A/N: I do not own Victorious. };
Hope you enjoy!
"Victoria Dawn Vega!" That's a good way to start off the day, Tori thought. She groaned in frustration. In the last three days that she had returned Cat had been determined not to let her sleep. She grabbed the pillow and pressed it over her face, letting out a cry of annoyance before leaving the comfort of her bed and dragging herself to the door.
"Cat, now you're just out to get me!" she growled swinging the door open.
The red head stood with a grin across her features. "I just wanted you to go to lunch with us," she nodded behind her clarifying the 'us'. Brown eyes travelled over to the dark haired girl who stood by the couch with her arms crossed and an amused smirk. Tori had done everything to avoid the girl since their unexpected meeting the morning before.
Jade had spent almost the entire day at the small residence with Cat. Tori tried to get some sleep, but the thought of the pale woman being only a door away kept bantering her mind. She finally gave up the attempt to rest and decided to go off into town to distract herself. The day had almost been successful until she ran into the couple just as she was returning home down in the lobby. The green eyes locked with brown before Tori forcefully broke the gaze to look at the smaller girl who explained that they were on their way to eat. They did invite her, but Tori gently rejected the offer claiming she had a few calls to make.
It hadn't been an entire lie. She had to call home. It had turned into a constant routine after her mother had been diagnosed with her illness. Tori had pressed the subject of going home for the summer, but her parents had been more than insistent on her taking the trip to Bristol. They'd claimed that she more than needed the break. They weren't wrong. Tori had spent every free second she could with her mother after she had been diagnosed three years ago. She was in her junior year in college now. She had talked to her mom for hours about joining a sorority and maybe theater but everything was put on hold. She never complained about. She wouldn't. Tori smiled softly as she remembered how happy her mother sounded the day before. A year had passed since they had announced her free of the disease.
She avoided the topic of her mother like a plague. It was too sensitive and Cat knew it. She never pressed on the matter because she knew the young Vega would talk to her when she was ready.
Pushing aside the memory of her mother the brown eyes returned to the small red head as she spoke. "You've been cooped up in your room all day. Please?" Cat pouted with the best puppy eyes she could manage.
"Aw man not the puppy eyes," Tori sighed rubbing her neck. Cat knew how to play her cards well. She knew Tori couldn't say no when she looked at her that way. She could see the dark haired woman laughing at her behavior. It annoyed Tori that Jade was laughing at her, but she'd be damned first before she ever admitted she actually found the woman's amusement adorable. Tori sighed realizing there was no way she'd be able to get out of the situation. "Give me ten minutes."
...
Tori stared at the menu hard. Cat had dragged her along to the small 80's style diner that was a few blocks from their apartment. She loved the place but it was difficult concentrating on the words typed across the menu when her thoughts continually were distracted by the giggles coming from the two women who sat across from her.
"What are you going to get?" Cat asked pulling the away from the brunette's face.
Tori's appetite wasn't the best that morning. As her brow wrinkled in thought of the last meal she had she looked up to meet the curious brown eyes. She hadn't eaten since the lunch she'd had with the young Valentine. "Just a coffee for now I guess," she gave a small smile.
Cat stared at the brunette unsatisfied with the woman's response. She knew perfectly well when something was bothering the brunette. "Don't you want the pancake stack? You always get it." Cat asked with delicate use of words. She was aware of her routinely calls to her parents every evening. Some days it was twice. Tori usually chatted on about what was going on back at the farm but oddly the night before she had been too quite. Cat missed the chance to ask her about it when the brunette decided to turn in earlier than her usual bedtime. It was eating at the red head to ask but she knew Tori wasn't going to tell her. Not yet.
"No, I'm not that hungry. I had a late snack." Tori said, again offering smile.
Cat nodded at the clearly false statement and turned to the dark haired woman beside her. "Can you order me the club sandwich and an iced tea? I have to call back Carly from work. She called me earlier."
Jade nodded before looking back at the menu.
Tori watched as the smaller woman stood and walked to the restrooms. They gave the young blonde woman their order and sat quietly in the booth as they waited for the red head to return.
"What are you-" before Jade could finish her question Cat returned with a pout. She sat beside her girlfriend and looked at the brunette.
"Cat, is everything okay?" Tori asked in concern at the woman's upset behavior.
"That was my boss. She said I have to go in to work today. Debbie's off at some kind of family business in Rhode Island and I'm the only person who can fill in for her."
Jade wrapped her arms around the red head in comfort. "Hey it's okay. We can have lunch some other time."
"Yeah," Tori quickly agreed. "We can cancel the order don't-"
"No!" Cat cut her off. "I just- I'm sorry. I didn't want you guys to think I was ditching..." Cat trailed off, clearly upset.
Tori furrowed her brows in confusion. "Cat, you have to work. It's okay. We'll just cancel the order and go back to the apartment so that you can get ready for-"
Again Cat cut her off. "You two can stay and eat. Don't mind me." A smile grew across her lips as an idea hit her. "You two can use this opportunity to get to know each other. You're both two important women in my life. Why not take advantage of the moment?"
Tori felt her palms grow warm. Alone with Jade? Last time that happened it had been a close one. "Cat maybe…"
"That's a great idea," Jade smirked. She looked at the red head ignoring Tori's attempted protest and glare. "I heard of Tori from you all summer. Now I can see if all your telltales are really true." She smirked looking over at the brunette.
Cat giggled at the response as Tori struggled to hide the blush creeping up her neck. "Yay! Thanks Jade!" she kissed the woman quickly and hugged the brunette goodbye not allowing her any room to protest before taking off.
Jade had let the waitress know to cancel the sandwich after the red head had gone. Once the meal arrived the two women remained silent. Tori stared at the warm beverage trying to think of what the two could possibly talk about.
"Are you upset with me, Vega?" Jade asked breaking the silence in amusement.
Tori growled looking up. "Quit calling me that." She was partly annoyed with the woman because it was her fault they were still at the diner and partly annoyed at herself for letting the woman get to her for calling her by her last name.
"It's just a term of endearment," Jade grinned pushing aside the empty dish.
"Well I don't want any endearing terms from you." Tori snapped.
"Why are you upset?" Jade asked raising a brow. Clearly she was being amused by the brunette's discomfort.
"Why? Well why not! You only tried to kiss me at the bookstore right?" Tori finally said. She'd been upset with the woman for trying to kiss her the moment she saw her embrace the red head.
Jade knitted her brows together. "Hmm you have a point. Sorry about that."
"Sorry? Sorry? That's all you have to say? Jade, you have a girlfriend!" Tori set her hand on the table, gripping the edge.
"Hey, I didn't see you leaning back!" Jade retorted.
Tori blushed. "That's beside the point!"
"Oh no I think it's exactly the point! I think you like me," she grinned.
Tori grew infuriated. "You are so irritating!"
"I think I'm quite charming, actually." Jade smirked.
Tori tried her best to keep calm. "The only reason I'm even talking to you is because of Cat." She mumbled crossing her arms.
"Is that so? Well than, Vega put some effort into it. You're not being nice at all. If I didn't know better I'd say you were being a bit of an ass."
Tori dropped her arms down to her side. "You kiss your mother with that mouth?" she asked with a raised brow.
Jade grinned. "I kiss Cat with it."
Tori felt her heart drop. Suddenly the room felt small as she remembered that indeed Jade was Cat's girlfriend. She blinked a couple of times before standing. She dropped a bill for her coffee and walked out of the diner.
"Tori, wait!" Jade followed behind. She managed to catch up to the brunette half a block away from the diner. She grabbed the tan girl's wrist and turned her. "Wait!"
"Jade, let go of me!" Tori warned, trying to free herself from the pale woman's hold.
"I'm sorry. That was out of place." she released the woman's wrist and stepped back, giving the woman some space to breathe. "Can we start over?" Jade looked at the brunette with sincere eyes as she waited for her to respond.
Tori studied the women before her carefully. She could see that Jade meant what she had said. She wanted to start fresh. Cat did what her to be friends with Jade, Tori thought. She at least had to try. She hesitantly nodded. "Okay," she managed.
She swallowed any protest that tried to rise from the back of her mind and offered the woman her hand. "I'm Tori. Cat's best friend," she smiled.
...
Tori stared at her cellphone silently. She had been staring at the mobile for almost twenty minutes. She felt numb all over. Cat would be off work and home soon. She couldn't let her find her in such a state. She wiped away the tears mercilessly running down her cheeks and stood from the couch to go to her room.
"Hey Tori," Cat greeted from the entrance door.
Tori had been too wrapped up in her world that the sound of the door opening had gone unheard.
The smaller woman dropped her bag on the counter and quickly made her way to the brunette. "Tori, is everything okay? What happened?" Brown eyes stared at her with deep concern. "Honey, you're shaking." She helped the brunette over back to the couch, the tan skinned woman unresponsive the entire time.
"Tori?" Cat gently took the woman's hand. "Please talk to me." Tori almost looked pale. Cat tried to think of what could have possibly have happened to get her best friend in such a state.
Tori finally turned to look at Cat, her eyes distant as they met the similar brown. "I-It's nothing. Just that time of the month." Tori smiled weakly. "Sorry, Kitty Cat, I didn't mean to startle you. I was watching 'A Walk to Remember'. You know how that movie gets to me," she pulled her hand back to rub her neck and stood. "Um, Jade said she'd stop by tomorrow evening," she said as she walked to her bedroom door avoiding her best friend's eyes the entire time. "And before you ask, yes I'm okay. Promise," Tori managed to pull an almost convincing smile.
Cat sat silent. She gave a small nod and watched her best friend disappear into her room. She glanced over at the television control that rested over the DVD player. Tori never set the control on the player. Cat looked back at the shut door. She could have sworn she heard crying coming from the room as she stood, hesitatingly walking to her own room. Tori would talk to her when she was ready, she told herself.
A/N: Well? How was it?
It was just a filler mostly, but I promise the Jori will soon rise! (;
What's eating at Tori? O.o
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Review please!