Gosh, I'm so sorry! I know I said maybe a chapter ago that's I'd try to have more regular updates and look what happened. For the record I blame school and family that's visiting and also horribly annoying writer's block. I'm not as happy with it as I should be, but I wanted to posted something and I'm not sure how much I could improve it anyway. This story went in a few different directions, but I didn't really want it to go down the big-honest-discussion path because I wasn't sure I could write that convincingly. Hence, this. I do hope you enjoy it! *tries not to make another promise she doesn't know if she can keep*

Also, there's a line in this chapter, near the end (don't go peeking!) that had me in an inner conflict for ages. I don't stand by the message at all, but I just felt that since it was coming from Jade, and this story is kinda of what I imagine Victorious to be if it had a slightly difference target audience (and a lot more Bade lol) so I thought it could fit as a sort of vicious one-liner. I hope no one gets hurt or affected by it. Trigger warning: ED.

Disclaimer: not mine. Le sigh.

Beck had given up trying to figure out what Robbie and Andre were talking about. All he knew was that Andre was sounding more and more frustrated by the second and Rex kept making snide comments. But really, it was too hot for him to even bother paying attention. He kept guzzling his cold water, and eating his lunch hoping for a gust of wind to help cool him down. Why he thought wearing two shirts this morning was a good idea, he really didn't know. And he promised Robbie he'd work on his car again this afternoon. Someone save him.

He was about to take another gulp of water but a hand flew in front of his face and took his water bottle. Before he knew what was happening, Jade was standing in front of him screaming and waving her arms about. Honestly, he wasn't terribly surprised. Jade wasn't good with heat, so the weather so sure to make anything worse. But this time Beck really had no idea what she was angry about.

"What the Hell, Beck? Why don't you just break up with me so you can go do whatever you want and-"

"What?" Beck asked, completely confused. He reached up and placed his hand on Jade's shoulder gently. When she didn't shrug it off, he continued, "Jade, what are you talking about?"

"Don't play innocent," she said, glaring at him before shoving her pearphone in front of his face. "Maybe this will refresh your memory!"

He sighed, and took the phone of her. Squinting a little, because the sun made the screen hard to read, he realized he was looking at Robbie's latest update on the Slap.

Excited to work on my car with Beck this afternoon. Hope those hot girls come and check us out again!

Beck turned around to stare at Robbie, unable to decide whether he wanted to strangle him or stab him right now. "Dude, what is wrong with you?"

"What isn't?" Rex interjected.

"What'd I do?" Robbie asked, looking worried.

Beck shoved Jade's phone in Robbie's face much like she had done to him. Robbie glanced at what was on the screen and gulped before looking up at him, then at Jade very nervously.

"I was joking?" he offered as an explanation, but Jade just glared at him and he quickly turned back to his food, retreating like a scared puppy.

Beck closed his eyes for a second, trying to figure out how to get out of this mess. Yeah, a bunch of girls came and talked to them while he was working on Robbie's car (no matter time he says it, Robbie handing him a wrench does not count as helping!). But honestly, the only time he enjoyed their presence was when they sprayed Robbie with water (something he was definitely considering doing again). Otherwise, they just kinda distracted him – and not in the good way.

What Jade never seemed to understand was that when girls flirted with him – and yes, he did realize they were flirting- he really didn't care. She should know that he actually wasn't that good at flirting (he put his foot in his mouth way too many times when they first started dating)– it just so happened that his chill attitude made it seem like he was being friendly to everyone.

"I was just working on Robbie's car – nothing happened. They came to watch, there was nothing I could do."

"Well, did you ask them to leave?" Jade asked. Her tone implied she thought he was an idiot for ignoring the most obvious answer.

"We were in the school parking lot, I couldn't just tell them to go away."

"I would have."

"Jade..." he started, but was struck with an idea, "Let's get out of here."

"What?" She asked, looking at him like he was insane.

"Come on!" he said, flashing her a grin before taking her hand. Pulling her gently, he led her out of the school grounds.

"But we've got class -"

"We'll be back." He said quickly and continued walking.

15 minutes later, they were sitting in a park down the road from their school, sipping on iced coffee Beck had bought them on the way. Jade hadn't said anything in a surprisingly long time, but he could tell by the way she was biting her straw that she was still angry. The sun was still hot, and they were nowhere near the shade, but they'd have to go back to school in 10 minutes anyway so they didn't bother moving.

"You know, it never would've happened if you'd come and kept me company while I was fixing the car," he said, nudging her with his shoulder and smirking at her.

She turned to him, "You want me to die of boredom, so you can start dating someone else? Thanks," she deadpanned, trying to keep a straight face. He just continued smirking at her, until she cracked a small smile and then turned away from him, annoyed that he was able to break her.

"Can I ask you a question, but you have to promise not to get upset?" he asked, tentatively.

Jade shrugged non-committally, but her silence led him to believe, or at least to hope, that it wouldn't go over too badly.

"Why are you so upset that those girls were, uh, there?" He asked, stumbling across his words a little. He didn't want to bring up the flirting again.

Jade looked at him as though it were the most obvious answer in the world. "People think you're too good for me," she said. Her voice was low, as though she was bringing up a painful memory or something.

Beck shuffled closer to her, resting his hand on her leg, "People are wrong."

"I know," she said immediately, almost like a reflex, then bit her lip. She looked as though she was about to say something else, so he stayed quiet and waited.

After a while she still hadn't said anything so he decided to speak up. "Babe, why are you always so worried? I don't want anyone else. Besides, I'm pretty sure you'd get sick of me way before I could ever get sick of you." He smiled at her, but she turned to him with frown.

"So you're saying you will-"

He sighed as soon as he heard her accusatory tone, and lifted a finger to her lips. "Jade," he said simply, trying to convey everything else with his eyes. Her own gaze gradually softened as she looked at him, anger dissipating into annoyance into acceptance.

"Say it," she whispered, leaning her whole body a little closer to his. They'd spent the whole conversation barely touching and it's funny, the little pang of emptiness he gets when he hasn't felt her in a while. Even if it's barely been any time at all.

He gazes over her face, her eye-lined eyes and light soft skin. Her cheeks were rosy from the sun and she was squinting because she didn't have her sunglasses. At the right angle, her piercings shot a glare of light to his face. He knows her faces, he knows what he'll get when she's happy, or sad or angry and so he knows when to give in, and when to nudge her a little further. It's been three years and he still can't get enough of one particular expression, that flicker of annoyance that would burst into anger for anyone else, but for him it simmers and ends in a sort of half smile. Just for him.

"You say it first," he replies, challenging her.

"What?"

"You heard me, I want to hear it first," he grinned at her, predicting the annoyed sigh that was about to pass from her lips any second now.

There it was. She looked at him, unimpressed by his childish grin. "Fine. I love you."

He pressed a quick kiss to her lips, "Love you too, babe."

She offered him a smile, but he quickly pulled her closer to him along the grass and pressed his lips against hers once again. She repositioned herself, and lifted a leg across his thigh so she could sit directly in front of him. They shared a groan at the realisation they would soon have to cut this short in order to go back to class. When they finally pulled apart, their faces barely an inch apart, Beck smirked at her.

"So you gonna come check up on me this afternoon?" he asked.

"As if!" She scoffed.

"Well then you can't get mad if some random girl thinks I'm hot when I'm sweaty," he shrugged.

"Beck! Seriously?" Jade yelled, glaring at him. She shrugged her shoulders away pointedly. "Don't be disgusting."

"Kidding," he chuckled, letting a hand rest on her knee. "If you come, I'll let you set a hose on Robbie?" He offered and watched she turned her head up in fake indifference, before biting her lip and looking at him.

"High pressure?" She asked.

He chuckled again, nodding. Pushing himself up from the ground he offered her a hand. She brushed grass of her jeans. Beck reached around and patted her butt playfully, pretending to brush more grass off.

"Watch it," Jade muttered. She smiled anyway, reaching for his hand and taking it as they made their way back to school.

"Robbie, pass me the big wrench?" Beck asked, holding out his hand as he kept his focus on the engine (well, half of one) in front of him. He felt some metal in his hand and looked up.

"Robbie, I said big," he said waving the tiny two inch piece of metal in front of him.

"Sorry, it looked kinda big to me..." Robbie mumbled.

"Don't worry Robbie, I'm sure you tell yourself that all the time," Jade deadpanned, suddenly standing behind Beck and sipping on a soda.

Beck couldn't help but laugh, as Robbie frowned, muttering something under his breath. They both ignored him as Jade offered Beck a sip of soda, which he gladly took. She wordlessly chucked her bag into the car and sat herself on the edge of the backseat backrest. She gave a limp Rex a little kick as she did so.

Beck grinned at her before reaching to pick up the actual big wrench and turning back to Robbie. "This is big, okay?" Robbie nodded wordlessly and pretending to focus on the rest of the tools.

"Well, this is boring," Jade announced less than a minute later, as she typed something on her pearphone.

Beck just raised an eyebrow at her, amused by her impatience. He was glad she was here though.

"Hey Beck!" a voice spoke up behind him. Beck glanced at Jade who looked like she was about to burst with anger, and knew immediately who was standing behind him. Cheerleaders.

"What are you up to?" the other girl asked.

"He's curing cancer, what does it look like he's doing?" Jade said, her voice dripping with sarcasm and bitterness. He wanted to tell her to calm down, but honestly, he kind of wanted to see how things would unfold.

The cheerleaders' mouths fell open, as they struggled to find a comeback. Jade sighed, swallowing the rest of her soda and crushing the can between her hands.

"You can go now. Don't you have an eating disorder to get back to or something?" She asked, almost innocently if it weren't for her words. Beck sighed; perhaps it had gone a bit too far. But by the time he turned around again the cheerleaders had gone. He turned back to Jade, raising an eyebrow and shaking his head. She simply shrugged, the traces of a smug smile on her lips as if to say "you invited me."

He was going to say something, really, he was, but... If he was completely honest, he'd been thinking the same thing. As he stared at her, she stared back; her smile turning from smug to something between pride and contentment. He smiled back, feeling the same.