A/N I know this took forever. Please don't eat me.

Jae's POV

It had been over an hour since Tori had arrived at Jade's house, but to Jade it felt like only five minutes. Her time with Tori always passed quickly. Tori had taken to the large room instantly, and had taken her time to look around at everything, even finding that lump in the jar the doctor had given her when Rex got mangled in the turblow jet. Now they sat quietly, cuddled together watching a film on Jades bed, and she couldn't have felt happier. The sun was starting to set outside, and there was still no sign of her mother showing up. But she knew she was pushing it. Her mum would be back soon enough and if her and especially Tori didn't clear out before hand, there was going to be trouble. The credits of the film had been rolling for over a minute, but Tori sat watching intently, mentally noting everyone of interest. When she decided she was done, she turned to Jade.

"Hey."

"Coffee?"

Tori smiled. "Sounds good. Where from?"

Jade rolled sideways and stood from her bed, holding her hand out to Tori. The brunette took it, and Jade helped her jump down to stand with her.

"There's a little coffee place that never seems to close down the road a bit, they do the most amazing coffee ever."

Tori smiled. "Well it must be good getting this sort of praise from Jade West."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Yeah, they're struggling for a tag phrase for their advertising, can they use that?"

Tori jabbed the goth in the ribs. "If everyone knew who you were, it'd be a great slogan!"

They slowly made their way to the stairs out of the attic room. Jade kinda wished she could just pick Tori up and carry her back to her bed. She had liked the closeness.

"Jade?"

Jade snapped out of her reverie, and found she was stood staring at the front door.

"Hu- What?"

Now it was Tori's turn to roll her eyes. "Come on, you're meant to be leading the way to great coffee, don't go flakey on me now."

Jade smiled. "Yes ma'am." She twisted the key, and all the little straps and keyring that hung off it jangled and they tumbled over each other. The door unlocked with a faint clunk, and Jade shoved it open.

"After you."

Tori stepped out into the warm glow of the low sun, her hair immediately becoming strands of liquid bronze in the tinted light. Jade followed her out, locking the door again behind her.

"So, do you think Cat really does know? Or do you think it's an uncanny guess?"

Jade smirked. "Oh she knows. I think she's known for ages."

Tori considered this. "So she's not an air head?"

Jade laughed. "No."

The two began to walk down the drive way towards Jades fabled coffee shop. Unlike their previous walks that day, the suns heat had with the coming of the evening been curbed, making this one a lot more pleasant.

"How far away is it?" Tori asked casually.

Jade shrugged. "About five minutes."

Tori smiled and held her hand out. Jade looked at it with a smile of her own and took it, rubbing her thumb softly over Tori's.

"Jade... What are we?"

Jade raised an eye brow. "Well I'm a human, can't speak for you."

Tori scowled playfully. "Come on, you know what I mean. I know we agreed to give it a go but.. we never really said the words, or made the commitment."

Jade was quiet for few minutes. "Can I get back to you on this? After coffee? I usually made big decisions over coffee."

Tori chuckled "I always did wonder why you drank so much."

"How many big decisions do you think I make?"

"Well we're all different."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Apparently so."

Tori gaped and laughed at the same time. "Are you calling me 'different'?"

Jade laughed as well. "Not at all."

A minute later, the coffee shop came into view. Even from a distance, it was obviously packed and the two girls decided even before they got in the door that they'd take the drinks away. Jade pointed out a sign that was lit up next to the door which advertised their speciality.

"They do a blend of coffee and chocolate. I know they're not the first to do it, but it's the best I've ever had. They let you pick what percentage of cocoa you want, so it's not too sweet or too bitter."

Tori's eyes scanned over the sign as she listened. "What percentage do you have?"

Jade grinned. "Eighty five."

"Eighty five?! That must be worse than drinking... I genuinely can't think of anything more bitter."

"It's not that bad. The coffee's relatively sweet, so it balances it out a little."

Tori squeezed the goth's hand. "I believe you."

They stepped into the crowded building, and placed their order when they reached the front of the queue. True to her word, Jade ordered an 85% cocoa blend. Tori stuck to 65%, explaining to Jade's mocking smile that she didn't want to shrivel away from drinking anything any higher. The best Jade could do was sweetly ask 'why not?'

The evening air embraced the couple as they stepped out of the amicable light of the shop and out onto the sun baked pavement, which was still radiating warmth from the previous hours of the day. The sky had turned teal, and the first few stars had appeared. Jade handed Tori her coffee, careful to check the label and give her the right one. The two walked in quiet for a moment, both sipping gingerly at the hot liquid. Jade wondered to herself what Tori was thinking.

Probably waiting for an answer.. She thought. Of course, Jade already knew what she wanted to say. She wanted to say that she was hers if Tori wanted her, and that that was all she'd ever wanted from the day they'd met. And it was. But Jade didn't know if she could. Not because she didn't want to, but because she didn't want Tori to get hurt. Jade knew full well she wasn't an easy person to date, and the last thing she wanted to do was to put Tori through what she'd put Beck through knowing that thins time she'd actually care. She looked over at Tori, who seemed to be lost in thoughts of her own.

"Tori... You know... I'm not the easiest person in the world to be with. I don't want to get you hurt."

Tori pulled out of her thoughts, and looked at Jade with something akin to sympathy. "Well, you know me. I never sign up to anything without reading the small print and trust me, I've been reading your small print for years. I'm not as desperately fragile as you think."

Jade thought on this with another sip of coffee. "So you're really serious?"

Tori nodded. "I wouldn't mess you around over something like this."

Jade stopped in front of a bench, and sat down, clasping her coffee cup in both hands. Tori sat down next to her, in much the same fashion.

Jade took a deep breath. "Well then... I guess I have no reason not to just properly ask you out."

Tori's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Jade laughed. "I wouldn't mess you around over something like this!" She exclaimed in a deep southern accent.

Tori smacked at her arm, but grinned. "I really don't talk like that. Bt if you're really asking, then yes, I would love to date you."

Jade smiled. "Yeah. I know. Winds you up though." She turned to look at Tori and put her free arm around her shoulders. "I'm gonna tell you now, this roller coaster has no seat belts."

Tori chuckled. "I guess some things never change."

Jade took a longer drink of her coffee, which had finally cooled to a more reasonable temperature. "Nope, I'm still Jade West in here."

Tori rested her head against Jades shoulder. "Wouldn't have it any other way."