Been going through a rough time right now and haven't really felt happy, but this came to me out of nowhere and working on it helped. Hope you enjoy it too.
Tori ran around trying to gather the last of the things she needed before Andre showed up. He wasn't known for arriving on time, but he wasn't really late either. She liked to be prepared so she wouldn't forget anything on her way out the door like she tended to do. She set her keys and purse on the side table by the door and checked to make sure her phone was present. She went over everything again in her head but was interrupted by Jade calling for her. She wondered what she needed. Today they both had time off. Andre had invited and some friends to go out, but Jade opted to stay home with the girls while Tori agreed to go. Tori held off on getting some shoes on and instead made her way into the living room to see what her wife was up to.
"Tor, come be another one of my minions," Jade requested, enthusiastic as ever when it came to make believe with their kids. Tori loved how involved she was with them. Elise was eight and starting to slowly move out of the pretending phase, but she still got caught up in it if her sister was involved. Jade often encouraged her. Imagination was important to creativity. Annabelle was five and loved to play pretend with her sister and mothers.
"Andre could be here any minute," Tori protested, gesturing to the front door. Jade rolled her eyes and shot her a look that clearly said she was being a killjoy. A glance at the girls showed their excited faces fall into one full of puppy dog pouts that were strikingly similar to her own. Usually they would use it on Jade, but right now they were turned full force on her. It was just as effective. She frowned.
"I guess he can wait," she decided, moving toward them. The girls cheered and only calmed down enough to hear what Jade asked them.
"What evil plan should we come up with next?" she asked them, a smirk reminiscent of their teenage years pulling at her lips.
"Let's kidnap mommy!" Elise announced.
"What?" Tori muttered, wondering how things were already not in her favor.
"Yay!" Annabelle agreed. The kids quickly tackled her and then started pulling on her arms in an attempt to capture her.
"We got you!" Elise stated. They each had a smirk to match their moms' but it quickly dissolved into confusion.
"Now what?" Elise questioned, looking to Jade. Tori could only imagine what Jade had in store for her.
"Hmm, how about we hold her hostage?" she suggested.
"We can tie her to a chair!" Elise supplied, running away to no doubt find something to tie her up with.
"Why can't you play nice things with them?" Tori asked her wife, not even flinching when their youngest hopped around while still clinging to her arm.
"But then it wouldn't be as fun. Now sit down so we can tie you up," Jade answered, spotting their eldest running back into the room with a jump rope. Tori sighed but complied, getting up to sit on the chair Jade brought over. The girls got to work while Jade hung back and watched, only stepping in when they needed some direction. Once Tori was secure, they stepped back.
"What should we do with our hostage?" Jade asked them next.
"Make her eat gross stuff!" Anabelle squeaked. Tori's eyes widened in alarm.
"Make her listen to terrible music!" Elise crowed. Tori thought that was a Jade thing to say. She could see how proud Jade was of them. A smile formed on her face in response to Jade's own. But then Jade's smile became mischievous and she started to get nervous. Tori would like to say that her own daughters would take pity on her, but they were also Jade's daughters.
"Hmm, too easy. Maybe if we torture her, she'll tell us where she hid the cookies," Jade remarked, playfully tapping at her chin in thought before shooting Tori a sly smirk.
"Yeah!" both girls shouted.
"Jade! If you're going to play make believe, can you at least keep it PG for their sake? Can you imagine if they pulled this kind of thing on that poor little guy next door?" Tori admonished sternly. Jade laughed.
"That kid is scared of everything. He would probably wet his pants if they kidnapped him and tied him up. Even if it was pretend," she pointed out. Tori continued to give her a scolding raise of her eyebrows.
"Fine," Jade acquiesced with a loud and exaggerated sigh.
"Good. I don't want my kids ending up arrested at such a young age. Or turning out like, well, you," Tori jabbed, smiling when Jade mock gasped in offense.
"Low blow," she said with a hand over her heart feigning hurt, yet she was smiling in amusement. Tori just smirked.
"Besides, at their age, they would probably just go to juvie. Maybe even something less than that, depending on what they're in trouble for," Jade said with an easy shrug, slightly thoughtful. It was Tori's turn to roll her eyes. The kids were busy running around cheering during the conversation. Jade stopped them.
"Okay, minions. Settle down. You have to help me get her to talk," Jade told them. They stopped on a dime and were listening to her with rapt attention.
"Jade…" Tori warned.
"Relax, we aren't going to do you in gangster style or anything," Jade joked. Tori let out a relieved sigh.
"You're just going to be tickled," Jade stated decisively.
"What?" she squeaked worriedly.
"Tickle torture!" Elise shouted with a fist pump.
"Yeah! Tickle bunny twins!" Annabelle added. They didn't waste time going for her most ticklish spots until she couldn't take it anymore. Jade's entertained laugh joined Tori's forced one. The girls giggled. When Tori begged for mercy, Jade call them off.
"Where are the cookies?" she interrogated.
"Yeah, where are the cookies mommy?" Annabelle jumped in. Not wanting to be tickled anymore, Tori caved quickly.
"I hid them in that cereal your mom hates," she confessed.
"Why there?" Jade questioned.
"Because you'd never look for them there," Tori responded.
"But why are you hiding them from me?" Jade asked next, truly confused.
"So that you don't give them one every time they beg or pout," Tori answered, as if it was obvious.
"I don't-" Jade began, but Tori's arched brow interrupted her dispute. Jade grumbled but didn't say anything more against it.
"I guess that explains why you keep buying that cereal when it isn't something you really like either," Jade commented. Tori nodded, confirming Jade's suspicion.
"Hey, what time is it?" she wondered, looking around for a source of time. The girls looked to Jade who got up to check.
"Almost five," she informed.
"Oh chiz, he'll be here any minute," Tori said, struggling to get free. Jade reluctantly untied her and she took off to finish getting ready. Just then, the front door opened and Andre stepped in.
"Go on, you two. We can play later," Jade said, shooing the girls. They ran off, shouting about playing pirates. Andre watched them go with a smile, taking a seat in the chair Tori recently vacated. Jade turned to him.
"That's the torture chair," she mentioned casually.
"The what now?" Andre replied, frowning in concern and glancing down at the chair he was sitting in. He jumped off it a moment later. Jade laughed at him.
"It's nothing. Just some imagination at work. We were playing with the girls," Jade assured him.
"What are you teaching them?" Andre inquired, suspicious.
"Nothing they shouldn't know," she replied nonchalantly.
"So, a torture chair has to do with that how?" he wondered.
"Tickle torture," Jade corrected him. Andre shook his head at her. Tori came out just then, Annabelle and Elise following behind her. She kissed her favorite girls, lingering on Jade who smiled lovingly.
"Don't stay up," Tori said.
"You don't have to tell them twice. They're good about going to sleep on time," Jade replied.
"I was talking to you," Tori amended, hands on her hips. Jade scowled at her. Andre laughed behind his hand until Jade silenced him with her trademark glare and he flinched. Jade smiled, satisfied.
"Be nice," Tori lightly scolded, pressing another kiss to her cheek before following their best friend out the door.
"It was cool seeing you guys. I'll come by sometime to hang," he promised. Jade nodded and raised a hand in farewell. The girls yelled their good-byes and then they were alone. Five seconds later Jade was giving them cookies before dinner. They played pirates for a little while longer then the girls huddled under Jade's arms to watch a horror movie marathon. They fell asleep piled on the couch, the girls still dressed as pirates.
Tori came home to the shrieks of terror coming from the movie. She was ready to tell Jade off, but as soon as she rounded the couch and saw them all asleep together, she changed her mind. She wanted to be mad at Jade for busting out the cookies, purposely leaving out the evidence, and letting them watch movies late at night, but they looked so cute and innocent. Tori woke Jade up and together they took the kids to bed. With them dressed for bed and sleeping in their room Jade and Tori went to their own room to get dressed. Jade let out a long yawn as soon as she was laying down with Tori wrapped in her arms.
"Good day?" she asked.
"Yeah. It was nice to see Andre and talk music again. And you?" Tori replied, a pointed tone to her voice. Jade only smiled.
"It was great," she answered evenly enough, yet the sly smile on her lips gave her away. She knew very well what Tori was trying to hint at.
"Well, I'm glad you had such a fantastic day breaking rules and forming bad habits," Tori told her, playing at disapproval but unable to keep the teasing tone out of her voice. Jade chuckled sleepily and nuzzled close.
"I did," she confirmed, the words drifting over Tori's neck where she dropped a kiss. She smiled and closed her eyes.
"Love you, Jade. Have a good sleep," she whispered, knowing that Jade was already falling asleep.
"Love…you. Night," Jade mumbled, a light snore accompanying the words seconds later. As she fell asleep, Tori couldn't stop thinking that she was the happiest person in the world.