paint against the log before Heather's breathing is the only thing she can hear.
Naya's arms are literally trapped beneath Heather's body as she hugs her gun, "Oh my God!" She laughs out, Heather's hair gets in her mouth and she turns her head sideways.
"That came so close to my face it's not even funny." Heather tightly states, her voice breathless. "I can't even see anybody!"
"They must be hiding." Twitching her head further to the side, Naya blows Heather's hair from her lips. "Roll off me, I'm eating your hair." She states.
Heather does, well, she sort of flops sideways. "Sorry." She breathes and then she's reaching for her own gun.
Naya sits up a fraction so her neck isn't baring a lot of her weight, "Okay, new plan." She says, "I'm going to stand up and you're going to get on my back."
Heather's dumbstruck expression is almost comical.
"Say again?"
"Get on my back." Naya repeats calmly, "as in a piggyback ride."
Heather actually looks a little scared. "That's…not gunna work." She slowly tells. "Did you miss the part where I almost got shot in the face?"
"Just listen." Naya orders almost too desperately. Heather rolls onto her side with her gun now firmly clasped in her hands, and looks around slowly.
"What am I listening for?"
Sitting up further and using one elbow for support, Naya licks her lips. "No more shots." She explains. "It's gone quiet."
"Annnnd your point is?"
"I think Mr Green and Ms Red have moved on." She smiles way to wide and Heather looks amused.
"Doubtful."
"Just check again, prove me right."
Shaking her head, Heather kicks her leg to bump Naya's. "No way am I checking again, I almost got knocked for a six!"
"Fine, I'll do it." Sitting up stiffly and shifting to her knees, Naya peeks over the log. Nothing. No one.
She's pretty sure they're safe. It would have to get boring shooting at two women who just hid instead of returned fire, so it's a convincing argument that the trigger happy pair have ventured away. Probably to find more unsuspecting targets, Naya thinks.
Either way she still stands slowly, like some freaked out deer wanting to bolt but still being graceful about deciding its next move.
Nothing happens.
No paint bullets or signs of anyone – nothing.
Smugly, Naya looks to Heather's laying form. "All clear." She states.
Heather reluctantly stands, patting off the grass stuck to her jeans with her hand not holding her gun.
Naya finds it strangely endearing, "get on," she hushes gently. More gently then what it probably would have been had Heather's actions not have been so cute to her. She turns around so that her back is facing Heather, "hold your gun in one hand, so you can shoot."
"Where's the logic?" Asks Heather slowly.
"You're right." Naya says, spinning back around. Duh. "You're right; I'll get on your back."
"Not what I meant." Heather deadpans, she squints in the sun and Naya pokes the tip of her paintball gun at Heather's shoulder.
"Turn around."
"How is a piggyback ride your go to escape plan?" There's so much confusion in Heather's words and she's scrunching her face up in a pout that has Naya's heart fluttering and her stomach dipping.
She shakes her head and again hugs her gun, "once I'm on your back run to that tree over there as fast as you can." Pointing to a tree about five hundred meters from them, Naya looks to Heather confidently, Heather doesn't seem to share her enthusiasm.
"Why can't we just run together?" She questions. "I'm so confused about this plan."
"Because they'll be expecting that,"
"They're playing their own game." Heather tries.
Naya's quick to point to her protective vest, "the amount of green paint on me suggests otherwise."
"Cause you ran towards Mr Green! They're not hunting us, Naya." Heather laughs.
"Just turn around." Naya says with her own little smile, this time she grabs for Heather's elbow. She squeezes it lightly.
Heather stays facing her, "y'know, technically you should be dead." She nods at Naya's green paint and Naya looks down as well.
"It's war, Heather. I'll fake die when I plaster Mr Green with my orange." She shakes her gun carefully, not wanting it to accidently go off or something.
Heather smirks and her eyes dart from Naya's own to the gun, "I don't know why but that sounds…wrong, so wrong."
"Just…," Naya pulls on Heather's elbow encouragingly, "turn around."
Heather finally complies and Naya sweeps Heather's ponytail to one side so she doesn't pull her hair or anything. She notes with some amusement that Heather's paintball hat is still lying on the ground.
"If I get hit piggybacking you to some tree, I'm screaming." Heather explains.
Naya chuckles lowly, "And I'll scream with you," she places one hand on Heather's shoulder and awkwardly clutches her gun in the other. "Now let's go." She rallies, steadying herself and preparing to jump onto Heather's back.
Heather holds her free arm out from her side, signalling she's ready to support Naya, and so with a quick and clumsy jump Naya propels herself up.
She hits Heather's back awkwardly and Heather manages to grab under one of her thighs as Naya drapes her free arm around Heather's neck and collarbone. Loose enough not to cause Heather discomfort but tight enough to keep herself from falling backwards.
She has to support her other leg as Heather is holding her gun and all, but it's easy enough.
Heather takes a few steadying steps forward, "you good?"
Gripping her gun tightly, Naya wraps her legs more firmly around Heather's slim waist. "Yep, now run as fast as you can." She directs.
Surprisingly Heather complies without complaint and Naya almost loses her grip when the dancer breaks into a slow run. Her sneakers scuff the grass and Naya hugs her body closer, not caring that Heather's hair flies in her face.
She's unexplainably happy.
Not just because she's got her legs wrapped around Heather either, but because she's honestly never been on a better date before.
She just hopes Heather is having fun as well. Although if her laughs are anything to go by, she's enjoying herself – Naya smiles at the breathy sound coming from Heather, and holds on tighter.
Heather's running pretty damn fast!
"What do we do once we get to the tr-"
A hollow pop cuts Heather's words off and then she's stumbling and Naya's stomach flips from the jerky action and suddenly there's another pop and another and Heather literally careens sideways as a shocked squeal leaves her lips.
It's so fast and so sudden that Naya barely registers the red paint adorning Heather's vest, or the few splattered dots that hit Naya's arm in the process.
"Na-ay!" Heather squeals again, breathless. She's still staggering but also still trying to grip Naya's thigh.
Naya finds herself laughing – so much so that her words sound jilted. "Oh my God, are you okay?" She giggles recklessly and another shot fires from the distance.
It misses, but Heather's too busy trying to keep herself from falling over to really notice. "That kind of winded me!" She roughly exhales.
Naya tightens her grip and there's two more paint bullets fired.
This time Heather registers it, "where are they coming from?!"
"Everywhere!" Naya dramatically exclaims. She's still laughing. "Get to the tree!"
"Forget the tree, shoot or something!" Breathes Heather, she sounds so out of breath and her giggles warm Naya's heart.
"I can't even see anyone!" Notes Naya, her body is jolted when Heather trips and another taunting pop assaults the air.
Heather makes a noise that is halfway between a chuckled sob and a panicked inhale and then she falls.
Like just falls.
No attempt to stop or anything, she just drops down like she's body diving the grass or something and Naya has no choice but to fall along.
A scream of laughter leaves Naya's mouth just before Heather belly-flops the ground and she inelegantly squashes the blonde as she is dragged down. Her gun rattles as it bounces along the grass and she smacks her chin against the back of Heather's shoulder before they stop moving all together.
They probably looked hideous falling, but Naya doesn't care.
She's out of breath as she rolls off Heather and onto her back, "what happened?" She laughs.
For a long moment Heather doesn't move, but then she lifts her head and catches Naya's eyes with a goofy smile. "Man down." She croaks.
She sounds completely winded.
Naya sits up and crawls until she's beside Heather, "roll over for me." She softly says. Her giggles are still evident in her voice.
Heather does, slowly, until she's lying flat on her back. "I got hit so many times." She gapes.
There's red paint covering Heather's chest and torso and it's so thick and glossy that Naya has to squint from the bright colour. "Forget Mr Green, I'm going after Ms Red." Naya informs. Although despite her words she stays put and settles for tucking back Heather's messy hair.
It's so soft and delicate and Naya hums quietly.
Heather gives her a little smile that is almost shy and she reaches up to grab Naya's hand, stilling her movements and tangling their fingers together.
For a moment that's all that happens.
But then Heather smiles again and it's so loving Naya isn't sure if she's afraid of the emotion or returning it herself.
"We're both fake dead." Heather tells simply. "And I'm completely winded…." She adds in a strong exhale.
Naya grins softly, "We're so bad at paintball. Which is weird, I thought we would be epic."
Heather laughs and her chest rises, "can you help me to sit? We should probably not act so much like sitting ducks, Mr Green and Ms Red are brutal."
With a strong grip Naya tugs on Heather's hand, pulling her up slowly and smiling when Heather grunts like she's old. "They've fake killed us already, they're probably hunting someone else." Naya says, rubbing Heather's back idly. "Did you hurt yourself?"
"Just my pride."
"I gathered."
"You?"
"I knocked my chin on your shoulder, but it's fine. Pretty sure I bit off half my tongue though." Naya frowns, Heather chuckles airily.
"That was your chin? I thought it was like the end of your paintball gun or something. God, Naya…, your chin is like a knife!"
Naya can't stop her grin, "gravity kind of has a lot of blame on it, not my chin." She defends, Heather's still out of breath and slowly Naya's smile calms a little. "Seriously, did you hurt yourself?"
"No, I'm still winded. Did you get winded when you got shot?" Heather answers. She tugs at her vest tryingly, careful not to touch the wet paint.
Naya shakes her head, "not really, it just felt like someone was throwing a pebble at me." She explains. With a quick look of concern she shuffles closer. "Here, let me take it off." She grabs for Heather's protective vest slowly and Heather flops her arms so that they fall to her sides.
A small laugh leaves her lips, "your scream was priceless." She states and Naya looks into soft blue eyes as she reaches to unzip Heather's vest.
She pulls the zip down strongly, ignoring that some paint gets on her fingertips and Heather's blue tank top meets her eyes. Clean and untouched.
Naya goes to push the vest off completely but Heather's hands stop her by lightly touching her wrists.
"What the matter?" Naya asks softly.
Heather's smile is bright, "nothing, but like what if the trigger happy couple come back and I'm not wearing my vest?"
"I highly doubt they would shoot you, they'd see you weren't wearing one. Besides, we're fake dead remember? They're not going to double back just to shoot us again." Explains Naya, she tryingly pushes on the vest and Heather lets it fall down her arms before she wriggles it off completely.
It rests on the grass like some used battle armour and Naya watches over Heather quickly.
"Better? Not so hard to breathe?" She asks.
Heather purposefully breathes in through her nose and exhales strongly. "All good, Doctor."
Doctor?
Naya swallows down her sudden butterflies and scolds herself for taking Heather's innocently meant words and making them suggestive.
She licks her lips and swallows again when her butterflies just get increasingly wild and despite herself she looks to Heather's lips. She catches herself, looks to Heather's eyes and then weakly gives in and just stares at the dancer's mouth again.
Wow, so not subtle!
"Why are you staring?" Heather quietly voices.
Naya doesn't answer. Instead she leans forward purposefully and grabs Heather's head with both hands so quickly it passes for desperate. The quickness of her actions continues as she crashes her lips near violently to Heather's. Parting her own so that Heather's bottom lip is captured between them and sucking so softly it doesn't match her other movements.
She thinks she should have asked first, to kiss Heather. Because her frantic movements came out of nowhere and she feels like a warning of sorts would have been a good first move, and not just slamming her lips against Heather's. Plus, they're on a date. Like a serious, I like you and you like me, kind of date. Is it even okay to kiss Heather this early on in said date? Or at all? Because Naya's sure she's coming across as some sort of person that just kisses at random. And she's really not, she likes kisses and all. But usually she doesn't kiss on first dates or if she does it's a peck and nothing else.
Why is she always so backwards when it comes to Heather?
To her relief, Heather responds in an instant. Kissing back quickly even though Naya can tell she's slightly taken off guard.
Because Naya had been so eager and spontaneous, her balance is off and she finds herself leaning a lot of her weight against Heather. She doesn't even register that they're falling backwards until the kiss is broken and Heather puffs out a soft exhale. Her hair is falling out of her ponytail and over the grass and Naya has never seen anything more beautiful in her whole life.
She's quick to restart the kiss and even quicker to grip at Heather's hair firmly.
Heather's hands find purchase on the back of Naya's neck and she pulls Naya closer, encouraging her into a slower kiss, a softer kiss.
Naya doesn't obey. Instead she nips Heather's bottom lip and runs her tongue over the bite swiftly, repeating the action until Heather's forced to open her mouth in a small moan and then Naya takes the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Her tongue pushes past soft lips and grazes Heather's teeth before she's met with Heather's own tongue. Warm and wet and unbelievably familiar, it has Naya's heart bah-booming within her chest avidly and her hips roll down on their own accord.
Heather lets out a shaky noise and her hands relax their grip on the back of Naya's neck.
The kiss stays hard and needy and Naya controls most if not all of the embrace with a hungry forcefulness that Heather seems almost tentative to test.
She can feel her chest aching for a proper breath of air and knows Heather must feel the same way, but instead of pulling back, Naya presses her lips harder against Heather's and swipes her tongue to the roof of Heather's mouth teasingly. The hot sun burns into her clothes warmly and she runs her hands from Heather's hair to her collarbone and then over her breasts.
Heather's little whimper shoots arousal through Naya's body and she rolls her hips again. Pinning Heather further.
Her lungs scream for air almost painfully and so with a wet smack of their lips, Naya pulls back hovering her lips close, as Heather almost dutifully takes a shaky breath. Heather's eyes are still shut and her lips are wet from Naya's kisses and between her own heavy breathing Naya smiles, taking a quick second to simply appreciate Heather's soft features.
She leans forward only a fraction and drops a quick, chaste kiss to Heather's lips before pulling back and licking her own. Heather's eyes flutter open and the sunlight causes them to look pale and delicate, like a tropical sea at dusk. Naya wants to smile or at least stare a little longer but her body has other ideas, and without much conscious thought she reconnects their lips.
It's passionate and fiery and hardly restrained and also probably not appropriate for a paintball field, but Naya finds herself not caring.
She's not normally the type to be so publicly affectionate, but with Heather it's turning out to be hard just keeping her hands to herself, and they're in the middle of nowhere – alone.
Heather's hands move lower, falling over Naya's shoulders and pressing warmly into her lower back and Naya realizes her own hands are just sitting motionless. On Heather's breasts. So with a gentle pressure she smoothly runs them down further, caressing Heather's ribs and digging her nails in just slightly.
Heather does the same with her fingernails and Naya hushes a quiet mewl of approval against the kiss.
"I was going to ask you back to my place for a glass of wine later," Naya breathes against Heather's lips, barely breaking the kiss.
Heather's fingernails dig more firmly against Naya's vest and the small of her back, "I like wine." She replies just in a soft whisper.
Naya kisses Heather again, softer this time, like Heather had tried to initiate before and Heather seemingly melts from the gentle caress. Naya decides quite quickly that she likes having that effect of Heather, and so with a light flick of her tongue she encourages Heather to take more control over the kiss in general.
And Heather does. Only it's not a desperate or leading kiss like Naya had begun, it's one that's slow and gentle and equal. She allows Naya room to deepen the kiss, quicken the kiss, change the kiss – but she also keeps her own pace – a pace that sets Naya's heart booming and also has her worked up so much, the burning sun doesn't even being to explain whys she's so hot.
She kind of really wants to be at her place with a glass of wine and Heather sprawled on her couch.
There's far off pop that's so ridiculously far away that it actually just sounds like someone smacking their lips together, and Naya knows no one is near them, but despite this knowledge she still gets a spike of adrenaline and Heather still breathes in a shocked laugh. Breaking their kiss in the process.
Reality dawns on them and slowly matching grins adorn their faces, wide and uncaring, but also telling of an emotion neither can quite say or maybe even register just yet.
"We had our kiss early; usually it's not until the end of the date." Naya says with a breath.
Heather looks up at her with bright eyes, "so gentlemanly."
"I aim to please."
"And you did, now stand up 'cause I think you got green paint on me." Heather states around her smile, she pushes lightly at Naya and Naya sits up as she checks Heather's shirt for any paint.
There's none.
"Must have dried," Naya muses, to prove herself right she pats her vest. Sure enough the bright green paint is dry and she raises her head with a pleased smile. "You know what's weird?" She asks randomly.
Around a giggle, Heather sits up. "What?"
"We haven't even shot one paintball, we're like the couple that goes to a dance but doesn't dance."
She's painfully aware she just referred to them as being a couple, but Heather seems to not have picked up on it, because she looks thoughtful.
"I did kind of want to see what my purple paint would look like." Heather states, she looks around for her gun that's lying next to her and easily picks it up. Examining it carefully. "I'd have perfect aim, I reckon."
Naya laughs, "I'm sure."
"I'm serious. I'm good at hitting my target." Notes Heather before she wiggles her gun in front of Naya, "run and find out," she adds around the cutest little smirk Naya's ever seen.
"What?"
"Run and I'll aim for you and I bet you I'll hit you first go."
Naya tilts her head, "why am I the target?"
"I haven't got my vest on." Heather shrugs, "now seriously, run."
"I'll look like an idiot,"
"So, no one will see you. Besides even if you don't run I'm shooting you anyway." Heather teases.
Naya's positive she's not joking either so with a careful action she rises to her feet, slaps her vest with both palms, tugs it into a comfortable position and then piss bolts across the grass at a speed even she didn't know existed. She's practically laughing out a scream even before she's five meters away and by the time she's a good fifteen and going on twenty she's sprinting so fast and laughing so much that when Heather finally shoots she doesn't even hear the gun go off.
All she registers is the splatter of paint on her back and the loudly exclaimed 'told you so!' from Heather.
Naya can't deny Heather really is a good aim.
Three more shots later and Naya is gunned down in a haze of purple paint with a smile on her face that she thinks will never leave.
-ooo-
A/N: Also, next chapter has some…ahem…well; let's just say I think you'll all like it ;)
TBC