Title: (Take It) Easy
Fandom: Victorious
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. First time writing for the show, be gentle. Lyrics from 'Take it Easy' by Surfer Blood.
{ Up all night, I shiver with delight
Every time I hear your song.
Dizzy with anticipation,
How's everything coming along? }
//
He's a bit (very much) off.
But he knows that and he's cool with it.
Instead of wasting his time trying to figure out why his brain works the way it does and how to make social situations less awkward-- which isn't possible, not when you have a ventriloquist dummy on your arm, anyway-- and tense, well he gets to use all those minutes, and hours, and days doing whatever he feels like.
Robbie actually feels sorry for all his friends, and all the other people in the world who didn't grow up with nurturing parents like his who when they told him he could be whatever he wanted and to never let the world take his sense of identity away from him, they actually meant it.
And maybe that's why he feels like he does (like or love? He'd like to love her, he thinks) about Cat. Because yeah, she does stress about what people think about her and all that but she's still herself (or what he wants to believe is truly her).
A free spirit.
And he could go on forever about all the stuff he likes about her-- he actually has a list somewhere (split into two categories; physically and mentally. There was a third category, which was comically but it was later torn away for not really making any sense at all) but the big thing that draws him to her day after day is the possibility that out of everyone at school, she might be the one to get him. You know, like actually get him. Get what he's all about, and accept (never judge) him for it.
The notion makes him dizzy with anticipation and excitement every time it flairs up when he sees her, or talks to her at school.
The problem was that, well he was still him. And she was still her.
A girl.
So there was this huge gawky language barrier he'd have to get over to win her.
//
She's sitting on the steps outside of the school with Tori, animatedly telling the brunette girl at story with wild hand gestures and over the top facial expressions. It makes him grin, wide and with everything in him (giving her everything in him would be a running theme) as he slowly made his way over, Rex comfortably on his arm.
"Hi guys!" His outburst comes out before he is ready, and without warning. It effectively interrupts Cat in the middle of whatever she is saying but the redhead doesn't seem to be too off-put by it, she instead turns more towards him and offers him a smile.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Oh uh.." And yeah, so he didn't really think of anything to say besides that opener (which he screwed up) and now his thoughts are getting even more muddled every second he stands there just staring at her pretty face. He spares a glance over to Tori who has this knowing grin on her face that causes him to furrow his brows but he doesn't have a lot of time to think on it because the brunette makes a small, seemingly unnoticeable gesture towards Cat and he instantly remembers that he hasn't answered her yet.
Robbie looks back over to her but when he answers it's on instinct so it comes from Rex's mouth instead of his own. "Nothing much. Me and curly hair here, we figured we would come talk to the two most beautiful girls in school."
He looks to the dummy with mistrust (as if to ask what's your angle?) before using his free hand to make Rex shrug with indifference, causing Tori to stifle a laugh.
Cat just smiles bigger.
"That's sweet of the two of you." She focus' more on him, than Rex when she says it and he's going to read way too much into it and say it means something (hopes it means something).
"Yeah well-"
"Oh Crap!" Cat interrupts, jumping up with wide eyes. "I forgot the sheet music I wanted to use in my locker! Ugh, I'm going to go get it, I'll meet you guys in class."
And then she's walking away and he wants to call out and ask if she wants some company but he doesn't because he just can't get the words out of his mouth and Rex is lazy or doesn't care anymore so now he's standing there watching the redhead beauty move inside the school (without him).
"Smooth."
Robbie turns back around to face Tori who is still grinning and he'd wished she would stop because it's kind of creeping him out now.
"What?"
"How long have you had a crush on Cat?" She asks, crossing her legs.
(Caught!)
"I don- I don't know what you are talking about. I don't have a crush on Cat." He tries to finish with some dignity.
"Yes you do."
He looks down at Rex, annoyed. "Shut up, you don't even know anything about anything!"
"I know about the dream you had last night that involved Cat and you on a ferris wheel an-"
He quickly covers the dummy's mouth with his hand and runs (flees!) from Tori.
{ Dreaming of your love and warming touch, where can I see you again? }
//
When Tori offers him her help the next day, he's torn between continuing to deny his feelings for Cat or just giving in and accepting because she could probably really help him.
Like, she got Jade to like her and to be her girlfriend and Jade pretty much hated Tori since the first second they met and the brunette had managed to win her over somehow (and turn her gay, apparently, which he isn't as turned on as he feels he should be when he thinks of the two girls together but yeah, it's been stated --in his head-- he is off).
In the end, he swallows his insecurity and accepts.
She tells him to meet her at her house after school and he nods, feeling a little better about everything because Tori seems excited and confident about what was to come.
When she opens her door a few hours later, and he sees Jade sitting on the couch with a bored expression shaping her face like stone, he feels less better about everything.
(The girl is frightening)
//
"Just give her a box of cupcakes or something, she'll be all yours then."
He and Tori give Jade the same sort of look-- one that says 'really?' only Tori's is edged more so in endearment than his (his literally has none).
They had since moved from Tori's house to the local burger joint, now sitting in one of the booths towards the back of the place. Him on his side and the two girls on the other. Jade had her arm over Tori's shoulders while the other brunette leaned into her. It'd be cute if he had gotten over the two of them being involved in public displays of affection yet.
"Cat can not be won over with just cupcakes." He states firmly, looking Jade in the eyes for a full three seconds before he wimps out and drops his gaze to his plate.
"He's right, Jade."
"Yeah, okay" Jade starts, rolling her eyes. "but it's a step or whatever. Get your dumb hair cut, maybe come contacts. For sure throw that dummy in the nearest fireplace. Then you get her the cupcakes."
Robbie gasps, quickly looking up. If Rex were here, he'd be outraged (the girls forced him to leave the dummy at the apartment) and would surely have more than a few choice words for Jade.
"You take that back."
"You wish." She laughs, shaking her head and it causes his lips to strain into a thin line. Tori notices, he guesses, because she turns to her girlfriend.
"Jade, you should apologize. You know Rex means a lot to Robbie."
"You kidding me?" Jade asks almost incredulously and when Tori nods with nothing but seriousness, the other girl sighs and pushes out the words in a flat tone. "I'm sorry for suggesting you turn your creepy doll into kindle."
He doesn't believe her but he's not going to push his luck. No one says anything for a minute or two, and he looks out the window to pass the time and pretend the awkwardness isn't wrapping around his skin.
"Hey, Robbie. You play the guitar right? You were playing in your profile video on The Slap."
He turned back to Tori, brows arched in question (he holds back the slight elation that Tori even bothered to check out his profile page in the first place).
"Yeah, why?"
"Because chicks love guys who can serenade them, duh." Jade responds for Tori, looking at him like he's brain dead.
Tori shoots her a look before turning back to Robbie.
"She is right. You could play Cat a song, something that shows her how you feel."
Robbie seems to think hard for a moment.
"Okay, what about Wind Beneath My Wings?"
"No. Oh God, no." Jade looks horrified (it's a good look on her). "No 80's ballads. Ugh, gross."
"What's wrong with that song?"
"Robbie." Tori says gently. "Why don't you let us help you pick out a song, we uh, we know how girls work and all."
And he can't really argue that.
//
{ I wish I could do whatever it takes to get along.
Then we should take it easy, or we will both be sorry. }
They end up picking a song by some obscure indie band or something.
Robbie is pretty sure Bette Midler better understands his feelings.
It's a catchy song though, the one they pick
//
He's so nervous that he hasn't been able to form a coherent sentence all day (which is a stark contrast to the sometimes lengthy rants he can go on). At the moment, he's sitting in the back of the class, sweating through his shirt. Or at least he feels like he is, he can't actually see sweat or anything but it's like a furnace today and he just feels hot all over.
Rex is muttering in his ear to calm down but he's just too distracted to listen to the dummy's words of comfort, as he sits there, his leg tapping on the verge of violent. His eyes can't hold to anything, they instead move from three different points.
His guitar placed by the window, then to Cat, then to Tori.
It's like a never ending cycle that keeps repeating itself and when the bell finally rings and signals the end of class, he doesn't know whether to cry in relief or dread.
He stands up gingerly, looking lost. His eyes finally find Tori who is giving him the thumbs up while Jade pulls her out of the room (with what he would consider alarming) force. The room is almost empty besides Cat and himself and she's about to walk out, and he's about to let her only Rex messes up his cop out.
"Hey, Cat! Robbie's got something to show you."
"Rex!" He's about to shout at the dummy but now Cat is watching him amused and it's just the two of them. "Is uh, right. I wanted to uh, show you something or something."
He slowly moves to the window and sets Rex down (nodding when the dummy tells him not to screw this up) before picking up his guitar. Turning around, he finds Cat sitting in a chair and looking at him with a surprised smile.
"Oh, are you going to play something!"
He nods mutely.
Robbie begins to play the chords-- and it's at this point that he blanks on the lyrics and panic fills up every space of his body. He continues to play. "Um, so, we're friends. And I like you, as a friend but I like you differently too. As uh, something more than a friend." The words he was searching for --the ones that go with the music-- finally come to him and he takes a deep breath to steady himself, trying not to be defeated by how wide her eyes have gotten since he stopped talking.
"You and me, could it be meant to be? Nothing's wrong when I'm with you. The ice in me is melting rapidly, now I'm a believer too." His voice is nothing special but he can carry tune and he finds his own special meaning in the lyrics, for the girl sitting in front of him. He stumbles a bit in the chorus but not enough to give up and when he finally gets to the end, and his voice trails off, and his fingers rest against the strings of his guitar, he looks to the ground.
It's quiet for a long time.
That's probably bad, he thinks.
"Robbie." He doesn't want to look up but then again he does. Conflicted, he goes for the latter and lifts his gaze over to the redhead. He can't read her look, not that he's ever been actually good at identifying what a girl is feeling. "That was really nice."
She finishes softly and for some reason, he knows there is a but coming, and he braces himself for it but you know what? It doesn't come. Instead, she stands up and closes the distance between them.
He's frozen when she gently lifts his hand from the guitar fret board and then pulls the guitar over his head and away from his body. After she carefully placed the instrument on ground at their side, she straightens out and look up at him with a light smile.
"I think I could feel something for you too, more than a friend." She pauses, leaning against his chest, arms wrapping around his waist. "If you keep doing stuff like that."
He knows what is suppose to come next. He's seen enough old romance movies on TCM to know that now he should lift his hands and cradle the soft skin of her cheeks, which he does but his hands are shaking slightly so he's pretty sure he doesn't have a flair of suaveness about him like he's suppose to.
He's okay with that.
Robbie leans down and places a simple, sweet kiss against her lips and it's short (four seconds) but amazing all the same. He pulls away somewhat and matches her grin.
"Well, I do know another song that sums up my feelings for you very neatly, I think."
//
{ Let's take it easy. }
He's emotionally scarred when Cat and him go out on a double date with Tori and Jade two weeks later.
End.