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"Pshh, kid. Get over here," Jade whispered, checking from the couch if Beck and Trina were still busy with dinner in the kitchen.
Little Jenny bounced her way over, long curls falling freely from her ponytail as she sat down next to Jade. "What's up?"
"You're good with surprises, right? Gifts and whatnot?" The woman asked, an eyebrow raising at the five year old.
"Yeah! I always pick mom's gift for mother's day, dad sucks at it," she giggled, and Jade rolled her eyes both at the sound and the words. Over a decade since she was the one receiving gifts from Beck, and the guy was still awful at the task. "Why? Are you thinking about what to give auntie Tori? Her birthday is this weekend!" Jenny asked, a sudden excitement to her voice that had Jade sitting up straighter, lifting a shoulder.
"Maybe. You ask too many questions, kid."
"It was only one!"
Already too much."
"... I'm right though, aren't I?"
Playfully, Jade nudged the younger one; it was harmless, but Jenny still rolled over a little on the couch, a way-too-knowing smile on her lips that Jade was scared to question.
"Listen, you gonna help me or what?" She was getting impatient, eyes checking every now and then for any sign of the couple in the other room walking back in.
"Of course! I love auntie Tori. Whatchu thinking about buying? Do you know what she likes?"
Jade did know. Rocky as their relationship was, they had become great friends along the years, and Jade knew she could list Tori's favorite songs, colours, movies, books or foods from the top of her head. Those were things friends knew, right? Right.
“I just... I don't really wanna give her something simple like clothes or a perfume, but I also don't want it to be too personal." The woman frowned, glancing at her niece (even if only at heart) from the corner of her eyes, suddenly wondering if this was all too complex for a child to understand.
As always, Jenny surprised her. "Personal like a song? Mom and Dad always tell me music comes from the heart."
Jade couldn't help but smile to herself, offering her tiny companion a small nod. "Yeah, I don't want it to be too much, but not too little either. What should I do?"
The girl thought about the issue for a few moments, fingers playing with her little brown curls, the hair-do now a complete mess (Beck really didn't know why he still bothered fixing his daughter's hair like that every day when she was gonna bounce around and end up with wide curls like Trina, but he tried).
"OH! I know!" Jenny exclaimed after a full minute, Jade's eyes lightning up at the possibility of an actual good idea surging. "My favorite gift ever was my playroom," the little girl pointed at the door at the end of the hall. "I already had my keyboard, dolls and videogames, so when Mom and Dad asked me what I wanted for my last birthday I didn't really know what to ask for. I said I wanted to play with my things however I wanted without having to clean my room before bed every night," she made a face at the mere thought, and Jade smirked. "So they gave me a whole room for my toys and instruments! I love it there." Jenny was so clearly lost in her ramble she didn't even notice she had actually given Jade the best goddamn idea ever.
"Kid, you're a fucking genius."
"Bad word. And I know." She grinned, proud and conceited. Jade chuckled, her full palm covering Jenny's face so she could push her back on the couch.
"You're also too much like Trina, calm your shit."
-
Dinner was nice that night. Jade hated to admit it but Trina had actually become a pretty decent cook, and most of their friends came over a few times a week for a meal. It was a way they all found to not lose touch after college was over. The gang's meet up place used to be at Tori's place even after she moved out of her parents' house, but after Beck and Trina bought a bigger house when Jenny was born, that became their spot. Dinner nights were a nice way for them all to catch up and also be present on the little girl's life, who always made it clear she felt very loved and important having "so many uncles and aunties" coming over to play with her and teach her things (André took over Jenny's piano lessons and Robbie her guitar ones, while the girls loved to sing with her and Cat even taught her how to juggle).
Jade never dealt very well with children, but Jenny was special. She was smart and curious, funny and nice to talk to. As Jade's youngest years were left behind and real life kicked in, the little girl became something that reminded her that, while hard to find, good and pure things could still exist in this world.
That night, though, it was only Jade and Tori who could make it, and if Jenny's idea for the birthday gift hadn't been so good, Jade would have regretted asking her in the first place because right now, as she sat beside Tori on the dinner table, the damn kid wouldn't stop giving her suggestive looks and making little kisses with her mouth when neither Tori or her parents were looking. Jade also hated that Jenny wasn't her kid 'cause she couldn't leave her grounded for sneaky shit like that.
Later that evening, she hung around for a bit longer after Tori left and Beck was off to put Jenny to bed. It was her chance to talk to the oldest Vega about her plan - at least, well, the parts she actually had to share in order to get Trina to cooperate. Jade wouldn't ever ask her for help unless she absolutely needed to.
"Vega." She called as she stepped into the kitchen.
Trina's gaze moved from the dishes in her hands to her friend, Jade's tone sharp but the smile on her lips kind enough for her to know it wasn't meant to be taken as snarky as it sounded. "What's up? While you're here, make yourself useful and dry these for me," the woman nodded at the clean plates, making Jade roll her eyes (but she did it anyway).
"I need a favor."
"And I need a hot bath. Your point?"
The pale woman chuckled, nudging Trina's side with her elbow. "I'm serious. I need your spare key to Tori's apartment this weekend."
The words actually made the other stop for a moment, eyes narrowing as she studied her companion (had Jade managed to keep her tone as casual as she had hoped for?). "May I ask why?"
A shoulder was lifted, "You can, but asking doesn't necessarily mean you'll get an answer."
"And I'm supposed to trust you alone in my sister's apartment the weekend she's out of town for work?" Trina chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. "I know you better than that, Jade."
"Really? Aren't we past the trust issues at this point? We're adults."
"You put ghost peppers on her food last month!"
"It was a prank!"
"I spent hours preparing that dinner and Tori almost puked!"
"She laughed about it the next morning.." Jade mumbled, almost childish-like, and that caught Trina's attention.
"Does your request have anything to do with her birthday, on Sunday?" She asked, tone soft as she gave her friend a knowing look, which Jade avoided.
"Maybe?" She could feel Trina's eyes linger on her and after fifteen long seconds, Jade finally sighed, turning to face her. "Look, is it really that hard to believe I wanna do something nice for a change?"
"Absolutely," both women turned around when Beck spoke, a smirk on his lips as he leaned against the door frame.
Jade rolled her eyes, finished with the dishes. Crossing her arms, she faced her best friend and former lover, amusement all over her features. "First of all, fuck off. Second, can you help me out here and convince your wife I'm not gonna set Tori's place on fire?"
"I never said you would, but," Trina interrupted, drying her hands and taking a step towards Beck, leaning into his side. "Who says you're not gonna go there just to hang a sign that says 'Happy 30th Birthday, Tori. Congrats on getting old.'?" She questioned, still very hesitant but Jade could sense she was finally giving in. She couldn't help but grin at Trina's words, though.
"I'm already 30, you idiot. Don't you think that joke would bite me in the ass as well?"
Trina was ready to shoot back at the insult, but Beck was laughing softly beside her, an arm wrapping around her shoulders. "Come on, babe. Just give her the key." He said quietly, giving his wife a little squeeze.
Trina was still skeptical. She loved Jade, of course, but she and her sister had one hell of a history and she didn't wanna risk Tori's feelings getting hurt on her special day. "You promise you're not up to anything bad?"
Jade refrained from making any smartass comments, instead nodding slowly, eyes sincere when she replied. "I promise. It'll be worth it, I swear."
Defeated, Trina sighed, "The key's in the box under the TV. Take it before I change my mind."
Jade smirked, walking back into the living room to grab them, heading to the front door afterwards. "Thanks. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow."
Once they were alone, Trina turned to Beck with a suspicious look. "How do you know it's not another one of Jade's pranks?"
The man just shrugged, lips pressing tenderly to her temple as he lead them to their bedroom for the night, "Just trust me on this."
Beck decided not to mention that half an hour earlier, while he was tucking Jenny in, his eyes caught the piece of paper on the little girl's bedside table. It was a list, written all in her favorite coloured crayons. The title? "How to make auntie Tori and auntie Jade girlfriend & girlfriend".
He didn't wake his daughter up to ask about it, but when he went downstairs and overheard Jade and Trina's conversation, it wasn't hard to put two and two together.
The whole situation was hilarious to Beck honestly. He had known Jade was all over Tori ever since they broke up back in their freshmen year of college. The woman might be oblivious to her own feelings, but everyone could tell she was smitten. He never thought it would take her almost a decade to come forward about her feelings, neither did he imagine his baby girl would be the one to help set up his ex-girlfriend and one of his best friends, but, you know. Life had a funny way of working sometimes.
-
Since Jenny had been the brilliant mind behind the plan, she might as well give Jade some help with making it happen.
The duo was in Jade's car on the way to a store to buy some of the stuff they would need, but much to Jade's disliking, the little one had a lot of questions.
"Are you gonna give auntie Tori a playroom like mine?"
Jade smiled lightly, taking a turn. "Something like that. You know that empty room in her apartment she never knows what to put inside?"
Jenny nodded, "I asked if we could fill it with colorful balls, like a ball pit, but she said no." She wasn't really a pouty child, but the way her little arms were crossed made it clear she was still very upset that her wish wasn't granted.
Jade rolled her eyes at that, chuckling quietly. "Get over it, kid. We'll do something cool with it, you'll like it, too."
"What's cooler than a ball pit?"
"You'll see."
Truth was, Tori's spare room was kind of an inside joke within their group. Every year, ever since she got her apartment, she told everyone she'd make something awesome with it. Tori bought a pool table once, but never quite learned how to play, so she sold it; she tried to make it into a lounge, but her living room was much bigger and everytime the gang was over, they'd just hang out there, instead; she even tried to turn it into a guest room, but whenever a friend or a relative came to the city, they'd just stay at Trina's, considering her sister had an actual house and would make their visitor more comfortable. Eventually, Tori gave up on trying to find an use for the room altogether.
If it was up to Jade, though, that would change pretty soon.
-
"What do I get for helping you out?" Jenny asked, tiptoeing so she could actually take a look at the records in the vintage music store Jade brought her to.
"I literally just told you you're gonna like Tori's room, too. She'll let you use it." Jade pulled a little stool from under one of the shelves, helping the girl stand up on it to take a better look at the titles.
"Well, yeah, but that's still her gift. What am I getting for offering you my services?" Jenny grinned at her aunt, eyebrows wiggling a little. Jade rolled her eyes, internally smacking herself in the face for thinking it would be fun to teach the kid big grown up words and how to win basically every argument with good rethoric.
"Be a smartass with your parents, do not play that card on me, shortstick." She was smirking, though, giving the child a little nudge. "Any record you'd like from here, and a big ass ice cream later. Sounds good?"
"Pizza, too?" Jenny pushed, an eyebrow raising to mimic her aunt's expression.
Jade wouldn't say it, but damn, was she proud. "Fine. But you better keep your mouth shut about the whole thing, specially to Tori. Do we have a deal?"
The little girl smiled, bright and victorious, and offered Jade a hand to shake, "Pleasure doing business with you."
Jennifer had quite the sofisticated taste in music for someone her age, at least in Jade’s opinion. Apart from the occasional kid's show/movie soundtrack that played around the house, her favorites were pretty solid. She wasn’t very keen on pop music, the exception being Tori's songs (she absolutely loved to see her aunt perform) and also the hits Trina would use on her dance lessons (that Jenny loved to tag along for) - after a while a very light amount of common sense got into Trina’s mind and she realized that really, man, she couldn’t sing for shit. She had become a pretty good dancer though, and was now a teacher. Fridays were Jenny’s favorite weekdays cause she got to join her mom on teaching her class some new moves. The whole thing was nothing short of adorable.
She was starting to warm up to both R&B and hip-hop, thanks to André, but her favorites were still folk (Beck's influence) and rock, much to Jade’s enjoyment.
So when she finally picked the vinyl she wanted to take home, Jade wasn’t surprised at all, just proud of the kid's choice.
“Joni Mitchell, huh?” she eyed Jenny curiously, and the little one just shrugged.
“She has a pretty voice, I like it when Dad plays it for me.” She had a kind smile that looked so much like Beck’s, and suddenly Jade was reminded of pretty nice memories.
“A long time ago, your father gave me one of her best albums. That’s when I started to like her, too.” She still had her signed copy of Blue; Beck had said his mother got the signature at the first concert she ever attended, in the early 70s, where she got to meet the singer. His mom gave it to him, and he passed it on to her. Jade remembered making a joke about how all canadians seemed to know each other, but after falling in love with the songs, she knew it was a big deal, and so she kept the album safe at home along with her favorite records.
“How long ago? Like, before I was born?”
“Way before that, kid.”
“Longer than five years ago?”
“It was 2010, high school."
Shock was written all over the little one’s face. “God, you guys are so old.” That earned Jenny a smack on the back of her head, Jade’s laugh filling the room.
“Shut up, if it wasn’t for us, you wouldn’t even know what a record looks like.” The woman shook her head in amusement, pulling the tiny human into her side. “C’mon, let’s get you that ice cream.”
-
It was truly pathetic how freaked out she felt about whether or not Tori was gonna like her gift, and Jade felt grateful the child didn’t seem to sense her mood, cause she wasn’t quite ready to voice her concerns just yet.
Deep down, Jade knew what it meant. She’s known ever since they were both twenty-three, and Tori kissed her on their graduation night. It was messy and fun and the woman’s lips tasted like cheap wine and a life full of endless possibilities; but it had also been soft, warm and sweet, everything Jade couldn’t be. Lastly, it was never spoken of by either of them. She didn’t know what scared her more: the thought of Tori bringing it up and claiming it didn’t mean anything, or the thought of her admitting it did.
Hell, Jade knew there was something there even when she was only sixteen and, upon listening to Tori sing for the first time, felt her stomach tighten just like it did when Beck first asked her out, two years prior. She couldn’t bring herself to kiss him for days after that.
It absolutely ruined her that even after so long, her teenage years still took over her thoughts like that. The weight of things she never did and words she never said clouded her mind with a series of what ifs, maybes and somedays, and more often than Jade would like to admit, flashes of warm brown eyes haunted her sleepless nights.
The more she thought about this stupid surprise, the more she feared no amount of nice gestures would change the fact that perhaps it was just too late. It was nervewrecking, and although Jade hated a shit ton of things in life, there was nothing worse than feeling powerless like that.
The shy little tug at the sleeve of her jacket caught her attention, and when she looked down, big, dark eyes studied her with curiosity. “Auntie Jade, are you okay?”
A smile came to Jade’s lips as a small nod was offered, “Yeah, kid. Just nervous, I guess.”
Jenny didn’t seem worried as her gaze returned to the infinite shelf of colorful paints in front of her, her tiny hands trying to grab as much as they could. “Don’t be, auntie Tori will love it.”
“How the Hell would you know that, shortie?” Her tone was lighter now; that child could do that, sometimes.
“Because I'm smart,” she grinned, looking up at the woman as she dumped an impressive amount of paints into their basket. “Didn’t auntie Cat tell you 'kids know everything'?”
Jade laughed at that, messing the girl’s hair and smirking to herself at the whine it caused, “Of course Cat said that, she's a fucking child.”
“You say so many bad words but you never put money in the swear jar!”
“Your payment is the blessing of my company, you little shit.”
Turns out Jenny was a lot of help to Jade’s plan, having good suggestions and also making sure Jade didn’t go back to sulking in worried thoughts too much. They were a good little team, those two; while the girl made Jade softer, the woman made sure Jenny didn’t follow her mother's genes and ended up becoming too much of a cocky brat.
-
With the weekend coming up, Jade couldn't have felt more relieved when Tori let everyone know she'd be travelling earlier than expected on Friday, promising she’d be back by Sunday afternoon so she could spend her birthday with her family. That gave the older woman more time to get everything done.
After Jenny had shared the story about her playroom, it wasn’t that hard for Jade to adapt that idea into something she hoped Tori would enjoy. Despite their constant bickering – some things never change -, Tori and Jade were as close as two could be. They didn’t get mushy very often, but Jade knew Tori thought of her as her bestfriend. When life and its responsabilities got too overwhelming, Tori often found herself knocking on Jade’s apartment door, needing someone who would listen, but also be real enough to keep her grounded while offering some comfort as well (and some good wine, as friends should do).
Because of that, Jade was aware of the things that troubled the other woman’s mind the most, things Tori didn’t even dare to share with Trina, or even André; she knew about the passions Tori abandoned in order to pursue her career in music, because time was short and she simply couldn’t handle it all at once. Jade also knew which shows and movies made her smile the most, what type of food she secretly liked that Jade prepared for her when she came over, and the music that could soothe her heart within mere seconds.
She knew her birthday gift for the woman was something none of her friends would think of. She only hoped it could make Tori happy.
Jade had gotten to learn so much about Tori over the years, and the woman still managed to catch her off guard every now and then. There was always something new and exciting to discover about the owner of those damn cheekbones that Jade doubted she would ever get bored.
She had figured it out by now. Tori Vega had grown on her, and try as she might to ignore it, Jade knew there was no coming back. And for some reason, she couldn’t find it within herself to care about the fact that she was so, so fucking smitten.
-
By Friday afternoon, Tori was already out of town, so Jade decided it was time to pick the little shit up from Trina’s dance studio so she could help her with Tori’s apartment. Jade tried not to think about the woman more than she needed to, but with social media blowing up with Tori’s fans freaking out that she was heading over to their city for a concert, it was difficult to keep her out of her mind.
Sometimes Jade wondered if it ever felt too overwhelming to be a rising popstar like her friend was. Sure, Jade was becoming pretty known with her own craft, but things weren’t as crazy when you were a screenplay writer. Fans would often reach out to her online with questions about an upcoming film or even stop her in public for a photo every once in a while, but airports in NYC definitely weren’t stopping as hundreds of people waited for her arrival, like it was happening to Tori at that very moment.
Jade was content with her own success, while she also appreciated the integrity of her privacy. She wasn’t sure if Tori could really say the same.
-
Later that evening, Jade found comfort in the warmth of her large couch, her plans of staying in and stuffing her face with Doritos and icecream threatened when she heard the doorbell ring. She tried really hard to ignore the sudden hope of it being who she’d like it to be, as well as the mix of emotions that came fast with that thought: excitement, then nervousness, followed by sheer dissappointment when it drew in that the protagonist of her daydreams was a few hours away, performing for her fans.
Jade groaned at her own stupidity, dragging herself out of the couch when the doorbell rang again. It had been a long, exhausting day. This better be fucking important.
“Damn, girl, what’s up with that face? Fix it up, I know you ain’t that sad it’s me,” André grinned, not needing an invitation to make his way inside at this point.
Jade rolled her eyes, but her smirk let him know she wasn’t indeed. “What are you doing here? Didn’t you have a date?” she kicked the door closed, legs crossing as she sat back down to face him.
“Cancelled. I’m telling you, I’m giving up on dating apps,” he shook his head, placing the pizza box and the six-pack he brought on the coffee table.
“Ah, so this chick bailed on you, and naturally I’m your second choice, I see how it is.” Jade was so clearly amused, nonchantly opening a beer for herself and taking a long sip.
“Nah, I got hungry and the pizza place across the street is bomb. Figured I might pass by and share it with you, since Tori’s out of town and everything,” André shrugged, opening the large box and grabbing himself a slice.
Jade stopped at that, slowly lowering her can from her lips, “What’s Tori have to do with anything?” she arched an eyebrow. “Are you implying I don’t hang out with other people or?”
“Nah, of course not. Just that she’s around here a lot,” André didn’t look at her at all, busy inhaling his food.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, dude. I just know you guys are tight and I wouldn’t want to interrupt anything if Tori was over-“
“There isn’t anything to interrupt, André.” Azure eyes slightly narrowed, studying the man carefully.
That response made him turn to face her, eyebrows raised as well, “Yeah, but why are you getting so defensive?” a smirk of his own made its appearance, “Unless you wish there was?”
Jade shifted uncomfortably in her seat, occupping her mouth with beer as an excuse to dodge the question.
André let out a chuckle at that, grabbing one for himself as he leaned back on the couch. “I know whatchu doing.”
“Not doing anything except weighting the many different ways I could cut your dick off. Better watch yourself there, big boy.” She was fully recovered from the previous implications now, cheek leaning on the palm of her hand as she held his gaze.
“Yeah, yeah, you could kill me, we’ve been over that for years,” André grinned, downing half of his drink at once. “For real, though. I know what you’re up to, Trina mentioned the spare key and I think-“
“Jesus, why doesn’t anyone grasp the fact that my life is none of their fucking business? First Trina, now you. I’m surprised Cat hasn't texted me with an assumption too yet.” And just like that, Jade was worked up again, standing up to pace around her living room.
André wasn’t fazed by the outburst, for years used to his friend's short temper. “Don’t you think that that reaction is exactly why you should talk to someone?”
The woman sighed, fingers running through her brown curls as she mulled the question over, “What’s there to talk about? I try to do something nice for her and none of you will let me be.”
André watched her, picking up on the fact that clearly, this had to do with way more than just whatever Jade had planned for Tori’s birthday. “Alright, sit down.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Come on.”
“No.”
“Jade.”
“André.”
He shrugged, “Fine, guess I’ll go then. This pizza and I have a looong night ahead of us,” he barely got to touch the box before a hand was slapping his away.
“Fine. Talk.” Jade mumbled grumpily, arms crossed as she flopped back down on the couch.
The man smiled, placing his drink down and turning to face her, “You didn’t let me finish when all I was gonna say was: I don’t know what you’re preparing for her, and I don’t need to. I know she’s gonna like it, and I’m glad you’re doing it.”
Jade felt herself relax a bit at the words, arms slowly uncrossing, the tension in her muscles easing a little. “You don’t think I’m up to some shady shit, like Trina?” she allowed herself a smirk.
“Nah, if you were, you wouldn’t have asked for a key. I know you, you’ve always been a break-in kinda woman.” He smirked as well, playfully pushing Jade’s shoulder.
Comfortable silence fell in between them for several minutes before Jade found the courage to voice what haunted her thoughts for so long. “Do you think.. it’s too late?” It was quiet, unsure, borderline fearful, her eyes not daring to face his way too knowing ones.
André didn’t need her to explain the question; he knew exactly what she meant, and he’d been hoping they'd have this conversation, eventually. “Look, Jade, you know I don’t really believe in all the 'right place, right time', 'everything happens for a reason', 'if it’s meant to be' crap.. but I do believe in following whatever the hell your heart tells you to, no matter how long it takes for you to take that chance,” Gently, a hand rested on her shoulder, his voice softer and a little bit amused when he spoke again. “And Tori might actually murder me if she ever finds out I said this, but honestly? No matter what you do, how or when you do it, she'll still look at you like the goddamn sun shines out of your ass. She always has.”
That actually made her laugh, eyes finding his once more, the warmth he found in hers so refreshing to see. “Thanks, man. I mean it.”
“Anytime. Lemme know if you need help with anything, there’s still one more day until she comes back, right?”
“Yeah, but I think I’ve got it. Tiny Devil is helping me out.”
“The lil thing's involved?” He chuckled, taking a swing of his drink again, “She must be extorting the fuck out of you to keep a secret.”
“Oh, you have no idea.”
-
Saturday turned out to be way less stressful than Jade had anticipated, Jenny making sure to amuse her the entire damn day. She honestly didn’t know where the kid got that sense of humor, but she was better to be around than most people she knew.
The little girl helped Jade with every detail in Tori’s apartment, making it all look better than she had visioned, all while dancing around and singing along to the record Jade bought her at the store a few days before. Jenny really was a good one; she only hoped the kid wouldn’t grow up so damn fast.
By the end of the day, Jade made sure to drive the tiny one back home and return the key to Trina, successfully avoiding the woman’s many questions about what she had done to her sister’s apartment. Much to Trina’s displeasure, Jenny even told her she shouldn’t even bother asking, cause “she had promised auntie Jade and her lips were sealed”. Jade tried not to look to smug for winning her child over.
When Jade finally allowed herself to lay in her bed that night, her body ached with all the work, but her mind felt slightly more at ease. She foolishly even dared to think she’d be able to sleep early that night – that was until her phone rang, the four letters on the screen suddenly making her feel wide awake.
“Hey, you.” Tori’s voice sounded soft and lazy, and it brought a smile to Jade’s lips right away.
“Vega.” Jade never really stopped calling her that, although her tone was just as soft. “What are you doing awake?” she eyed her clock – a quarter to midnight. “Isn’t it like, almost 3 am for you?”
Jade heard her move, assuming that was a shrug. “I’ll go to bed soon, I have a radio interview in the morning.” Tori paused, voice quieter when she spoke again, “We didn’t talk last night, figured I could call you.”
“Well, it was a big night, I assumed you'd go to bed as soon as you got to the hotel.”
“I always have a few minutes to talk to you.”
Jade hated how much that made her melt. “You’re always so mushy when you’re tired,” she chuckled, eyes gazing at the uneven patterns on her ceiling as she imagined the blush covering Tori’s sharp cheekbones. “How was the concert, by the way?”
“It was amazing! The best one so far, I think. I can’t wait for them to hear the album,” She could hear the smile in the woman’s voice, and Jade couldn’t help but sigh, so damn glad Tori was having a good experience with all of this. “At the end, a girl threw a pride flag on stage, it had stuff written on it, and when I grabbed it to read it, it was a proposal to her girlfriend. It was so sweet.” Tori sighed, almost dreamily, and when she spoke again, her tone was playful. “Shit like that gets to me, I’m so fucking single.”
Jade didn’t know what to say for a while, lips parting but closing a second after, heart pounding in her chest at all the implications in those words and all of the possibilities of taking their conversation elsewhere, if she was just able to tell her—
“Jade? You there?”
“What? Yeah, yeah, the uh, signal cut off for a second,” she lied, clearing her throat. “That does sound sweet. Corny, absolutely corny, but still.” She bit her lip, hoping to distract Tori before she could pick up on her avoiding the previous comment. “When are you flying your ass back here?"
Tori didn’t seem to notice her internal turmoil – or if she did, she kindly chose not to mention it. “After lunch, I hope. I wanna eat something good before I leave, the food in this hotel is so bland.”
“Is that your way of asking me to make you that lasagna you like for dinner tomorrow?” Jade smirked, knowing the woman all to well.
“Maybe?” She knew Tori was blushing. “Come on, it’s my birthday, I deserve it!”
“Debatable.” Jade was met with silence instead of a protest, “Stop pouting.”
“I’m not.” It amused Jade way too much how cute this grown ass woman could be.
“Bullshit. And well, since Trina's already baking you a cake, I suppose I could-“
“Jade! I’m not supposed to know that!”
“Oops?”
Tori laughed softly, the sound alone making Jade’s night worth it. “Shut up.”
“Make me.” The older woman offered, eyebrow arching when she heard the softest little sigh on the other line.
“I miss you.” Tori admitted, the words spoken so soft and quietly Jade knew exhaustion must be taking over her, the simple discovery that the woman let sweet nothings slip easily from her lips when she felt tired setting Jade’s heart alight.
“I miss you, too...” came the answer, Jade’s voice nothing but a whisper. She was so, so close from letting it all spill out, but she refrained. Tori was tired, and so was she. At this state of vulnerability, Jade knew her feelings would be all over the place, and that’s not how she wanted to do things. She thought about the apartment, about Tori’s surprise, and finally decided they'd always have tomorrow.
“We should get some sleep,” Tori broke their silence, the small yawn she tried to cover confirming Jade’s suspicion.
“Yeah,” she eyed the clock once more, letting her eyes flutter close for a second. “Hey, Tori?”
The sound of her actual name caught Tori’s attention, voice souding almost hopeful when she answered, Yes?”
“Happy Birthday.”
All Jade heard for a few moments was calm, steady breathing, and for a second she thought Tori had fallen asleep. When a response came, a smile was so very clear on the other end. “Goodnight, Jade.”
-
“Trina, will you calm the fuck down? It’s just a cake.” Jade sighed from the couch, sipping the coffee Jenny had made – with the supervision of Robbie. It tasted absolutely repulsive, and the only reason she didn’t yell at him for that monstrosity of a drink was because of the little girl. Jade would make sure to teach her properly.
“It’s not just a cake, it’s Tori’s birthday present.” The woman groaned as she tried to get the frosting around the cake perfectly.
“Are you telling me you didn’t get your damn sister a proper gift?” Jade was amused, to say the least. Trina was unbelievable.
“Not all of us have the time to set up a mystery gift on Tori’s apartment just to get in her pants, Jade.” The older woman didn’t even look at her, grinning when everyone in the room snickered.
“I'm not-“
“The hell you aren’t. Now shut up, this damn cake is all I have.”
Jade sulked in the couch, cursing under her breath for not having a decent comeback to the accusation. It took her exactly three seconds to recover, Robbie and Beck’s quiet laughs earning both men each of her shoes thrown in their faces. “Fuck off, you two.”
“You guys swear so much, I'm gonna be a millionare!” Jenny chimed in, holding up her swear jar to the adults in the room. The smug look on her face said it all - 'you all made the rules, follow them'; they didn’t really have a choice.
“What’s for dinner, by the way?” Trina asked after giving her daughter a dollar, only hoping she wouldn’t have to worry about the rest of the meal when the cake already had her stressed out.
“Jade’s lasagna, Tori asked her to make it, she likes it a lot!” Cat smiled brightly, completely oblivious to the death glare the woman in question was sending her way.
“Jesus, I really can’t tell you anything, can I?”
“You cook for her? Often? Man, you really are whipped.” Beck smirked, arching an eyebrow at his best friend.
Jade had had enough. “Alright, screw all of you, I don’t need this.” She rolled her eyes, getting up and making her way to the kitchen to get started.
Much like a puppy, the little one in the room followed her suit, exclaiming in excitement that she wanted to help. Trina glanced over at her husband, who only offered her a knowing smile, recalling the little plan he found written down in their daughter’s bedroom.
That night was bound to be interesting and so, so amusing.
-
After sundown, the doorbell finally rang. As Trina went to get it, a little ball of energy peeked from the kitchen. “Auntie Tori’s here!” Jenny squirmed a bit in Jade’s arms – who had been very relutant about picking her up just so she could actually reach the kitchen corner to help her.
“Calm down, kid.” Jade chuckled, deciding to take the tiny one over to the arriving woman instead of putting her down, fearing Jenny would actually knock Tori over with how excited she was.
“Hey, baby!” Tori smiled brightly, kissing Jenny’s forehead once the two walked up to her. The child jumped from one set of arms to another, Tori catching her firmly, unable to help but laugh at the enthusiasm. “Someone missed me.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” Jade joked, smirking at the woman.
The comment made Tori roll her eyes, leaning in to place a soft kiss to Jade’s cheek as well. “Oh, shut up.”
Oh did that make Jade shut up alright. Quiet and flustrated, she hid her hands into her pockets, colour rushing to her pale cheeks as she desperately searched for something, anything to say that would save her from the teasing from her friends who clearly watched the exchange with amusement.
Trina took pity on the woman, “If you two are done making out, dinner's almost ready. Boys, set the table since none of you helped at all.” The three men prompty obeyed, knowing better than to argue with her this point.
As Tori was pratically dragged away by Jenny, Jade’s eyes found Trina’s. “Thanks.”
The other woman just grinned, “Only thank me after your plan works, whatever it is.”
Mrs. and Mr. Vega arrived just as dinner was being served, and no one held back from diving right in into Jade’s lasagna – Tori in particular.
“Don’t hurt yourself there, sweetheart.” Jade teased, trying not to laugh at the way the birthday woman pratically inhaled her food.
Tori didn’t even bother feeling embarassed, only humming as another big bite was shoved into her mouth.
“Damn, was the airplane food that bad?” David chuckled, watching his daughter with a grin.
“You have no idea. I was dying for some homemade meal.”
“It shows,” Jade smirked, laughing softly when that earned her a smack on the shoulder.
“Really, though. Thank you.” Tori said softly, offering the woman a warm smile.
Jade simply nodded, a small smile of her own curling in her lips – and just like that, the teasing had subsided, Jade clearly softening at the words. “Anytime.”
“I helped!” Jenny chimed in, interrupting their not-so-subtle moment, causing everyone on the table to smile.
“She really did, though. Little shit here has been some great help lately.” Jade winked at the young girl, who wore a proud, toothless smile at the praise.
“Why do I feel like the two of you are up to something?” Tori narrowed her eyes at the pair, studying everyone else's faces to catch any clue.
“I know nothing.” Jenny answered in a way that sounded so much like Jade, earning herself a little fist bump under the table.
Dinner went by pretty smoothly after that, and for the most part Jade was able to keep her feelings under control; however, she didn’t – couldn’t – miss the way Tori would always navigate towards her, no matter where she was. Like when she walked up to Jade as the woman leaned against the wall, watching everyone, and Tori’s hand pressed just beside her head on the concrete, body leaning in very slightly as she began to make conversation (seeming completely clueless about how the proximity made Jade swallow hard); or how their arms always ended up bumping into each other as they stood closer than necessary in a conversation circle; but specially when Tori’s head fell on her shoulder later in the evening once everyone had made themselves comfortable on the couches. The woman looked cozy, the laziest smile playing on her lips as she listened intently to the story Cat told – what it was about, Jade couldn’t say, thoughts too clouded with how sweet Tori smelled and how her own lips couldn’t help their smile when the younger woman timidly linked their arms together.
Faintly hearing her name, Jade frowned a bit, head following the sound and finding Trina rolling her eyes at her before standing up, nudging Beck to follow her into the kitchen. It wasn’t until they reappeared with a birthday cake that she realized Trina must have wanted her help, but was ignored.
Jade’s gaze fell on Tori, all cuddled up to her side, and she smirked to herself. Worth it.
“Happy Birthday to you...” The oldest Vega sang (only slightly out of key), everybody following suit. Tori's smile was truly heartwarming, happiness written all over her face at being able to spend her day with her family and friends.
“You guys...” Tori tried once they were done, a little overwhelmed - mushy feelings and all that.
“No speech, these candles are gonna melt my perfect cake.” Trina was only half joking, throwing her sister a grin.
“Make a wish, auntie Tori!” Jenny exclaimed, struggling a bit to stand on a chair so she could be as tall as the adults.
Tori was about to say something cheesy like, 'I already have everything I could ask for', but she stopped for a minute. Truth was, she did feel immensely grateful. At the age of thirty, she had already been able to live some of her biggest dreams; with a debut album on the making and hundreds of thousands of people who loved and supported her art, Tori’s name was up and coming, ready to take on the world; on top of that, she had the incondicional love from her friends and family, as it showed from all of the excited faces smiling in her direction.
For the first time in her life, she really did feel like she had her shit together - Tori was incredibly happy, and she wouldn’t dare taking that for granted.
And so, as her eyes studied the familiar people around the room, it all fell into place: although Tori didn’t need anything – or anyone – else, nothing should stop her from wanting more from life. No such thing as too much happiness, right?
Just before the candles were blown, brown eyes found azure ones, the pale woman feeling her chest ache with the depth she saw in them.
Jade also only had one wish of her own, and with each minute that passed that night, she felt it coming closer to reality.
-
It was only a couple of hours later when Tori mentioned feeling tired and considered heading home that Jade felt like that was her chance.
“Do you want me to give you a ride? I was, uhm, thinking about going in a few, too.” She offered, trying her best to sound as casual as she could.
Tori seemed flattered if her soft smile was any indication, but Jade could see her hesitate. “I’d like that, but Dad said he wanted to drive me home?” It came out like a question, the woman’s gaze moving to her parents. David looked like he was about to agree, but Holly beat him to it.
“That’s alright, honey. Your father and I will stay a little longer. Jenny said she had a few drawings she wanted to show me, right, baby?” Holly smiled at her granddaughter, whose face held such fake innocence that Jade couldn’t help but narrow her eyes. Oh, that kid was such a little fucking genius.
“You sure, Mom? I can wait, if you guys—”
“Honey, it’s okay. You had a long flight, get some sleep,”
Holly's eyes met blue ones for a second. “Jade’s offer was very kind, why don’t you let her take you home?”
Tori looked a little taken aback, colour rushing to her tan cheeks at the way her mother strangely urged them to leave together. “Y-Yeah, okay. I guess we’re going, then.” She properly thanked everyone for their company, but their friends also didn’t fail to rush her out of the house. Why was everybody suddenly worried about her sleep schedule? It hadn't even been that long of a flight.
As Jade opened the front door for Tori, her gaze moved back to her friends for a moment. Apart from David, who was oblivious, Jenny had two of her little thumbs in the air, Holly tried to look like she didn’t know anything, while everyone fucking else wore smiles that were very clear on their meaning: Go get her.
-
Once in her car, Jade made sure to put some music on right away, knowing her companion loved jamming out as they drove – whenever they travelled together, Jade would lie about all the singing being a pain in the ass, but Tori knew her better than that. The woman didn’t even bother hiding her excitement as one of her favorite songs came up. Then another. Then one more. By the fifth track, Tori was glancing over at her best friend with a cheeky little smirk.
“Jade West, did you make me a playlist?”
The comment earned an eyeroll, Jade looking completely shameless. “It’s your birthday, you idiot. Now you can’t say I've never done anything nice for you.”
“Oh my God, you big fucking softie!”
That actually managed to make the woman's pale cheeks warm up a tad. “Yeah, yeah. Shut up and enjoy your dumb Katy Perry oldies.”
And oh, Tori did. Some time during the next song, she opened the sunroof and squeezed her body up there, arms high in the air as lyrics fell effortlessly from her lips into the night wind. Jade’s eyes moved back and forth between the road and the beautiful, carefree woman beside her. Tori was absolutely breathtaking when she was in her element like that, and Jade could only hope she’d be able to vocalize that thought soon.
“And we’re here.” The car slowly parked in front of Tori’s building, and before Jade could really worry about inviting herself inside, Tori was way ahead of her.
“Wanna come up? I bought that coffee you like, I can make us some.”
“Tryna charm me, are you, Vega?” She chuckled softly, playfully wiggling her eyebrows.
“Oh, please. We’ve been past that for years, you totally love me.” Tori said like it was nothing, throwing Jade a wink as she unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out.
Jade needed a moment after that. “Maybe.” She mumbled to herself, taking a breath before leaving her car to follow the woman upstairs.
As they made their way to Tori’s apartment, Jade couldn’t really register whatever story the other was telling her, all of the insecure thoughts about the surprise that she had managed to push away during that entire day coming back at once, making her fidget nervously with the sleeves of her jacket. What if Tori didn’t like it? What if she had gone too far with it? What if Tori already had a plan for the room and got mad Jade changed something in her own apartment like that? What if—
“Jade? Are you coming?”
“What? Where?” She frowned, clearly confused.
“Inside, you dork. Unless you want me to drink all of that fancy coffee by myself?” Tori smiled, playful and sweet, stepping back so she could come in.
Jade grinned at that, doing her very best to shake her unpleasant thoughts away before walking inside. “In your dreams.”
As the younger woman prepared their drinks, Jade couldn’t help but feel hyper aware of the closed door to the spare room. Tori had to notice something was up at one point, right?
“Alright, spill it out.” Her attention went back to Tori when the woman spoke, watching her slowly make her way closer to hand over a mug – her own mug, actually, Jade’s favorite that she eventually left at Tori’s place considering how much she came over. The only way for them to be more married than this would be if Jade literally proposed.
She took it gladly, enjoying the pleasant smell and taking a small sip before answering. “Spill what out?”
“You’ve been nervous all night, what’s wrong?” Tori asked, legs crossing as she took a seat on the couch.
The question had Jade hiding a smile, head shaking in amusement. “How do you even notice these things?”
A shoulder was lifted, a cheeky little smile playing on Tori’s lips. “I know you.”
Jade sighed, flopping down onto her best friend's couch obviously less carefully than she should with a hot cup of coffee in hands. “You do.”
The words softened Tori a bit, head tilting to the side as brown eyes studied Jade curiously. Instead of pressuring her to open up, Tori decided on a different approach. “Should I had offered you a stronger drink? Perhaps some wine?”
“Oh, no. We both know what wine does to you, Vega.”
A blush from one, a smirk from the other. That’s how things always were with the two: lighthearted banter, back and forth, over and over. The best part about it all was that Jade knew neither of them would have it any other way.
“Listen, there's a very slight possibility that sometimes, wine does make me a little-“
“Sometimes? You mean, like at every single one of our friend’s birthdays?”
“Well, that’s only for friends, so I-“
“Beck and Trina’s wedding?”
“Only friends and family!”
“André’s album release party?”
“Alright, that party was—"
“Or... our graduation night.”
Jade watched as Tori’s eyebrows raised slowly, bottom lip caught between her teeth as the words hinted at a specific memory both women seemed to revisit at the same time.
“That was a good night.” Tori’s tone was softer, voice only an octave lower as her eyes took in the woman in front of her.
“Couldn’t agree more...” Came the quiet answer, a small smile hidden behind Jade’s mug as she silently asked herself if Tori also couldn’t stop thinking about it as much as her.
The air around them felt lighter, the atmosphere of the apartment shifting as the two of them wondered which one would speak first, the potential of that unspoken moment they shared all those years ago finally being brought up palpable in their silence.
After a full minute passed, Jade carefully placed her now empty mug on top of the coffee table – not missing the way Tori’s body subconsciously inched closer in anticipation of her next move.
This moment was most likely the best chance she'd get. “I have something for you.”
Tori looked so taken aback it was quite hilarious. “You.. do?”
Jade nodded, a soft smirk dancing on her lips as she leaned in closer, just enough so blood would rush to Tori’s cheeks once more. Before the younger woman could either pull back or lean in even more, Jade's fingers were gently taking Tori’s mug away too. “Close your eyes and hold out your hand.”
“Jade...”
“Trust me, it’s nothing bad. I promise.” Those two meaningful words visibly eased Tori’s nerves, a sigh leaving her lips as her eyes fluttered close and a hand was offered.
Probably anticipating something to be placed in her palm, Tori didn’t even bother hiding her smile when long fingers laced with hers instead.
“Come on,” Jade offered softly, standing up and slowly guiding her companion through her own apartment, stopping right in front of the door to the spare room.
“Is this where you kill me? Have you been planning this for the past fifteen years, befriending me and keeping me around so you could finally murder me on my 30th birthday, at my own home?” Tori had gotten the dark-humor-when-nervous-or-uncomfortable habit from Jade over the years, but unlike the broody woman who was actually able to deliver her lines with a proper straight face, Tori always ended up laughing nervously at her own joke – like she was right now, fingers playing with paler ones as she tried to gauge what the surprise was.
“Don’t you think that if I did have a sadistic plan for your death, I would have executed it earlier, right in front of your family?” Jade smirked to herself, giving her best friend’s hand a reassuring squeeze, voice a bit gentler when she spoke again. “As if I would have ever handled your whiny ass for this long if I didn’t genuinely like you, you idiot.”
She chose to ignore Tori’s smug little grin at her words, opening the door in front of them and releasing the woman’s hand as she took a step back. “You can look, now.”
It took Tori a good few seconds to even recognize the room as the spare one in her apartment, given how different it looked. All of the walls had a new, beautiful and light shade of sky blue; the colour blended perfectly with the trees of the park outside Tori’s building, which she was sure would look even prettier when sunlit. Right under her large window sat a small wooden desk, different types of pencils and pens and what appeared to be a few sketchbooks placed on top of it too. On the other side of the room, next to the small couch – the only thing already there before – was a beautiful, vintage record player, a long wooden shelf full of vinyls placed right over it; she could already recognize from where she stood some of her all time favorites waiting to be listened. The best part she noticed for last: next to the desk, right under the wide window, an easel held a big, blank canvas, a large variety of paints sitting by the small stool next to it.
To say Tori was overwhelmed would be an understatement. “Jade...” It was nothing but a whisper, bright eyes taking in the beauty of the previously empty room now turned into a cozy, charming atelier.
“I know how much you used to love painting and drawing... I know I’ve always made fun of how your walls used to be filled with your art and shit, back in college,” Jade smiled at the memory, eyes taking in the woman’s features, sensing her reactions. “But you really are good at it. And I know you don’t really have much time for it nowdays, so.. so I just thought you deserved a space of your own to create in peace, you know. Whenever you want.” Jade still remembered the night Tori had a few too many beers and ended up curling on Jade’s lap back at her apartment, tears rolling down her cheeks as she let out everything that frustrated her the most. Jade listened silently, fingers gliding gently through messy, brown curls as Tori went on about the things she missed having the time to engage in, despite feeling grateful about her career taking off. Painting was one of those forgotten passions, and that night was when Jade decided she'd eventually find a way to help the woman get back into it.
Jade was so lost in the memory that she didn’t notice Tori turning to face her, eyes filled with so much warmth and adoration it actually made her heart race a bit. “You actually remember the day I told you that I missed this?”
“Of course I do, it means something to you.” Her eyes found Tori’s, lips curling up in the kind of smile only the woman could bring out of her. “Do you like it? I thought I'd get you a record player, too, since you’re always playing around with the one I have. I figured it'd be nice to have something to listen to while you paint, cause, you know, might help with inspiration and—”
“Jade.” Tori interrupted, a soft chuckle leaving her lips. “I love it. All of it. It’s just.. it’s perfect. So fucking thoughtful, I still can’t believe you actually pay attention to what I say.” The woman joked, but Jade could tell she was genuinely touched.
“I have my moments. It’s also not that hard to listen when you’re not, you know, rambling.” She smirked.
Tori arched an eyebrow at the teasing words, “Says the one who went full on ramble mode ten seconds ago, worrying that I wouldn’t like it. Seems like I really do make you nervous, don’t I?” Tori grinned a little, taking a tentative step closer and marvelling in the way Jade’s cheeks warmed up immediately. Oh, she felt wonderful being the smug one for a change.
“Is this when you ask if you can paint me like one of your french girls, or...?” Jade found a way out of her embarrassment quickly enough, smiling brightly at the beautiful laugh her words caused.
“You know, since you went out of your way to do all of this for me, I might consider having you as my muse. Just to, you know, get familiar with painting again and all.” Tori’s smile was light and playful, and Jade didn’t miss the way the woman seemed to move closer, little by little as she spoke.
“Really? And what could I possibly obtain out of that arrangement?”
She watched coffee eyes pratically shine when Tori answered, “Perhaps we can discuss that over dinner?”
Jade couldn’t let that joke escape. “We literally just ate, how much lasagna can you even handle, Tori?”
The younger woman groaned, “Tomorrow! A date, Jade! You and I - I’m asking you out to dinner tomorrow night, will you quit being an asshole and say yes?”
Jade laughed softly, way too proud of herself. “Was it really that hard, Vega?” Her tone was playful, but as her hands gently rested on Tori’s waist, both of them knew the weight that those words carried.
“I could ask you the same thing...” Tori murmured softly, the air in the room shifting once more as her own hands wrapped loosely around Jade’s neck.
“To answer your question.. dinner does sound good.” Jade had softened just as much, a quiet sigh leaving her lips at their proximity. The longer Tori looked at her with those warm eyes and that damn smile, the more Jade felt like she was twenty three all over again, drunk with how sweet and captivating the woman in front of her was.
Tori marvelled in the anticipation between the two of them, eyes taking in every single detail in Jade’s features – from the slight tint upon her cheeks to the way her azure eyes fell to Tori’s lips every few seconds. It felt so good to finally have confirmation about her feelings not being one-sided, although Tori did ask herself how she could have ever doubted it because, with the way Jade looked at her at that moment, she was sure she'd never have to wonder again.
And so, when their lips finally touched, it was everything both of them had been longing for, and more. It was soft and slow, as tender as it could be, so much that neither of them could help but sigh into the kiss, the ghosts of all of the words they never said finally gliding away.
“If only I'd known all it would take for you to kiss me like that was to design you an art studio, I would have done it years ago...” Jade breathed out after a long moment, forehead leaning against Tori’s, the soft laugh her words caused setting her heart alight.
“I can show you some more of my gratitude tomorrow, after I take you out.” Tori knew exactly what the implication would do to the other woman, something about the way Jade’s eyes sparkled at her words telling her their date would be quite unforgettable.
“I’ll take that as my cue to get going, then.” Jade smiled, warm and kind, lips stealing one more kiss before she pulled away from their embrace.
Truth was, Tori felt there was no need for them to rush things. As much as her body screamed for her to just drag Jade into her bedroom, her mind knew better, and there was nothing wrong with them taking their time. She felt like even though they could've come forward about their feelings sooner, the years also allowed the two of them to really get to know things about one another that no one else knew; Tori liked the way they were, the way they turned out to be. Time had given her the opportunity to let Jade in, as well as to learn how to work the woman’s walls down.
Tori didn’t care it took them fifteen years to give in; at this hour, the very next day, she'd be taking Jade out to dinner. No small talk needed, just the two of them being able to enjoy each other’s company without having to hold anything back. Maybe that was a perk of dating your best friend.
And quite honestly, the fact that Jade understood her reasons for them to call it a night right there without needing her to say them made Tori fall just a little bit harder.
"I’ll pick you up at eight?” Tori grinned as she walked them back to her front door, opening it slowly. Before Jade could answer, Tori was already leaning in to press a sweet, lingering kiss to the corner of her lips, unable to help herself.
“Try not to dream of me too much.” Jade smirked, throwing her a wink before stepping out, eyes holding Tori’s gaze for a moment longer before she made her way down the hall.
“Goodnight, Jade.” Tori murmured, feeling like a teenager all over again once her door closed, leaning against it with a soft sigh.
Her eyes glanced over at the open door of her new art studio, fingertips mindlessly rising to ghost over her own lips for a second.
After so many years, inspiration had found its way back into her heart.