Disclaimer. Characters aren't mine, just the story. I hope they apreciate how hard I work for them.

:}

As Jade and Tori drove, several things drifted through the goths mind. First, they'd probably want to get something to eat after the play, but that would be fairly late, This was some kind of early evening meal meant to tide their still growing bodies over until dinner. Jade wanted to focus on that thought, because it was easier then the others that were invading her head.

"Turn left here." Tori instructed her.

When she'd agreed to take Tori out for a private meal, it took away two of the places she liked to go to. In the brief discussion of where to go to eat, Jade realized she didn't know that much about the local restaurants. Normally, she'd either go someplace she knew, like Nozu, or she'd go with someone who knew the place. The only exception had been if she was on a date, where Beck would have researched the place and had a good idea of what his options were. 'Then I'd probably reject the first two choices, just to prove I was in control.' she thought.

"Okay, look for parking on the right here." Tori informed her.

Even as a fighter, Jade didn't go out to eat that much. Not unless Beck was taking her. 'God, I'm such a girl.' She chided herself. 'Or at least I think this is how the girl would act.'

They parked, and Tori looked around, reading the signs. "I think that's it." She said, walking towards a door and small window storefront. "According to Pear Review, this place has incredible Italian food."

"You could have asked Beck, he's a foodie." Jade said, and immediately regretted it.

"Yea, I could have, but where's the adventure in that?" Tori asked. "I mean, you should relax, take some risks..." Tori stopped, both her words and her body. "Look, I'm sorry, I didn't realize..mmufff."

Jade kissed Tori to shut her up before the Latina started babbling, since they had only a limited amount of time to get something to eat and get back.

Once the kiss broke, Jade asked "Isn't Italian a little heavy? I mean, you're going to be moving around a lot for the play, even have a song or two to sing."

"Depends on what we get." Tori replied. "I was thinking of maybe a little pasta, but in moderation. Maybe lasagna? If we do it right, it wont be so bad." Tori said.

"Okay, but I want you in top condition for tonight's performance." Jade warned.

"Oh, I am. I'll be ready, both for the performance, and for the play that cones first." Tori said, smirking at her girlfriend.

It was early, so they got seated immediately. The both decided on a small serving of lasagna, and some salad to keep it healthy. Once they'd given their orders, they got to talking. "Okay, enough about what you're going to do to me after the play." Jade started.

"I'm actually thinking of what you'll be doing to me, but there will be some reciprocity." Tori said.

"Can we talk about anything else?" Jade asked.

"Cat's really a lot deeper than I though she'd be." Tori said. "She has the whole detective thing going on, and she understands sex more then I would have guessed. I mean, whats next?"

"I don't know, whatever grabs her attention." Jade guessed. "I mean, she's choosing to live in a fantasy world, I'm assuming she'd choosing to play at these various rolls, and when she gets board, she'll choose to play at a new one."

'I don't know, the way she's organized Sinjin and Robbie to be first her spy's, then her detectives, it's kinda a lot of work." Tori said.

"Is it?" Jade asked. "Those two were the creepers who were spying on everyone anyways. I mean, Sinjin and Burf do it for Sikowitz whenever he asks, and we both know that Robbie used to hang out outside your home and spy on you. How hard was it for Cat to get them to agree to do it for her? The game probably grew from there. Same as when Cat wanted to be a football player."

"Cat wanted to play football?' Tori asked.

"Tackle. Learned a dozen ways to take someone down, even proved useful when we were dealing with the flower bomber. But one day she found out that people got injured playing the game, and she quit." Jade was smiling as she revealed that piece of Cat's history.

"I don't blame her, some of those guys are huge. I mean, Scotty's huge, and he played football. He even got injured, and who knows how much worse it would have been for Cat." Tori guessed.

"Actually, she didn't want to hurt anyone else." Jade informed her girlfriend. "It was a good thing, cause telling her how hard she'd have to train, or how early she'd have to get up, none of that dissuaded her. And I'm talking about Cat, when this is supposed to be a date."

Tori laughed, her body rocking with her mirthful release. Jade raised an eyebrow, and Tori just laughed harder. If the food hadn't arrived, Jade wasn't sure what she'd have done. "What's so funny, Vega?" She asked as the waited placed their salads in front of them.

'You are." Tori said. "How long has it been since you went on a first date?"

"Well..." Jade let her voice fade, hoping Tori wouldn't push the issue.

"I'll bet it was back when you and Beck started dating, wasn't it?" Tori said.

"We kinda had a few dates." Jade said. "But we decided we were a couple long before we had an actual date. I mean, no chaperones."

"You see, Jade, I've been on a lot of first dates, and we talked about whatever to break the ice. THEN we'd get into the nitty–gritty, the getting to know you chiz. You know, the stuff we've already done." Tori said. "So guess what, we're allowed to talk about how out of character it seems for Cat to be so sexually knowlageable, or how she likes to try new things, cause that you know it is a part of you I didn't know."

"Okay, I kinda understand that, but why the hell were you laughing at me?" Jade asked.

"Cause this is so fun." Tori replied. "For now, were in the stuff I'm comfortable with, the early dating chiz. You have no idea how long I've been hoping for someone who'd last, someone to have three years, or more, with. Now I have you, someone I know is into long term relationships, and I'm far more experienced at the early chiz than you are. You have to admit, it's funny."

"Yea, it kinda is." Jade said, smiling. They sat and ate in silence for a short while.

"Also, it's funny to see you try to be the man in the relationship." Tori suddenly added.

"What do you mean try?" Jade said, feeling chalanged..

"Well, you're used to using crazy to control the dates, so you didn't have to worry about the conversation dying or getting off track." Tori said. "Now, you're worried. It's cute, really."

"A, I'm never cute." Jade said. "And B, once you get into a relationship, you'll discover it's the girls job to keep things moving forward. Guys like to show they care by fixing things, setting up your entertainment center, that kind of chiz. Talking isn't their strong suit."

"But you were with Beck, the perfect guy." Tori said, and Jade thought she saw a bit of jealousy. (Or was it worry.) "He's always there for you, fixing your problems, dealing with the fallout of your last... Yea, he's not the best listener, is he?"

"Guys think everything needs to be fixed. They don't know how to deal with someone who wants to fix it herself." Jade said. "And if I need it fixed, there's always Sinjin."

'You know, it's not nice to use him like that. The boy has feelings." Tori said.

"I know." Jade replied, and Tori was, once again, floored. "If only he wasn't such a creeper, I'd have set him up with someone a while ago, just to keep the rest of us safe." Jade smiled, and then frowned. "No, I wouldn't have. I'd have kept stringing him along cause he's useful to have around. Just like everyone else strings him along."

"You've never strung him along." Tori observed. "He has a crush on you, and you scare the living chiz out of him." Tori looked at the waiter, bringing their main course, but her mind was far away. "Where is this coming from? You've never shown any interest in Sinjin. How can you string a guy along if the most he can expect from you is a swift shot in his manhood?"

"I don't know. Stop." Jade said. "Stop analyzing my confessions of guilt."

"Is that what you're afraid you did to Beck?" Tori asked. "Is this what you're afraid you might do to me?"

"Tori, please, I'd never..." Jade was pleading with her eyes.

"I know that." Tori shot back, a little riled up. "I'm just wazzed that you don't."

"Tori..." Jade said, and Tori could see the fear in her eyes.

"I'm not leaving." Tori said. "In fact, I'm going to love you so hard, you will feel it. I don't care if it takes the rest of the school year, and into college, I'm going to make you feel how much I care." Tori looked deep into Jade's eyes. "This isn't about sex, Jade." She clarified. "I know, you have issues. It's why you're seeing someone, so I'm not getting frustrated that you're reacting like I'm about to..." Tori let her voice drop off.

"Dump me?" Jade asked.

"For a quick kiss on the lips, and my hands staying away from your rack, tell me what I was saying just before that." Tori said, sounding like a game show host.

Jade spent the entire thirty seconds it took Tori to hum out the jeopardy theme to parse what Tori had been talking about. It wasn't easy, she was still working on her fears, and this conversation had gotten too weird. The way Tori was telling her whatever felt like the beginning of an argument, one Jade could not afford at that moment. Beyond Tori being the lead actress in her play, this was the girl she was dating, sister to someone who was becoming one of her closest friends. Jade felt she had to get this one right.

She had to be perfect.

But the pressure was on, and Tori hummed the offensive song. Seconds ticked by, and Jade had to push past the fear, past the voice in her mind, her fathers voice, that told her she was a disappointment, that it just wasn't good enough.

"You were talking about how you weren't..." The words finally worked their way into her brain, and once again, Jade was stunned. "How you aren't going to leave me. How you love me, and want me to feel loved." She said, smiling.

"Sorry, close but not right." Tori said. Then, before Jade could react fully, "I was expanding on that, talking about how frustrating it is for you to be so sure I'm going to leave you that you don't hear the words I'm saying. But, I understand, and won't hold it against you."

"So you still love me?" Jade asked. "Even though I'm not perfect?"

"Whoa." Tori said, her voice full of wonder. "It must have taken a lot of trust for you to ask that question. Jade, no one is perfect. Not you, not me..."

"You're awfully close." Jade cut her off.

"Really? Cause if I was, I'd be able to write like you do, or sing like Cat, or maybe I'd have Trina's confidence." Tori was smiling as she kissed Jade, her hand sliding up the goths shirt and giving Jade's left breast a quick squeeze. "Now help me out, what do you know the boys do that no one does nearly as well?"

"Robbie's a wiz at social media. Pity he thinks it's Rex, or forgets that he can be so funny when he does comedy that's not telling jokes." Jade looked at her girlfriend. "Maybe we should tell him that his future probably won't involve traditional standup."

"Finish your meal." Tori said. "We need to get back so I can show off how wonderful you really are."

:}

Why do I think I owe you something positive about the other guys? Doesn't matter, we've a show to get to, and I'll probably just give the cliffs notes.

So review, cause I'm holding the play hostage (Or not. I'm probably not going to write about the play, just the results).