My thoughts are a mess as I hover above Robbie. I think he set off something like an atom bomb in my head when he dipped below my waist. My fingers linger on Robbie's chest and I can't believe what we're stumbling towards. He's peering up at me, the slightest suggestion of a smile perched on his lips. Wisps of my hair dangle before my eyes, and this moment is just the right shade of perfect until my mind re-engages. A thought flitters to the front of my mind and I realize that a piece of the puzzle is missing.
"Do you, uh…have protection?" The words sail out of my lips and land on Robbie like they're lead. His eyes blow wide open and his lips shudder, thousands of words coming to life and dying on his lips before he says anything.
"I…crap, crap, crap!" Lamentations spring from Robbie's lips his eyes scatter towards the heavens. As he curses fate itself, I bite down on my bottom lip to keep laughter from spilling forth. He's on the verge of tumbling into some kind of frenzy. It's almost a relief that he'd been so underprepared, that he hadn't expected things to move so quickly between us. Truthfully I hadn't either. We're blowing past so many major moments in our relationship, but it still doesn't seem like we're rushing.
"Robbie, deep breaths." I push the words out slowly, letting them each sink in and hoping they register within Robbie's mind. His eyes fall on me again and his eyebrows rush towards one another. His lips draw themselves into a thin, disappointed line.
Gently patting him on the chest, I drag my leg over his body and pull myself upright. As I whirl around, I notice that Robbie's eyes are torn between watching me leave and preserving the tattered remains of my modesty. A slight tingly passes up my spine as I feel his eyes upon me as I cross the room. Reaching my luggage, I did down and drag forth a small cardboard box. Spinning around, I notice Robbie's eyes widen once more. Even wider this time if that's possible.
"Have you been planning this the whole time, Miss Vega?" Robbie asks, his lips curling into an incredulous grin. Swaggering towards him, I swing my hips ever so slightly. I push one foot before the other and try to look as tempting as possible. It's wholly unfamiliar, but from Robbie's reactions so far, I think I've been at least somewhat successful.
"Maybe." I reply, an impish smile flittering across my lips. In spite of the confidence that's evading me, I can't help but feel at ease when I see Robbie waiting across the room. The distance between us evaporates and before another moment can pass, I'm draping a leg over Robbie's waist. Feeling something hard beneath my core, a devilish smile crosses my lips without an invitation. Warmth builds within me as I roll my hips above Robbie's, prying a moan from his lips.
My fingers flutter over the jagged edges of Robbie's hipbone before my fingers dip under the material of his boxers. I feel his breath catch in his lungs as I begin to peel the material away. With each inch of skin that becomes exposed, I feel my heartbeat quicken. I'm just inches away from pulling Robbie's underwear completely off when the door creaks open.
My eyes shoot wide open and I leap off Robbie. Not another moment passes before I'm sprinting toward the door and attempting to cut off the invasion of our privacy. I'm only just in time, slamming my shoulder against the door and forcing it shut before the thoughtless person on the other side can enter the room. I'm leaning against the door, my heart quaking in my chest nervously. If it's Cat again, I'm going to tie that girl to her bed. The sound of the door being pummeled behind me brings about the realization that it's probably not Cat on the other side.
Heaving a sigh, I try to wrench the frustration from my face before opening the door a crack. Hopefully I can just peek around the edge, answer whatever question they have and return to the boy waiting for me on the other side of the room. Dragging the door just an inch, I find myself hurtling backwards as it flies open completely. Grimacing from where I lay in a heap of limbs on the ground, I'm greeted by the girl that conjured a black mark on an otherwise magical night. To my complete and utter embarrassment, Beck is hovering to her left, eyes screwed shut as he quickly peels off his jacket and hurls it in my direction.
"Vega. Vega's boobs." Jade greets me, peering down at my chest lecherously. My cheeks ignite as her eyebrows shimmy up and down suggestively and I wrap Beck's jacket tightly around myself. Amid a cloud of flailing limbs, I sprint back to the bed Robbie has just stepped out of. I'm cowering beneath the covers when a gentle prodding drags me out of my sanctuary. Lifting the covers just enough to see the source, I'm greeted my Robbie's warm eyes. He's clutching some of his baggier shirts and hanging an arm out in my direction. He looks slightly at a loss until I gratefully take it from his hand. Pulling the material over my body in a flash, I turn my attention to our less than welcome guests.
"Told you this was a bad idea…" The sound of Beck's voice rumbling through the air sends me diving beneath the covers like a coward. Pursing my lips, I realize that he's totally unaffected by the chaos swirling around the room. Feeling the fortress of sheets shift around me, my heart leaps into my mouth. Relief washes over me when I'm greeted by Robbie's concerned orbs and not the malicious emerald orbs I had been expecting.
"Told you this was a bad idea, eh." Jade's mocking voice sails through the air, only it's not the tone I'm used to. Instead of sounding like an actress caught in a time warp from the 1940's, Jade sounds as though she's just stumbled out of the Canadian wilderness. I share a quick glance with Robbie, scarcely able to reconcile the image before us with reality. I really can't believe that this is happening. Why won't they just turn around and leave? Why do their shadows still darken our doorway?
"Why are you in here?" I yelp, unable to hide the unbridled panic that's coursing through my veins in this moment. My heart spasms within my chest and I feel as though something within me is going to burst if I don't get some answers soon. I'm rapidly trying to suck oxygen into my lungs, and I'm halfway to realizing it's a futile attempt to calm myself down. It's not until I feel Robbie's fingers lace through my own that the blood in my veins settles to a simmer. Peering over to Robbie, his lips quirk upwards slightly, and the concern within me ebbs away.
"We need your help with…" It's as though the words are razorblades within Jade's mouth, slicing her lips as they pass into the air. She grits her teeth and punctuates each word with a wince before cutting herself off with a growl. Watching as she pirouettes on the spot, I recognize this haphazard behavior as Jade attempting to ask for a favor.
"We need…ugh I can't even say it." In spite of the unease bubbling beneath my skin, a smirk hitches itself to my lips. Jade whips her gaze back to Beck, the abrasive look on her face flittering away as a silent conversation bounces between them. I guess when you've been together as long as those two, words kind of lose their meaning after a while.
"Jade and I would like to know if you could help us with our relationship?" After a few moments, Beck's calming voice meanders through the chaos in the air and announces their intentions. My eyes widen and my tongue lays paralyzed in the bottom of my mouth. Peering through shards of my shattered psyche, I'm only dimly aware of Beck's hands twisting Jade so that she's facing Robbie and I.
"You gotta be kidding me…" Robbie mumbles, echoing my thoughts. Robbie and I have been together for what feels like a fleeting moment in time. Beck and Jade have been attached at the hip for as long as I can remember. As fractured as their relationship is right now, it still feels as though we've wandered past some bizarre stitch in reality.
"Seriously?" Disbelief soaks my words and I'm still failing spectacularly to grasp why they're coming to us for advice. My mind flails pathetically, trying to reconcile this bizarre situation with the scattered scraps of information that have been tossed into the air.
"Yes." Jade snaps, the blunt tone that I'm so familiar with returning to her voice. It's almost a relief when the frozen wind of Jade's words blows across my face. It tethers me to reality and stops me from floating further into the bizarre abyss. I shift my gaze to Robbie and attempt to gauge his reaction. He rolls his shoulders casually, implying that whatever I say will be fine with him.
"Ok…uh, meet us downstairs in 10 minutes?" I state in a reply that's bereft of certainty. Jade's eyes linger on me, and the uncomfortable feeling that she's about to tear my throat out wells up within me. Instead of the bloodbath I had expected, Jade simply offers a curt nod and turn on her heel. As Jade exits amid wisps of midnight smoke and the clatter of stomping boots, Beck offers a grateful smile before trailing after her.
"This will not end well…" Robbie's voice just barely drifts through the air as his eyes linger on the doorway Beck and Jade had previously occupied. Shifting my gaze to him, I'm inclined to agree. I really wish this were my room, inside of my parent's home. At least then, I could raid the neighbors house for their son's football padding. The prospect of holding this conversation behind a thick plane of glass flitters through my mind. It really does seem like the best way to avoid any Jade related injuries.
"Hey it could maybe work…" Optimistic words weave through my reservations and find their way past my lips. Robbie's eyes finally drift back towards me, the doubt written in his features lessening just a little. With a slight sigh, I allow my head to drift onto Robbie's shoulder. As the echoes of Beck and Jade's arguments from earlier bounce around my head, I realize that this peace is fleeting. We'd had best enjoy it while it lasts. Beck and Jade's issues are a mountain fraught with false landings and perilous slopes. Who knows how long it'll take to resolve all of their problems.
"Lets just consider it a moral victory if Jade doesn't destroy something with her scissors…" Robbie states, before leaning down and planting a kiss on my forehead. Breathing a sigh of contentment, I pull him even closer and wish that this moment could last forever. I know it can't though. In a few moments, we're going to traipse down the stairs and try to steer the titanic away from an iceberg. I can think of a million things that I'd rather do than play relationship councilor. Most of which don't even involve leaving the sanctuary of this bed.
It's only a few moments later, but I feel like I'm a world away from where I was upstairs. Robbie and I are seated on one side of the dining table with Beck and Jade peering back at us. The tension in the air seems to strangle any words that form in my throat. I wrench my gaze from the two figures set in stone before us, and toss a pleading gaze in Robbie's direction. He swallows thickly before his lips part and he looks to exorcise the unease between us all.
"So, why us?" He asks, before his hand flitters towards mine and I feel his fingers brush lightly over my skin. Without a second though, I take hold of his fingers and lace mine through them. A light giggle tickles my lips as Robbie playfully tugs his hand away from mine, before feigning indignation and giving in. Warmth wells up within my chest as I lose myself in his eyes. For a second, my mind is able to drift away from the eyes studying our every movement.
"That!" Jade's piercing screech tears through our oasis of peace and pulls us back into the swirling chaos that has made up most of tonight's events. My eyes follow Jade as she leaps out her seat and throws an accusatory finger in the direction of our linked fingers. Confusion filters through my mind and clouds my thoughts. I'm not entirely sure how a simple caress could draw such an explosion from Jade.
"What Jade means is, you guys are like the perfect couple…" Beck intones, coloring Jade's seemingly irrational actions with a calm sense of reason. I push my lips forward and incline my chin slightly. The fog filtering through my mind begins to clear, and a vague sense of understanding pushes it's way to the front of my mind.
"I can't believe you said something involving Shapiro is perfect!" Jade leans back into her seat, eyes twinkling with just the barest hint of malice. As her lips curl upwards, a scowl crosses my features. I can deal with her sharpened words, but when she starts hurling those words in Robbie's direction, my blood starts to simmer.
"Shut up, Jade!" The words hurtle out of my lips, as a thin line carves its way between my eyebrows. Jade rattles nervously, and with a slight of her head, she sinks back into her seat. Crossing my arms, I regard the unfamiliar site of Jade wilting under my gaze. It's an unfamiliar site, and it's not entirely unwelcome.
"Way to blow a gasket..." Jade's voice stumbles uncertainly through the silence. The rebellion that usually soaks her words is merely a trickle, but even still my teeth are clenched and I can feel hostile words burning my throat once again. It's not until I feel Robbie's arm slip over my shoulder that the rage simmering below the surface begins to subside.
"That's one! Two more and you're out." I state calmly, raising my hand and extending an index finger to illustrate my point. As Jade scowls and her arms fall over her chest heavily, Robbie's laughter spirals around us and caresses my ears. His fingertips linger on my shoulder and something warm wells up within my chest. Flicking my gaze to Robbie, I feel my lips curve into a smile as I lose myself in the moment between us. A course sound erupts from Beck's lips as he clears his throat and pulls me out of the cocoon of Robbie's embrace. Turning toward the troubled twosome lingering before us, I detect the faintest tinge of green at the edges of Beck's brown orbs.
"So, er…how can we help?" Robbie's words fly off his tongue, sounding more like a patient than a practitioner. Time seems to lag behind us as silence envelops the room again. Beck and Jade share a glance for a moment, holding another silent conversation once again. When their eyes part, Jade hurls her gaze towards her fingers and Beck heaves a sigh. After a few moments, he brushes a lock of hair away from his forehead and the silence between us finally lifts.
"How do you do it?" Beck asks, with a voice that betrays more than a few scars. His words crawl across the table like wounded soldiers as he casts his eyes over them and studies us. From the corner of my eye, I see Robbie's thick brows knit together, confusion shuffling to the front of his mind.
"Do what?" Robbie asks, mirroring my own questions. If there's one thing Beck's always been terrible with, it's been communicating. With Robbie's retort, Beck pushes his lips forth and his hands flitter in front of him. It's as if they're searching the air for the right words to illustrate his point.
"Avoid fighting." He finally states with a tone like lead. My eyes dart between Beck and Jade, both of them look worn down. I suppose like a shore, their relationship can only be rocked by so many storms before it begins to crumble. My eyes drift away from the morose figures across the table and settle on Robbie. His lips shift restlessly as thoughts settle on them and then scatter away before he can convert them into words.
"Uh, we just don't have anything to fight about?" Robbie states slowly. Each word dribbles out of his mouth as though they have to make their way through a thick fog. My eyes skitter between Beck and Jade as Robbie's answer sinks in. Jade's eyes remain fixated on the movements of her fingers, and Beck bites down nervously on his bottom lip.
"Oh, you will." Jade states, peering up at us through her thick eyelashes. Far from being seductive, it's the gaze of a killer. All of the color seems to shrink from her skin, as the shadows on her face grow longer. Ringlets of midnight hair mask the emotions dwelling within Jade's eyes, and I swallow thickly. After the nightmares she conjured forth only hours ago, I shudder to even hazard a guess of what could be swirling around within those emerald orbs.
"What do you mean?" I ask, squeezing Robbie's hand and drifting closer to him. He drags his lips into a nervous smile as he tries to reassure me. All of the courage from only moments ago seems to have abandoned me. I feel as though I'm caught in the middle of a battle and that I'm out of ammunition.
"Every couple starts out like you, then wham! You wake up hating each other." My eyes blow open as Jade's reply slices through her lips. The bitterness in her voice poisons the very air around us, staining the room with a bleak hue. It's an oil spill that poisons the oasis of calm that had previously occupied Beck's eyes. His insecurities surface and he turns away from Robbie and I, struggling with every breath.
"You hate me?" Beck asks, slumping into his seat and looking utterly defeated. His eyes linger on the floor, and the last stitches holding him together begin to fray. Jade brushes a wisp of midnight hair away from her eyes, and the frailties that had been hidden behind shadows creep into the light. Under the pale moonlight, Jade's edges seem even more fragile than Beck's. A lump forms in my throat as this dramatic scene unfurls before us.
Long ass Author's note now, but I gotta mention some other stuff...
This has kind of spiraled into a Bademance based therapy session, so I split it into two parts because it was just getting too long. I know this is a Rori story, but Bade have played a pretty big role in this story, so I thought that they deserved a proper climax to their tale. Hopefully the Rori elements as well as the humor and tension are enough to keep everyone entertained.
Thanks to BigStuOU for the original idea for this scene and a massive thanks to my awesome beta, Agent Taggert. We've got a story up right now under his username by the name of "First Ascent" in his words it's about 80% my work, so check it out as a favor to both of us, yeah?
If this chapter left you wanting Rori and the Rori one shot of released not long ago wasn't enough, check out one of many great stories that are coming out such as
"Robbie and Tori, Best Friendsor something more?" by Megan0104
"United States of Robbie" by GunjiBunny
"Rebound" by Jonathan 81
Anyway if you're still reading, sorry that was so long. I've been meaning to do it for a while...time to wrap this up. Hurl some reviews at me or tell your Bade loving friends about this. :)