Disclaimers: See Chapter 1.
A/N: The song used in this chapter is Art of Love by Jordin Sparks and Guy Sebastian, it would help if you had an idea of what it sounded like, especially since it's a duet! So go to .com(slash)watch?v=n75lnqmcQrM and check it out! It's a lovely song :)
It was about 3pm in the afternoon; Bette was in the kitchen trying to put together a meal. Kit had called and asked if they could gather at Bette and Tina's house to try out Kit's new karaoke machine. Kit wanted them to test run it, before she made it a permanent fixture at The Planet. Naturally, Bette and Tina agreed, they had wanted to tell the girls about their engagement anyway!
However, the kitchen was not cooperating with Bette, her nerves grew increasingly frazzled as the day wore on. When Tina stepped through the door, she could hear Bette cursing at the frying pan "Come on! What do I have to do to get you to cook things properly? Goddamnit, I rather deal with that prig Franklin and that's saying a lot!"
Tina held back her laughter and went to rescue her lover.
"Babe, what's going on?" Tina asked, popping her head into the kitchen.
"What the fuck does it look like I'm doing? I'm trying to prepare a meal and yet the kitchen chooses this time to go on strike. Fucking hell!" Bette snapped.
Tina was slightly hurt that Bette had snapped at her, but she knew Bette didn't mean it. As she watched Bette stand at the stove, seething with rage, she quietly said "Bette, come here."
Upon hearing those 2 words, Bette's anger disappeared. She walked over to Tina and said with a contrite tone "Tina, baby, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have chewed your head off. You didn't deserve to be the target of my frustration."
Tina hugged Bette tightly, feeling Bette collapse into her "It's ok babe, I know it must have felt weird for you to not go to work today. You already feel like you've lost some autonomy, and now you couldn't get the kitchen to cooperate. It's ok to lose control babe. But I forbid you to feel useless alright?"
Bette sniffled "I really just wanted to help with something, I feel so unproductive sitting at home all day long, just waiting for you to come back. I finally understand how you felt when you quit your job the first time round. God, I'm so sorry Tina."
Tina planted a kiss on Bette's forehead, saying "It's ok Bette, I realized I should have stood up for myself as well. Don't worry, I'll teach you to cook alright? Now come on, you can help me with the preparation of the ingredients."
3 hours later, the gang lay around the living room in various states of satisfaction.
"Oh god, Tina, that dinner was heavenly. The Portobello mushrooms with butter and garlic were the best." Alice moaned.
"No way, the salmon with lemon and pepper was way better!" Dana countered.
Tina laughed, "Thanks so much everyone, just for the record, Bette thought of the dishes and she chopped and prepared everything, all I had to do was to throw them into the pan."
Bette wrapped an arm around Tina's waist, leaning in to give Tina a peck "Thanks baby."
"Alright alright, are you girls ready to karaoke? It's all hooked up." Kit asked excitedly.
Alice whooped "Oh yeah, I'm ready. Just you all wait; I'm the real rock star here!"
Bette muttered to Tina "Baby, where did we keep the ear plugs, we might need them?"
Tina laughed, swatting Bette "Bette! Give her a chance. Anyway, how do you think we should tell them?"
Bette smiled her Porter smile "Follow my cue babe. I've got a plan."
And so, after Alice and Dana's hilarious duet on Katy Perry's I Kissed A Girl, where Dana kept trying to dodge Alice's attempts to kiss her, Carmen's tribute to Shane with God-Des and She's Lick It which actually made Shane blush, Kit's amazing rendition of Corrine Bailey Rae's Put Your Records On, Bette took the mic.
Bette chose the song Art Of Love by Guy Sebastian and Jordin Sparks, it was a lovely duet and one of Tina's favourite songs. She gestured for Tina to join her.
Tina got up and took the other mic, facing Bette. She loved that this was the way Bette had chosen to tell their friends about their engagement.
As the music started, Bette said to their friends "Hey guys, we had an ulterior motive for wanting you all over today, we've got something to tell all of you. Enjoy this song first though; it's kindof a lead in to the announcement."
[T: Tina
B: Bette
TB: Both
(): Background]
B: Heeey, Hee-eah, Heeey
T: Hey, hey, yeah
B: Ooh, yeah
B: I'm saying sorry in advance
Cause this won't always go to plan
Though we don't mean to take our love for granted
It's in our nature to forget what matters, yeah
The gang sat there in rapture, Kit especially was surprised "Wow, looks like the singing gene must come from Melvin, cos baby sis is really good!"
T: And when the going is getting tough
And we're all about giving up
Things that we never thought we'd say
Gonna say 'em
Things that we never thought we'd play
Gonna play 'em
Shane looked at Carmen and thought to herself "Gosh, this song is so true. I mean, I told Carmen I didn't want her and I pushed her away. Just like how Tina went back to men, that was one thing we never expected from her."
B: It ain't perfect
T: (Perfect)
B: But it's worth it
T: (Worth it)
B: And it's always getting better
T: It's gonna take some
B: (Take some)
T: Time to get it right
T: Cause I'm still learning the art of Love
I'm still trying to not mess up
TB: So whenever I stumble
Let me know, oh-oh-oh
T: You need to spell it out
B: You need to spell it out
T: You need to spell it out
B: You need to spell it out for me
TB: Cause I'm still trying to
Learn the art of Love
The gang really were spellbound, the chemistry between Bette and Tina was sizzling. It was like they were singing to each other only and no one else existed.
B: Heeey, Heeey, Hee-eah
T: Hey, hey, yeah
B: If I forget to get the door
T: (Get the door)
B: Remind you that you're beautiful
I know my detail requires more attention
If I ever hurt you, it's not my intention
Alice smiled, she knew this was in reference to all those times that Tina had complained about Bette not finding her desirable. How could anyone not see that Bette desired, no scratch that, craved Tina all the time?
T: Cause we're gonna make
B: (Gonna make)
T: Our mistakes
B: (Our mistakes)
TB: Find out how much a heart can take
T: But I know that
B: (I know that)
T: You got my back
B: (You got my back)
T: And baby I got yours
Bette was standing in front of Tina, she lifted her hand in a high-5 position.
Tina reciprocated, tightly interlacing her fingers with Bette's.
TB: Cause I'm still learning the art of Love
I'm still trying to not mess up
So whenever I stumble
Let me know, oh-oh-oh
B: You need to spell it out
T: You need to spell it out
B: You need to spell it out
TB: You need to spell it out for me
Cause I'm still trying to
Learn the art of Love
Tina leaned into Bette, resting their foreheads together.
The whole gang was smiling, Tina and Bette were basically singing to each other at this point, completely oblivious to their enraptured audience. You could literally feel the love emanating from those two!
T: Sometimes I'm gonna miss
(I'm still learning how to)
B: I'm learning how to give
(I'm still learning how to)
T: I'm not giving up
(I'm still learning how to)
B: I'm learning how to love
T: Learning how to love
Bette was thinking "Oh Tina, I hope you're really listening to the lyrics. I really am trying to learn how to open up and give more of myself."
Tina caught Bette's eye and immediately, just as before, they spoke volumes to her "Bette, I do know that. I won't give up that easily alright?"
TB: Cause I'm still learning the art of Love
T: (Yeah)
B: (The art of Love)
T: I'm still trying to not mess up
TB: So whenever I stumble
Let me know
T: (Let me know, let me know, let me know)
TB: Oh-oh-oh
TB: You need to spell it out
You need to spell it out
You need to spell it out
You need to spell it out for me
Cause I'm still trying to
Learn the art of Love
B: The art of Love
T: (Still learning)
B: The art of Love
T: (Still learning)
B: The art of Love
T: (Still learning)
B: I'm still trying to learn
The art of Love
Tina and Bette turned to face their awed audience, wrapping an arm around each other's waist, they belted out the last verse.
T: (Still learning)
B: Heeeey
TB: art of Love
T: (Still learning)
I'm still learning
TB: art of Love
T: (Still learning)
B: Heeeey
TB: art of Love
I'm gonna get it wrong sometimes
cause I'm learning
T: (Still learning)
B: Heeeey
TB: art of Love
T: (Still learning)
B: Oooh
TB: art of Love
T: (Still learning)
T: Heeeey
B: Still learning
TB: art of Love
T: The art
The art
TB: The art Of Love
As they finished, they caught their breath, before leaning in to kiss the other.
At this time, the gang finally found their voices, and Alice piped in "Hey! Get a room you two! Now what's the big announcement?"
Bette and Tina broke apart, with silly grins on their faces. Bette looked at Tina, silently asking if her if they were going to do it together.
Tina responded by taking Bette's hand and saying proudly "Guys, we're engaged!"
There was utter silence in the room, and Bette was beginning to wonder whether the gang was supportive of them. She started rambling in a bid to convince them "Guys, we really have changed, we're not going to break this time. I'll never ever do anything to hurt Tina….."
Before Bette could finish, the gang had swooped down on them, enveloping them in huge hugs. There were squeals of joy courtesy of Alice, loads of advice from Kit and just general glee in the air.
Tina then put her hand up "Woah slow down guys, there's something I wanna say. The last time Bette and I were together, we felt pressured not to break up, not to screw up. You all put us on a pedestal and that didn't help. As the song says, it's not perfect and we are still learning the art of love. So, please don't think too highly of us, it doesn't help at all."
Shane spoke up "I was definitely guilty of that, I'm sorry Tina, and you too Bette. I think I speak for all of us when I say we won't put any pressure on you anymore."
Bette thanked Shane and as soon as that moment was over, the party was on once again.
**1 hour later**
"Well that's the last of their drunken asses." Bette said.
Tina concurred "I love them but seriously, good riddance. I've been wanting you to myself all night."
Bette leaned in for a kiss "I love you baby, so much. I can't believe we're going to get married."
Tina cupped Bette's cheeks with her hands "You better believe it babe, it's gonna happen real soon!"
She then moved close to Bette's ear and licked slowly up the outer shell "Now I know we're still learning the art of love, but I think I've perfected the art of making love to one Bette Porter. Shall we test my claim?"
Bette shuddered, feeling desire coursing through her whole body as she murmured "As many times as it takes baby, as many times as it takes."
A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed this one because I certainly did! :)
