This is just SO much Jori. Literally nineteen pages of Jori, with like three sentences of Trina. Have fun!
ParkItCharlie: I hope that one of these chapters gets uploaded at a time when you CAN actually read it. I'm not doing that on purpose, I promise.
Disclaimer: Nope.
Tori's entire face scrunched up in adorable nervousness as she asked, "We're finally gonna talk about all of this?"
"That's kind of why I'm standing here," Jade shrugged. "Unless you'd rather do something else, which I'm totally down for," she suggested with a sly smirk. She didn't really mean it. Well, she did, but not really. She was just trying to lighten the mood, make this whole 'confrontation' a little easier to deal with.
Tori rolled her eyes, but smiled, a bit of the tension easing out of her body. "Don't think you can avoid The Talk by distracting me with your," she gestured with her free hand, "feminine wiles."
"Seriously?" Jade snorted, giving Tori's hand a small squeeze to show she was only joking. "I have had just about enough of you trying to corrupt me with your seductive charms. Have you no shame?"
"I don't talk like that," Tori laughed and pulled her hand away. It didn't get very far before Jade reached out to reclaim it, and Tori couldn't help the sweet smile she sent the other girl. "So, how do you want to do this?"
Jade shrugged. Rubbed her thumb along the back of Tori's hand. "I guess, just, y'know, say your piece. Ask your questions. Whatever."
"So I have to do all the talking?"
Jade raised her eyebrows and shot Tori a serious look. "In case you missed it, I just said a lot of shit."
"I didn't miss anything," Tori said quickly. "But we can do this your way. Any restrictions on the questions I can ask?"
Honestly, there were a lot of things Jade didn't want Tori to ask. Not because she didn't want to talk about them, but because she wasn't sure if she could actually explain them. Her emotions had been a tangled ball of yarn lately and she had barely started to unravel it for herself. But she owed Tori at least an attempt at untangling them. Not out of obligation, but because it was Tori and Jade wanted her to understand. So she took a deep breath and shook her head. "No. No restrictions."
Tori squeezed her hand. "Why'd you stop answering my calls after you moved away?"
"Oh, you're just diving right in," Jade laughed bitterly. "You couldn't start with an easy one?" She let go of Tori's hand, and for a split second Tori looked panicked, like somehow she'd already fucked up, but Jade just pulled her bag over her head and eased down to sit on the floor. If they were going to hash out their entire history right then and there, she was at least going to get comfortable. Or, as comfortable as she could be in the janitor's closet. "I stopped talking to you because it hurt." Tori sat down next to her, their crossed knees just a hair's breadth away from touching. "Your family was always more of a family to me than my own. And after the divorce," she picked up a small brush from a dustpan and started turning it over in her hands, trying to distract herself from the memories that were flooding back, "it hurt to be around them. Because your family is so perfect, and mine is so broken, and I started to resent you for having them." Tori's face twisted in a mixture of pain and confusion, and she looked like she might interrupt, but Jade just plowed on. "Like, when I lived next door I could pretend that they were my family, too, and then I got older and couldn't pretend any more. And it didn't seem fair that you got to keep them while I got stuck with my mom and whoever her boyfriend of the week was. I just, I wanted to keep them. I wanted to keep you. But I couldn't. And it hurt."
At some point Jade had started pulling bristles out of the brush, and a small pile was forming next to her foot. Tori watched as a few more were added. "Do you remember when you told me? On Halloween?"
Jade nodded. "I sent you a paper plane."
"Yeah. And then I ran downstairs and begged my mom, Jade. I begged her, and I cried, and I told her that I would give up every birthday and Christmas present for the rest of my life if you could live with us. Because I wanted to keep you, too. I would have given up everything if it could have helped. I still would."
Jade's heart did a strange flip in her chest and got lodged somewhere in her throat. She tried to clear it out, but it only resulted in a pricking behind her eyes, and then she rolled them to stop herself from crying. Jesus, they were only on the first question and she was already losing her shit. "Okay, next question," she said quickly.
Tori was quiet for a moment, and then when she did speak, her voice was high and falsely cheery. "So, you think of your parents fighting when you look at me?"
"I think of a lot of things when I look at you," Jade said with a smirk and Tori's eyebrows rose a bit in interest. "That's just the most upsetting one."
Tori's mouth opened and swiftly closed. She leaned slightly forward, and narrowed her eyes. "What other things do you think of?"
Jade's smirk became more pronounced and she arched a brow, giving Tori a very pointed look. "Ask me again if we survive this conversation."
"Duly noted," Tori murmured, settling back against the wall. A small smile curled up her lips and her fingers twitched across the bottom of her jeans. "So, is that the only reason you acted like you didn't know me? Because you were thinking of them and didn't want to deal?"
The smirk on Jade's face disappeared, replaced by a thoughtful look as she shook her head. "I can't explain why I did that. I just," her shoulders rose and dropped, her fingers went back to tearing up the brush, and her tongue rolled over words in her mouth, trying to find the right ones to use. "I think I was just shocked that you popped back up. And then all sorts of emotions that I hadn't felt in years came back. I had this knee-jerk reaction and then just kind of talked myself into keeping the act up. It seemed easier."
"Nothing's been easy about this," Tori chuckled.
"No, it hasn't," Jade agreed, a trace of laughter seeping into her voice. Tori shifted again, the sound of her jeans rubbing against themselves amplified in the otherwise quiet closet. Jade glanced up and then turned her attention to the pile next to her foot. She hadn't meant to decimate the brush. She hadn't meant to do anything, really. It was just something to distract herself. Talking seemed like it'd be easier if she wasn't focused on the actual talking.
"Okay." Tori's voice brought Jade out of her thoughts. "Next question. Why did you get Andre to ask me?"
Jade swallowed thickly and jerked a shoulder in an attempted shrug. "Wanted you to hear it."
"So why didn't you just tell me? That's what I don't get."
Jade rolled her eyes and yanked some more bristles out. She couldn't bring herself to actually look at Tori. It was all side glances and peripheral, like that somehow made it easier. Less invasive. Less personal. "I wasn't sure you'd listen. The other day, in here, you sounded so…" She meant to finish the sentence. She meant to apologize for being such a gank about everything. She didn't mean to feel the burn in her eyes telling her she was about to cry. "Fuck. I just ruin everything."
"Don't say that," Tori said softly.
Jade yanked an entire clump of bristles out. "I fuck everything up. I break things. You. Beck. My parents."
"Your parents aren't your fault, Jade." Tori's voice was stern. Serious.
Jade just shook her head. "I heard them say it all the time. They threw my name at each other like it was a knife. And once it lost its edge it was all 'your daughter' this and 'your child' that." She was quickly making the brush bald. There was a shuffling and then Tori's hands were pulling it away from Jade and replacing it with her own hands.
"Look at me. Jade. Look at me." Tori's fingers weaved between Jade's and squeezed. Jade slowly raised her eyes and Tori was watching her intently, those dark brown eyes laced with concern. No, Jade thought as her eyebrows dug together. It wasn't concern. It was comfort, like Tori didn't believe a word Jade had said and thought it was a ridiculous idea. With Tori looking at her like that, the shadow of a smile on the corner of her lips, Jade almost thought it was ridiculous, too. Tori was going to talk. She took a breath and her lips parted. She was going to say something. But Jade knew what it would be, because Tori's eyes were already saying it. And Jade didn't care for redundancy. She let go of Tori's hands and shifted until they were face to face, crossed knees touching lightly.
"Why do you look at me like that?" Jade asked quietly, her head tilting slightly in interest.
"Like what?"
"Like you believe in me. Like you're proud of me."
Tori broke into a smile so sweet and so silly that it twisted at Jade's insides. Painful, but not altogether unpleasant. "Because I do. I am," Tori said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You have all these rough edges, but you're not a bad person. Not by a long shot. And when I see the good in you come out, I just… ya know, feel proud of you for letting it show."
"It's confusing when you look at me like that," Jade murmured. "Because I don't do anything, but then you're smiling at me like I just cured cancer. Or gave birth to a unicorn or something."
Tori chuckled and rested her hands on Jade's knees. She leaned forward slightly, a conspiratorial glint in her eyes like she was letting Jade in on a big secret. "If you could see yourself the way I see you, you'd be proud, too."
There was a hitch in Jade's chest. Just a bump in her breathing before it continued on its way like nothing happened. But it was there, and Jade knew exactly what had caused it. Because sometimes Jade did see herself the way Tori did. They were brief glances, usually gone before she had a chance to revel in the feeling, but they were there. And they always made her feel like she could do anything. Be anything, just because Tori looked at her like she could. Tori saw magic in the world, in the way fireflies glowed and rainbows broke across the sky, and sometimes she saw magic in Jade, too. And it was being with Tori that made Jade believe in the magic of a hum that turned into a glow.
Jade licked her lips and Tori's eyes were drawn to the movement. "Next question," Jade whispered. She was aware of how close they were. Tori was right there, and if either of them moved forward, just a couple of inches, they'd be kissing. She could see in Tori's eyes that they were both torn over whether or not to close the distance.
Tori didn't move away. Her hands were still on Jade's knees, and she was definitely in Jade's personal space, but she didn't seem the slightest bit bothered by it. "What else do you think of when you look at me?"
"Are we done with the conversation?" Jade arched an eyebrow.
"Not even close," Tori answered.
"Then I'm not answering that yet." With more willpower than she knew she possessed, Jade gently pushed on Tori's shoulder, easing her back until she was sitting again.
Tori sighed dramatically and pouted. "Ruin all my fun."
Jade chuckled and ran a hand through her hair. "Things are pretty complicated between us, and I think we should clear the air before we go and," she gestured vaguely between them, searching for the right words, "re-complicate them."
"Would it be complicated?" It was an honest question, and Tori's eyebrows turned up in curiosity.
Jade shrugged, unsure of the answer herself. "I don't know. I think it might be, you know-"
"Too much too soon?" Tori offered.
"Yeah. Maybe."
"I can understand that. I mean, we haven't talked in years, and if we suddenly started, you know, it might be a little weird. And complicated." Tori folded her arms across her chest and leaned back against the wall, a smug smile turning up her lips. "Although, you did kiss me the other day, so really, I think we've crossed that bridge already."
Jade rolled her eyes. "Please. That wasn't a kiss. If I kissed you, you'd know it."
Tori's eyebrow arched.
Jade raised hers as well.
They stared at each other for a moment, some unknown challenge arising between them. Tori nodded slightly. "Duly noted. Next question?"
"Shoot."
"When did you write that song?"
"That night," Jade said slowly, "after we went to the pier with Cat. When I left your house I went home and wrote it. Andre helped with the guitar parts."
The corners of Tori's lips twitched. An almost disbelieving look made her eyebrows rise. "So, you really did write it for me?"
"No," Jade rolled her eyes, "I wrote it for Trina and was hoping you could pass along the message."
"Jade!" Tori lunged forward to punch Jade's arm, but Jade caught it and they got into a brief, slightly awkward wrestling match that resulted in Jade on top of Tori, one leg thrown over her hips while she pinned Tori's hands above her head.
A victorious smirk curled Jade's lips. "What's your next question, Vega?"
"That's easy," Tori breathed. "Can this conversation be done yet?"
Jade nodded and was just about to lean down, Tori's eyes widening slightly in anticipation, when the bell in the hallway outside rang. Both girls' heads whipped to the door and Jade released Tori with a grin. "Talk's over. And I am no longer under any contractual obligation to answer more questions."
Tori's mouth fell open as she watched Jade get to her feet. "Seriously?" Jade's grin grew wider as she picked up her bag and Tori pushed up to her elbows. "Jade, seriously?!"
"You better hurry up," Jade said coolly as she slung her bag over her shoulder, "you don't want to be late for class." And with a wink and an exaggerated sway of her hips, Jade left Tori on the floor of the janitor's closet.
Her heart was racing as she headed to class, and although it was lighter than it had been in weeks, her feet felt like they were made of lead. Every step was heavy and burdened, and she tried to force her lungs to work, because her breathing was labored. It had been so easy to talk with Tori. To shamelessly fucking flirt with Tori. And Jade had liked doing it. It wasn't a surprise, but it was still a little shocking, because holy shit did she like it. And if that stupid bell hadn't rung, Jade would be showing Tori just how much she liked it. But they'd already agreed. It would be too much, way too fast.
Overwhelmed wasn't a strong enough word for Jade's emotional state. They hadn't even kissed, barely even flirted… fuck it, barely even been talking at all again, and they'd fallen back into a habit they'd broken over six years ago. It was too easy to be with Tori, and that terrified Jade. Because if it was so easy to just be with her, to talk and joke and flirt, then how easy would it be to fall, completely and undeniably?
She loved Tori, she knew that. But she was still trying to define the boundaries of that love. Still trying to figure out exactly how it had grown and what it meant to her now. What Tori meant to her now. She knew she wanted Tori back in her life, and considering how close they'd come to kissing yet again, she had a good idea about how she wanted Tori, but it was still a lot to take in. She'd kind of given up on trying to label Tori, because the girl seemed to defy definition, but Jade suddenly had an overwhelming need to define her.
She didn't pay even the slightest bit of attention during math class.
She was so distracted by Tori, that when some freshman bumped into her on her way to fourth period, she didn't yell at him. She didn't even growl. Just stomped off without so much as a glance back.
When lunch rolled around, Jade was the first one to the table. Cat sat down soon after her, and then Tori plopped down right next to Jade. So close that their elbows bumped whenever Tori reached for one of her fries. Everyone else joined them soon enough, and the conversation carried on the way it usually did. A giddy sort of grin was plastered on Andre's face as he kept glancing back and forth between the two girls across from him, and it only faded when Jade threatened to remove his dangley bits with her special scissors.
Lunch was almost over and everyone started to leave, but Jade's hand on Tori's thigh kept her in her seat. If the look on Tori's face was anything to go by, she was scared to even breathe at that moment, because Jade's hand was rather… high on Tori's leg. Jade smirked at the obvious effect it was having and tilted her head. She could really get used to teasing Vega, and that was kind of a problem. Because Tori wasn't the only one being affected by the current position of Jade's fingers. She gave Tori's thigh a quick squeeze before pulling her hand away. "That paper for screenwriting is due by the end of the week."
Tori visibly relaxed and nodded. "Yeah. I was going over it the other day and added some stuff onto your draft."
"My draft was perfect." Jade cocked a brow.
Tori's smile grew into a bit of a smirk. "Well I made it better."
Jade's eyes narrowed as her jaw clenched. "I highly doubt that, since you thought that Alfredo Hitchcock directed Psycho. The man is a master of suspense, not a fucking cheese sauce."
"It was a typo," Tori playfully whined, rolling her eyes. "But you totally missed the chance to expand on the similarities between the genres when it comes to set-ups and the importance of camera placement and angle in relation to the focal point of the scene."
Jade was struck speechless for the first time, like, ever, and Tori just smiled smugly as she got up from her seat. "See? Better." Tori playfully bopped the tip of Jade's nose, and all Jade could do was snap at the air in front of her, hoping to bite Vega's finger. It was a stupid, and immature, reaction, but she really couldn't believe that Tori had picked up on that point when she'd missed it herself.
"You better hurry up," Tori said right as the warning bell rang, "you don't want to be late for class."
"I'm coming over after school to make sure you didn't butcher my paper!" Jade yelled at her retreating form.
Tori just threw a hand in the air as she headed inside. "Okay, Jade!"
Jade huffed as she grabbed her bag and stood up. Yeah, she definitely had to define Tori fucking Vega. And soon.
Tori was still looking smug as Jade took her new normal seat next to her in screenwriting. "What?" Jade grumbled as she dug her notebook out from her bag. Tori didn't answer, but a piece of paper was carefully slid onto her desk. Jade stared down at what was clearly supposed to be a cartoon of Alfred Hitchcock, dressed up as a chef, holding a big plate of what looked like some kind of pasta. She fought back a smile and settled on what she hoped was a convincing look of boredom, instead. "Another doodle?" she asked Tori.
"Mmhmm." Tori shrugged and leaned her elbow on the edge of her desk, resting her chin in her palm. "I got bored in theater history."
"You're gonna fail that class if you don't start paying attention."
Tori grinned and turned towards the front of the class as their teacher started taking attendance. But Jade wasn't paying much attention. She slipped the paper into her bag, carefully, still fighting the smile tugging at her lips.
At the end of the day, Jade couldn't wait to talk to Tori. Not out of like, an actual desire to see the girl, really, but more out of a necessity to un-complicate their situation as quickly as possible. The faster they sorted their shit out, the faster they could define whatever their relationship would be now. So Jade was determined, and therefore probably a little more aggressive than she should have been, as she marched up to Tori at her locker and positively screeched, "Arm!"
Tori, instinctively, shoved her arm at Jade, who grabbed it by the wrist and dragged her out to the parking lot. "Jeeze Louise, Jade, what's the rush?"
"We're gonna finish our talk," Jade answered harshly. "Figure all this shit out because I need it over and done with already. So we're sorting through everything."
"Everything?" Tori asked as Jade finally released her to unlock the car.
"Everything," Jade reiterated. She marched around the car to her door, then froze when she noticed Tori still hadn't gotten in. The girl was just staring at her with a huge, dopey grin on her face. "What?"
"Nothing."
The grin widened and Jade threw her head back with an exasperated sigh. "Jesus, Vega, what is that look for?"
Tori shook her head and opened the door. "I'm just glad you're… ya know…" she climbed in the car without elaborating further and Jade rolled her eyes.
"No, I don't know, so spill," Jade grumbled as she got in the car and pulled her door shut. She started the car and began to back out of her parking space.
"I'm just glad that you're agreeing to talk about it at all," Tori admitted as she sent a text to let Trina know she was getting a ride home. "That you're initiating the talking, for once."
Jade rolled her eyes. Really? That was what had Tori so over-the-moon? "I'll initiate my scissors into your cheeks if you don't stop looking at me like that." That wiped the grin off her face and Jade smirked at the horrified look that replaced it.
"Jade! That's so graphic!"
"What?" Jade shrugged. "I watch a lot of violent movies."
"Yeah, but," Tori rubbed her cheek nervously like she was actually worried Jade would attack her, "still."
Jade rolled her eyes as they pulled out of the parking lot. "Chill, Vega. I wouldn't actually mutilate your face. I kinda like it too much." The smile she got in response to that comment was so sickeningly sweet, that Jade couldn't help but add, "From certain angles. In the right light."
Tori rolled her eyes and instead of answering, just turned the radio on. They drove in a comfortable silence, occasionally getting into small fights over the music, but Tori didn't even seem bothered when Jade turned down her street, like it was totally normal behavior for Jade to just invite herself over like that. It was reassuring. Because when they were kids, Jade never asked. She'd just go over whenever she felt like it. There were never invitations. Just Jade going to hang out at her best friend's house. It's just what they did, and Jade was kind of glad that she could still do that. It had been a long time, and she smiled when she realized that maybe it was okay for her to still do that. To escape to Tori's when she needed to.
That thought was immediately squashed when Jade remembered how suffocating Tori's room had been the last time she was there. Maybe it was just the circumstances, maybe it was just a fluke, but it hadn't felt like her safe haven anymore.
Jade looked at her old house as she followed Tori up her driveway, and she barely even noticed the pang in her chest. That was progress. Jade closed the front door behind them and trailed after Tori up to her room. Tori didn't react at all, like she was expecting Jade to do just that. That was also progress. Tori eased her bedroom door shut once Jade was inside, and Jade sat down in the same desk chair she had last time. Tori shot her a smile and lied down on her bed, opening her laptop. Okay, slight déjà vu, but it wasn't anything that Jade couldn't handle.
"So," Tori drawled, bending her knees so her feet were up in the air, "how do you wanna do this? Paper first? Talk first? Or are we just doing the Q and A thing again, like before?"
"Do you have any more Qs for me to A?" Jade asked, idly spinning in the chair.
Tori pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, mulling it over, before shaking her head. "Nothing urgent, I guess? I just…" she sighed with a small shrug, "Like I said, I'm just glad that you're finally talking to me. Like really talking."
"Then let's finish the damn paper so at least one thing is out of the way."
"Kay kay," Tori chirped, in a frighteningly similar way to Cat. Jade shook her head and started digging through her bag for her screenwriting notebook. "Can you grab mine, too? I wrote something I thought was interesting in class." Tori pointed to her bag on the floor and Jade just stared at her. Seriously? Vega wanted her to fetch like some dog? Tori broke out in a ridiculous smile. "Please?" Jade rolled her eyes and Tori just said "Thank you," like she fucking knew Jade would cave and get her notes for her.
Jade hated that she fucking caved and got her notes for her. She was grumbling internally as she dug through Tori's bag, surprised at how disorganized it was. There were a couple of empty water bottles, a half-eaten turkey hoagie, various make-up essentials, and more than a few battered notebooks. No wonder Vega always had such a huge bag on her shoulder. She just carried so much shit around. It was ridiculous, and Jade was about to tell her that, when she picked up one of the notebooks. She flipped it open to a random page to see if it was for screenwriting, since apparently Tori didn't believe in labeling things, which didn't surprise Jade at all, but a doodle in the margin stopped any further thought about anything. Because the doodle was of Jade.
It was a quick little sketch, still better than anything Jade could've done, but it was there. Curious, Jade flipped through a couple more pages. Slowly, a pattern started to emerge. The actual notes in Tori's notebook dwindled, gradually replaced with more and more drawings of Jade. Bigger drawings. Better drawings. There was one, that took up a full page, of Jade sitting on a stool in the Black Box. Tori had drawn Jade's performance. A strange pressure grew in Jade's chest as she continued looking through the notebook. Tori had filled up more than half of it with drawings of Jade. Her eyes. Her hands. Her hair. Her face. Even her fucking combat boots. Tori had literally drawn every inch of Jade at least twice.
"It's the blue notebook," Tori said absently, still staring at her laptop, like the reason Jade was taking so long was because she didn't know which notebook she was supposed to be getting.
Jade's head snapped to the side, her eyes narrowing dangerously. She pushed off the floor, the notebook clutched in her hand, and approached the bed. "Tori," Jade said slowly, flipping back to the full page drawing of herself.
"Yeah?" Tori turned her head, but didn't look away from the screen.
"Tori," Jade repeated carefully, turning the notebook over so Tori would be able to see. "What the fuck is this?"
Tori's eyebrows dug together as she finally looked away from the laptop, and then they flew up her forehead and she was scrambling off the bed, trying to snatch the notebook away. Jade shoved a hand into Tori's chest and held the notebook high above her head, keeping it just out of Tori's reach. "Jade! Give it back!"
"Hell no!"
They got into a brief scuffle, where Tori literally shoved and pushed and clawed at Jade, trying to get to the notebook. And if Jade wasn't so monumentally wazzed off, she would've been impressed at the fight Tori was putting up. But as it was, Jade's rage got the best of her, and she ended up winning. Tori was exhausted, gasping for breath, and her wild snatches at the notebook had turned into half-hearted grasps at thin air.
"Are you finished yet?" Jade questioned, not even trying to hide the exasperation in her voice.
Tori made one final, rather pathetic, attempt at reclaiming her notebook before collapsing in defeat on her bed. "Yes."
"So, I'll ask again." Jade tossed the notebook onto Tori's lap. "What the fuck is this?"
Tori blinked rapidly and looked away from the drawing, shrugging. "Doodles," she mumbled. "They're no big deal."
"No big deal?" Jade repeated in shock. "No big deal?! Tori!" Jade picked the notebook up and shoved it in Tori's face, forcing her to look at the picture. "This is a huge deal!"
Tori averted her eyes, fighting back tears, and tried to push the notebook away. "It's really not."
"Yes, it is!" Jade flung the notebook onto the bed and threw her hands in the air. "Vega, you go to a fucking arts school and aren't taking any sort of drawing class? What the fuck is wrong with you!"
"I transferred mid-semester and they were all full and- wait," Tori snapped to attention and stared at Jade, confusion written all over her face. "You're… you're not mad?"
"Of course I'm mad! I'm fucking pissed as hell! Do you know how many kids at school would literally kill their own parents to be able to draw like you? And you just call them fucking doodles? I mean, I knew you were good, but I didn't realize you were that good." Jade pointed to the notebook for emphasis.
Tori didn't seem to hear a word Jade was saying, though. She just got that stupid, dopey grin again and stood up, taking Jade's hands in her own. "I thought you were upset that I'd drawn you so much. I thought it freaked you out."
"Freaked me out?" Jade rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Please, you made me look beautiful."
"I think hitting the genetic lottery did that," Tori chuckled, slipping her fingers between Jade's, "but thank you. And you are, you know. Beautiful."
Jade could only blink in response as Tori squeezed her hands. Sure, she knew she was hot. She had that whole dark and dangerous thing going for her. But beautiful? No one had ever told her that before. Probably because they were too scared of how she'd react. Under any other circumstances, Jade probably would've whipped out some scissors and shown whoever just how 'beautiful' she could be. But it was Tori. And she seemed to be the exception to everything. Because when Tori was smiling at Jade like nothing else in the world existed except for her, Jade believed it. She would've believed anything Tori said if she was looking at her the way she was just then.
The peace between them was shattered by loud noises coming from downstairs. With a groan, Tori pulled away from Jade, letting her head drop back. Jade gave Tori's hands a quick squeeze, and stepped away. "Sounds like Trina finally made it home," Tori grumbled, moving to sit down at her desk.
"Your damn sister always had terrible timing," Jade complained, running a hand through her hair. They had been so close. Again.
"Like that time she hit you with the bathroom door and knocked one of your teeth out?" Tori recalled with a laugh.
Jade snorted and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Hey, it was worth sacrificing a baby tooth to have her grounded for a month."
Both girls rolled their eyes as the loud noises continued, joined by Trina talking very loudly to herself. It was obvious that Trina was announcing her arrival, giving them warning that she was there and they should knock off any inappropriate behavior. Not that things had escalated much, or at all, Jade thought with a sigh as she leaned back against the headboard and crossed her legs. "Guess we get to work on this paper, now," Tori said with a small smile in Jade's direction.
"Oh, joy," Jade grumbled at the prospect of actually doing school work, but also at the very loud footsteps coming up the stairs, accompanied by Trina narrating her movements.
Tori rolled her eyes and Jade scowled as the older Vega came closer.
"I guess I'll just walk down the hallway. Toward the bathroom," Trina emphasized, "which is directly across from my little sister's open bedroom door." There was a pause and both girls could only imagine the look on Trina's face as she said, "Which I will definitely NOT be looking at."
Jade shot Tori a questioning glance and Tori just shrugged in reply, both of them looking at the door as Trina slowly walked past, one hand covering her eyes as the other ran along the wall to guide her. "Trina," Tori sighed. Trina stopped, her head turning slightly. "It's okay, we're not doing anything."
Trina's fingers parted slightly, allowing her just enough space to see into Tori's room. She heaved a huge, grateful sigh and dropped both her hands to her side. "Oh, thank god. I was worried I'd hear something and be traumatized."
"Maybe later, once we've finished our homework," Jade smiled maliciously, only to jerk to the side as a pen collided with her shoulder. "Hey!"
"Can you please not say stuff like that to my sister?" Tori demanded. Jade shrugged and Trina shuddered, but Tori ignored them both and sighed. "Are mom and dad home, too?"
"No," Trina scoffed. "It's like four in the afternoon."
Trina rolled her eyes and opened her mouth, going into a long and detailed account of how ridiculous that question was, and Jade just kind of wanted to throw herself out of the window as the older Vega rambled on and on. Tori mustered up the sweetest, most condescending smile she could, as she stood up and slowly closed the door in Trina's face.
"Thank god it stopped talking," Jade muttered, bending over to grab Tori's bag off the floor. "So the blue notebook is the one that isn't filled with your creepy, stalkerish drawings of me, right?"
Tori rolled her eyes but nodded. "Yeah. And you can't insult them after telling me they're so good."
"Yes, I can." Jade rifled through Tori's bag. "Just because they're good drawings, doesn't make them any less creepy." She pulled out the blue notebook and threw it at Tori. "Or stalkery. But at least you chose a beautiful subject to obsess over."
"And she's so modest, too," Tori agreed with a smirk.
Jade chuckled lightly, getting her own notes out. "Really, you couldn't have picked anyone better."
"I've created a monster," Tori sighed. "Much like Frankenstein. Which reminds me of," she pointed to her laptop with a grin, "our paper!"
"Yeah, yeah." Jade held her arms out. "Lemme read the trash you claim is better than my brilliant, graduate-level analysis."
"So modest," Tori mumbled. She stood up and handed her laptop over to a smug Jade, before sitting next to her on the bed.
Jade stared at the screen for a minute and then shoved it onto Tori's lap. "Read it."
"Read it?" Tori blinked. "But I wrote it. I know what it says."
"No," Jade rolled her eyes. "Read it to me." Tori cocked a brow at her but Jade just shrugged. "What? My eyes are tired from looking at your hideous mug for this long."
Tori gasped. "You like looking at my hideous mug!"
"That doesn't make it any less exhausting of a task. Now read." Jade settled back against Tori's headboard, and when it became obvious that she really had no intention of reading the paper herself, Tori sighed and started to read it aloud.
She paused partway through to grab her glasses, and then started again. She only managed to read another paragraph, though, because Jade was thoroughly distracted. Tori in glasses was… really, very attractive. And hot. Really, very, extremely hot. And Jade couldn't help it if maybe she got a little handsy and maybe nuzzled Tori's neck a little bit.
"Jade," Tori breathed.
"Hmm?"
Tori tried to say Jade's name again, but she barely got it out because Jade chose that exact moment to press a soft kiss against Tori's neck and Tori melted as a moan escaped her. "Stop it," she murmured.
Jade pulled back. Just a little. "You wanna finish this paper that bad?"
"I…" Tori gulped. Licked her lips and took a moment to compose herself. "We need to finish this paper and if you don't stop what you're doing, there's only one thing we're going to end up doing."
"It's not due until Friday," Jade pointed out. "We can finish it any other day this week."
Tori shook her head slightly. "We're gonna be busy every other day this week." Jade's eyebrow rose in interest as a wicked glint shone in her eyes. "We're gonna be busy because we're gonna be talking. A lot."
Wait, what? That was totally not what Jade was hoping they'd be busy doing. "What?"
Tori cleared her throat and sat up a little straighter, clearly determined to keep the rest of their afternoon strictly 'professional'. "If you want to do this," Tori carefully placed her hand on top of Jade's, which had found its way dangerously close to the inside of Tori's thigh, "then you have to do this." She took Jade's hand and moved it to the small space that was between their bodies. "It's been a long time, and as much as I kind of want to let you finish what you were doing, I would be more comfortable if we talked a bit more before taking things any further," Tori continued. "I meant what I said in the janitor's closet. It's a lot, and very fast, and I want us to really get to know each other again."
It made sense, and Jade really should have seen it coming, but it didn't mean that she liked the idea any more. It seemed stupid, when she thought about it, because Tori was asking her to follow a 'traditional' timeline, when they weren't a 'traditional' couple. If they even were a couple. That was still one of the things they had to talk about. But she didn't want to fuck things up with Tori, and if Tori wanted to pretend like they had just met and flirted a little bit and decided that maybe they wanted to get to know each other better, then that's what she'd do. "Fine," Jade huffed. "You can take me on a date. But you're paying."
Tori mulled it over for a minute and nodded. "I guess I did ask, sort of, so okay. I'll pay. Where do you wanna go?"
A horrified look took over Jade's features. "How 'bout a little romance here, Vega? You wanna go on a date? Fine. Plan a date to take me on."
Tori grew silent, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, and Jade just watched as Tori thought it over. Was she seriously planning the date right then and there? Jade rolled her eyes and settled back against a pillow, waiting for Tori to finish whatever train her thoughts were on.
It seemed like hours had passed before Tori finally grinned and turned to Jade. "I've got it!"
"Awesome. So what will we be doing?"
"Uh-uh," Tori shook her head. "How 'bout a little romance here, West?"
"Oh, that sounds so wrong," Jade grimaced.
Tori chuckled and turned her attention back to their paper. "You'll find out what it is on Friday."
"Friday?!" Jade screeched. "I have to wait until Friday?"
"What's happening Friday?" A voice in the hall asked.
"Go away, Trina!" Both girls shouted at the door before turning to look at each other.
"What's wrong with Friday?" Tori asked. "Friday is a good night for a date."
"It's also very, very far away," Jade said bluntly. "Can't we like," she motioned with her hands, "expedite the process of getting to know each other?"
For some reason, Tori thought it would be a good idea to laugh at that. Jade was not amused. "You're seriously that worked up?"
Jade glared at her. Hard. "I am not," her eyebrow arched dangerously, "worked up."
Tori stifled a laugh and adjusted her laptop. "Okay, Jade."
"I'm not."
"Okay, Jade."
Jade huffed and folded her arms across her chest. She wasn't worked up. She was just… a little turned on? No, that wasn't right. Not really. It was just that she wanted to kiss Tori. Like, really fucking wanted it. And Tori had certainly seemed into it, as well, if that little moan was anything to go by. So Jade didn't quite understand why they couldn't just do something that they both clearly wanted to do.
Tori pressed a soft, lingering kiss on her cheek, and Jade's head turned towards her in response. "I'm not saying 'hands off' forever," Tori said quietly, "but I don't want us to rush into anything. Let's just talk, go on a date, and see what happens. Okay, Jade?"
That offer was better than the rather bleak reality she had been facing moments before. "I think," Jade responded after a minute, "that however slow we take this, whatever this even is, it's never gonna be slow enough. You are always going to hit me like a giant asteroid knocking the planet off its axis."
Tori's smile was the most genuine and innocent Jade had ever seen. She leaned over and rested her forehead against Jade's. "And you are always going to feel like my world's finally righted itself."
"Just," Jade's lips brushed gently against Tori's, "be patient if I push you too far. Knock me on my ass, by all means, but help me get back up."
"I think you're overestimating my self-control." Tori's lips tilted in a smirk that sent a shiver down Jade's spine, and her hand cupped Jade's face, her thumb gently caressing her jaw. "'Cause I just might join you on the ground."
Jade growled. Actually fucking growled, and she couldn't believe that it made Tori's smirk split into a grin. Tori as a person wasn't anything new, but this… flirtatious aspect of her definitely was. And it was stirring something primal in Jade. They were still so close and Jade took a shaky breath. "What happened to you?" She murmured. She ran her fingers through Tori's hair and wondered if she would melt at her touch every time she did that, because… damn.
Tori sighed and answered simply. Honestly. "I grew up."
Jade's fingers were tracing her jaw. Jade's thumb brushed across her lower lip. It's like she was trying to make sure that she was real, because Jade was having a hard time reconciling the Tori she used to know with the girl currently driving her crazy. She surprised herself when she asked, "What are we? To each other?"
"Friends?" Tori whispered, turning her head to press a soft kiss to Jade's palm. "More than friends?" She kissed the inside of her wrist. "You've always been more to me."
And suddenly Jade didn't care about anything being 'too much, too fast'. She didn't care about un-complicating things before making them even more complicated. She didn't need to define Tori anymore, because she realized that Tori had always been defined. She was Tori. Jade's Tori. She was the one who knew Jade better than anyone else, even after years of not speaking. She knew exactly when to push and when to wait to get Jade to open up. She was the only real safe haven Jade ever had. She was the first friend Jade ever had. She was the best friend Jade ever had. And Jade would be damned if Tori was ever going to be anything other than hers ever again.
And as much as Jade wanted to just kick Tori's laptop off the bed and see exactly where this could go, she really didn't want to fuck this up, and Tori had said to take it slow. "Okay," Jade said softly, "time to finish our paper."
"Oh, Jade," Tori batted her lashes, "I love it when you talk dirty."
Jade choked back a laugh and shook her head. "I'm being serious."
Tori straightened up as they finally put some actual space between them. "Fine. Do I still have to read to you?"
"Yes." Jade averted her gaze, leaning back against a pillow. Tori pulled the laptop closer and leaned against her with a grin. Jade's arm hovered over the body snuggled into her side. "What are you doing?"
Tori looked up at her with a playful indignation. "Oh, so you can try to seduce me, and make me read to you, but I can't get some cuddles?"
"I didn't try to seduce you," Jade argued, knowing full well that wasn't entirely true, "and when have I ever been one for cuddles?" Tori rolled her eyes, a small pout forming on her lips, and moved to straighten up. Jade immediately dropped her arm around Tori's shoulders as a small spike of panic shot through her. She wasn't sure where it came from, but she knew that she didn't want Tori to move away from her. Feeling Tori pressed into her side was… oddly reassuring. A reminder that she really was there. And Jade didn't want her to leave, even if it was only a few inches away. "Just read the damn paper to me."
Tori didn't even try to hide her smile as her head settled on Jade's shoulder. Jade was just glad that Tori couldn't see her matching one.
Jade made small adjustments as Tori read through the paper. Well, she dictated and Tori typed. When they reached the end, Jade gave a curt nod and pointed to the screen. "Print that baby so we can turn it in early."
Tori's head snapped to the side as her wide eyes stared at Jade. "What?"
Jade blinked, her eyebrows drawing together in confusion. "Print the paper so we can turn it in early? Cross it off our list of shit to get through?"
"Oh," Tori muttered, quickly looking back at the laptop.
Jade's brow furrowed as she noticed the blush creeping up Tori's cheeks. "What did you think I said?"
Tori just shook her head and clicked around the screen. "Nothing," she said way too quickly.
"No," Jade poked Tori's ribs. "What did you think I said?"
Tori moved away, breaking free of Jade's arm. "Nothing. It's nothing. Forget about it."
Oh, that was the wrong thing to say. That just made Jade want to know even more. "Tell me."
Tori shook her head again, hit 'Print', and continued to inch away from her. A smirk tugged at Jade's lips. She waited, patiently, for Tori to save the document and close out of it. And then she pounced.
Tori's laptop flew off the bed. She squeaked and tried to squirm free. "Tell me," Jade demanded again, throwing a leg over Tori's hips, pinning her down flat on her back. She raised two fingers on each hand and arched an eyebrow. "Tell me, or you get the Tickle Bunny Twins."
"No!" Tori gasped, eyes tripling in size. "You wouldn't dare. My dad hasn't even done the Tickle Bunny Twins in eight years, Jade."
"Oh, well I think after eight years we should bring them back." Jade's hands lowered, like, and inch, and Tori started wriggling.
"Okay! Okay! I give up!"
"I didn't even touch you," Jade dropped her hands and sighed. "So what did you think I said?"
"It's stupid," Tori averted her gaze. The second Jade moved her hands though, Tori was holding her own up in surrender. "Okay, fine. I thought that, y'know, you…" Her sentence trailed off in a mumble and Jade rolled her eyes.
"Repeat it so I can actually hear."
"I thought," Tori huffed, "that when you said 'print that baby', you were calling me 'baby'. Not the paper."
Jade's head tilted. Her eyes narrowed slightly. She looked at Tori, whose blush deepened. Jade studied the girl underneath her for a moment. Did… did she want Jade to call her that?
"I told you it was stupid."
The bedroom door flew open and Trina stood in the doorway, her eyes fixed on the Pearphone in her hand. "Mom's picking up dinner and wants to know- Holy chizz in a basket WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY SISTER?!" The phone fell to the floor as Trina slammed both hands over her eyes.
Jade rolled her eyes and climbed off Tori, who was sporting an atomic blush. "We're fully clothed, you suckfish. Calm down."
Trina shook her head and knelt down, one hand covering her eyes while the other one groped the floor for her phone. "I so didn't need to see you violating my baby sister."
"Violating?" Tori squeaked.
Great. Now both Vegas were shielding their faces. Jade rolled her eyes so hard they almost fell right out of her head. "If you two are done over-reacting…" She grabbed her notes and shoved them into her bag. "I'm gonna head out before the entire clan shows up and starts blindly fumbling around." The truth was Jade kind of needed some space. Because she wasn't sure how slow she could go if Tori was right there. It just felt so fucking right, and that was kind of terrifying. Because nothing about their situation had been easy, but Tori was… being with Tori was the easiest thing Jade knew. And Jade knew that things that came together so easily, fell apart just as effortlessly.
"Oh god," Tori groaned from the bed.
"Oh god," Trina mumbled from the door.
"Jesus fucking Christ," Jade growled from the middle of the room. She pushed past Trina, accidentally-on-purpose knocking her over, and headed for the stairs. Trina said something, but Jade was too far gone to hear. Footsteps followed her downstairs and Tori caught her by the door.
"You're not gonna stay for dinner?" Tori's fingers caught Jade's wrist, drawing her to a stop.
"As fun as dinner with the Vega Crew sounds," Jade sighed, adjusting the strap of her bag, "I don't think I'm quite there yet."
"Yeah." Tori pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded. "Yeah. I get that."
"Do you?" Her voice was genuinely curious and Tori just nodded quickly.
"Yeah. I mean, we're barely there. So I get that it still might be too much. Seeing them again."
A contemplative look settled over Jade's features as she studied Tori. That… was it exactly. And Tori really did get it. Get Jade. She understood, and Jade wasn't even the least bit surprised by that.
A hesitant smile curled Tori's lips. "I'll see you at school tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Jade nodded curtly. And then she shot Tori a mischievous smirk. "And don't forget the paper, baby."
Tori's whining "I knew it was stupid," followed her out the door.
Jade drove home, her lips twitching between a smile and a frown the entire way. She didn't know what kind of dance she and Tori were doing, just that they kept awkwardly bumping into each other only to step back and start circling each other again. Sometimes, it felt like Jade knew the dance and was doing alright. And then other times it was like she had two left feet and was just stumbling around, trying not to step on Tori's toes. It seemed the same with Tori, though. Sometimes she would seem just as confused as Jade was. But then there were the moments, where she would just say "Okay, Jade," like she knew a secret and was waiting for Jade to figure it out as well. Maybe Tori was just as uncertain and nervous as she was. If they were both on the same page, if they were both a little lost in the new dynamic between them, then that was okay. Maybe they could just figure out the steps to the dance, together.
As Jade pulled up in front of her house, her lips finally settled. And she smiled.
AN: When I had originally plotted out this story, this was supposed to be the final chapter. But stories sometimes get a mind of their own, and apparently this one slapped me in the face when I tried to end it. So, let the awkward-courting continue, because we are officially into the romance part. Here's hoping I don't screw it up too bad.
Thank you for the reviews and favorites and stuff, and if you've got time I'd love to hear what you thought, good or bad :)