A/N: Originally taken from a different fandom from Archive of Our Own. your hand in mine by geralehane. I've edited and tweaked it a bit to fit Jade and Tori. Wanted to give you guys something new to read. Tori is a successful CEO. Jade and her older brother Jake are orphans who have always only had each other. Jade is dating Beck. She's also studying scriptwriting at NYU. Beck is kind of an idiot with the best intentions for Jade. Enjoy!
Jade meets Tori on a stormy winter night in an empty coffee shop in the never sleeping city of New York. (Jade is supposed to meet Tori at an expensive gala dinner, but life has other ideas, and winter supports them.) She thinks she's never looked worse, with her make up running and her hair wet and her attitude sour. (She looks nothing like she planned.)
(Later, she'll find her plans always collapse in on themselves where Tori's concerned.)
Tori is a sharp contrast against horrible snowstorm outside. She's quiet. She's nothing like Jade imagined. It makes her heart squeeze in her chest, once, painfully and sharply. Tori's straightened hair is back to its natural wavy state because of snow melting on her head, and her brown eyes are soft and calm.
Jade's face is scrubbed raw and clean, and she's loud in her fuming. She's terribly late, and the only person she's attending this gala for is probably long gone by now.
Jade storms into the coffee shop glaring at people unfortunate enough to be stranded with her, and the only person she was attending the gala for walks inside the coffee shop exactly twenty minutes later.
But. No. She is getting ahead of herself. She wants to start from the very beginning.
As much as she'd like it to, the story doesn't start with Tori.
Jake West's body looks small on a hospital bed, with tubes attached to him.
"Life support," Jade says into the phone as she stares at her brother, lying lifeless behind the glass. "They had to put him on life support."
"Jesus. I'm so sorry. Do you want me to come get you, or – what should I do? Is there anything I can do?"
She shrugs, but then remembers Beck can't see her. "No," she says. "It's -" she wants to say it's okay, it's fine, but, "there isn't. We wait now."
"And hope," her boyfriend says on the other line, determined but soft. "Jake is tough. I should know."
Jade laughs. The sound is hollow. "I don't think he liked you all that much and dating his sister doesn't help." She imagines Beck shrugging at her words, hair falling onto his face with the gesture. He's either in the supply closet or bathroom, hiding from his co-workers to take this call.
"I'll let him punch me when he wakes up." Jade pretends not to notice Beck uses when, and Beck pretends not to notice she uses the past tense when talking about her brother.
"Then again, he isn't one for physical violence. Shit - in a minute!" Jade winces when Beck yells to someone, too sharp and too loud for her right now. "I'm sorry, babe, I gotta go," he addresses her again, regretful. "I'll come over tonight, okay? We will talk and-"
"No." She clears her throat when she realizes she might have sounded too harsh. "I don't - I would like to be alone tonight."
"Oh. Okay." Beck doesn't push. He never does. She likes that the most about him, she thinks. "Well, just let me know if… I'm sorry, I really need to go."
"It's okay. Miss Vega will have you lynched if you don't." she imagines his half-smile, gentle and easy. It doesn't help the heaviness in the pit of her stomach. "Bye, Beck."
"Bye. I love you," he tries. When she doesn't say anything, he only lets out a small sigh she's sure he doesn't realize she's heard, and hangs up.
She continues to stare at her brother.
In the end, she still calls Beck, high on wine and sorrow. He's at her place five minutes later, almost as if he's been waiting for her. She doesn't want to think about it right now. She just wants to feel just a touch less miserable. A little less empty. She wants to feel as though her brother will walk in any moment now, full of life and disapproval at her choice in men – because that's what older, protective brothers do. As though he's never slammed his brakes in a desperate attempt to avoid head-on collision with a truck, wheels screeching on black ice. As though-
Beck gets it. He lets her use him because he loves her and because he knows she loves him, too. There's something in his eyes when she lets him in; like he's in on a secret Jade's not privy to, and that secret is the answer to all of her questions.
He doesn't wait for her to ask. Instead, he begins the conversation himself, when they lay there, still struggling to catch their breaths, skin cooling down.
"Life support is a lot of money, Jade," isn't the best opening he could have come up with. She feels herself bristle before forcing herself to calm down. Beck means well. He always does. So she doesn't say anything, instead letting him talk. He continues. "Money that we don't have."
"You think I don't know that?"
"I know a way, though." He props his head up on his hand, watching her stare at the ceiling. "You'll hate it, but it's a sure one."
She doesn't have much time and much of a choice. "What is it?"
Beck takes a deep breath. When Jade doesn't react, he slowly releases it. "Miss Vega broke up with her latest girlfriend." the way he says girlfriend hints at something short of distasteful, and Jade knows it's not because Miss Vega is a woman, as well. They've spent some time discussing his boss's conquests this past year, when he got a job as an assistant manager at one of her corporations. Yes, plural. She's old money. Some of her businesses are inherited, some of it she's built herself. And so young, too: she's only a couple of years older than Jade. She remembers looking her up online when Beck got his job. Strong chin, defined jawline, piercing light brown eyes, impassive face, impeccable suits. Every bit of an iron business shark her parents were before they passed away, leaving her everything. It was fun to indulge in gossip about her occasionally, Jade admits; betting on how long the latest conquest would last, how soon she would find the new one, if she'd propose again.
Beck is staring at her, carefully gauging her reaction, but she's got none. She's not in the mood for latest piece of Tori Vega gossip. She's not in the mood for anything. Suddenly, she wants him to be gone. But Beck clearly has other ideas. When she continues to stare at him, he speaks up again. "She's single," he paraphrases. "She's got a lot of money."
Oh.
Oh.
Something clicks, and Jade can't hold back her incredulous laughter. "Beck," she speaks, her voice hoarse. "You can't be serious."
"Except I am." He pretends not to notice she shifts from under his touch when he tries to trace her arm with his fingertips. "I kept track of her girls for a year now. Anything they wish for, she takes care of it. Lucky ones get access to her personal card, and she never checks where the money goes. I swear, when she falls for someone, she falls hard." He takes another breath before finally concluding. "If you were to… If you were her girlfriend, trust me - you wouldn't have to worry about hospital bills ever again. Plus, she actually owns the hospital. I checked that, too."
Duh. Her mom used to be head of cardio and on the board. She read that also…
"Yeah, except there's one tiny issue. I'm straight." And Tori is a person, and she doesn't deserve to have someone play with her heart like that. No matter what kind of a person she might be. Jade's cold, but that's one line she's never saw herself crossing.
But that's not what Jade said out loud. That's not even what crossed her mind first. If she weren't straight, would she go for it? Several thousands dollars per day, she remembers. It's always just been her and Jake. No parents. No help from no one; until Beck came in… Several thousands dollars per day.
"Beck, acting in reality- I- This isn't a role I could pull off. Tori would see right through me. Also, I can't believe I'm actually humoring you as though it might actually work. There's no chance in hell, Beck," she points out. "This isn't a movie. Someone like Tori would never fall for someone like me. You've seen the girls she takes home. I am literally nothing like them." Her personality is hard, she's sarcastic and blunt, she's not California blonde, and surely doesn't dress like it either.
"But, you're a great liar," Beck replies. He clearly gave it a lot of thought. She can see it in his eyes, alight with excitement and determination. "And you're giving Miss Vega too much credit. She's smart. Scary smart. But her girlfriends are her blind spot. Everyone who's close to her knows it."
"You're not close to her."
"No, I'm just more perceptive than others. She's lonely. Terribly so. And you - you might actually be perfect for her," Beck muses out loud. "You're something fresh. Something new. Exciting. You could be a challenge." He worries his bottom lip, looking at her from under his bangs, and it reminds her of a kicked puppy. Hurt yet still ready to please and beg for forgiveness and be useful. That's it. He wants to be useful. He doesn't know what to do - and there isn't anything he can do. He simply doesn't want to accept that.
And Jade is too tired to deal with his bruised ego, so she continues with this pointless conversation. "Okay," she says. "Okay. How would I even meet her? She doesn't exactly go to our usual bar." But - the fact that she even asks questions already tells her she doesn't consider it to be completely pointless.
Several thousands dollars.
When Beck's face lights up with a smile, she knows she's just started to dig her own grave. "Jade," he says. "I work for her. It's almost too easy to find out what events she'll be attending this month. It's even easier to get you a ticket. A couple of people owe me favors, and I'm more than willing to cash them in for you." his kicked puppy look comes back, and she doesn't want to focus on that. Not now. Truth be told, all she wants is for this day to end.
But- several thousands dollars a day.
She'll ask herself later what exactly prompted her to answer the way she did. If it was her fatigue or desperation or the combination of both, with a dash of nothing to lose to tip her over the edge. Later, she'll rehash this over and over again, and, depending on a day, she'll either hate herself or accept that without this, she wouldn't have ended up where she had. Either way, what's done is done, what's said is said, and the only thing left is to move forward.
In this exact moment, she makes a decision that will determine her future and completely change her life, and there is a tight coiling in her stomach when she says the words. "Okay."
Beck blinks. "Okay as in okay, I'm in, or okay I've entertained you for long enough, get out?" He looks uncertain, and she gets it. Only a minute ago, she was laughing at his suggestion. But the more she thinks about it, the more she realizes she doesn't really have anything to lose. If it doesn't work, she'll start looking for other options. If it does work, she won't have to pull the plug on the only person who's always been there for her. Because she has to face it - she doesn't have a lot of options. That's pretty much the only one.
And Tori Vega is another.
"The first one." She finally focuses her gaze on Beck's face, and watches him frown at her empty smile. "I'm in. If she'll even like me enough to do something about it." she decides to exaggerate her skepticism, just a little bit. For her own sake. Because it's scary how strong her newfound hope is, suddenly. She can't really explain her own train of thought, but it feels like it's been stuck in a dark tunnel and now there's blinding light at the end of it.
Tori owns the goddamn hospital.
Maybe, Beck is an actual fucking genius.
The story doesn't start with Tori –or maybe it would be better to say the story of her and Tori starts with a terrible car accident, a life in need of saving, and her own desperation, but not with them. Maybe. Or, maybe, she's wrong, and their story doesn't truly start until months later, until Jade's hand squeezes Tori's in her sleep, until blue meets brown with desperate hunger never quite felt before. She's not sure. What she is sure of is the fact that Tori Vega is nothing like she's expected.
She hopes she's nothing like Tori's expected, either – but then she realizes it is true in the worst of ways, and her mouth tastes sour.
Maybe, that's why, when their eyes lock for the very first time, Jade's gaze lets go first, drifting to the window and other people and a cup of coffee in front of her. Last chance to back out, she thinks. Stand up and leave and never look back. Find other options – any option but this.
There aren't any, though. And Tori Vega is already making her way towards her, eyes serious and brown.
She doubts she'll ever forget the very first words Tori says to her. "Excuse me," a soft voice says next to her, and she forces herself to lift her gaze, only to stumble into Tori's softly inquiring one. "May I lend you a coat? I couldn't help but notice you got caught in a blizzard, just like me." Jade's gaze falls down, to the piece of clothing Tori is offering her, a complete stranger in a random coffee shop. It's a nice coat. Expensive and warm. Jade's own is thin and wet and uncomfortable, but sitting only in her little black dress is ever worse, so she has it over her shoulders, and the dampness isn't helping her shivering. Must be why Tori approached her. Well, that, and her cleavage.
Jade's eyes catch brown ones again. "Exactly," she says. "Just like you. Don't you need a coat, too?" Inside, she's screaming at herself. Just take the coat, she fumes. Let her sit next to you. Talk to you. Take you home. Don't sleep with her yet – she needs to be intrigued.
But those steps were carefully planned and rehearsed before the blizzard hit and she was stranded in this coffee shop with Tori Vega herself to keep her company. She's thrown off her game. She needs to put her poker face back on before she ruins what might be her only chance.
Tori smiles at her answer and sits in front of her without asking. She's confident, Jade'll give her that. Borderline cocky, but it suits her, just like her impeccable three-piece. "My body temperature is usually higher than most people's," she lets her know before standing up just slightly and draping her coat over Jade's shoulders. Warm, just like she thought. What she isn't prepared for, however, is the intoxicating scent coming from the coat, clean and sharp with a hint of something spicy. Tori's scent. Jade lets it envelop her, and she doesn't realize she lets out a relieved sigh until she sees Tori's smile turn smug.
She struggles against the urge to scowl. "You must think very highly of yourself," she states, cringing at herself inwardly, but already too far gone to stop herself from royally screwing it up. "I never agreed to your offer, and I certainly didn't consent to you sitting here."
Other options it is. This is where Tori Vega, her one shot, scoffs and stands up, perhaps leaving her coat behind as one last jab. Stands up, leaves, and never comes back.
She almost jumps when she hears a soft laugh instead and sees a small, genuine smile. "My apologies," Tori says, and she sounds genuine, too. She stands up, her hands behind her back. "I didn't mean to laugh. I was – I guess I realized how right you are and how foolish I was. I didn't mean to intrude. I simply saw you sit here with a damp coat, and you were the only one who didn't have a blanket. They don't have any left, by the way. I checked. I wanted to help," Tori offers. "Instead, I was rude and insensitive." She doesn't say anything else. It's so rare – to have someone admit their faults without offering justification immediately after. To have someone admit them so openly and so matter-of-fact.
Jade certainly didn't expect Tori Vega to do something like that.
But – it doesn't mean anything.
Several thousands dollars a day.
Just when Tori turns to leave, Jade speaks up. "My coat is damp. And I would love it if someone offered me their much nicer and drier one." Flirting with girls is a lot like flirting with guys, she discovers to her surprise. It comes just as effortlessly and naturally to her, anyway.
When Tori turns, her small smile growing and her eyes sparkling, Jade pretends the heavy ache in her stomach is merely her being nervous.
"I'm Jade."
"Hello, Jade. I'm Tori."
Tori's palm is warm and soft in her own.
Beck is already waiting for her on the couch when she opens the door to her apartment.
"Hey," he springs to his feet to face her, and she watches his features twist in a confused frown. "New coat?"
Jade runs a flat hand over the fabric once before shrugging it off and carefully hanging it. "Yeah. Something like that."
"I take it the plan worked." He follows her to the kitchen, where he watches her scoop coffee grounds into a coffee filter and turn the pot on. The blizzard has slowed down a while ago, but there are good chances it'll pick up again at night. And her apartment is much colder than Tori's car and Tori's coat.
"Not at all," Jade replies to him, taking two coffee mugs out and setting them on the counter. "I had to improvise."
Beck's face brightens with realization. "Wait, is that Tori's coat? What happened?"
Jade tells him everything. Everything he needs to know, anyway, as the mastermind behind all this. She relays facts in a short, clipped manner. Blizzard - stuck in a coffee shop - with Tori, can you imagine - we talked - she drove me home - she got my number.
She doesn't tell him about Tori's affinity for Ella Fitzgerald and Monet; doesn't tell him about the slight blush on Tori's cheeks when Elvis's "Can't Help Falling in Love" played softly on the jukebox in a perfect cliché with a storm outside and hot coffee mugs in their hands. She doesn't tell him about Tori's encouraging half-smile when Jade told her she was a film student studying to be a scriptwriter; or about the tip she's left for their waiter - more than enough to cover everyone's meal in that place.
"So she offered her coat to you," Beck says when she's done. "Just like that."
Jade tries to push down the sudden feeling of agitation. "Yes. That's what I said, isn't it?" She sounds defensive, and she's surprised to find she feels defensive, as well.
But - Tori isn't that bad of a person Beck's made her out to be.
"Yes," Beck says. "It's just - it says a lot about her. How differently she treats people based on whether she wants to fuck them or not, you know?" He shakes his head, amused, not noticing Jade's frown. "Wait, she didn't - she didn't try anything, did she?"
Jade snorts. "Does it matter? This time, she didn't - next time, she will, and I'll let her. I'm my own pimp, don't you remember?" She feels exhausted and heavy. But.
Several thousand dollars a day.
Beck's eyes are pitiful. "I'm sorry," he offers. "Maybe this was a bad idea. You don't have to-"
"But I do," she cuts him off. The coffee pot crackles and she pours herself a cup of fresh brew.
Her boyfriend takes her silence as a sign of her being upset. "It's not that bad," he tries. "She'll get bored of you after some time. But, by the time she's done playing with you, you'll already have everything you need from her. It's mutually beneficial, really."
Jade nods. Beck's description – Beck's idea of Tori doesn't sit well with her anymore, now that she's met her, but she pushes the feeling down. Beck knows her. Really knows her. And maybe he's right. Jade met only one version of Tori Vega – the charming, suave one that has one goal in mind. "Right. That's why it's a brilliant idea. And so far, it's working. She's intrigued. She'll call." And I'll go on a date with her. And another. And another. And then I'll kiss her and let her have sex with me, and it'll be so good she'll pay for my brother's hospital bills.
This is hysterical in every sense of the word.
Tori calls the next day at lunch. Her voice is calm and collected, and something inside Jade shrinks. Tori's everything Jade isn't.
"Hello, Jade," she hears on the other end. "This is Tori. We met yesterday."
"Yeah, I remember."
Something about her voice must sound off, and Tori picks up on it almost immediately. "Is this a bad time?"
Yeah. All of this. But Jade doesn't tell her that. Instead, she forces a smile and says: "oh, no, no, it's definitely a good time. I'm glad you called."
Tori's voice brightens, but so slightly Jade would've missed it if she weren't looking. "Good. I'm glad I called, too. Do you have any plans tomorrow night?" She really cuts to the chase. Jade only swallows and closes her eyes, thinking. Last chance. Say no. Change your number.
"I don't," she finds herself saying. "Or do I?"
Tori's smile is audible in her voice. "Maybe. If you like Russian cuisine."
"I haven't tried it."
"I know. That's exactly why I chose this new restaurant my friend owns."
Jade tries to inject a little bit of flirting into her tone. "Trying something new on a first date? You like to take risks, Miss Vega," she teases.
"Oh," Tori replies, and there's definitely flirting in her tone. "Is that what it is?"
"If you want it to be." Great. Now she sounds like a prostitute, too. Certainly has been feeling like one this week.
"Do you?" Tori is playing along, and Jade thinks she really, really shouldn't feel this thrill that shoots through her system, but she can't help it. She's straight and wants to use Tori for money, but – this is Tori fucking Vega flirting with her over the phone. Her. And Tori Vega. It's surreal and more than tainted with circumstances, but it's also the most exciting thing she's ever done and felt.
So she bites her lower lip and lets out a quiet, shaky breath before giving an answer that seals this. "Yes. I do."
"Good thing I had a back-up plan." Jade really wants to smack the annoyingly pretty smirk off Tori's face as the woman pulls out the chair for her. Charming. Annoyingly charming. "Don't worry. Borscht is not for everyone."
"You mean it's not for anyone," Jade mutters, settling into her chair and looking over the pasta menu with a relieved sigh. This, she can work with.
She considered being a good sport at first. Pretend she liked everything, pretend Tori's favorite food was her favorite, too. But she realized she couldn't do it – and she didn't want to do it, either. She's already lying about her attraction to the woman. She wants to stay herself in some aspects for the sake of her own sanity. That's why she didn't try to hide her grimace upon tasting several dishes, and that's why they are currently seated in a small Italian restaurant several blocks away from her apartment. It's quaint and cozy and a love at first sight.
Tori chuckles, taking off her jacket and carefully hanging it on the back of her chair. Her waistcoat accentuates her slim waist and strong shoulders, and Jade doesn't realize she's staring until she lifts her eyes and finds Tori's knowing smirk. "It's an acquired taste," she tells Jade. "You'll learn to appreciate it. If you want to, of course."
"I'm not sure," Jade replies. "I'm okay with carbonara for now."
"Excellent choice," Tori smiles, signaling for a waiter. "I suggest a bottle of Cave Yves Cuilleron Syrah to go with it."
Jade blinks. "I have no idea what any of those words mean."
Tori's eyes twinkle with adoring amusement, and Jade thinks she must be doing something right.
The night is warm enough for a walk, and Jade proposes they take full advantage of it. Tori looks at her like she's insane. "The car is right here," she says. "Jackson will take us anywhere we need to go."
"Yeah, yeah, old money, I get it," Jade teases with no trace of malice in her voice. "But I'm suggesting a walk for the sake of walking. You know. Burning calories. Enjoying fresh air. It's nice and costs zero dollars."
Tori opens her mouth, ready to say something, but then simply laughs, shaking her head. "Right. You're right. I'd like to take a walk with you." She signals for Jackson, her driver, to stay put, and Jade tugs her in a random direction – just like she's hoped, Tori's hand falls in hers, naturally, and doesn't pull away.
"So," Tori starts, swinging their arms a little as they walk. "Tell me something about yourself."
"I'm pretty sure you know everything there is to know about me after today." They talked for several hours. Tori proved to be an excellent listener. It's a dangerous quality - Jade will have to constantly watch herself around her.
Tori looks thoughtful for a moment. "No," she then says, slowly. "I don't know why your eyes are sad." Her thumb smoothes the skin on the back of Jade's hand, and she has to stop herself from tearing it out of her hold.
"Kind of a heavy topic for the first date, don't you think?" she tries to joke. It's not that she doesn't want to talk about her brother – well, not only that. It's just that they have a plan. She'll hide it for a couple of months and then stage a big reveal, complete with tears and 'you're more to me than your money' and 'this is my problem to deal with'. Beck guarantees that'll get Tori to open a limitless deposit for Jake West. Jade is a little skeptical, but she admits it is a good plan.
But right now, Tori's brown eyes are on her, vibrant and deep. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it. But if you ever need someone to listen, I'd like you to know I'm always an option. Even if this," she gestures between them with her free hand, "doesn't work out. I'd like to continue getting to know you. You're… you're particular, Jade West."
She snorts. "Usually, when people say particular, they really mean to say a cunt. Oh – sorry. I didn't mean to say it out loud."
Tori's smile grows. "You really don't have to apologize, Jade. In fact, don't hold yourself back. I find it refreshing."
'You're something new. Refreshing.' Beck's words ring in her ears, and she shuts her eyes, willing it to go away. Everything is working just the way she needs it to. She should be happy.
"Okay, but remember– you brought this on yourself," she says out loud, hoping Tori doesn't notice her smile is forced. When she squeezes her hand, she knows she doesn't.
When they reach Jade's apartment building, she doesn't invite Tori in, and Tori doesn't push. Instead, she kisses Jade's cheek, hitting her senses with her smell, already familiar and just as pleasant as before. "Goodnight, Jade," she tells her warmly. "I had a great time tonight."
"Me too." It's true – she had fun when she wasn't busy having an internal moral struggle. Tori's easy and interesting to talk to, and, despite coming from two vastly different social circles, they still manage to find some common ground. "We should do it again some time."
Tori smirks. "Usually when people say that, they mean to tell you to fuck off."
Jade tries to gasp at that, but it's hard to do that through laughter that bubbles in her throat. "Wow," she manages through chuckles. "I've changed you."
"I have a feeling you'll do it again," Tori says. Her gaze grows heavy, but not with a threat –with excitement. Something pleasantly dark. "And I can't wait."
Jade has trouble falling asleep that night, and when she does, her sleep is fitful and void of any dreams.