Chapter Text
Growing Up...
There wasn’t a time in Jade West and Tori Vega’s life where they didn’t not know about the others' existence. Their parents, Elizabeth and Richard West and Holly and David Vega were the kind of good friends, who had dinner with each other at least twice a month. The women were pregnant at almost the same time with Jade and Tori, just a few weeks separating them. So yes, the two girls (and of course Trina too), grew up knowing the family friends and their children.
The girls played together and had sleepovers all the time. The adults loved that the children seemed to get along swimmingly. They enjoyed the other’s company, especially Jade who didn’t have a sibling at the time (a short 3 years later her brother, Mark arrived, who she instantly fell in love with, even with the 6 year age gap). By the time they were in elementary school the girls were inseparable, spending every free time they had at one of their houses.
Jade was 13 when she realized that she was in love with the almost-13-years-old Tori. She was so confused at her own feelings regarding a certain latina. She didn’t know what to do, who to talk to, but figured her mother was her best option. ’The Talk’ as Jade dubbed it lasted for hours, with Elizabeth asking all kinds of questions, and being a psychologist herself, encouraged her child to talk about her emotions in depth. After about 3 hours of talking the older West was able to coax her daughter into telling Tori.
The day the raven-haired girl admitted her feelings to the young latina, was one of the best days of both of their lives. It turns out, what the West matriarch suspected, was in fact true and Tori felt the same way about Jade. The girls and their families couldn’t be happier. That night the two families went out to celebrate the young couple and their love.
The high school years started with Tori absent, leaving her sister and girlfriend to fend for themselves. Trina and Jade always had been and always will be best friends, but in school they acted as if they couldn’t stand each other and just the mere thought of the other was sickening. Not only that but Trina made it seem like she was the most untalented person in the world when actually she was one of the best actresses in the school. The girls established their own group of friends who virtually knew everything about the girls. That couldn’t have been further from the truth. Both girls kept their friends at arm's length, never letting them see the true side of them, especially Jade but Trina was a master manipulator, too. They never invited them to their homes until Trina was set to perform a song at the annual showcase and was paired with André.
-O-
Tori was just getting started on her science project when Trina came barging in, upset about having to have someone over when she wanted to spend a quiet night at home. She wouldn’t have been upset if it was just her and her family, maybe the West’s, after all they were family too. (She was like a cuddly teddy bear when it came to her favourite people.)
When André arrived they started practicing and did so until they got hungry and thirsty. Tori and Andre got along well enough so they were talking and laughing when the older latina got a message from Jade asking if she wanted to hang out with her at the West residence, knowing Tori had to finish her school project and not wanting to distract her. Trina’s reply consisted of her complaining about the practice and telling Jade to call Tori, because she knew her sister would want to spend time with Jade.
When Tori’s phone started ringing she excused herself from André and went to answer it with a blinding smile while stepping outside.
„Hey, bab-”
„Can I come over? I had a shitty day and I haven’t seen you in almost 2 weeks.” Jade was almost whining and Tori’s smile widened.
„Of course, you can! I would want nothing more, but you do know that André, as in André Harris, is here, right? I thought you didn’t want anyone to know about us?” Tori wasn’t upset, no one knew about it at her school either. The relationship wasn’t a secret, they just wanted to avoid the dumb questions. After years of trying and failing at asking them out, their peers just assumed Tori was too stuck up to date anybody, and almost everybody was afraid of Jade, the only one who would not leave her alone was Beck Oliver.
„Yeah, but I miss you so much and I just want to be held by you all night. When I said I had a shitty day, I meant that it sucked sooo much. Please, baby!” Jade was full on begging now, which was quite uncharacteristic of her. Not the words she used, she was a softie for Tori after all, but the begging.
„I’m sorry that you didn’t have a good day, Jay. I’ll be waiting for you to arrive and then we can lay down and not do anything else today, how’s that?”
„I love you, so much. I don’t care who hears that, or what they think. If I could, I would put it on billboards.” sighed Jade.
„I love you, too. I can’t wait to see you. Bye, babe!”
When Tori ended the call and turned around she noticed André waiting for her at the door with a curious expression.
„I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, Trina asked me to find you, so we could continue.”
„No, it’s all right. But I won’t be with you long, as it turns out I have plans.” giggled a little Tori as they started walking indoors.
The moment they entered they heard the distinct sound of the key opening the door. André, who thought one of the parents arrived, was confused to see Jade West step into the house. He was even more shocked when Trina leaped off the stairs straight into a bone crushing hug from the raven haired girl, who was smiling bigger than he had ever seen. He didn't understand what was going on. Jade West and Trina Vega in a warm and comfortable looking embrace? Unheard of.
„Okay, you two! Enough with this, save some for me. And don’t make it look like you weren’t hanging out everyday after school this week.” André whipped her head to her right at Tori’s voice. There was a beautiful smile on her face at the sight of her girlfriend and sister. The love that radiated from her eyes was almost consuming.
„Yeah, T, must you attack me?” chided Jade with a small smile at Trina.
„Oh, stop it, Jay. You love it!” André couldn’t comprehend the situation. If anyone would have the nerve to call Jade anything but that, they would lose a limb… or two, and yet Trina was just squeezed one more time before she let go of her and turned to them.
„Hi, André. I see you met Tori.” The smirk on the goth girl's face was concerning for André, who couldn’t utter a word, while she just slid one of her arms around the younger latinas waist.
„Stop it, Jade! I thought you wanted to spend time with your girlfriend and not to make people uncomfortable.” Tori was shaking her head at Jade’s antics while Trina was just laughing.
-O-
Tori’s acceptance into Hollywood Arts was unique to say the least. Trina's tongue swelled and Tori had to take her place. She, of course, performed brilliantly and thus got into the school. The West and Vega families couldn’t be prouder of her. They even celebrated when Trina got better.
Unknown to anyone Ryder Daniels and Beck Oliver were in the audience together and made a plan. Ryder would woo Tori and Beck would do the same with Jade (unbeknownst to them the girl’s relationship was rock solid).
The day after the showcase, a Saturday, was the perfect time for the couple to unwind and spend time with each other. It was even better that the West travelled with the now 10 years old Mark for his soccer tournament in the early morning hours. It wasn’t something new to them, the sleepovers didn’t stop after they became a couple and most nights Trina was with them. The parents weren’t too concerned about it, they knew the girls could be trusted.
Monday came much sooner than either of them wanted, still they got up and dressed in the morning for school.
„What are we going to do in school? Do you still want to hide our relationship?” asked Tori as she made breakfast for the two of them, the West’s still with their son at the tournament.
„No, but we can, if you’re not comfortable with the idea of being out to everyone. But just be aware that I’ll be jealous if anyone just looks at you.” grumbled a bleary eyed Jade West as she slurped her coffee.
„I know.” laughed the latina as she gave Jade a kiss while setting her breakfast in front of her. „I would like to be a couple, a real one. Holding hands, whispering in each other's ears, stealing kisses and not giving a damn about the other students.” confessed the brunette shyly while settling down on the black haired beuty’s lap.
„Then it’s settled. We’re gonna do all that.”
„But what about your reputation? I don’t want to pressure you into something you don’t want. I love you too much for that. If they see you being all lovey-dovey they may stop fearing you.”
„Tori, I could care less about that dumb reputation. You mean more to me than that. I want you to be happy and if being out as a couple makes you happy, then I’m gonna make sure everybody knows about us. I love you, okay? I, Jade West, am in love with you beyond expression. Don’t doubt that, please.” Jade held eye contact as she said those words, waiting until she got a smile from her partner. „And you don’t need to worry about others not fearing me anymore. That won’t happen.” The self assured smirk that appeared on her face was almost too sexy for Tori to handle.
„I feel the same way about you, Jay. I love you, to the Moon and back.” The two shared a soft but passionate kiss which then led to them making out at the dining table and only breaking it up when their control was starting to slip.
At Hollywood Arts the girls held hands as soon as they got out of the car. There were already lots of students in the parking lot and the school but nobody dared to say anything. They just watched with slacked jaws as the couple walked into the school. Tori very quickly noticed Jade’s locker and started giggling at her girlfriend's adorable obsession with scissors because yeah, she thought it was cute.