a/n: i wanted to thank you all for your kind reviews on my last fic! it was my first venture into victorious and i'm so glad you guys enjoyed it. so this fic is dedicated to brea (aloxi) because she's the one who got me shipping it with her flawless fics. though my heart belongs to beck/jade, jade/andre gives me so many feels. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT! AND IF YOU DON'T JUST LIE AND SAY YOU DO!

It's almost been a year since the break up (Beck didn't want to 'hold her back', only he could break up with someone for such a selfless reason. What an asshole.)

Jade hasn't bothered keeping in touch with anyone she used to talk to except Cat, and maybe Robbie by default since they were practically attached at the hip. It's disgusting.

She won't admit it but it's hard for her to ignore the small pang in her chest whenever Cat mentions Beck. She's not over him but it'd be a cold day in hell when she admits that to anyone. Jade West doesn't do pathetic and in her opinion that's exactly how she felt.

x.x.x

She's in her second year and Tisch School of the Arts and she's nailing every part she gets. Why Beck would ever think he would be holding her back is beside her. He should have known better than anyone else she was going to kick ass no matter what. Even after two years, she hasn't forgotten him. She hates it.

It's the week after winter break when Jade gets the text.

Andre: I'll be in New York next week if you feel like catching up.

Jade ignores it. She's shocked she still has his number in her phone in the first place. She left everyone behind once she left for New York.

x.x.x

It's snowing when Jade gets out of class for the day. She didn't think she would like the snow but she actually enjoys it. Jade West enjoying the bitter cold, she's sure if Sikowitz was around he'd have some kind of comment about that.

She's coming out of her favorite local cafe when suddenly she collides into another body almost causing her to drop her coffee. If it wasn't for the fact that she hadn't had one since that morning and really needed it, she probably would've dropped it. Instead she held on like her life depended on it.

"Watch where you're going asshole."

"Looks like the wicked witch of the west hasn't changed."

There's only a handful of people who would call her that but that voice makes it clear.

It's been a week and 3 days since the text.

"So since you're in New York, you decided to start stalking me, Harris?"

Jade looks at him and he looks the same since she last saw him. His smile. The dreads. The light in his eyes. Still the same.

"Girl, I can't do it from LA."

His lips curl into a smirk and in turn hers press into a thin line which is an improvement from the scowl she had moments ago.

Her hands press into the coffee cup, craving the warmth it provided. She made a mental note to hurt her roommate for distracting her this morning and making her forget her gloves.

"I knew that was the only reason you were coming here."

Andre rolls his eyes with a small chuckle. "Stop talking and c'mere" he says opening his arms to her.

Normally Jade West doesn't do hugs, but Andre Harris is a friend. A good friend. So he's an exception.

She closes the gap between them and Andre's arms envelope her in a hug. She can feel his arms through his coat, she did always have a thing for them after all.

The hug doesn't last too long because someone behind her is trying to leave the shop and they're right in front of the doors. They pull away from each other and Jade starts walking in the direction to her dorm.

She expects Andre to follow and isn't disappointed when he does. A soft smile creeps up on her features because really, even if she did cut people out she was glad to see a friend from home. Maybe it had been a bad idea but she only did it to protect herself.

"What're you doing here dude?"

"Working with this record label. Making beats and chiz for a new artist coming out."

She takes a long sip and can feel the liquid go down, warming her to the bone. A puff of air escapes Jade's lips.

Andre had always been destined for great things, especially in the music business. She couldn't help but feel happy for him.

"Vega not hogging that musical genius anymore?" she asks with a smirk. From the corner of her eye she can see his smile drop.

Jade vaguely remembers Cat mentioning Tori and Andre breaking up not too long after her and Beck did. Something about her agent and record company thinking it'd be better if she came out onto the music scene as a single artist. She didn't pay much attention during that conversation.

The falter in Andre's smile doesn't last long. Instead he plays it off. "Nah girl, lucky for this Monique chick she isn't."

"Her loss" she shrugs.

x.x.x

That Friday night Andre gets to catch the final performance of a play Jade's the lead in for one of her classes. He can see how at home she is on stage and her passion for acting shine through. When it's over he stands and claps as everyone does. She's going to be a star, he always knew that about her.

Since he got to New York they both avoided the topic of Beck Oliver and Tori Vega.

It's not until the cast after party when they've had a few shots in them that Beck's name comes up in conversation.

"God he has really nice hair" Jade says about one of her co-stars.

"Nicer than Beck's?" Andre lets out a little laugh.

"No ones hair is nicer than Beck's. He has the hair of like..."

She takes a moment to think.

"Of like an Indian God, dude. John Stamos has nothing on him."

They both erupt into a fit of laughter.

"He's such an ass."

"He misses you."

Jade rolls her eyes.

"Shouldn't have broken up with me."

Her tone is thick with spite and a bit of hurt and resentment.

He pours her another shot, he can feel her pain.

"You know you miss him girl, you can't deny it."

She says nothing, just downs the shot in front of her and sticks a lime wedge in her mouth.

"Just like you miss Vega?"

This time its his turn to say nothing.

"Relationships suck bro" she says before pouring them both another round.

By the end of the night their bottle of tequila is empty and they're no longer at that party. Instead they're stumbling across Washington Square Park towards her building.

Andre's laughing.

"I'm so serious 'Dre. You should just move here. It's so much better. So much better. Just be here 365 days a year."

Something lights up on Jade's features and if Andre was sober he'd be worried. Anytime Jade had that look on her face it only meant one thing, mischief.

Suddenly she starts singing.

Monday,

Well baby if fell for you

Tuesday

I wrote you this song

A grin appears on his features as she starts singing the song he wrote for her back in high school.

He joins in.

Wednesday

I wait outside your door,

Even though i know its wrong

They both begin singing together.

7 days a week

Every hour of the month

Gotta let you

Know where my heart

Is comin from

When they finish their impromptu duet her arm is linked through his and they're approaching his building. Her head rests on his shoulder. There's a comfortable silence but Andre decides to break it.

"I wrote that song for you."

"I know" is all she says.

Jade West might be a lot of things, but stupid certainly isn't one of them.

Moments later he's passed out on her couch and she's in her bed.

"Fuck chivalry" she mutters to herself before her eyelids close.

x.x.x

The next night they're at another party and they get even drunker than the night before (neither of them thought that was possible).

They kiss outside her front door for the first time.

Minutes later they're bursting through her bedroom door, struggling to remove the layers of clothes between them.

They fall onto her bed in a pile of naked limbs but quickly adjust because moments later they're writhing in sync. The bedroom is filled with moans and heavy breathing.

"Fuck.. Andre.. Harder"

Louder moans.

She scratches and pulls.

He groans.

She's cumming and moments later they're back at it again.

Her roommates not getting back to sleep anytime soon.

x.x.x

Jade rolls over in her bed and she suddenly hears a thud followed by a groan.

"Damn woman."

She sits up quickly but its too fast. Her head is throbbing and her body feels like a truck has run over it and back up, then ran over it again. She falls back onto her mattress with a loud groan as her hand shoots to her head. If she wasn't so hungover, she'd make a mental note to never drink that much again but the throbbing pain is a bit distracting.

Jade manages to peer over the side of the bed and she sees a very naked Andre Harris on her floor.

"What the fuck 'Dre?" Her voice is low and raspy.

"Your fine ass knocked me out of bed." Andre notices just how exposed he is and grabs his shirt that was tossed carelessly on the floor the night before and drapes it over himself.

Jade's make up is smudged and her lipstick is all over Andre's mouth and neck.

The night is a blur of music, dancing, and alcohol for the both of them. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out what happened between them. But why does she feel guilty?

"We fucked last night." She says more as reminding herself then anything else.

His brow arches. "Am I that forgettable?"

"Shut up."

And he does.

She rubs her temples hoping to soothe the pain as Andre gets up from the floor and slides his boxers on.

The room fills with silence.

"We can't do it again."

"I know."

It happens again 10 minutes later.

This time it's slower and gentler.

It's nice.

But Jade won't admit that out loud.

x.x.x

It's been almost two weeks since Andre came to New York.

"I should be working."

Jade's sitting in his hotel room with him, only bed sheet around her. She watches Andre walk across the room and to the desk where his keyboard sat.

He plays a lazy tune. She smirks.

"We both know what you'd rather be doing."

"Girl, if you don't stop." He says with a small chuckle.

She gets out of bed, holding the sheet against her and props herself up on the desk.

She ghosts her foot along his leg and his mouth curls into a soft smirk.

"Keep playing" Jade instructs him as she picks up his note pad, reading over the lyrics he has scribbled down.

She gives him a signal to speed it up.

5 minutes later she's singing some lyrics she wrote down.

Andre remembers the time she helped him with his song back in Hollywood Arts. He remembers why he went wonky for her. He never really did stop loving Jade but no one knew that, not even Tori.

It takes an hour but the song is finally done and Jade is beckoning him back to bed.

They make a different kind of music 3 times that night.

Then twice the next morning for good measure.

x.x.x

Jade auditions for a musical and gets the lead. No one's surprised. Andre takes her out that night to celebrate.

She licks her lips before speaking. He can't help but stare. Just stare and think about just what those lips were doing the night before.

"Is this supposed to be a date, Harris?"

He looks at her from his menu.

"It's whatever you want it to be."

She tilts her head at him.

Jade's not sure what they are but she's enjoying it even if deep down it feels wrong to her. She'll just ignore it because it's nice to not feel lonely.

x.x.x

Andre's on stage, playing a set at a bar. Jade sits front row center as he sings a song he refused to let her hear before that night.

The songs about her and if he tried to deny it, she'd threaten him with her scissors.

She listens and watches his fingers dance across the keyboard keys while his voice surrounds her. He's looking right at her and it makes her feel like its only the both of them in the room.

Jade smiles at him and she's happy.

Since Andre's come to New York she actually feels. It's something she hasn't done since she was with Beck.

It's not like the other guys she's hung around with.

No forced laughs around him.

No fake smiles.

No pretending.

Jade West can feel again and it's kind of scary.

x.x.x

"This is wrong isn't it?" She asks one night as she lays in his hotel bed, its so much better than that piece of shit twin size in her dorm.

Andre shrugs, just continues tracing patters on the small of her back.

How could it be wrong when loving Jade feels so right?

x.x.x

But nothing good ever lasts, right?

Both Jade and Andre know this is true so they just enjoy it while they can.

x.x.x

It only takes two texts for everything to spiral downwards.

Beck: So you and Andre?

Tori: Wow, you and Jade?

Shit.

Fuck.

That guilt Jade felt the first night they fucked comes flooding back ten fold.

Andre feels terrible.

She calls Beck.

"How'd you find out?"

"Is that why you won't talk to me?"

"It's been two years Beck, I've only been fucking Andre a month."

There's silence on the line.

"He's my best friend."

"Shit happens."

"Jade, why are you acting like this?"

"You broke up with me, remember that asshole?"

She doesn't mean to be so harsh but she can't help it. He did break her heart after all.

Beck sighs heavily on the other line.

"I still love you, y'know."

"..."

"Do you still love me too?"

"Beck. Don't." She nearly pleads as if it hurts to even answer that because of course she does. She never stopped loving him. Everything she's been suppressing comes flooding to her at once. It overwhelms her and drags her into the current.

"Why didn't you talk to me after you left?"

There's a long silence and Beck swears she hung up. Then he hears a small sniffle.

"It hurt too much."

Call disconnected.

He calls Tori.

"I guess you got my text."

"Yeah, I did."

"Who told you?"

"I saw a video of you performing on youtube at some bar. Saw you kiss her after the performance."

Andre wants to kick himself. Why'd he have to go and do that?

"Do you still love her like you did back in school?"

"Maybe a little more."

Tori's silent on the other line.

"That doesn't change how I feel about you, Tori."

She takes a small breath. "What I was forced to do was shitty and I'm sorry."

He wants to say something but he knows how the entertainment business was and the last thing he wanted was for Tori to miss her chance at being a star because of him.

"Are you happy?"

"I am." He says with a nod though she can't see him.

"Then I'm happy."

Andre can hear the pain in her voice.

"No you're not."

They talk about them for an hour. The good times and the bad. They both agree maybe for now it's better this way.

x.x.x

Andre shows up at Jade's that night. Once he sees her he knows she's been crying. He sits beside her and holds her in his arms as he strokes her hair.

"I guess things didn't go good with Beck?"

She shakes her head.

"Tell me what happened."

She pulls back, wiping her eyes. "God he's such an asshole. Who the hell does he think he is?"

"Girl, you're going to have to tell me more than that."

Jade lets out a breathy sigh. "I can't.. We can't do this anymore."

He swallows hard because he knew this was coming.

"No matter what happens, I'm always going to be in love with that idiot."

She sounds angry and he can't help but find it cute. It just hurts him more.

He nods his head. "It's like me and Tori." He lies.

She glances at him, studying his expression. He looks unhappy. "Didn't go well with Vega?"

"Not at all."

She sighs heavily. "Love sucks, bro."

Those words couldn't ring more true for Andre Harris.