Dislaimer: All I own is my imagination, darling~
"Jade, when you grow up, what kind of man do you want to marry?"
"I want to marry a man like coffee."
"But what does that mean?"
…
It takes him weeks to finally get her to go out with him. And technically, it's not even a date. Well, to him it is – but not to her. At least she says so.
He casually walks up to her locker, like he does everyday. And like everyday, she is standing there, sipping her coffee and checking her phone while she waits for her bubbly red-headed friend to arrive. Like everyday, he leans on the locker next to hers, a perky smile playing on his lips, and asks his question. Even though the routine is always the same, the question never is. He might be adamant and patient with her, but even he needs some variation.
"Would you like to get some coffee after school? With me?"
He isn't even expecting an answer. He's been through this more times than he can count. (That's a lie. He knows exactly. It's the 56th time. But he would never admit that he kept track of it; how desperate would that make him look?)
But despite his expectations, she tilts up her head and stares at him with those piercing blue eyes he adores so much. He is surprised at first, but knows better than to let his guard down. Keep your act up, Beck Oliver. Be the cool guy. Taking acting classes can be really helpful at times.
"Coffee?" she asks and he isn't sure what to make of her tone.
"Uhm, yes?"
"Where?"
He's a little confused now, and his thumping heart isn't helping, either. "I don't know, wherever you want?"
"Jet Brew," she says and lets her phone slip into her pocket as she spots her friend approaching. Turning to him, she adds, "Meet you at the parking lot after school. Don't be late."
He isn't sure how he even manages to respond, but his "sure" sounds almost as casual as he wants it to be.
She starts to walk away, but after a few steps, she turns around again. "Oh, and don't go around telling people that we're having a date. 'Cause we're not." And with that she leaves for real.
.
"Here's your coffee," he smiles as he places it in front of her and joins her at the small round table in a corner of Jet Brew's.
"Two sugars?"
"Yes, exactly what you wanted."
He looks pleased with himself when she takes a sip and doesn't complain. They sit in silence for a while, each sipping their coffee, unsure what to say. She empties her cup fast and puts it down, fixing her gaze on his. Since he removed the cap before drinking (it's an old habit of his), her eyes follow the light brown liquid inside.
"It looks like your skin," she eventually states.
Puzzled, he sets down his cup and stares at her."What?"
"Your coffee. It's the same color."
His gaze wanders from his coffee to his arms and back, until it eventually lands on Jade. "You think so?"
"Yes. And now give me your coffee."
.
They start going to the coffee shop more often until it has almost become a daily routine, but she still refuses to call it a date. Two weeks after they started, he is brave enough to put his hand on hers when they sit at the table and surprisingly enough, she lets him. She even likes it. Yes, Jade West likes the feeling of Beck Oliver's hand on hers. She also likes the look of it. Their hands match perfectly, like chocolate and vanilla.
.
It isn't until another two weeks later that they kiss for the first time. It's a windy autumn day in Hollywood and after their daily stop at Jet Brew's, they decide to take a walk in the nearby park, which just happens to be as good as empty except for the two of them that day.
"This weather sucks," he says as a dozen leaves swirl around his head and one finds its way into his fluffy hair.
"I love it," she replies and helps him to get the leaf out of his hair. "This stupid sunny weather all the time jars on my nerves."
"Only you would say that," he grins. "Besides, we live in California. It's only natural that we get to see the sun a lot."
She rolls her eyes. "Duh! Unfortunately, this is the place to be if you want to make it big, so I'm more or less stuck here for now, even though I don't like the weather."
"I'm glad you are," he says. "Otherwise I probably wouldn't have met you."
At first she just stares at him without saying a word. She's not the one to show her feelings easily, and he knows that. Then, slowly, she drops her gaze and nervously fiddles with her hands. "I'm glad too... I guess..." she mumbles while kneading her fingers.
And in a sudden rush of - happiness? Joy? Love? He isn't sure what it is – he lifts her head and presses his lips to hers. Her eyes widen in surprise for a second, before she loosens up and kisses him back. It's a sweet kiss that sends shivers down her spine and fills her entire body with a tingling sensation she has never felt before.
He eventually pulls away and smiles at her, and she smiles back, trying to hold on to the sweet taste of coffee he left on her lips.
…
"Get out of here, grandma!"
Yeah. I don't know, either. It was like 12 am and I was bored, so I started writing this. It's pointless. Eh. But I guess I wasn't the only one who watched "Jade's What I Love" and was hoping for a Bade moment we never got :T So I made one. There.