This is based on Afire Love by Ed Sheeran. I absolutely love this song and thought of a story to go with it. I recommend you all listen to the song before of after you read this. This is set when in the Future when Jade and Tori are together around there early mid 20's. I do plan on updating Jade's personality after this. Jori one-shot.
disclaimer: Characters and exc. from Victorious I do not own. I also do not own any rights to this song.
Jade's P.o.v
I sit looking at the piano that is before me. I stare at the keys wondering if I'll ever start singing this song. I look down to my black dress that flows down to my calves as i sit and continue to stare at this piano. I look up from my dress around the church. I don't know what im looking for, maybe something to stop this pain. My eyes start from the open casket that's right in front of me and continue to wonder around the room till I finally land on my salvation, the one person who can stop all this pain, my beautiful wife Tori Vega. I look at her hoping she'll see the pain im in. I continue to look at her as her as look at my bare soul when I finally notice it in her eyes. I'm not only hurting, she is too. She's sympathizing with my pain, she's hurting because I'm hurting. I look back at the piano in front of me when I hear heels start to click closer to me. They keep clicking till they're right next to me. I don't look because i know exactly who it is. I see her body sit next to mine. Her beautiful and similar wedding ring appear in my eyes. My eyes meet hers and she gives me a weak smile. She kisses my cheek and begins to play the song I was meant to play. I know the reason Vega came up here was to help me play this song for my grandfather who lays in the casket on the stage in front of us. It starts off as a simple melody. A few seconds later she starts the harmony and bumps my leg as if to push me forward to sing. I gulp and clear my throat.
Things were all good yesterday
And then the devil took your memory
And if you fell to your death today
I hope that heaven is your resting place
I heard the doctors put your chest in pain
But then that could've been the medicine
And now you're lying in the bed again
Either way ill cry with the rest of them
I look at the casket with my grandfather in it and continue without crying.
And my father told me, love
it's not his fault he doesn't know your face
And you're not the only one
Although my grandma used to say
He used to sing
Memories start flooding my head of my grandparents and I when I was younger. I Fight the tears that threaten to spill and continue to sing.
Darling, hold me in your arms the way you did last night
And we'll lie inside for a little while, here oh
I could look at your eyes until the sun comes up
And we're wrapped in light, in life, in love
Put your open lips on mine and slowly let them shut
For they're designed to be together, oh
With your body next to mine, our hearts will beat as one
And we're set alight, we're afire love
The Chorus joins in an begins singing Hallelujah.
To the love we love to love we love
To the love we love to love we love
To the love we love to love we love
I look at my father first and continue as i near the end of the song.
And my Father and all of my family rise from their seats and sing Hallelujah
My dad and his side of the family and friend that are here join and sing. I look over to my mother.
And my Mother and all of my family rise from their seats and sing Hallelujah
My mother and her side of the family stands and sings. Even though my parents are divorced my mother and her side of the family still attended to the funeral because how important my grandfather and this family was to each other. I look down to my little brother who is standing with my mom and sing to him.
And my Brother and all of my family rise from their seats and sing Hallelujah
And all of my brother and sisters, yeah
And my Father and all of my family rise from their seats and sing Hallelujah
To the love we love to love we love
To the love we love to love we love
To the love we love to love we love
I finish the last note and look over to Tori as she finishes the last key. I let tears sill from my eyes. She gets up from the piano and pulls me close and is murmuring in my ear.
"Shhhh, baby, it'll be alright. He'd be so proud of you." She repeats in a hushed voice. We stay like this what it feels like forever.
We begin walking to the grave yard to put his casket in the ground but i hardly pay attention to anything that's being said. They lower my grandfather in the ground and allow close immediate family to place dirt and begin a burial. Tori guides me up front. I feel like a zombie but she continue to guide me. I look down in the ground and smile a little.
"Good night papa." I say in a small childish voice and place dirt on his casket.
Tori guides me away because she know I half way there anyways. She helps me in the car and puts my seat belt on. She goes to the other side in slides in the car. I just blankly stare ahead as starts the engine and drives off. I know we're going to the Hotel but even in the car i just feel so lost. As i continue to stare ahead we arrive to hotel. Tori helps me out and guides me to our room. She places me on the bed and goes to bathroom and starts bath water. She comes back out and grabs me. She strips my body and slowly takes my ring off. As i became conscious again i put my hand on hers and look at her. She looks down and looks at me. I see sympathy and grief in her eyes. I slide my ring off of my hand and place it on the night stand and walk into the bathroom and slowly dip my body into the water. A minute later Tori joins me in the bath and just lays there studying my face. She knows I don't need to talk, that i just simply need her company.
"You know, all though high school it was my Grand Father paying for Hollywood Arts. He attended all of plays I put on. Well he went with my Grandmother anyways. He was more of a dad to me than my dad would ever be, even if he couldn't remember who I was. When I was younger, during the summer I would go to their house with my brother and visit. The first day we were there he'd pretend to not know use and mix our names up. He smile and laugh and blame his Alzheimer's for mixing up our names. Every night he'd slip us desert even if our grandmother told us no. Then he'd sing us to sleep as we camped outside. As we got older it got worse to the point he wouldn't remember who we are at all..." I say till Tori cuts me off with a kiss.
"I'm sorry about your grandfather baby, but you were rambling." she says softly. I smile at her a kiss her again. I pull away first and then hold her. We lay like this in the bath for a while till she decides to get out. I immediately follow her out of the bath. I get dress and put on my ring. Tori finishes getting dressed and i pull her to me and we cuddle. I hold her tight like i might lose her tomorrow. I intertwine our fingers and legs and fall asleep like this.
(TWO WEEKS LATER.)
Ever since we arrived back from Funeral ive had the same recurring nightmare. I havent told Tori. She knows ive been restless in my sleep but she hasn't pried yet. I look at her sleeping figure in front of me. I'm afraid to sleep. I'm afraid to have this stupid recurring nightmare but i feel my eyelids starting to turn heavy. Tori turn over in her sleep and pulls me closer to her and starts rubbing my lower back in small circles.
That gesture was meant to put me asleep but I don't want to so i pull away from her and put some cloths on. I sluggishly walk to the kitchen and make some tea putting some of the alcohol we keep for special occasions in it to keep me awake. I walk out to our patio and sit in one of the chairs and stare out at the stars. I start humming Bless the broken road by Rascal Flats, a song that my grandfather used to sing Josh and i to sleep.
I near the end and get up to get my computer and try to vent my feelings into a script. Even after highschool Tori and i kept with our talents. She continued with her singing and has made 3 succesful albums. I kept with my script writing and became a succesful director and script writer. Although none of my scripts have turned into movies just simple plays that have been both on and off broadway i made my living by directing. I open my computer and begin typing just letting the words flow. I keep going until i hear the sliding door open. I know its Tori but i continue to write. She walks over to me and sits in the chair directly next to me. She looks at me and studies my face. I try to continue to write but i feel her staring at me and its starting to make me lose my train of thought. I sigh, save my work and close my laptop.
"Stop it." I say as a warning.
"I'm not prying." She says exactly what im thinking. I sigh at this, she has been so patient with me.
"But you want to know. I'm sorry. I just havent been able to sleep." I say remembering my dream.
"I know." She says in a strong voice, but that look in her eye tells me she's really worried. She grabs my tea and smells it. She shakes her head.
"Okay, now im prying. Not sleeping is one things, but drinking is another. Whats wrong baby." She says showing full concern.
"I have not been drinking." I defend tiredly. She gets up and grabs the bottle of liquor. Its three-fourths way gone.
"Two weeks ago this bottle was full. I Havent drunken anything and you're the only person who lives in this house." She says. I look at the bottle then back at my tea trying to remember how many times I have been out here.
"Jade, bed now." Tori says more as an order. I slowly get up to her command and strip back down to lay down. She enters the room with two cups of tea in her hand. I take one and take a sip of it, then put it on the dresser.
"Baby whats wrong?" She asks. I don't want to answer but i know if i don't she wont ever let it go so i sigh. I look at her a take in her feature like it's the last time ill ever see them.
"They say Alzheimer's is genetic." I start. She opens her mouth to say something but i quickly silence her and continue.
"I keep having this dream. It always starts off as you and me growing old. Our children are coming for the summer like they always do and they bring their grand children." I look over at her and she smiles at that. "But for some reason I can't remember who i grand children are. I know that we are related but I can't remember their names or if they belong to Melody or Jason's kids." I say.
"Melody and Jason, I like those names are they twins?" She asks as if this our future.
"No, you carried melody and 4 years later I carried Jason. I wanted another beautiful child that looked like you but you insisted i carry him." I say thinking thoughtfully remembering this vivid dream. I shake my head.
"That not point. That what it started as i couldn't remember my grand kids. Then as the summer continued I would keep forgetting our own children till eventually..." My voice cracks at this point and I can't meet Tori's eyes. She grabs my chin softly and forces my eyes up.
"Eventually what beautiful." She asks with so much concern in her eyes.
"Eventually I can't remember you and I forget that I love you and leave you and die alone." I force out trying to hold back the sob that ready to come with these tears. I look in her eyes and she smiles.
"Even if you ever did forget me, I would work everyday to make you remember me. And i would never let you go." She says with so much determination in her eyes.
"I know," I say still crying.
"I just don't know what I would do with myself if I ever hurt you like that." I say letting the sobs out. She silences my lips by kissing them. She pulls me in and hugs me close.
"Shhh, baby. It'll be alright. I'll always be by your side, and you by mine. And if you forget me ill knock myself back into you." She says smiling at that last part. She starts rubbing my lower back and starts singing allowing me to slowly fall asleep.
"Put your open lips on mine and slowly let them shut, for they're designed to be together, oh. With your body next to mine, our hearts will beat as one. And we're set alight, we're afire love." She softly sings.