Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

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They kiss for the first time on a Sunday morning with the softest brush of lips, morning breath, and the bitter taste of alcohol almost completely faded away from their night out. Their first kiss is hesitant, and barely a peck on the lips. 

Dianna’s breath hitches in her throat. After the initial shock dies down, she leans forward just when Lea starts to pull away, catching her plump lips in a real kiss. Dianna’s lower lip slide perfectly between Lea’s, and she feels the tension of everything that has been building up to this moment melting away along with Dianna’s heart. Lea's delicate hands are holding her face in place as their lips move against one another eagerly. She thought about this, more than she’d like to admit. Though whenever she did, she felt a pang of guilt. She knows it is lame and possibly awful, but she couldn’t help herself. She shot a quick text to her now long-distance boyfriend, Dave, each time she mused what kissing her roommate would be like. Guilt is the last thing she feels right now, with Lea’s lips finally on hers. 

When they part again, they are both breathless. Dianna’s smile slips away, guilt finally sinking in her stomach. There is still a coy smile on Lea’s face, her eyes glittering with happiness when she blurts out, “God, you have an awful, awful mattress.” Dianna barely stops herself from laughing out loud, managing a wide grin instead. Lea always knows the most stupid things to say, which especially in this case makes her incredibly grateful because she is not ready to talk about what happened just yet. 

Dianna takes her time, making sure her voice won’t tremble when she speaks, “I don’t know what you are talking about. You slept like a baby last night.” She woke up several times at night to make sure her company had a sound sleep and ensured herself that she wasn’t dreaming. She was in bed with her co-star, whom she'd pined after since the very first moment they met. 

A delighted smile pulls at Lea’s slightly bruised lips. “Of course. If it weren’t for your cuddles, I would be off to my bed long ago.” When big, chestnut-colored eyes, dimmed with a darker shade of brown, catch her gaze, Dianna thinks she can get lost, as lost as Alice, in Wonderland. 

“Invite me to your bed next time, then,” Dianna demands coyly with an amused roll of her eyes. Both of their smiles widen at the promise of a next time. “Oh, I will.” Lea presses forward, capturing those smiling lips again. Their bodies move together with such ease that Dianna thinks all of her previous bed partners must have been incompatible. Lea is once again the first one to pull away, breaking the connection before grinning at Dianna, “I'm going to hop in the shower real quick.” 

xxx

Lea inhales the scent of breakfast, citrus, and slightly burnt bread, wafting through their modest living room, connecting to their chic little kitchen. 

“I made you an open sandwich. I know how much you like toasted bread and my avocado spread.” Dianna announces fondly, unable to avoid her gaze lingering on Lea’s damp, curly hair. Her eyes drop, trailing helplessly over Lea’s choice of clothes this morning: a basic white t-shirt, which is slightly wet on the spots her hair falls on, and incredibly short, red shorts that expose her impossibly long legs. She nods in agreement to their sweet co-star Chris, who once described Lea as 90% legs and 110% talent. It is hard to believe a five-foot-two, five-foot-three on a good day, Lea would argue, woman, to have legs that go on, what feels like, forever. She is merely done checking her roommate out when their gazes meet. She flushes a little at being caught but thinks it is a perfectly reasonable thing to do after their make-out session earlier. 

“Is this a peace offer?” Lea asks delightedly, looking amused by Dianna’s frustrated look.

Dianna ducks her head and grins sheepishly. “Only if it works as one.” 

“It does,” Lea is quick to assure. “I am not mad at you, Di.”

“Oh, good.” Dianna nods, twisting her fingers together nervously, “Because I know I should apologize for what I did, but… whenever I try to think about what happened last night, I get really embarrassed, and I can’t bring myself to think about it.” she explains quickly, still too embarrassed to recall how she yanked away Lea from a promising new actor. To be fair, he had been dancing too intimately with her date for her liking. It wasn’t the first time they’d done this. There had been too many outings Lea and Dianna went as each other’s dates and ended up dancing with random men. On her part, it was mainly due to how intense things seemed to get whenever they initiated harmless flirting with one another. She felt more in control when she danced with a stranger, flirting with them and maybe even leading them on a little. Decidedly, there had been more than a few times she had to pull the boyfriend card, and thankfully the Franco name scared away the persistent men. “You are not responsible for their orgasms, Di. Everyone is here to have a good time, not to bone one another.” Lea reminded her blatantly at times when she felt guilty for leading men on. Nevertheless, she always managed to return home alone, alongside her roommate, who was equipped with a stronger will. Lea didn't go out as much, but when she did, she picked whom she was spending her evening with carefully, always in control of what was appropriate in regards to her relationship with John Lloyd Young. Dianna respected that about Lea. So, several weeks ago, when Lea came home alone after a date night with John and announced she broke up with him, Dianna wished she could do the same. It was only the right thing to do, as Lea said tactfully, “When you have your mind set on someone else, it is time to break it off.” 

“It is fine. I was your date, and I shouldn’t have hit it off with someone else.”

“Yes, but you are newly single, and you are allowed to, you know.” Dianna begins to fidget again.

“I know.” Lea insists, looking mildly disturbed by the reminder of her relationship status.

They finally settle down at the table with their toasts and ease into more comfortable topics of conversation, like how crazy their schedules look for the next few weeks and how they could use a weekend off. 

“Jon is coming to town next week,” Lea mentions casually when they are on the topic of people that they miss. Dianna knows Lea misses Jonathan Groff greatly if their daily phone calls are anything to go by. She recalls the time she went to see the Broadway sensation Spring Awakening a year ago, and she still remembers the epic chemistry between him and Lea. After the show, her best friend, Ashley, insisted they would wait at the back door for an autograph. However, it was a particularly rainy evening in New York that Dianna didn’t want to risk catching a cold right before her audition for an indie horror film, which she is grateful now that she didn’t get. After meeting Lea for the first time during a voluntary work months later in LA and then meeting her again on Glee set, Dianna wondered if she had stuck around that night in New York to meet her for an autograph, she would feel the same way she did after their first two meetings. Because even without meeting them in person, Dianna had been in awe of the pair for the following few months. At first, she thought she had a thing for Jonathan. He certainly fit the type, tall, handsome (more on the beautiful side), and bright-eyed gentleman, whom Dianna would usually fall for. She had met Jonathan on several occasions since then, and it was clear from their first meeting that the yearning she felt wasn’t for him. She had watched Lea fawn over him, and the best friends showed their mutual affection whenever and wherever the two of them were nearby each other. Dianna couldn’t admit it out loud, especially to her roommate, but she wasn’t eager to have Jonathan back in LA. It helped with her jealousy that the actor seemed so sure of his sexual orientation. However, she still didn’t like not having Lea’s undivided attention on her, and she wasn’t exactly subtle about it. In fact, during one of their earlier outings, the curly-haired man blatantly had to tell her he was gay. Jonathan and Lea were dancing rather provocatively on the dance floor that night, and she was downing one Tequila shot after another. Their colleagues, Kevin and Naya, remained by Dianna’s side as she kept shooting passive-aggressive glances at the dance floor, where Jonathan was behind Lea, grinding her ass. 

At some point, Jonathan had to approach her, “You know I am a homosexual, right?” he questioned with a disarmingly pleasant smile.

“Ah, yes?”

“Right. I just thought you needed to hear that.” With a sly grin, Jonathan was back on the dance floor to accompany her best friend. 

Admittedly, it was not one of her finest moments. If she could undergo a medical procedure to erase her memories, as Joel did in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, she would have gotten rid of the memories of that night along with last night right away.

Dianna finds herself asking, “He is staying here, right?” 

“Of course, unless he tries something stupid like booking a hotel room.” Lea’s lips curve and she rolls her eyes in amusement, “He should know by now… he’s never getting away from me.” She sings the last part deliriously which makes Dianna grin like a complete idiot.

“I am sure he is aware.” 

“We are planning on talking to Ryan about writing Jon a recurring role on the show,” Lea announces with giddiness bubbling up inside of her at the possibility of having her best friend on the show and living so close to her. 

“Yeah? That would be great.” Dianna chuckles indulgently, looking forward to the contribution the talented actor undoubtedly will bring to the table regardless of her personal feelings. 

“You know you don’t have to fear him, right? He is the softest human you will ever meet.” Lea reminds her affectionately.

“He can be intimidating when it comes to you,” Dianna stresses.

“He is like a dad to me, which I know sounds incredibly odd.” Lea gushes with delight, “We were the mom and dad of the Spring Awakening cast. Not only did we take care of our cast-children, but we also took care of each other. Ever since I am his embarrassing soccer mom, and he is my tough on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside, dad.” She shrugs good-naturedly, “You will be fine, he likes you.”

“He does? On very few one-on-one interactions I had with him, I always managed to embarrass myself, Lea.” Dianna reminds her with an adorably scrunched-up nose.

Lea doesn't say anything for a minute or two. Instead, her serious brown eyes study the hazel ones for something Dianna doesn’t know yet. Then, Lea reaches over to take her hand on her own and draws soothing circles against the skin with her thumb, “Here’s the chance to redeem yourself. He will stay, not only one night but at least several days this time. You will get a chance to get to know each other in the daylight. I think it will make all the difference.”

“You want us to get along well. No pressure, at all.” Dianna complains, her gaze on their joined hands as she intertwines their fingers, in awe of how well they fit each other. 

Lea lifts her free hand and gently turns Dianna’s face toward her. When Dianna finally looks up, Lea is supporting a gorgeous smile. “I do want you to get along… really well. Because... I plan on keeping you... both.” Lea whispers before pressing her lips on Dianna’s for the first time since the kiss they shared earlier this morning. Dianna shivers in delight at the first contact and then chases Lea’s mouth as she did before. Dianna captures her lower lip, sucking on it briefly before giving her several sensual kisses.

They have plenty of time before Jonathan steals Lea away and they have nowhere else to be but right here at home on this fine Sunday morning. 

xxx

Chapter Text

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There are two types of text messages she receives from Lea these days. Flirtatious texts that either involve a compliment on Dianna’s looks on the set, by courtesy of ridiculously provocative cheerleader uniforms she and her fellow Cheerios, Naya, and Heather, get to wear every day, or seemingly innocent yet hilarious comments on the dance moves they practice during rehearsals that may have sexual innuendos buried in. Lea also shares cute little updates on her life which makes Dianna feel warm all over. The most recent one is about a solo the Broadway singer recorded at the studio, in which she dropped hints for her roommate to come up with her best guess and ended the conversation on her part with a “Hope you’ll like it, lady:)”— Fucking adorable, Dianna thinks. She could be singing Phineas and Ferb theme song and Dianna would still be awestruck. The text messages they exchange can be considered the only private conversation they had since Jonathan Groff arrived and settled in their two-bedroom apartment with all his glory. Dianna already knew she didn’t stand a chance against the actor, whom Lea had been deprived of for the last few months, but little did she know the pair would be inseparable. 

Since she sort of promised Lea she would last Sunday— what a day!—Dianna genuinely has made quite an effort to talk to Jonathan. It doesn’t help that they are both people-pleasers, who would rather have the other person do the talk, always deflecting to one another, but they are gradually getting there. Also, Dianna doesn’t blame him for being cautious with her. Her current relationship status was one of the first questions Jonathan managed to ask as tactfully as he could on the same night he came to stay with her and Lea. She gave him a lame excuse about not having seen her boyfriend for a month in between her insane schedule and Dave’s current work commitment in New York. Jonathan shot her way with what would be considered a wry smile, his eyebrows were raised possibly in concern for her beloved friend. 

What Jonathan didn’t know was Dianna pretty much shared his concerns. She feels like she is living a double life. With Lea, she is this lovesick fool, greedily accepting anything and everything the smaller woman offers. With Dave, although she still feels involved in their connection, she opts for brief exchanges, such as dry texts while waiting on decidedly more appealing texts from her roommate. She feels like she leads a complete closeted existence. She can’t bring herself to dwell on her feelings for Lea because it is considered dangerous territory with everything she has come to know about herself. She is, first and foremost, not a heartbreaker. Yet, she considers herself in character—a wonderful, attentive girlfriend—when Dave insists on indulging a phone call instead of quick texts they exchange back and forth. Admittedly, she only prefers texting because then her mind could wander to the places that excite her more than him. She also knows if she were to continue this charade for, say, another month, Lea would most likely get over her little crush on Dianna and move on. All of these nagging thoughts make her want to disappear completely, but she just doesn’t know how.

Maybe, she is somewhat glad Jonathan is here. Sunday was a little too much, too soon. It certainly doesn’t help they live together. So, this break from Lea may give her time to make up her mind. The trio is engaged in a lazy hangout in the living room right now. Jonathan and Lea are sprawled on the floor, whereas Dianna opts for the sofa. She is always a little on the cold side, after all. Fire to her ice, Lea shrugs off her gray zip-up hoodie, revealing a black crop top that showcases her damn sexy torso. With her gaze lingering dangerously on the bird, inked on the front of Lea’s hip bone, she lets out a shaky breath. She is now thinking about Lea’s heat, not in a completely perverted kind of way. She misses cuddling Lea, soaking up the unique heat radiating off the woman. She recalls one of her earliest and fondest memories of Lea. It was one of the first scenes she had to shoot for Glee, early morning on a football field with Cheerios outfits, no less. Hours and hours of filming had left her freezing and somehow Lea was there to watch the filming. Although they had been hardly intimate before, the actress took Dianna’s hands in hers, which were warm in the most welcoming way possible. Somewhere between a pair of warm brown eyes, beautiful long eyelashes, and a bashful smile, Dianna was a goner. 

She shrugs out of her thoughts when Jonathan hands her refill on red wine, which she gratefully accepts. They have been playing a silly game of would you rather for the last hour, the question now is, “Who would you rather kiss from the Glee cast?” Lea dodges the question with the sweetest squeal, “Hope you when you are finally in the cast!” which gets an earnest smile from Jonathan.  

After a pause, “Chris, maybe. He looks like he could have delicate lips.” Dianna reasons. 

With a bashful smile, Jonathan admits, “I think I would go with Mark. He has that wild kind of look on him that could do it for me. I don’t really know.”

“Naya would cut his… lips off.” Lea reminds him with a wicked grin, adding “Of course, you would go for the bad boy!”

“It helps that he is so full of himself,” Jonathan teases her back with a mischievous grin, “just how I like em!”

“Asshole,” Lea mutters to their amusement before directing another question, “How about the girls? I could take on Heather. Those skirts do it for me, honestly.” Dianna feels her face heat a little at the admission. 

“Certainly Heather!” Jonathan cheers, raising his Bud. 

“This conversation feels a little incestuous to me. I would kiss Jenna if I had to.” Dianna shrugs before thoughtfully biting into her lip.

Lea shuffles closer, shifting around to lie down on her side. She props herself up on her elbow and leans over Dianna, asking with a coy smile, “Wouldn’t you rather kiss me?”

Dianna doesn’t need to be asked twice, she blurts out a quick, “I would.” 

“Only if you had to?” Lea’s voice comes out a little breathy which makes Dianna’s toes curl. “I would kiss you whenever, Lee,” She admits affectionately, earning a pleased little grin from Lea which now makes her feel warm and fuzzy. 

“Oh, please get a room.” Jonathan rolls his eyes good-naturedly. 

Lea growls, “You only say that because you want my comfy bed all for yourself!”

“I wouldn’t be saying that if you weren’t such a blanket hogger,” Jonathan points out jokingly, receiving a dramatic gasp and a slap to his leg in response. “Am not!” Lea denies heatedly, crossing her arms. 

Dianna beams at her fucking adorable roommate with stars in her eyes. She can’t help herself, gushing, “You are practically a sushi roll in the morning.” 

Thankfully, Jonathan chooses not to comment, nursing his Bud instead, but there is an unmistakable knowing smirk on his lips at the perpetual appearance of lovesick expressions and exchange of secretive smiles between two women. It is actually sweet, he must admit.

xxx

Chapter Text

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By the end of March, Lea is planning an early birthday party for Jonathan before he leaves for New York. The location of the party remains undetermined, mostly due to Lea’s elaborate list of pros and cons of assorted restaurants and bars that made it into the final list. So, Dianna does what she thinks will reduce Lea’s already over-the-top stress levels, she offers their apartment to host the party. Her tentative offer is happily accepted by her roommate. Dianna doesn’t know most of the people on the guest list, carefully crafted by Lea and Jonathan, and she still has to co-host the party because this is their home and Lea has asked for help. It is okay though because she doesn’t mind meeting new people, especially if they are from Jonathan’s—thereby Lea’s—close circle. Although she doesn’t mind helping out, she is grateful Lea takes charge of most of the planning herself. Lea tends to be a perfectionist at times and she certainly doesn’t want to disappoint her roommate. She takes on tasks which she knows she won’t disappoint, like making a playlist and preparing several party dips she has perfected the recipes over the years of hosting house parties.

The gathering takes place on a Saturday, in which they sadly have to work early in the morning. At least, Lea manages one of their producers, Brad Falchuk, to agree to attend their party along with his wife Suzanne, so that he doesn’t mind starting their set Sunday afternoon rather than opting for another early morning call, which he is usually more inclined to. The party is supposed to take place around 8, which means 9 or 10 in Hollywood, so they have plenty of time to come home from work, rest, and get ready. When people start to show up, it is clear this will be a full-blown house party rather than an intimate gathering. Nevertheless, she makes sure to put on a congenial smile as she meets everyone. Decidedly, she is more drawn to Lea’s people, hence she finds herself exchanging stories with a blonde called Stephanie, from casting at 20th Century Fox. Every now and then, she finds Lea’s eyes on hers even when they are all the way across the room from each other. There is so much that is said with their eyes and smiles only that she feels as if there is this whole other dimension in which only they reside and nobody else is included in their bubble.

It is not long before Lea approaches the two blondes, wearing a bright smile and a V-neck loose blouse, tucked in black skinny jeans that she’s paired with peep-toe booties, “I hope I am not interrupting, girls.”

“Of course not, lady,” Dianna is quick to assure, holding out a hand for Lea to take. “Stephanie was telling me the story of how you two met, how come I had never heard of it before?”

“I think you were lost in that beautiful head of yours while I was telling this story to everyone, at least twice,” Lea playfully pokes Dianna in the side before she accepts her hand and soon is pulled into the curve of her roommate’s body.

“It sounds like an excerpt from a romance novel, right?” Stephanie chimes in cheerfully.

“If it was made into a film, the genre would be a lesbian romantic comedy. That's for damn sure. I mean, ten seconds into the first meeting, Steph was already picking glass out of my hair and wiping blood from my face. That is some 2nd-year relationship drama, you know?” Lea jokes, chestnut eyes sparkling with good humor. “We definitely pulled a U-Haul.”

“Oh, my god,” Dianna snorts, covering her face with her free hand. “You did not just say that.” She is pretty sure she is blushing right now.

It doesn’t help when Stephanie joins in the joke, “We swapped some lip gloss, too, if you fancy some romance.” 

Dianna feels grateful when Lea changes the subject, a sly smile curving her lips, “But hey, I hear you have to crash your car once in California before you can be called a true L.A. resident, so I am glad I got that covered right away.” 

“You also got yourself a pretty good friend,” Stephanie reminds her softly.

“One of the best car crashes of my life, no doubt.”

xxx

Party takes off after Jonathan has blown out the candles and cut into his glamorous chocolate cake. Unfortunately, it is non-vegan. However, there are lemon blueberry cupcakes from their favorite vegan-friendly patisserie, Dianna, Lea, and other vegan guests can help themselves to. With their gifts given, stylish trousers tailored for Jonathan from Lea, and a chic shirt to pair them with from Dianna, they scatter around the room, chatting with different groups of people. Dianna is nursing her third glass of wine tonight when she notices Jonathan looking longingly at a tall, well-built fellow. He looks familiar somehow. She may have seen him in a Broadway play, she can’t recall at the moment. She notices another guy, a clean-shaven blond, sitting next to him with his arms wrapped around the taller man’s shoulders. The look of despair on Jonathan’s face is unmistakable. She thinks she probably had an awfully similar look whenever Lea’s ex-boyfriend showed up unannounced, making it impossible for her to avoid the couple. It is not until the guy approaches Jonathan, and the two get lost in their bubble that she sees him smile again. Watching two men interact from the corner of her eye, she doesn’t think the shorter, blond man is anything to worry about regardless of their current status. However, Jonathan’s mood quickly turns sour when the man returns to his boyfriend, as she would call him now after seeing them kiss, not-so-innocently, on the lips. Jonathan leaves the room right away after watching the event unfold. Before she registers what she is doing, Dianna is behind, following him into the balcony.

“Do you want one?” Dianna offers, fishing out a pack of cigarettes from her bag. When Jonathan shakes his head no, she takes one for herself, lighting the stick up before putting it between her lips. “I am taking he is the person you and Lea were so excited about coming,” She inhales, letting the smoke burn her insides,  “You have a crush on him, don’t you?”

“Calling how I feel for Gavin a crush would be an understatement.”

“I am sorry,” Dianna winces, shifting uneasily. “Why don’t you let him know if what you are feeling is this strong?”

“He is with someone, as you can tell,” Jonathan grits out before his hard stare meets Dianna’s soft gaze.

“So what?” Dianna tosses the cigarette pack back in her bag. It is one bad habit she can’t seem to quit because she never admits it is a habit, to begin with, “Is this the only thing that is stopping you from opening up to him?”

“Well, yeah. If he hadn’t shown up with a date, I was going to talk to him tonight. That was the plan,” Jonathan admits. “What wasn’t the plan is the boyfriend. I thought he was single.”

“I still think you should let him know,” Dianna’s lips twitch at the corners. “About that boyfriend of his...who cares? We are in our 20s, who plays fair?”

“You are saying nobody is a saint and having a boyfriend wouldn’t stop Gavin to pursue me if he is really interested,” Jonathan asks with irritation flashing in his eyes.

“As horrible as it makes me sound, that is exactly what I am saying,” Dianna repeats, arching an eyebrow at Jonathan’s antics. “I don’t think anybody in our age is in a relationship, thinking it will last forever. So, I believe people keep an eye open regardless of their relationship status.”

Blue eyes narrow. “You are such a sweet girl. It is baffling to find out you are not a romantic.”

Dianna fidgets a little with her hands before putting them in the pockets of her dress.“I guess I just don’t believe in love at first sight. To me, love is something that takes time to build and we are nowhere near that stage in our lives. So, if it feels good, I would go for it.” She confesses, shrugging a shoulder, “Because why not?”

Jonathan’s expression softens noticeably when he responds, “See, that doesn’t work for me. I need to have all these intense feelings in order for me to date someone. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a celibate. I do go on dates, but in the end, I can’t bring myself to pursue something deeper when my heart isn’t in it.”

“Maybe Gavin is less like you and more like me.” Dianna offers amiably. “What if the only reason he sticks with whomever he is with right now, is because he doesn’t know you are interested and he has you as an option?”

“See, that just sounds filthy to me,” Jonathan laughs. 

“You are a true romantic,” Dianna fires back with a sly grin.

xxx

It is a particularly nice evening in L.A. It feels good to hang out on the balcony, smoking a cigarette or two, and conversing with Jonathan on lighter topics. She sees the resemblance between herself and him more now that they have broken the initial ice. Jonathan is less guarded and she feels more open. They both have no idea how long they have been out here until Lea shows up, looking pissed off.

“Hey, assholes. Where have you been? I have been looking everywhere for you two. You, Jonathan, left me with a room full of people who are asking me where you are because guess why they are here in the first place. To celebrate you!” She exclaims heatedly, casting a pointed look in Jonathan’s direction before turning her attention to Dianna. “Also you. You were supposed to be co-hosting with me.”

“Sorry, lady,” Dianna mumbles sheepishly.

“Di and I were talking, and we lost track of time,” Jonathan explains, offering his best friend an apologetic smile.

“About?” Lea asks with an irritated roll of dark eyes. Lea’s guard is up. It is either because she is actually annoyed at having to deal with everyone on her own or she thinks she might be the topic of conversation. By the looks of it, it is a little bit of both. 

“Gavin, mostly.”

“Fuck, Jon.” Lea’s expression suddenly softens as she gazes apologetically at her best friend. “I am so sorry, I honestly had no idea he would show up with a date.”

“It is not your fault. It is not his, either. I should’ve just told him how I felt about him a long time ago. If anyone is to blame, that would be me, ” Jonathan says with an amiable shrug, holding out a hand in invitation, “C’mere.” Lea’s eyes go soft as he pulls her into a tight embrace.

“There is no way he doesn’t know how you feel for him,” She whispers into his shoulder, her grip on him tightening a little, “You are hardly subtle.”

“Maybe the fact that I am not completely out is a turn-off for him.” He offers. 

“If that’s the case, he can go fuck himself. Everyone has their own way of handling things,” Lea speaks her mind unapologetically, “Especially on something as deeply personal as this, nobody has a say.” Dianna would pass Lea’s words off as something said because that’s what Jonathan would like to hear right now if it wasn’t for the way Lea’s eyes dart off and land on Dianna’s intently. It is clear the words weren’t completely directed at Jonathan.

“Maybe he really likes this guy,” Jonathan says self-consciously, “Maybe he is in love with him.”

“I think you are giving them too much credit.” Dianna interrupts dryly, “If I were in love with someone, I wouldn’t take my eyes off of them for a second. Not in a literal sense, of course, but I would always have a way of connecting with them, you know?” Her wistful gaze lingers on Lea for a brief moment before she continues to reason, “I’d like to think I am a good observer and I say… that doesn’t seem to be the case with Gavin and his boyfriend. I mean he pretty much blocked him out the second he approached you. Sometimes people just find themselves in relationships. Of course, it means there’s a connection there, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they are in love.” 

“I think you, and the serial dater here can have a lovely conversation on this matter,” Jonathan spits bitterly.

Lea gasps at the accusation before letting go of the argument. She would be offended if she didn't know her best friend’s undoubtedly hurt right now and he didn’t mean what he said. “I agree with Di on this one. Just let Gavin know how you feel. The worst thing that could happen is that he says he is not available right now.”

Dianna chimes in, “Surely, he will give you a call next time he’s single.” 

“You two are so eye to eye on this. It is not even funny.” Jonathan casts them an incredulous look before finally accepting their advice, “Okay, I will talk to Gavin, only to tell him to give me a call sometime.”

xxx

Lea winks. “So, you and Jonathan, huh?” she asks playfully. 

“You literally made me promise I’d hang out with him.” Dianna points out with an impish grin. 

“Thank you for keeping your promise,” Lea tells her sincerely, and bites her lip before scrunching up her nose, “Although, I kind of forced it on you.” 

“It is okay, I actually like him.” 

“I am glad.”

This time it is Dianna’s turn to wink.“So, you are a serial dater, huh?” she echoes Lea’s words with a teasing grin. 

“Am really not. I just had one terrible period of time I was into so many people at once,” Lea explains carefully, biting her lip. “It didn’t help that I had a girlfriend at the time. I fucked it up spectacularly.” 

“Did you… cheat on your girlfriend?” Dianna trails off in surprise as all the new information she has just heard starts to register.

Lea confirms silently with a nod, the brown eyes flashing with many emotions, mostly remorse. She clears her throat, glancing over at Dianna surreptitiously. “Look, I don’t want you to think I am avoiding this talk, but mind if I take a rain check?” she asks, scraping her teeth over her lower lip nervously, “We have been absent for a while already, I would hate to fail as a host.” 

“Of course, we can talk later,” Dianna smiles despite the heaviness of her own thoughts. She holds out a hand politely for Lea to take, and when she does, they return to the party hand in hand.

xxx

Chapter Text

xxx

Jonathan leaves on Tuesday. She cannot get Lea alone ever since Jonathan’s birthday party. She thinks the other woman may be avoiding her. They live together, for God’s sake . Yet, for the last three days, it doesn’t feel like they are sharing an apartment. Lea is barely at home, when she is, she always has a friend over, either Stephanie or Stephanie’s younger sister. When she is not home, Dianna thinks she may be staying over at their place, but she is not sure as she only receives somewhat informative text messages from her roommate, telling her she will not be home once again. 

Dianna knows she must have done something wrong as she sees how Lea is with everyone else on set and wishes Lea would confront her about it so that she could make it right. Though, being on set all day with friends is a good distraction. She does not focus on the storylines, as long as she gets to shoot with the cast it is a good day. She plans her day accordingly. Today, she has a scene with Chris at noon, which means she can take him out. Apparently, Chris tells Jenna who tells Lea and both women decide to tag along. They decide on a coffee shop nearby Jenna and Chris’ place so that Lea can drop them off after their outing and return to the set with Dianna. She hopes this will mean she can get Lea all to herself for a good 15 minutes when they are driving back to the set. 

“What is for dinner, Jenna?” Chris asks, smiling happily at how domestic that sounds. 

“Yeah, what is for dinner, Jenna?” Lea laughs. 

“Honestly, anything from Cheesecake Factory would do,” Jenna answers, rubbing her hand drowsily on her face, “I am drained after today’s rehearsal.” 

“This one is going to make me gain weight,” Chris accuses with a playful roll of his eyes, “Cheesecake Factory for dinner, as if that isn’t terrible enough, she has snack attacks at night.” 

“I know. I lived with Jenna,” Lea reminds him, “I am familiar with her infamous late-night cravings. Food channel and Jenna are such a dangerous combination.”

“Ah, I forgot about that!” Chris chimes in,  “How long did you two live together?”

“A couple of months,” Lea replies, adding with an eye-roll, “Enough for me to gain 2 pounds.” 

Jenna gasps dramatically at the accusations from her roommate, and former roommate which prompts Dianna to give her thigh a gentle squeeze. 

“I don’t mind gaining weight,” Chris says and takes a sip of his cappuccino, “If only the weight didn’t directly go to my cheeks.”

Dianna beams at Chris and reaches out for his small turned-up nose, giving it a little squeeze which earns her a squeak from him. Lea and Jenna chuckle at the intimate interaction before Jenna adds with a frustrated sigh, “And to my hips.” 

“Oy vey.” Lea sighs. 

“You all have lovely forms,” Dianna reminds them sweetly, falling into Lea’s unwavering gaze. Dianna shivers under the visual caress, pondering the possible reasons for her roommate’s recent avoidant behavior. 

When they are dropping off Jenna and Chris, Dianna contemplates how to approach Lea once they are alone. She cannot decide whether she should confront Lea about her now frequent evasion or seek out some comfort in a one-on-one conversation because she has missed Lea terribly. All of her hopes die down when Lea seemingly receives a text message from Cory, asking if she could pick him up before returning to the set, which she does dutifully and somewhat eagerly to Dianna’s disappointment as Lea manages to avoid being alone with Dianna again. 

xxx

For the next few days, Dianna gives up on trying to get Lea alone and spends most of her time on her laptop, making playlists and posting them on Tumblr, working on a few of her short stories, starting a new one without ever finishing the previous ones. Business as usual. She is on her laptop when she hears Lea call out, “Am I interrupting anything important?”  

Hazel eyes widen in surprise as she sees Lea leaning her back at the doorframe, looking relaxed with a small smile on her lips. It is very much different than what Dianna has observed her roommate be for the last week. She had been distant, guarded, and even a little melancholic—if Dianna hasn’t made that up. She blurts out, “Of course not, come in.”

Having the permission to do so, Lea enters the other woman’s room, revealing a vinyl record in her hands and timidly offering it to Dianna, who asks, “What is this?” 

The brunette shrugs a shoulder, “Something small to start off your birthday month.” 

“Lady, you didn’t have to,” Dianna says quickly, taking the record off its sleeve and taking a good look at it. It is a 12-inch vinyl of Fantasies by Metric, which Dianna has been gushing about for the last few weeks. Limited edition package, no less. She is lost for words for the longest time before she can manage to ask flirtatiously, “Are you stalking my blog by any chance?”

The worried look Lea has due to her roommate’s prolonged silence fades away slowly and she flirts back, “Maybe. I may start calling you Charlie* if that is what you are into.”

Dianna takes another good look at the record in her hands, she feels her heart flutter at the gesture. She can barely contain herself when she blurts out in a dreamy tone, “I am into you”, Standing up after she carefully places the record down her desk, she steps closer to Lea, gazing deeply into the bright brown eyes.

Lea glances away, clearing her throat. “Thank you, Lee.” Dianna says quickly, “I have been obsessed with these tracks. I didn’t think you were listening when I talked about their songs.”

Lea scoffs, “Of course I was listening. Usually, I prefer talking, but with you, I am all ears.”

Dianna bites her lip, admitting, “I’d rather listen than talk, but to you, I just want to pour my heart out.” 

Lea’s heavy gaze lingers on Dianna for a moment, contemplating what to say before she decides on a lighter subject, “I listened to a couple of tracks today. I, very much, enjoyed Gimme Sympathy. It is sweet.” 

“It really is sweet,” Dianna agrees, frowning in confusion, “Wait. I don’t think the album is even out yet. How did you get it?”

Lea gives Dianna a toothy grin, looking almost childish as she confesses in a whisper, “I have connections. I happen to know a friend that knows someone, who happens to be the producer. Don’t ask me how. I just wanted to give you something special, and let’s say the stars are aligned.”

Dianna beams brightly at all the trouble Lea must have been through finding this special gift for her, “Are you wooing me, lady?” With a joyful smile, Dianna wraps her up in a hug.

“You wish,” Lea mutters against the taller woman’s shoulder, a small smile forming on her lips, “When I woo you, it will be glorious.” It is not if, but when that sends shivers down Dianna’s spine, pulling her roommate closer. 

“You make it incredibly hard for me to resist you.”

Lea gazes up at her unflinchingly, carefully measuring the blonde woman for a long moment before a playful smile curves her lips, “I don’t know why everyone seems to unanimously agree you should resist me.”

“I think it is because I am a mess?” Dianna offers with a sad expression, “I am almost 23, and I haven’t figured out the first thing about myself yet.”

“That’s not true. I have learned plenty about you from you , and I seem to like the most of it.” 

“But you have been avoiding me,” Dianna blurts out, biting her lip nervously.

Lea winces a little at the confrontation before joking to lighten up the mood, “My dad was here to knock some sense into me. Now that he is gone for a while, I think I can start to act up again.”

“Are you sure you possess feelings for me and not going through a rebellious phase in your life?” Dianna jokes back. 

“I think I have lived quite a few rebellious phases in my life to know this is not one of them.”

“So you do?”

“You are so frustrating,” Lea huffs, crossing her arms. 

Dianna steps closer again and reaches out a hand to cup Lea’s cheek, making the smaller woman look at her, “Tell me… what did I do wrong? Why are you suddenly making grant gestures after avoiding me for the last few days?”  

“Because I want to do all these lovely things for you…” Lea sighs, “You seem to reciprocate, and say all the right things… then I hear you having phone sex with your boyfriend. I am confused, and I want to make sense of everything which is difficult when you are this close.” 

There it was, what she had been wondering about, the reason for Lea’s distance. It has been hanging between them, now Dianna could actually see it. She felt her face heat, reminiscing the night Lea went out to drop off Jonathan at LAX. Dave had called her up after a series of heated text messages they had exchanged, him accusing her of being dismissive towards him. She felt terrible hearing his voice, he sounded so hurt that Dianna couldn’t ignore the pain she had caused him. So, she wanted to make him feel better, to show him that she still cared and she could be the attentive girlfriend she had always been for him. She was actually home alone when she had comforted him and then started to work him up with her words. She can now acknowledge Lea must have returned home midway through the phone sex, Dianna had thought she had owed Dave, and how she must have heard everything through the thin wall separating their bedrooms. 

Dianna releases a shaky breath and squeezes her eyes shut tight in humiliation, “I am so sorry… I didn’t know—I didn’t know you were home and that you could hear.” 

“Don’t,” Lea releases another sigh, brushing her fingertips over Dianna’s wrist, “I have managed to somewhat come to terms with it. I am, foremost, your friend, and roommate. If you need someone to talk to, I am all ears.” 

“Thanks…” Dianna murmurs lowly, pressing a hand against her mouth, “I am making a big mess of everything, aren’t I?” 

“As long as you know what you are doing, and what you want,” Lea shrugs, gently stroking Dianna’s hand with her thumb. 

“I don’t,” Dianna whispers with teary eyes and quivering lip, “I really don’t.” It is hard to miss the look of disappointment in Lea’s eyes.

Nevertheless, Lea reaches out, wiping away the fresh tears trickling over the other woman’s cheeks. “It is okay. It is not ideal for either of us, but it is okay,” she says despite herself. “You will figure it out.” 

Dianna barely nods. 

xxx

Tears return much later at night when Dianna is once again all alone in their shared apartment and blasting Fantasies in her room, crawled up in bed. Even though earlier today Lea had approached her and comforted her, and told her that she would be by her side, there was still something off with them, unmistakable by her absence from their apartment. She swallows thickly at the lyrics of Satellite Mind. I can feel you most when I'm alone . It has proved to be true this past week with how much Dianna feels she is surrounded by Lea despite her absence.  She ponders what Lea had thought about, listening to this song, or how she felt. Her stomach flips. Sick sense of a calling. Heard you fuck through the wall. Overhearing her intimate conversation with Dave might have been a wake-up call for Lea, and that may be the reason for another lonely night at their apartment. She thinks she can break things off with her boyfriend if that is what it takes to have Lea back. 

She stands up, moves to her desk, and picks up the sleeve of the record Lea gave her. She turns it around in her hand, eyeing it and she notices a yellow sticky note attached at the back she hadn’t noticed before. It is a simple text, written in a cute curvy script that belongs to her roommate, “To my Lady D ”. She pulls the note off, turning it around to find another note on the backside, “We're so close to something better left unknown? ”. It is a nod to the lyrics of Gimme Sympathy, which Lea had admitted to being partial to, earlier, but it is the question mark that she added at the end of the simple lyrics that has Dianna weep, penetrating her misery. 

She begins to tremble, sagging against the wall, taking deep breaths. 

xxx

Chapter Text

xxx

When Lea returns home early in the morning, Dianna is reading Armageddon in Retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut on the sofa, lying comfortably with her free arm tucked under her head and one leg over the other. Dianna tilts her head to the side when she hears someone—mostly likely her roommate—fumbling with her keys. When the door finally opens, Lea hurries inside, dropping her bag down the floor. She fumbles with her heels, managing to take them off with a relieved sigh.

“Morning,” Dianna calls out softly, looking over at the other woman.

Lea spins around, startled, and stumbles on something after closing the door behind her. “Fuck,” she curses under her breath before approaching the blonde. Lea has the same clothes on as yesterday, which is the tightest, little black dress that Dianna has ever seen her wear, but unlike her styled look yesterday, she has tousled hair and smudged eyeliner. The implications of the look make her stomach churn a little. Is this a walk of shame?

“Good morning, early riser,” Lea chirps with a wide smile. “You scared me!”

There is also an apparent change in the brunette’s mood. She looks lighter with her eyes softer and her smile brighter. She stands tall without something wearing her down like it was last week. Dianna is grateful for whatever it is that helped Lea go back to being her bubbly self, which she admittedly has missed a lot.

Dianna smiles back despite herself, “I think early mornings started to grow on me.”

“Early mornings are the best,” Lea says, smiling fondly as she eyes the book in the blonde’s hand, “is it any good?”

“It really is,” Dianna nods, flashing the other woman a wide smile, “if you appreciate rueful humor on wartime experiences, that is.” 

“Sounds interesting,” Lea comments, sinking down into the sofa beside her roommate.

“So, do tell me,” Dianna sits up and puts her book away. “Will I need to find another roommate?” 

“What?” Lea snaps with a puzzled expression. “Of course not.” 

“You’re never home,” Dianna points out.

“That’s not true,” Lea frowns, “I’ve only been coming home late this week.”

“It is the morning,” Dianna argues.

Lea rolls her eyes, “Okay. From now on, I am always home unless you shoo me away.”

Dianna’s eyebrows arch. “I would never do that,” she mumbles with a slight frown, wondering what made Lea think she would ever not want Lea home.

Lea laughs dryly, “Actually, I’d rather you did when it is needed.”

“Lea!” Dianna barks, her frown deepening. She understands how terrible Lea must have felt hearing that particular phone call, but she doesn’t need to be reminded of it every other day. 

Lea scrunches up her nose as she asks, “Too soon?” 

“Yeah!” 

“Where have you been, anyway?” Dianna asks, trying not to be too obvious with her curiosity. 

“Someone is interested,” Lea teases.

“Well, you are running away from me, so…” Dianna shrugs indifferently, “of course, I am interested.”

“I’m not running away from you,” Lea argues stubbornly.

“Well, whatever it is you are running away from,” Dianna tells Lea sadly, “it is affecting our relationship.”

Lea bites her lip thoughtfully and takes her time to really look at the blonde, taking in the red eyes and puffy face. Dianna shifts uncomfortably, wondering if Lea can tell she had been crying and barely got any sleep last night.

“I’m sorry,” Agony flickers over the brunette’s features, as she admits, “I had been running… I am going to try my best to leave this behind us from now on, I promise.”

“I hope you’re really sure this time,” Dianna murmurs, “you said you’d be here, and you weren’t. Do you have any idea how much it hurts me to be like this with you?”

“I didn’t know,” Lea sighs, biting her lip, “no more running.” 

“So, is this supposed to be a walk of shame?” Dianna asks bluntly. 

“Are we seriously going to have this conversation right now?” Lea raises an eyebrow. 

“No?” Dianna blurts out, looking a little embarrassed.

“Let’s not,” Lea decides, leaning forward to press a chaste kiss on the blonde’s cheek. Dianna’s eyes flutter closed at the feeling of having the other woman in her personal space. She lets out a content sigh as Lea pulls away, and before Dianna knows it, she is on her feet, informing the flushed blonde, “I’m going to make us a mean smoothie right now, and we’re going to call a truce.” 

“Good idea,” Dianna comments before asking, “You know about the party Cory is throwing this weekend, right? I got a text from him yesterday.”

“Yeah,” Lea says indifferently.

“You’re coming?”

“Yeah. If nothing else comes up.” 

“It will be fun,” Dianna says with a smile. She adores the cast, but before anything else, she is excited about going to a party with Lea. It has been a while, and she admittedly loves how the other woman gets with a little alcohol in her system. Okay, maybe she loves how touchy-feely an alcohol-induced Lea gets and how she is more daring and sexy with her New York accent coming on stronger and her curses are thrown more frequently. Maybe she is really attracted to this side of the other woman, and she can barely wait to see it.

xxx

It is early evening when Dianna and Lea arrive at the address Cory sent for his pool party. Lea had an early start of the day, recording with Adam Anders. Although it was always a pleasurable time working with the Swedish man, Saturday mornings and power ballads did not go hand in hand. Knowing that Dianna picked Lea up in the afternoon, delivering her much-needed caffeine from her favorite coffee shop, and then the roommates enjoyed themselves, having lunch and shopping.

Cory greets them at the door, exclaiming with a wide grin, “Hello MTV! Welcome to my Crib!” 

“Hi, Cory!” Dianna beams at the tall man, whereas Lea rolls her eyes good-naturedly and gives his shoulder a playful slap as they make their entrance.

Music blasts through the large mansion as the trio make their way to the large family room that connects to the outdoor terrace by way of a vanishing glass wall. 

“How do you afford this place, anyway?” Lea asks while Cory is giving the women a quick tour of the charming house.

Cory shrugs, “It is rental.”

“Still. You have to tell me. How much do they pay you?” Lea insists, moving beside Cory and Dianna, “Is it more than what I make?”

Dianna presses a hand to her forehead and shakes her head a little at Lea’s tactlessness.

“I don’t think I do,” Cory tells her kindly, offering a sheepish smile, “I only have this place for two weeks. I am just trying to make the most of it.” 

“I mean, it is gorgeous. I can only imagine how much it costs,” Lea continues, unfazed.

Cory only nods, a little embarrassed at the remarks, and looks decidedly grateful when Dianna interrupts the conversation, asking where their friends are. Cory guides them to the terrace with a gorgeous L.A. view, where Kevin, Jenna, and Chris are chatting animatedly. They join their friends, keeping a light conversation as they enjoy some of the snacks and cocktails their host has kindly prepared for them.

xxx

It is past 8 o’clock in the evening, and all the guests have arrived when Dianna asks enthusiastically, “Where can we change into our bathing suits?” 

“There are guest bedrooms upstairs. Lea can show you the way,” Cory says with a half-smile.

Dianna looks at them with a slight frown and a puzzled expression before Lea takes her hand and leads her upstairs, saying, “This place must have like dozens of rooms. I am calling dibs on the bedroom with the infinite pool view.” 

“Which is?”

“This one,” Lea points, already reaching for the doorknob.

Dianna’s frown deepens as she realizes Lea has definitely been in this house before, and the worst part is she has never mentioned being at Cory’s, not even when they had the house tour earlier.

“Pick the one next to mine,” Lea demands with a coy smile before disappearing inside the room she has chosen. 

Dianna shakes her head, and her enthusiasm falters under the onslaught of sudden nerves.

xxx

Dianna is in front of the mirror, examining her reflection, when Lea calls out, “Dianna, I am coming in,” she announces before entering the room. “How do I look?”

The blonde turns around on her heels to find her roommate leaning casually against the doorframe, dressed in a revealing navy-blue bikini. 

“How’s it possible for one to look like that in a bikini?” Dianna gushes, appreciative gaze lingering on the small bikini top and, even smaller bottom and everywhere in between. 

“You are exaggerating,” Lea rolls her eyes good-naturedly.

“I am drooling,” Dianna teases, pointedly checking her out.

Lea moves until she is before Dianna, reaching out to dance her fingers down over the blonde’s bare arm. With a sly smirk, she unashamedly checks the other woman out, taking in the purple bikini top and the colorful sarong that is wrapped around Dianna’s hips, blocking the view of her better parts. 

“I’d be drooling, too, if you lost that,” Lea teases, tugging a little on the sarong.

Dianna’s cheeks flush pink before she confesses self-consciously, “I don’t feel comfortable without it.” 

“Why? You look better than I do,” Lea points out honestly, keeping her hands on the blonde’s impressively toned biceps and giving them a little squeeze. 

“I do not,” Dianna denies, her face flushing a shade darker.

“You are beautiful, Lady D,” Lea murmurs sincerely, tilting her head so that she can fully admire the gorgeous blonde before her, “and incredibly sexy.” 

“Thanks...” Dianna breathes, allowing Lea to pull her closer. She shivers in anticipation when she feels the brunette’s touch trailing over her skin. 

Brown eyes are significantly darker when Lea blurts out, “Oh wow,” she slowly strips away the sarong, revealing a shaped torso, and toned abs, “Hello, gorgeous.”

“We shouldn’t,” Dianna warns quietly, knowing this is not a good idea with both of their inhibitions are lowered by a pleasant buzz from the alcohol in their system. 

“I am trying,” Lea purrs, sending shivers of pleasure down the woman’s spine. She drops a kiss on Dianna's cheek before pressing another one on her temple. 

Hazel eyes flutter closed as Dianna allows herself to relax under Lea’s touch, “Gosh, that feels so nice,”

“And that, oh yeah, now that’s heaven,*” Lea sings low and throaty with a delirious smirk before pressing her lips back against the silky skin. With growing confidence, she opens her mouth to suckle on Dianna’s pulse point, “How about this?”

“So good,” Dianna lets out breathy little moans that fill the room, “Oh god!”

Lea continues to tease the other woman with caressing hands and lips, loving the way her body feels beneath her fingertips, how it quivers with every teasing touch, “You are addicting.”

Taking a few deep breaths, Dianna tries to focus only on the thrum of her own racing heartbeat, “We should stop.”

Lea’s mouth lifts just enough to blurt out, “Is this what you want?”

“N-no,” Dianna stammers, already missing the feeling of the other woman’s lips on her skin, “you feel incredible. I feel you everywhere.” 

“Believe me, I know,” Lea looks up with a slightly cocky smirk.

Dianna’s fingers fist into the dark hair, making Lea moan, “Stop.” 

Lea pulls back with dark eyes and a sexy grin, “Suddenly, I am glad I will be in cold water in a bit.”

“Yeah, that might help….” Dianna barks out a nervous laugh before teasing Lea. “Now I have a good reason to keep my sarong on.”

Lea wets her lips and visibly swallows at the comment. “Are you wet?” she asks bluntly, her gaze trailing helplessly over the purple bikini bottom. 

“Maybe,” Dianna bits her lip, offering Lea a coy smile, “That is not something you will get to find out… today .” 

Lea shakes her head at how much of a tease the other woman can be. She can’t help but intently watch the blonde until she disappears into the bathroom.

Dianna moves to the sink and turns on the faucet, letting the cold water run as she meets her own dark eyes in the mirror. She splashes some cold water on her heated face, taking deep, soothing breaths. She makes herself presentable before joining the party with Lea.

xxx

By the end of the night, the guests, who are exclusively the cast of Glee with the exception of Telly from the crew and two of Cory’s roommates, are sprawled around in a circle on the terrace. Some are chugging beer, others are sipping on wine, whereas Cory is nursing a can of Canada Dry. Thus far, they have played a series of drinking games, and now they are doing this or that questions, which supposedly help the cast get to know each other better, according to Jenna.

“Bagels or toasts?” Chris asks with a happy smile. Mark rolls his eyes at the dull question the boy has come up with.

“I prefer toasts,” Dianna replies. 

“Bagels, of course,” Lea answers, licking her lips, “I wish I could have one right now.” 

The rest of the circle gives their own quick answers before Mark shoots them with a new question, “Getting off by phone sex or through sexting?” Chris winces, visibly blanching at Mark’s crassness.

“Neither. Nothing beats the real thing,” Cory answers playfully. 

“Phone sex, if I have to choose,” Kevin answers, biting his lip thoughtfully. Jenna makes eyes at him, which makes Dianna feel embarrassed for her. 

A little smirk twists Naya’s mouth as she wiggles her eyebrows at Mark, “Sexting, but with tasteful nudes. No dick pics.”

Lea rolls her eyes at the blatant flirting going on between Mark and Naya before answering, “Phone sex.” 

“Sexting,” Dianna replies. Lea shoots Dianna a curious look, the blonde shrugs in return. 

“Cory, where can I find the plates?” Telly interrupts. 

“Oh, let me show you,” Lea chimes in. 

Cory shoots her a grateful smile. Suddenly uncomfortable, Dianna shifts on her seat, watching Lea guide their production assistant inside. She needs to know when Lea became so accustomed to the mansion Cory has recently rented. She curses herself for not questioning the other woman earlier when she got her alone in the guest room, but then her brain was barely functioning with those magical hands and damned lips on her. Dianna presses her thighs together at the thought. Fuck.

When Lea and Telly return with plates of pizza, their friends are continuing the game. 

“Lights on or off?” Cory asks the circle of his friends, keeping the trend Mark set. 

“On.”

At the same time as Lea, Dianna blurts out her own reply, “Off.” 

“And we finally found out you two are not getting it on,” Mark calls out snarkily, just a get reaction from the women, “Damn. Did not expect that.” 

Dianna feels her face heat and shoots a grateful smile at Amber, who gives Mark a hard shove. 

“You two are like day and night!” Chris comments with a soft laugh. 

Lea shrugs a shoulder, whereas Dianna bites her lip thoughtfully.

xxx

Around 3 in the morning, Cory drives a tipsy Dianna and a drunk Lea to their shared apartment, calling after them with a playful smile, “Be good, you two. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” 

Dianna rolls her eyes, waving him off, “Bye-bye, Cory!” 

Cory insisted that they would stay the night at his place, but Dianna thought staying over with their current state of mind wasn’t such a good idea for some reason. She knows it is hardly fair to be annoyed at Cory, but she is, again, for some reason. 

She is momentarily lost in unpleasant thoughts before she shakes her head and proceeds to drag Lea inside. They somehow make it to Lea’s bedroom with the smaller woman leaning heavily on her side. When her roommate sinks onto the mattress, Dianna curls her fingers into the belt loops on the other woman’s blue jeans. 

“Dianna,” Lea calls out, gripping the blonde’s hand over her waist.  

“Yeah?”

“Stay,” Lea demands, opening her eyes. 

“Yeah?” Dianna quickly escapes Lea’s lax grip, stripping her jeans with ease. With the toned legs on display, she has to actively avoid the buzz of arousal lingering from their encounter earlier.

“Huh-uh.” 

“Promise me that you will behave,” Dianna demands, casting a pointed look in Lea’s direction. She moves to the drawer and gropingly finds a pair of pajama shorts, which she then tosses at her roommate. 

“I always behave,” Lea pouts, impressively catching the clothing in the air. 

“Promise?” Dianna asks, sweetly this time. She shakes her head at her roommate’s adorable pout and decides it is a good time to leave the room when she notices Lea trying to take off her blouse. She comes back after she’s changed into her zebra-printed silk pajamas, which are ironically a gift from Dave. 

Lea is fully changed into the sleepwear the other woman found for her. There she is, with her adorably innocent eyes and endearingly cute smile, Dianna thinks as she approaches the brunette. 

“I promise I will behave,” Lea announces, flashing a toothy smile. “but how about a kiss before I do?”

“You are already terrible,” Dianna beams, crawling up the mattress to lay down beside her. She throws her arms around Lea, pulling the brunette closer.

“I should remind you,” Lea says, her expression turning a little serious, “that I kept my hands mostly to myself when you were in that little bikini.” 

“You did,” Dianna agrees. “Mostly,” she stresses with a little grin, tightening her arms around Lea. 

“It was so hard to do,” Lea complains with an irresistible pout that prompts Dianna to kiss it away. 

“It was hard for me, too,” she confesses against the plump lips, pressing several pecks on them, “I just want to devour you.” 

Lea sobers, her eyes darken, and cheeks flush at the confession.

“Why don’t you?”

“You know why.”

Lea catches Dianna’s gaze with an eyebrow quirked in a challenge, “I want to hear you say it.”

Dianna sighs, running a hand through her hair, “I am in a relationship.” Meeting the brown eyes again, she continues, “As flexible as Dave, and I are... This, with you, doesn’t feel like a mere physical attraction.” 

Lea nods without voicing her own opinion. 

“Have you told Dave about us?” she asks tentatively.

“No,” Dianna bites her lip, “I should have.”

“Why don’t you?”

“I am scared of how that would feel for everyone involved. How was it for you?” Dianna asks, trying not to sound so eager, although the question has never left her mind since Jonathan’s birthday party.

Lea’s eyes close in agony as she reminisces, “To hurt someone you care about so deeply is the most horrible feeling on earth.” With a regretful sigh, she continues, “Before I came clean with her, I didn’t even acknowledge what I had been doing.”

Dianna nods in understanding.

“Whenever something happened, I would always brush it off as insignificant. Because it didn’t mean anything...you know?” Lea trails off. “At first, it was just harmless flirting. I reckoned she flirted with other people, too. We were on Broadway, people were hot and talented.”

Lea’s tongue sneaks out and wets her lips, “Then, there was a lot of stupid drunken kisses going on, we were young and stupid. It didn’t click with me how awful I had been until she found out.” 

Dianna hangs on to every word leaving Lea’s mouth and releases a shaky breath she did not know she was holding once the other woman has finished talking. 

“How did she find out?” she asks. 

“I wasn’t really hiding anything. Because if I’d hidden something, it would mean I was cheating,” Lea explains, shaking her head at her old self, “I think, at first, she noticed a pattern of behavior. I would tell her I am out with friends, she would want to drop by and I wouldn’t want her to, then we would get into a huge fight.”

Dianna nods again. The story sounds awfully similar if she looks closer.

“She saw some texts on my phone, nothing too bad, but I just had to come clean after that.”

“I am sorry.”

“I don’t know how long I could go on with it. So, I am glad she confronted me.”

“Was it with someone you cared about?” Dianna asks earnestly, trying to find that one thing that may give her hope from this story. 

“The funny thing is, no,” Lea chuckles humorlessly, “It wasn’t with someone I had feelings for, whatsoever. It was just someone I was attracted to, and of course, he was never available to me, so I kind of had developed an obsessive crush on him. You want what you cannot have.”

Dianna’s stomach tenses at the information, insisting, “What happened with him after you broke up with your girlfriend?”

“Nothing,” Lea tilts her head, meeting the hazel eyes with a sad smile, “we had hooked up a couple of times, even tried to date, but that lasted like several weeks, at best. We were just incompatible, and the sex wasn’t even that good.”

“Do you ever regret it?” Dianna finds herself asking, tears glistening in her eyes as she squeezes Lea’s hands. 

“Every day,” Lea squeezes her hand back, “She was a good friend to me. I wish I had ended things on a good point.” 

“Yeah, that’s how I feel with Dave,” Dianna admits, reaching up and brushing her fingers through Lea’s hair. “He has been a good friend to me for a number of years. A break-up feels like it would be the end of our friendship.”

“Is that what you will do?” Gently taking Dianna's wrist, Lea brushes her fingertips on the smooth skin. “Break up with him?”

“Feels like the right thing to do,” Dianna shrugs, wiping her tears away. “Don’t worry, I don’t expect anything from you.”

Lea frowns, “Okay.”

“I should do it face to face,” Dianna continues, taking a shaky breath. “I owe him that, at least.” 

“Of course,” Lea nods. “I will respect your boundaries until then.” 

“It is hard to have boundaries with you, Lee,” Dianna admits shakily, a small smile twisting her mouth, “I mean I hardly know what personal space is with you.”

Lea laughs, the glimmer of unshed tears shining through her eyes, “what is that?” 

Dianna pulls Lea closer, pressing a sweet kiss on her cheek before cuddling against her. Lea smiles lazily, combing her fingers through the blonde locks as her eyes begin to drift closed, murmuring, “See, I can behave.” 

“Good night, silly.” 

xxx

Chapter Text

xxx

There is nothing Dianna loves more than having a lazy day to herself. Well, she would rather spend every waking moment with a certain someone, but that is a recent development she hasn’t made her peace with yet, and that person is hardly available during the day. Nevertheless, she finds herself checking her texts every so often, fingers itching to send something to Lea. 

Her cell phone rings as she stretches on the mattress, feeling the warmth of the sun streaming in through the window. She glances at the caller ID, it is Ashley—one of her oldest friends from San Francisco—before she picks up.

“Hi, Ash.” 

“Hi yourself, bunny, ” Ashley greets playfully. “Has the fame already gotten into your head and forgotten all about us? ” 

“Of course not,” Dianna denies easily, feeling a little embarrassed about how she has been neglecting her family and friends ever since she started to film for Glee. “I just never seem to have a weekend off for a trip home.”

“Well, you should give us a call at least. Kat misses you terribly. ” 

Dianna bites her lip at the mention of her old friend, Kathleen. It is the longest she has been away from her beloved friends. She sighs wistfully, “I miss you, girls, a lot.” 

“So, what’s going on in L.A., blondie? Is there anything you want to tell me? ” 

She frowns in confusion at the sudden interrogation, “Um, why? Did you hear something?”

“Not much, ” Ashley answers. “I was asked if I knew something, actually. ”

“Oh no,” she deadpans, asking the question she already knows the answer to, “who?”

“Dave. Who else? ”

Dianna can practically imagine Ashley rolling her eyes through the phone. Although Ashley likes Dave, she has never appreciated Dianna’s boyfriends creeping into her, asking for advice whenever something goes sour, and Dave is not an exception. 

“He is worried something is up with you. ”

Dianna thoughtfully chews on her lower lip. “He is kind of right. I am breaking up with him. Soon.”

“What? What did I miss? ” Ashley asks, surprised. “Did he do something in New York? Do I need to kick him in the nuts? ”

Dianna chuckles at that, shaking her head. “No, no…” she sobers instantly, biting into her lower lip as she confesses, “Actually, I am the one who did something. Something bad, Ash.”

“Oh, honey. What happened? ”

“I don’t know how to tell you this,” Dianna worries her lower lip. “Will you forgive me if I am vague?”

“You don’t want to give any names, got it! I will assume it is either Brad Pitt or Leo DiCaprio. ” 

“Ew, no,” she squeaks in protest. “They are too old for me.”

“Did you really just ew Brad and Leo? What happened to you, girly? ”

“Funny you ask,” Dianna chuckles. “There is this person…” she takes a deep breath. “There is this woman I may… I have developed some feelings for.” 

Ashley is practically yelling on the phone, “Oh wow! ” 

“Yup,” she nods, cheeks growing pink. “Shoot me.”

“I don’t know what to say, D. That’s a lot to take in, but I am here for you, baby girl. ” She hears Ashley say, finding nothing but sincerity in her voice.

Touched by her friend’s words, Dianna murmurs an appreciative “Thanks” and sighs, “Needless to say, I am terrified, Ash.”

“Tell me, does this woman, does she reciprocate? ”

“Yeah, I think she does.”

Ashley does not press for more, and Dianna is grateful for it. The rest of the conversation flows more easily once they start talking about Ashley, Kathleen, and everyone back home.

xxx

Dianna decides if she were on a date, this would be the perfect one regardless of how casual it is. It is one of their longer breaks on set, and they are in Lea’s trailer. They are sitting on a loveseat with Lea’s bare feet in Dianna’s lab as the other woman eats her salad. Both women talk about their days while sharing secretive smiles and loving glances. 

“One of these days, I am going to dip back into cheese,” Lea announces around a mouthful of green salad Dianna brought for her. 

“Don’t you dare,” Dianna warns her with a fond smile. “We are in this together.” 

“This is so bland,” Lea whines. 

“It is set food, Lea,” Dianna shrugs, chuckling a little. “Also, it is a salad. What did you expect?”

“Salads can be delicious and filling if you put some effort into them and mix it up,” Lea informs. “For example, these chopped greens would be oh so warm and gooey if they had coupled them with goat cheese, grilled eggplants, and roasted bell peppers. Of course, it has to be topped with a little balsamic and extra virgin olive oil,” she describes with sparkling eyes. 

How descriptive and enthusiastic Lea gets when she talks about food, even if it is a simple salad, never gets old for Dianna. It is always endearing to see Lea around food; either she is eating, cooking, or talking about recipes. 

“You do realize that would still be vegan if you skipped the cheese, right?” Dianna teases the other woman, giving her small foot a little squeeze. “I am off early today, so I am going to make you an incredible vegan dinner, I promise.”

A pair of expressive brown eyes filled with appreciation look at her, “you are the best. How did I get so lucky?” 

Dianna licks her lips wantonly and teases the brunette, “you are only going to get luckier.” 

Lea's eyes narrow, but her lips are curving with the possible implications of that statement. 

“Jenna and Chris are planning on going to a karaoke bar this Saturday.”

“I heard. As if we are not singing enough already,” Dianna says jokingly.

“Right? I think I may skip.”

“No,” Dianna frowns. “I don’t want to go if you are not there, and I already promised Jenna.”

Lea reaches out to place her hand on top of the other woman’s.

“Fine, as long as I get to be with you,” she says chivalrously. 

Dianna purses her lips, refusing to be charmed by Lea, “That’s right. Good girl.” 

xxx

It is a Saturday morning, and Dianna and Lea enjoy a brunch with the vegan pastries Lea had brought home from her early morning jog in the neighborhood. They are talking animatedly at the table, ignoring the dirty dishes in front of them, until they are interrupted by the doorbell. 

Dianna can’t help but exchange a few more words with Lea, who looks at Dianna with amused eyes. She grins widely at the other woman before she finally makes her way to the door. 

The door opens to reveal an unexpected guest which prompts Dianna to step back, gaping. 

“Dave? What are you doing here?”

“Can’t I surprise my best girl?” Dave asks with a charming—but not nearly as charming as Dianna used to think—smile.

“Hello, baby!” Dave exclaims, pulling his girlfriend into a hug before stepping inside the apartment.

“Hi,” Dianna takes a step back, still stunned to see the man right before her. 

“It’s crazy how much I’ve missed you,” Dave says. He seems to be not taken back by his girlfriend’s lack of affection. He throws an arm around Dianna’s shoulders and pulls her to his side, “I should’ve done this sooner.” 

“Missed you, too,” Dianna murmurs as she feels Dave pressing a kiss on top of her head. 

“Are you staying here?” she asks dumbly. This is the first question that came to her mind when she saw the man at the door. 

“No, silly,” Dave grins. “I booked us a hotel. We deserve to have some quality time together, don’t you think?”

Dianna is momentarily relieved Dave is not planning on staying at her and Lea’s apartment, but her brain quickly catches on to what that means. She winces, visibly blanching at the mention of a time alone together. “Yeah, definitely,” she blurts out despite herself. 

“Dianna,” Lea calls out impatiently from the kitchen, “who is it?”

Dianna squeezes her eyes closed, not looking forward to having Lea and Dave meet for the first time. She feels anxiety twist her stomach into knots. Before she can open her eyes, Lea has already approached the couple with questioning eyes. 

“Hey,” Dave says, holding out the hand that isn't on the blonde’s shoulder. “This is Dave.”

“Hi, Dave,” Lea returns, shaking Dave’s hand briefly. “I’m Lea. Dianna’s roommate,” she blurts, caught completely off guard by the encounter.  

“Yeah, I know. This one won’t shut up about you,” Dave shakes his head and glances at his girlfriend with an indulgent smile before his gaze returns to the other woman.  “Nice to finally meet you.”

“Likewise,” Lea mutters, casting a pointed look in Dianna's direction. “Your name is frequently mentioned, too.” 

“She talks about me,” Dave beams, placing a hand on his heart and tightening his grip on Dianna, who looks like she is about to pass out. 

“Come on in, then,” Lea urges, catching on the blonde’s lack of movement. “Don’t stand by the door.” She guides them further into their living room. 

They pass the next half an hour in uncomfortable silence interspersed with tense small talk. Unfortunately, the awkwardness does not dissipate regardless of the topic of conversation. 

“Lea,” Dave says, narrowing his eyes on the woman. “You remind me so much of… what was her name? Uh. That Broadway actress who did a role with green paint all over her body.”

Lea shakes her head in disbelief, waiting for the man to come up with the name on his own.

“Remember her, baby?” he turns to a slightly wincing Dianna. “I told you James and I went to see her on Broadway. She was amazing, but I kept wondering how long it took her to turn into green, the whole time.” 

“Well then, you had missed a phenomenal musical, Dave,” Lea doesn’t hold back a snarky comment. “It is not that long, actually, the make-up takes about 30 minutes.”

Dianna flinches at the dig, but Dave seems indifferent. 

“Cool,” Dave replies breezily. “And the name was?”

“Idina Menzel,” Dianna blurts out quickly as she doesn’t want another round of this. 

“Yes! Idina Menzel,” he cheers. “You look a lot like her.” 

“Thank you,” Lea ducks her head. “It's not the first time I heard of this and it certainly won't be the last. I am flattered though. Idina is gorgeous, and has an incredible talent.” 

Dianna begins to twist the ring around her middle finger. “Actually, our show's creator, Ryan Murphy jokes about casting her as Lea’s mother.” 

“See?” Dave darts his gaze over both women. “I have an eye for these things.” 

“You do, honey,” Dianna agrees, out of habit. 

Lea presses her lips together, uncomfortably shifting on the sofa. Her unsettled state is apparent as Dianna can tell by casting a mildly apprehensive glance at her.

Dave smiles at the blonde, leaning in for a kiss, which Dianna dodges by an inch. He looks at his girlfriend with questioning eyes. 

Frowning, Lea clears her throat, “You probably need some time alone. Give me 10 minutes. I was already leaving.”

“There is no need to rush. I am stealing this gorgeous girl away from you for a couple of days, anyway,” Dave informs both women.

Dianna already knows this is not going to happen. She can’t continue acting like they are a couple, especially not when Dave is physically here. As soon as she works up the courage to talk to him, she will end it. 

“Oh. Where?” Lea asks, her frown deepening.  “We still have scenes to film this weekend.” 

Having noticed the brunette’s doleful eyes, Dianna’s throat tightens, feeling a heaviness weighing on her heart. “Yeah,” she blurts out lamely. 

“Don’t worry,” Dave assures them. “I picked somewhere pretty close to the lot so that won’t be a problem.”

“Great,” both women say in unison.

xxx

Dianna doesn’t know how her day went from blissful to whatever this is. She had a couple of scenes to film today with Naya and Heather. Although the filming was supposed to take a few hours, it ended up taking the whole afternoon. Dave didn’t seem to mind the wait as he continued to work on his BlackBerry, and Dianna was glad she didn’t have to be alone with him just yet.

Unfortunately, having Dave Franco on set with her wasn’t as uneventful as she hoped it would be. The cast wanted to meet him so much that even people who had no business being there today came in. There was no doubt it annoyed Lea more than it did her, but Dianna couldn’t possibly ask him to leave. She opted for pinning her gaze to the brunette with a lingering annoyance in her eyes and hoped Lea understood the feeling was mutual. 

After the filming wrapped, Dianna insisted on going straight to the hotel so that they could finally talk, but Dave insisted on joining Jenna, Chris, Lea, and Cory at the karaoke bar. 

So, they did. 

Now, they are at the bar, elbow deep in a catalog of songs to sing. 

“Do you think we can pull off a Diana Ross and Lionel Richie duet?” Dave questions, pointing his finger at Endless Love. 

“No,” Dianna says, instantly discarding the idea. 

“How about you make a suggestion for once?” Dave urges, not masking his clear annoyance after his several suggestions were turned down by his girlfriend with a simple no. 

“I don’t know,” Dianna rolls her eyes. “Maybe something from Salt-N-Pepa?” 

Dave winces at the suggestion before he continues to flip the pages of the catalog, much to Dianna’s annoyance. 

xxx

“Di and Dave are going to sing a duet!” Jenna enthuses as Dianna and Dave walk up to the stage with his hand on her back. They have been arguing for which song they’re going to pick for the last 20 minutes, so it is actually sad that the song they could come up with is Crazy in Love by Beyoncé and Jay-Z. 

“Yay, how fun,” Lea mutters and huffs in muted annoyance at having to watch one of her favorite songs being butchered by the couple. She earns a concerned look from Cory, who is seated next to Chris, nursing a diet coke.   

“Hello, everyone. Dave Franco here,” Dave announces into the microphone, pausing for the roar of applause from their friends and others at the bar who may recognize the name, “and this is Di Agron, AKA Beyoncé to my Jay-Z.”

Dianna cringes at Dave’s opening monologue and thinks she could have found it endearing a year ago, but many things have changed since, and it is not doing anything for her anymore. 

Cory stands up and walks over to where Lea is seated next to Jenna, leaning in, “I can take you out of here,” he offers. “Just say the word.”

“What are you talking about?” Lea asks coolly. “I am having a blast.”

“You ready, babe?” Dave asks with a wide grin. 

“Yeah,” Dianna cheers into the microphone despite herself, hoping that she seems appropriately enthusiastic. She sees Chris clapping his hands together in his obvious excitement for them.

“Word,” Lea blurts quietly for only Cory to hear. 

Before Dianna sings her first verse, she notices Lea and Cory walk out of the bar together.

xxx

Chapter Text

xxx

When Lea and Cory return half an hour later, no questions are asked. So, Dianna can’t bring herself to ask where they had been, at least not in front of their friends and Dave. Instead, from the corner of her eye, she watches them, feeling mildly nauseous. She has to remind herself how well she and Lea had been before Dave arrived. So, this has to be about him. 

“This is fucking nice,” Lea says, downing her third shot. Her eyes meet Dianna’s for a lingering moment before she snaps her fingers at the bartender, signaling for one more. Dianna reaches for what’s left of her wine, taking a deliberate sip, as she studies the brunette.

“Is it necessary for you to curse this much?” Cory’s lips quirk into a teasing grin. “There are minors among us.” 

Lea shrugs a shoulder, reaching the shot the bartender has pushed in front of her and downing it in one swallow. Dianna purses her lips, noting that she has never seen the other women drink that many shots in a row. She wishes she could find a way to talk to Lea tonight without Dave suspecting anything. 

“You know I am legally not a minor right Cory?” Chris scolds playfully, nursing the rum and coke Cory had to buy for him. “Although, technically, I am not allowed to drink.” 

“Whatever,” Cory shrugs. “She has some dirty mouth on her.”

Lea smiles thinly, “From now on, I am going to swear more to scare Canadians away.” 

“And I am going to buy a swear jar just for you,” Cory tells her sweetly. “Then, with that money, I will take a vacation to Cabo. You just wait.”

“Yeah, that’s likely to happen,” Lea agrees with a smirk. “Take me with you. I am a good beach buddy.”

“Aw, of course. Who else can I take? You are my best buddy.” Cory beams with a smile that makes Dianna want to puke in her mouth. She is glad Dave is out somewhere on his phone, having a spontaneous meeting, or else he could have noticed how uncomfortable she is with Lea and Cory flirting.

“That’s some Finn and Rachel level of sweetness, you two,” Jenna gushes, clapping her hands together in delight. 

Dianna squeezes her eyes closed, shaking her head irritably at the comment. 

xxx

Some guy is doing a rendition of Use Somebody by Kings of Leon when Lea stands up abruptly, walking towards where the restrooms are. With Dave’s careful eyes on her, Dianna has to wait a while. When she feels Dave throw an arm around her shoulders, she chews on her lip, unwilling to sit here one moment longer and miss her chance to talk to the other woman. So, she excuses herself despite what Dave may think, heading to the restroom with swift steps. 

Dianna stops in front of the door and takes a moment to collect her thoughts. There is no way she has missed something that may have happened between her roommate and Cory. Nevertheless, it bugs her that Lea seems to draw to Cory whenever she is upset with her and more importantly, she doesn’t acknowledge that. 

As Dianna reaches for the doorknob, the door opens, revealing the brunette she was hoping to find. 

“Lea,” Dianna whispers, noticing how exhausted Lea is after today and she wants nothing more than to hold her and have the other woman assure her that it’s going to be okay. 

However, Lea chooses not to acknowledge the other woman. She steps out of the restroom and starts walking away.

“Lea! Get back here,” Dianna hisses, hazel eyes darting around them to make sure they are alone. 

“Don’t walk away from me. You told me no more running,” the blonde reminds, noticing Lea’s steps starting to slow down until she stops completely. 

“And you told me you were going to break up with your boyfriend,” Lea counters, turning on her heel to face the other woman, “I guess you can’t always get what you want.”

“Is this what you want?” 

“It doesn’t matter what I want,” Lea snaps. “You said you were going to do it. It seems as though you’ve changed your mind.” 

“I haven’t,” 

“You brought him to our set, and you introduced him to our friends,” Lea points out, irritated with a roll of dark eyes.

“He insisted on coming,”

“Do you always give in to other people’s wants? How about what you want?” 

Dianna sucks in a harsh breath at the words, her heartbreaking, “Stop.”

“I am just looking out for my best girl ,” Lea drawls sarcastically.

“You are so frustrating,” Dianna says in exasperation, her frown deepening. “As if you are any less confusing. What is it with you being all over Cory lately?” 

“This is not our problem right now,” Lea whispers as she is suddenly aware they are having this conversation very publicly. So, she paces back to the restroom with the other woman behind her. 

“But it is! You obviously had been to his place, enough times to get comfortable around it, and when he’s flirting with you, it is not unreciprocated,” Dianna puffs out a frustrated breath, crossing her arms. “And the worst part is, you don’t even acknowledge any of it.”

“Yes, I have been to his place, okay? I stayed the night, too. So what?” Lea asks wryly.

Dianna's eyes grow watery and she shakes her head, absently brushing a stray tear from her cheek before she points a finger at Lea, “I can’t believe you.” 

“You told me you weren’t expecting anything from me,” Lea accuses, pointing a finger back at Dianna. “You breaking up with your boyfriend has nothing to do with me, Dianna.” 

“You are such a fool,” Dianna chuckles wetly, shaking her head in disbelief. 

Lea crosses her arms over her chest, her big brown eyes are filled with questions. 

“Me leaving Dave has everything to do with you!” Dianna says brokenly.

Lea draws in a breath as her eyes roam over Dianna’s face. 

“Well, you can’t...” Lea closes her eyes and takes a trembling breath. “Not because of us.”

Dianna frowns in confusion. “You don’t want me to leave Dave?”

“No, you don’t understand,” Lea sighs. “This decision has to come from you, and you only .”  

xxx

Dianna is glad Dave is not only a non-smoker but also can’t stand the smell. She really needs some time alone, especially after the exchange she had with Lea earlier. So, she uses smoking as an excuse to have it. Once she is outside, she forces a deep breath into her lungs, leaning her back against the wall. 

It doesn’t take long until someone comes looking for her. Someone is Cory, in this case, much to Dianna’s disappointment. 

“Cory,” Dianna sighs, eyeing her friend. “I am sorry, but you are the last person I want to see right now.” 

“Yeah,” Cory seems unaffected by the confession. “I thought that might be the case.” 

“Why are you here then?”

“Because I don’t want you to think in a certain way about Lea and me,” Cory says, shifting his weight impatiently. “Especially when it is not the truth.”

“What’s the truth?”

“Look, I am not going to say there is nothing going on on my end,” Cory admits with an embarrassed smile. “Because one, I am not a good liar, and two, lying would mess things up in the long run.”

Dianna quirks an eyebrow, eyeing the tall man skeptically until Cory shrugs in defeat, “I mean we will be doing this TV show for God knows how long. Anything can happen.”

“You are not helping here, Cory,” Dianna scolds.

“Sorry, yeah. What was I thinking?” he grimaces and deadpans.

Dianna crosses her arms over her chest and waits for her friend to continue explaining. 

“Lea and I have grown closer these past weeks only because she is upset with you,” Cory explains. “I didn’t know what it was about before, but now I am guessing it has something to do with Franco.” 

Cory pauses, glancing at Dianna to confirm or deny his suspicion. When he doesn’t get any reactions from the woman, he continues, “I don’t know what you think is going on, but there isn’t much, I can guarantee you that.”

Dianna sighs at how vague Cory is being and impatiently taps her fingers on her wait, “What do you mean by not much going on ?” 

“You want all the details?” Cory asks with a playful smile, which earns him a glare sent in his direction. 

His complexion pales noticeably at her friend’s reaction before he clarifies, “Lea came to my place twice. In both times, my roommates accompanied us throughout her stay. We ordered food and watched stupid reality shows. She slept in my guest room one time because she had a few beers, and told me she didn’t want to go home because you’d be there. So, I let her stay.” 

Dianna feels quite relieved at that confession, but she has to ask, “And the flirting?”

“It is merely platonic, I swear,” Cory raises his hands in surrender. “I got the memo, you only have eyes for each other.” 

Dianna nods, ducking her head, “why are you telling me this, Cory?”

“Because I know you needed to hear it,” Cory shrugs with a half-smile. “And Lea is too stubborn to do the same.”

“That she is,” Dianna chuckles wetly, wiping at her glittering eyes.

xxx

Cory and Lea leave the bar first after he assures Dianna that he is going to drive Lea back to their apartment safe and sound. Then, she and Dave excuse themselves, leaving behind an intoxicated Jenna who has no business ending the night just yet as she’d rather dance and sing with several gay men they met tonight, and a tipsy Chris who is blissfully tagging along. 

Dianna rushes into the bathroom when she and Dave are back to their hotel room. She squeezes her eyes closed, thunking her forehead against the door as she takes a moment to gather her thoughts and think about everything she wants to say to Dave. Fresh tears gather in her eyes as Dianna lets her mind wander over the conversation she had with Lea. Although the other woman had a terrible way of voicing her opinion, she was right. It wasn’t the attraction nor the feelings she has for Lea that made her mind up about leaving him. It was the moment she saw Dave at the door and how the only thing she felt was anxiety about having to pretend she’s missed him, when in fact she hasn’t. It was clear at that moment that she no longer loved him. 

Her thoughts are interrupted when she hears Dave’s muffled whining through the door. “Dianna! Come to bed, please.” 

Dianna drags in a shaky breath.

“Babe?”

Another breath.

Dave is lying down on the mattress when Dianna walks out of the bathroom, somewhat ready to confront him. Dave sits up a little and glances at his girlfriend with expectation. 

“Hi,” Dianna says with a tentative smile.

“Hi,” Dave echoes, frowning. “I thought you were changing in there or something. Are you okay? Is there something wrong with your stomach again?”  

“No, no…” Dianna shakes her head, shifting uncomfortably. 

“What is it then?” 

“I am not going to stay the night, Dave,” she announces lamely. 

“Why?”

“Because I want to break up….” 

“You are kidding, right?’ 

She sighs, “I am sorry.”

Dave laughs dryly, running a hand through his hair. “You are not sorry.” 

Dianna gives him a remorseful look. “I am really sorry,” she says again, sounding more sincere this time. “I hope we can remain friends. I do care about you.” 

“You don’t give a fuck about me, Dianna,” Dave decides, shaking his head with an exasperated expression. “If you cared about me, you wouldn’t do this to me. For months , Dianna. For months, I have asked you what was wrong and each time you shrugged off my concerns. I wanted to fix our problems!” 

“There’s nothing to fix, don’t you see?” Dianna cries. “I don't have feelings for you anymore.”

“I don’t accept this,” Dave spits, standing up and hovering over the woman with a finger directed at her. “You comforted me. You told me you loved me and that you wanted me.”

“I know I shouldn’t- I shouldn’t have…” Dianna trails off, glancing away. “I wanted to do this face to face, but I wasn’t brave enough for a confrontation. It is true that I love you, but I don’t want you anymore.” 

“You want someone else, don’t you?”

Dianna glances away embarrassedly, “this is not about someone else. This is about how I feel.”

When she finally brings herself to face Dave, there is a mixture of anger and hurt glittering in his eyes. 

"Get the fuck out of here,” he mutters, shoving her a little.  

“I don’t want to see your face ever again. Just piss off!” 

xxx