A/N: I spy with my little eye...one Riverdale character.

She's forgotten about that fact until recently, but she called Beck first. Back in high school, before they began dating, she was the one to punch in the numbers and wait, torn between hoping he'd pick up and contemplating throwing her phone away and moving to Ireland so he wouldn't be able to find her.

She remembers that feeling of nervous anticipation. She's reminded of it, actually, as she paces in front of the university library and waits, waits for him to pick up already so she can talk, explain, hear his voice. Except now, that anticipation isn't pleasant, and her heart isn't giddy, but heavy with ache that's not quite longing.

And the worst part is overwhelming, all-consuming guilt in her chest that wasn't there several years ago when she paced in her room and bit her nails waiting for him to pick up.

One thing hasn't changed. Beck still takes way too long to answer his goddamn phone.

A ring, another ring, and another, and she holds her breath when she expects yet another one but instead, there's a brief pause before she hears a quiet sigh. "Hey." he sounds like he's trying to smile.

She's trying not to sob. "Hey back."

"I'm sorry," they say in unison, and Beck chuckles on the other end. "I'm sorry," he repeats softly. "I've been a giant dick. I fucked up, Jade," he lets out a shuddering breath, and she bites her lower lip, shaking her head.

In this situation, who hasn't? Tori, she thinks, and stomps down on the thought. "So did I," she whispers. "I didn't choose you." the confession burns in her throat. "I didn't choose you, and I'm sorry."

"If it makes it any better, I get it. I did some thinking. A lot of it." his grin sounds wry. "I shouldn't have said those things. I was angry and confused and… jealous, and I let it all get to me. But it's not about me." she hears shuffling before he speaks again. "I get it now. Completely. And I'm here for you. Whatever you need. Hell, I'll go ring shopping with you if it comes down to it."

She laughs in spite of herself. "Let's hope it doesn't."

"You never know," he chuckles. "You could do worse than Tori Vega, you know. Me, for example."

"Beck," she sighs, rubbing her face. She's so tired. She's pretty sure she's failing her classes, her brother's progress is slowing down, and she's developing a mild case of insomnia, and she's so, so tired.

"Kidding," he hurries to reassure her. "Sorry. I didn't - I'm sorry."

"I think it's time we stop being sorry," she says. "It's getting old." She wonders if Beck is nodding right now, having forgotten she can't see him. He does that sometimes when he's on the phone - grimaces and nods and nonverbally makes his thoughts known before realizing the conversation he's having solely depends on verbal communication.

Just like she suspects, it takes several seconds before Beck hastily replies. "Yes. You're right. But I still want to talk to you in person and properly apologize and then I'll stop being sorry, I promise."

She doesn't think she can make that promise. "I want that, too," she says. "I - I miss you."

"I miss you, too," he whispers, and there's so much pure yearning in his voice. It makes her heart squeeze in her chest, once, painfully.

She swallows. "I - before we do that, Beck, you should know that… I have to…" There's no easy way to say this. "I need to date Tori for another five months or so. Until the end of the experimental treatment. I can't - I can't risk my brother's well-being, Beck."

The silence that follows is tense, but brief. Barely two seconds. Beck's voice is strong and confident when he replies. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. But thank you for doing that. I agree. With Bird suspecting something and Tori knowing you and I know each other… We're threading on thin ice here."

She lets the warmth wash over her at his use of the word 'we'. He's still here.

(She's not sure if she's still here, but there's certain comfort in knowing she's not alone.)

"Yeah," she says, because what else is there to say? "We are."

"Can I - would it be okay if I came over tonight?" Beck asks tentatively. "I mean - if you don't have plans with Tori already." He's trying, he really is, she knows that. She believes that. But his voice still cracks at her name, and she only hopes tonight doesn't end up being just like the night a week ago.

"Yes." She owes him that much. "I mean, yes, of course you can come over. I don't have any plans."

"Okay." the smile in his voice is bright, hopeful. "Does 8 work for you? I'll bring pizza."

"Sounds great." And it does, it really does, and she's happy to realize she's actually looking forward to spending some time with him. "Can't wait."

"Great," Beck parrots, before: "See you then. I love you." the last phrase sounds more like a question.

She hates it, but she can't lie to herself - she hates that she's not sure of the answer. Still, she forces a smile. "I love you, too," slips from her tongue, easily, habitually.

'You get used to his presence.'

"Bye, babe," Beck tells her gently, and she stands still as she listens to dial tone after he hangs up.

She wakes with a start, and at first, she's disoriented. There's someone sleeping next to her.

(It's not Tori)

(Did she come to expect her?)

Beck. He spent the night. She puts the pieces of last night together like a shattered mirror, slowly, afraid of cutting herself. Beck. Wine. Tears. Hurried whispers and desperate hands tearing at clothes.

Her bed.

"Hey," Beck mumbles behind her, and Jade's not even that surprised at her urge to shake his arm off. Instead, she lets him tighten it around her waist, tug her closer and nuzzle his face in her hair.

"Hey," she whispers back. "Time to get up."

He groans. "Five more minutes."

"Sadly," Jade smirks, "I don't have them." She rolls over, studying his face, his eyes still laced with sleep. "I have a class today."

He blinks the last of sleep away. "Isn't it in, like, two hours?"

"Yes, but I need to shower and get ready and do some reading before that." She gently, but firmly pushes his hand away when it strays lower, down to her hips. "Beck."

"Alright, alright," he huffs good-naturedly, giving her a boyish smile so she knows he's not upset. "Wanna save some water with me?"

She rolls her eyes, smiling. "We both know I'll be late if we shower together."

"Damn right you will be," he lets out a playful growl, but she's too quick for him, still half-asleep. When he lunges, she's already rolling over and getting out of bed. It's a cold, grey winter morning; too chilly to be walking around naked, and so she snatches a robe from her chair and puts it on, ignoring Beck's protesting groan. "Actually, you can sleep a little longer," she notes. "I'll probably take a while."

Beck only nods, and when she glances at him before closing the bathroom door, he's already out cold, mouth slightly open and eyes closed. Tired, she thinks. He must be tired after last night. He was trying so hard for her.

The thought doesn't bring the usual satisfaction.

She's kinda losing track who she's cheating on and with whom.

Tori's never-

-no you can't compare them-

She turns the shower handle further to the right, and the water becomes hot, almost scalding, washing away the last fragments of her thoughts.

She barely stops herself from jumping when two arms wrap around her waist from behind and a warm body presses against her back.

"Smells delicious," Beck mumbles in her neck before nipping at the skin. He looks over her shoulder, watching her flip a pancake. "I missed those."

"I missed you," Jade replies on autopilot. Lately, she's become a master at reading situations and knowing what they call for.

She feels him grin against shoulder. "I missed you too, babe."

Tori never calls me-

-no please don't do that you can't-

She does jump, startled, when her phone rings. Beck's lips find hers when she turns her head to ask him to get it for her, and she indulges him for a second before chuckling into the kiss. "Beck," she mumbles. "My phone."

"Ignore it."

"It could be important." She knows he can read her thoughts in her eyes when she tilts her head back to look at him.

It could be Tori.

And, of course, that's the name she sees when she glances at the screen. Tori doesn't sound like she just woke up. She rarely does. Except when it's early morning and she's soft and sleepy in Jade's bed, legs tangled with hers and-

She hurries to swipe her thumb across the screen, picking up. "Hey. Let me guess - you're in your office."

Tori's smile is palpable in her voice. "Maybe," she replies, evasively. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything," Jade chuckles. "Normal people are still in bed at this hour, you know."

"Yes," Tori agrees. "And you're already dressed and about to have breakfast."

"I'm checking my apartment for cameras later today," Jade informs her. She wants to sound stern, scolding, but her smile kinda gets in the way.

"Oh, please do. Wear a lingerie while you're at it."

"Perv." She pours more batter onto skillet, waiting for bubbles to appear on it. "Seriously. How did you know?"

"You have an early class today - or am I mistaken?" there's a special, Tori's own brand of flustered worry in her voice that most people would miss. Jade's pretty proud she's one of the few who can pick up on it.

She blinks when Tori's words register in her brain. "Oh, I - yes. I do. I just - I didn't expect you to remember."

"I don't forget things."

"Everybody forgets things."

"I don't forget important things."

Jade rolls her eyes even though Tori can't see her. She can, however, hear her smile when she speaks. "Me having a class is important?"

"Anything about you is."

"Oh God!"

"...Jade?"

Jade takes a deep breath to try and calm down her rapidly beating heart. Beck is perplexed next to her, looking like a lost puppy. Confused. She can't blame him. He simply tried to hug his girlfriend.

She's the one who recoiled in fear when he touched her because - god, because she almost fucking forgot he was here.

She throws him a quick smile that she hopes doesn't look as forced as it feels. Mouths

'sorry' and leans into him when he approaches again, tentatively. "I, uh, burned something," she lies to Tori, rolling her eyes at Beck's quiet chuckles near her ear. "Sorry, didn't mean to yell."

"It's okay. I'm sorry for being this distracting," Tori smirks at her through the phone, and she probably really should find that obnoxious.

"Speaking of distractions," Jade squirms in Beck's arms when his hands grow bold. Too bold for her to continue talking to Tori. "Shouldn't you be working?" She turns her head to widen her eyes at Beck, silently telling him to quit it, but he only grins in response before his lips find her neck, gently sucking at her pulse point.

It's not fair. He knows her weak spots after so many years together. This is so not fair.

It took Tori less than-

-no not now definitely not now-

"Probably." Jade imagines Tori shrug. "Yes. I do have a reason for calling you this early."

"Yeah?" Beck's hands make their way under her robe, blunt nails lightly scratching at her stomach while he continues to rain kisses down the side of her neck, and she wants to kick him as much as she wants him to keep going. "And what, um, what reason is -ah!" Quick teeth nip at her earlobe, and she scowls. "-that?"

Of course Tori notices. "Is everything okay?"

She'd find her concern sweet if she weren't too busy trying not to moan as her treacherous body reacts to Beck's calculated touches.

(Tori's voice in her ear isn't helping either.)

"Yes, everything's fine," she says quickly, pushing Beck away. Not strongly enough, it seems. He doesn't stop. "I'm in a bit of a hurry, actually. Sorry."

"Oh. I'll make it quick. I wanted to invite you to join me for lunch. More of a brunch, really. It's a small get-together with friends, and I-" she tries to focus on the way Tori's voice cracks and not on Beck's fingers. "I thought you'd like to meet them."

Well, fuck - this is significant and she should sound more enthusiastic, but - goddammit, Beck. "I'd love to," she says evenly, gritting her teeth. Beck's breathing is erratic in her other ear as his growing bulge brushes against her backside. Oh, he's not getting any for this stunt. "Count me in, I'll be there. Lex, I really gotta go-"

"Yes, of course," Tori hurries to say. "I'll pick you up around eleven."

"Can't wait," she utters and promptly hangs up. Immediately following that, Beck lets out a strangled groan, rubbing his stomach where Jade elbowed him.

"Ouch," he says pointedly. She ignores it.

"Seriously?" she stares at him incredulously. "It couldn't wait?" Annoyance replaces her unwilling desire, crawling under her skin. Tori's not stupid. Wrong word, wrong sound, and she'll finally grow suspicious.

She wants to push him away when he comes up to her, gathering her in his arms, but she still lets him, letting out a huff. "Don't do that again," she warns.

He presses a kiss to the side of her head. "I won't. I thought it'd be fun. It was kinda fun, though, wasn't it?" he grins at her.

"Not worth Tori finding out about this," she replies. Ridiculous. He's her boyfriend, and yet, it's like they are the ones having an affair behind Tori's back.

Beck rolls his eyes. "She won't," he scoffs. "You give her too much credit sometimes." She tries not to flinch when he nuzzles under her jaw. Previous desire, sticky and unwanted, has left her completely, and all she wants is to get dressed and leave.

This isn't right. Doesn't feel right at all. "Oh no, Oliver," she pushes at his chest, this time strong enough to make him step away, and her eyebrow arches when she looks down for a brief moment. "This one's on you, so it's all yours to deal with. I'm gonna be late."

"Or you could skip," he drawls suggestively, but she dodges him when he tries to scoop her up.

"Or you could go take a cold, cold shower." She turns the stove off, dumping the pancakes onto a plate. "And hurry. They're barely warm."

It hits her only when Beck finally retreats with an obnoxious wry smirk. She's going to meet Tori's friends today.

(Dread grips her heart in an iron grip when she realizes Bird's going to be there, too. She's not someone Jade's looking forward to see any time soon.)

Well, shit. Now she needs to change her outfit. She's so going to be late.

She's never attending any of Tori's social functions ever again unless Tori directly threatens to literally cut her brother off. To say this is a disaster would be an understatement.

Of course, it could be worse, she reasons. Alice could be throwing actual daggers at her instead of the ones she gives with her eyes.

Also, she's a little bit mad at Tori because Tori forgot to mention that her friends were also the most influential people of this city after Miss Vega herself. Jade looks around the table and suppresses the urge to gulp in awed fear.

Her gaze inevitably lands on Alice Cooper first. The woman is the oldest at the table. Forty-five, to be exact - Jade remembers that from when she looked Tori up and her business partners popped up on the search page. She doesn't quite look her age in person - her figure is slender and fit, and her gaze, while cold, is full of youthful fire. She's a beautiful woman, Jade thinks, with her golden hair and strong aura of confidence. Alice is Tori's chief financial officer, which basically means she runs the company when Tori's not there, or so Beck says. A Harvard graduate, a trusted adviser of Tori's late mother, and the owner of the coldest glare Jade's ever seen, Alice is definitely not someone she wants to piss off any time soon. Although, that could be said for everyone at that table.

Alice doesn't seem to like Jade's inquisitive glance, however brief, so she hurries to take her eyes off her. The next person she stares at isn't exactly a better choice. Andre Harris stares back, a familiar half-smile on his lips that lacks sincerity and warmth of his half-sister's. Jade's surprised to learn the rumors are true - besides being an executive for several branches of their family business, Andre is also Tori's half-sibling, bonded by one mother. There is a reason people don't believe it as readily. Three of them, actually. One - Tori's rather private when it comes to her family matters; two - no one dares questioning her about said matters further when she gives an evasive answer, if any at all; three - Tori and Andre look nothing alike. Andre is tall, with skin a dark, deep shade of brown. His eyes are just as sharp, just as intelligent as Tori's, but their color is not brown but black, vibrant and alluring. He is, of course, very handsome, just like everyone at the table - as if they weren't intimidating enough to begin with, Jade thinks with frustration. An impeccable charcoal suit, most likely tailored, and a fresh white shirt - she wouldn't be surprised if it was tailored, too. These people obviously take great care of themselves in terms of appearance. It's easily the most exquisite group of people she's ever found herself in.

She's never felt more out of place.

Bird grins at her over the rim of her glass, and - really? An afternoon shot of whiskey? They aren't without their vices, either. "So," she says easily, but her smirk is nothing but wicked. "How did you two meet?"

"Funny you're the one asking that," Tori comments, just as faux-easily, her unreadable gaze flicking to the other two people at the table. She's casually pointing out the fact that neither made any attempt to talk to Jade besides uttering a greeting, quietly seething on Alice's part and politely cold on Andre's. Jade wishes she wouldn't do that. She's perfectly fine silently chewing on her smoked salmon and trying to pretend no one is glaring at her hand in Tori's. Well, technically, no one is exactly glaring. Andre pretends not to notice, and when he does, the mild, judgmental disapproval is clear in his gaze - Jade's pretty sure that because he isn't trying to hide it at all. Bird's openly gawking and smirking her scary smirk, and Alice - what Alice's doing is way past glaring.

When she's the one who speaks up after Tori, Jade mentally scolds herself for almost jumping in surprise. "Do tell," she utters. "How did you two meet, exactly?"

"By chance," Tori replies simply, her eyes meeting Jade's in gentle encouragement. And she's still convinced it was a horrible idea; but she can't stay mad at Tori when she looks at her like that. It's a power Tori doesn't know she possesses, and Jade only hopes she never finds out. What a deadly weapon it could become. "I was very lucky."

"I bet you were," Bird's smirk disappears behind her glass when she takes a small sip.

"That's not what I meant," Tori rolls her eyes, but a tiny smile still plays on her lips. Either she's blind to barely muted resentment behind Bird's grin, or Jade's seeing things that might not be there. But then, Bird sends a slow wink her way that's nothing short of murderous, and Jade presses her lips together, trying not to frown. What is Bird's angle? Trying to fool Tori that she approves of their relationship while taking stabs at Jade?

"And that's not what I want to hear," Andre says. It's the third time he spoke today, and the stare he sends Jade's way is more impassive than Tori's when she slips her CEO mask back on. Jade witnessed it once or twice when Tori had to take a phone call while spending time with her. She doesn't exactly transform - somehow Tori manages to stay relatively true to herself in both states - but she does change. Sits a little straighter - Jade didn't know it was even possible; grows a little colder, becomes a little distant. Which is understandable, of course - she is on the phone, after all. But the thing that fascinates her the most is the way Tori's eyes slowly turn unreadable until there's nothing but coffee bean brown. And lately, she's noticed it takes Tori a couple of minutes to come back to her. Jade's started to wonder if there are any problems, but Tori doesn't really want to talk about work when they're together.

She realizes she's basically daydreaming about Tori while Tori's right there when Bird speaks up again, jostling her from her thoughts. "That's right," she snickers. "There are children present. Gosh, Tori, mind your tongue."

Tori's smile grows bigger, and Andre's becomes a little warm. "You know very well that this is not what I meant," Tori repeats herself. Her thumb swipes across the back of Jade's hand, the movement tiny, almost non-existent, but Jade notices, and there's a small smile on her face now despite feeling unwelcome. Being near Tori helps. Her words, her smile, her hand in Jade's - she doesn't even remember how they came to be holding hands in the first place - her entire presence helps, a lot, and she's too uncomfortable to question her only salvation.

Unfortunately, Jade isn't the only one who notices Tori's little gesture. Both Andre and Alice briefly close their eyes, no doubt hiding an eye-roll, before looking to the side, and even Bird's smirk dims as she locks her jaw. Well. Tough crowd. Just her luck these are people she absolutely has to win the most points with.

It's probably time she acts like it, so she clears her throat and puts on a smile that she hopes doesn't look as fake as it feels. "We got caught in a snowstorm," she says. God, she felt absolutely miserable that night. Her plan almost fell apart, but Tori came to her herself. "Got stranded in a tiny coffee shop in the middle of nowhere. She came over and offered me her coat and I kind of went off on her. She took it like a champ, though." Jade doesn't notice her smile growing genuine at first as she stares at Tori and lets memories wash over her. It seems so far away. So much has happened since that very first night.

"That's our Tori," Bird says with a straight face. "Taking it like a champ."

"Couldn't resist, could you," Andre mutters, grabbing a piece of toast. Bird only smirks at him in reply, the sharp edge gone. Right. Because that's reserved for Jade.

"Well, to be fair, I did kind of deserve it," Tori says, her stare still locked with Jade's.

"No, you… You didn't. Not really." Jade blinks, lowering her gaze to her plate briefly before looking up at Tori's friends. "Anyway, that's how it went, in a nutshell. She introduced herself, and now we're here."

"What an accurate depiction," Alice comments, and it takes Jade a moment to understand what she's getting at. Of course. 'She introduced herself, and now we're here' - but what Alice's heard was 'I heard the name Tori Vega and spread my legs for those millions of dollars'. Well, technically, she's not wrong.

Several thousands of dollars per day.

"Well, Jade is a writer," Tori says, and if there's a little bit of tension in her tone, nobody comments on it.

"Oh," One of Alice's impeccable eyebrows goes up. "A writer. Does she write up media columns?"

"I'm go to NYADA," Jade says. Alice's comment isn't particularly hurtful. It wasn't even meant to cut deep, probably; but it still does. Not the words. The delivery; the execution, if you will. The way those people judge her without knowing anything about her, and yes, the fucked up thing is they are mostly right, but she cares about Tori. It hits her. Why their attitude hurts beyond simple fear for her plan. She's come to genuinely care for their friend. Probably more than she should. Definitely more than she's willing to admit for now.

So, it hurts, both her feelings and her pride - and she still has some of it. Enough to stop sitting there and simply taking their contempt. "I go to NYADA," she repeats, a little louder this time, and the school's reputation carrying on strong. Alice's face grows void of any emotion as she sits perfectly still, waiting for her to finish. "Writing is an escape and something I'm damn good at, much like school and soon, hopefully, writing screenplays for film and theater." She looks around the table again, shaking the fear off. Andre still appears mostly disinterested, but Bird - Bird's ditched the sly grin, and instead, there's unreadable intensity in her gaze as she studies Jade. "You know what else I'm good at? Calling bullshit. I'm sorry," she offers to Tori, and it's genuine, both in sound and in feeling. "But I don't think I want to pretend everything's fine. You are so ready to write me off as yet another dumb whore after your friend's money when you don't even know anything about me. And I get it, I really do - you've seen it before. But I also want you to get this - I don't have to prove myself to you. She's the only one whose trust I want to earn."

Tori's eyes are impossibly tender and warm when she turns to look at her, trying not to notice rage bubbling in Alice's gaze. "This doesn't change the way I feel about this. You. I'm not…" she lets out a shaky sigh, suddenly nervous. "That's not why I'm here," she finishes quietly, hopefully.

Great. Now they have the catchphrase, too. Jade wouldn't even be surprised if someone wrote a musical theme for them at this point. Maybe that can be her first screenplay for theater.

"I know," Tori murmurs back, tenderness of her gaze seeping into her tone. "She said everything that needs to be said," she tells her friends sternly. "I will see you tomorrow." With that, Tori stands up, offering a hand to Jade who's gaping at her. "You coming?" she asks, an impish grin on her lips.

Jade doesn't look at astonished faces of people she was stupid enough to piss off, and she doesn't think she cares. "Hopefully," she says lowly, making sure Tori's the only one who hears as they walk away from the table and out of the restaurant.

Tori laughs. "Jade."

"Oh come on," she grins back. "You totally meant it that way."

Tori's eyes are sparkling, endless golden brown. "Maybe."

It's a little difficult to kiss when both of them are smiling this wide, and they end up laughing in each other's mouths between trying to kiss as Jackson drives them away. Jade only pulls away to ask Tori if she could tell him to drive to her apartment.

"Don't you have a class later today?"

"This is more important."

Tori chuckles. "As tempting as that sounds, I don't think I'm in the right mood right now." She steals a quick kiss. "Plus, I must disagree - sex is not more important than school."

"But you are." She chooses to pretend not to notice the quiet, awed astonishment on Tori's face when she leans in to grin in her neck. It's so warm in here, with Tori. She kind of dreads getting out of the car, in the biting cold. December hasn't been very kind to the city. "Besides, I wasn't talking about sex. You're about to get quality girlfriend experience for literally standing up for me back there."

Yes, she does realize she sounds like an expensive hooker, but hey, that's kind of what she is anyway. But Tori doesn't say anything about it. She continues to look at Jade with that vulnerable, gentle spark in her eyes that sets off the coiling in Jade's stomach, tight and uneasy. "Okay," she simply says.

"Okay," Jade echoes.

"This is the treatment?"

Jade pauses the movie and looks up to raise an eyebrow at Tori. "Any complaints?"

Tori chuckles. "Oh, God no," she says with mock seriousness. "I would never, but I must admit - this is not quite what I was expecting." Jade watches as she lifts the corner of the blanket they have draped over them. "It's much better."

"Of course," Jade says in a 'duh' tone. "Anything is better with ice cream and a Harry Potter marathon."

"You like taking risks, too, don't you? What if I hated Harry Potter?"

Jade shrugs. "Then it would've been a decidedly less enjoyable experience for you," she teases. "Oh, and I'd be single again."

"I say good riddance," Tori laughs, but something in her voice gives Jade pause. There's a serious note tinged with sadness, and she doesn't want to pick up on it, but she still does. Whether she likes it or not, she's kind of in tune with Tori now, and the fact that Tori's usually not the easiest person to read makes it better. Worse. It makes it worse because she's not - she can't-

"I want to apologize," Tori continues. "For their behavior today."

"I don't think it's going to be limited to today," Jade says, and Tori nods as if to say 'fair enough'. "I also don't think you should be apologizing to me. I said it before, with Bird, and I'll say it again. I get it. They do have reasons for this."

"Does it bother you?" Tori's gaze becomes inquisitive. "The rather… rich love life I've had before you."

"I - no," Jade says, because there's no logical reason for her to be bothered by it. "But I don't feel like talking about past loves right now."

"I only had one," Tori murmurs. Jade didn't even notice when they got this close. But Tori's smile is warm, void of hunger, and so she sighs and rests her head on her chest, smiling when she feels arms around her. "But okay. We can talk about something else."

"We don't have to talk at all," she says, raising her head to look at Tori again. Should they have sex? It seems fitting. Yet, it doesn't feel right. All she feels like is sitting here, surrounded by everything Tori, warm and cozy when it's so cold outside. Baby, it's cold outside, she chuckles to herself.

Tori smiles. "Right. Or we'll miss all the important parts," she says, nodding at the TV. That's not really what Jade meant, but she has a feeling Tori knows that; and this is her way of saying not tonight. And Jade accepts that.

"Exactly," she says, and hopes her smile lets Tori know she gets it.

It's another half an hour of cuddling and light touches and easy pecks before Jade suddenly speaks up again. "Thank you," she says, voice a little hoarse from the lack of use. "For today."

"I haven't done anything worth of gratitude," Tori says immediately, as if she was waiting for Jade to break the silence. Does she feel uncomfortable?

Jade puts that thought away to analyze later. "You chose me," she states, quietly but strongly. That's it. That's why she couldn't stop smiling in the car; that's why she can't quite keep her hands to herself while wrapped up in Tori. She chose her.

And she completely, absolutely doesn't deserve it. The thought is like a bucket of ice cold water dumped on her head. Tori just chose her over people who love her and care for her, all for a girl who's using her.

She's suddenly overcome with disgust for herself. And the way she defended herself, caused a scene and essentially forced Tori to make a decision she shouldn't have had to make. The least she could do is keep quiet. Why didn't she just keep quiet?

"Jade?" Tori's arms are soothing and scalding at the same time. "What's wrong?"

Everything. All of it. Just this morning, she was with Beck, and tonight, she's with Tori and - it can't go on like this. "I'm fine, it's fine," she rasps, pressing closer to Tori so that she doesn't see her face.

"Okay," Tori doesn't sound like she believes her, but she clearly senses Jade's unwillingness to keep talking about it. "You have to know, Jade, that in my position, I can't promise to always choose you," she says then, quietly, regretfully, and Jade's head snaps up, eyes locking with serious brown. "But I can promise you that I will try my hardest to."

"I know," Jade whispers. "That's enough for me." That's far more than she deserves, that's for sure.

Tori chose her. Promised to continue to choose her.

She has to talk to Beck, and she can only hope he'll continue to be as understanding as he was yesterday. She can only hope, however in vain, that the talk doesn't push him to do stupid things like their last fight almost did. But this one - this one is tough. This one is worse, for him, for them.

Because, essentially, she's about to break up with her boyfriend for Tori.

(She can't shake the feeling that it's something she should've done a long time ago, and she doesn't know if it's better for the plan, for Tori, or for herself. She doesn't know anymore.).

Tori's heartbeat is strong and steady under her ear.

A/N: And Andre finally appears!

Next two chapters are short, so I'll upload both. Thanks for reading and reviews :)