"You're kidding me, Vega." I scowl over at her from the passenger seat as she beams back at me, undeterred by my bad attitude.
"Oh come on, Jade! It's ice skating! It's fun!" She pouts at me, and I look away, choosing instead to glare at the big grey building we're parked in front of. I know that if I look at her, I'll give in to her pouting.
"I hate ice skating."
"You hate everything."
"Incorrect. Not everything." I glance back over at her, a smile creeping at the corners of my lips.
"Oh yeah? What don't you hate?" Her voice is teasing- that's because she knows what I'm going to say.
I let my grin loose. "You."
I lean forward and capture her lips with my own. Her hands reach up to tangle in my hair and I run my tongue lightly across her bottom lip. Her breath hitches and the corners of my mouth twitch in a smile. Her mouth opens, and my tongue dips in to swirl around hers. Her grip in my hair tightens as her breathing quickens.
I'm the one to pull away- I'm always the one to pull away- but we're both breathing heavily. I rest my forehead on hers. "You were saying?" I ask, a smug grin on my face.
She responds in kind, a smug grin, as she says, "Ice skating. Don't think you're getting out of it."
I pull away with a groan.
She reaches for my hand. "Please, Jade? For me? Pretty please?"
I look over and she's pouting again and its so damn cute and I can't resist and its fair how she's got me wrapped around her finger, but- "Fine! Fine. I can't believe I'm doing this…"
She squeals happily and all but flies out of the car. I get out more slowly- reluctantly, really- and she bounces around the car. She takes my hand and drags me to my doom- I mean, into the building.
She pays, and we get skates, and she laces mine up for me, grinning at me from the floor and I can't help but grin back and then she's dragging me to the ice, me all wobbly and unstable.
I stop right at the edge of the ice as she skates on, suddenly wary and self-conscious.
She twirls around and skates back, meeting my guarded look with her own confused look. "What's the matter, Jade?"
"It's just…I've…never been, you know. Ice skating before," I stutter out. I guess there's a first time for everything, though.
Her jaw drops. "Come on, I'll teach you!" And her hand is entwined in mine and I'm on the ice and-holy shit that hurts.
Tori stares down at me with wide eyes, a hand covering her mouth. "Jade, are you okay?"
And her expression is so worried, so concerned, so adorable, that I can't be mad at her, so I just laugh, and after a second, she does too.
She reaches down and pulls me to my feet. I almost fall again, but she pulls me close to her, our whole bodies touching, and I'm stabalised.
I smile shyly. "Thanks, Vega," I say softly.
"Anytime," she says back.
I lean forward, but just before our lips meet, a little kid zooms by on his skates, yelling, "Jeez! Get a room!"
I glare after him, but Tori just throws her head back and laughs and it's such a beautiful sound that I can't help but join in.
She takes my hand again. "Come on. We'll go slow."
She starts to skate, pulling me along. I almost fall twice, but once I get my balance, I try to mimic what her feet are doing.
"Yeah! There you go! That's it!" she exclaims.
We make it around the rink a few times, fingers still entwined, when she lets go. I almost fall but I manage to catch myself.
"Do you mind if I…?" She motions to the middle of the rink where all the fast skaters are.
"No! No, go ahead, babe." She smiles hugely, and it's infectious.
She shoots off, and I manage to make it to the wall. I lean against it, watching her go.
She's incredibly graceful, feet pushing out, propelling her along, hair flying behind her, arms held slightly out for balance. She jumps and twirls and my breath catches in my throat- maybe in fear for her, maybe in awe of her- and she lands gracefully, ice spraying out under her skates.
Her cheeks are flushed, her nose pink, her hair everywhere, but I've never seen her more beautiful.
A kid face planting a few feet away takes my attention- it's the kid from earlier, who yelled at us, and I can't help but feel a grim satisfaction- so I don't see Tori until she slams into me, smashing her lips into mine.
I smile beneath the kiss- her happiness is just oozing.
She pulls away- a first- and says, "My lips were cold."
There's a sexy grin on her face, and I kiss her again.
She pulls away again, and lays her head on my shoulder, arms snaking around my waist. I wrap her in an embrace and we stay like that for a minute or two, watching all the other skaters.
"Hey Jade?" She says into my shoulder after a moment.
"Hm?"
"I love you."
My body stiffens, my heart swells till it feels like it's about to explode, and my arms tighten around Tori.
She glances up to see my face, worried.
She's never said that to me before. I've never said it to her before. It's dangerous territory, love.
But I guess there's a first time for everything.
I meet her gaze, a smile spreading on my face.
"I love you, too, Vega."