Work Text:
It was nearing seven in the evening, rehearsals coming to an end. Tori and Jade were assigned the task of returning the props and costumes back into the prop closet. Both were peeved at first at having been partnered for anything, but came to a begrudging agreement that as long as the other didn’t get in their way then no feathers would be ruffled.
Tori groaned, plopping the large box of props onto the floor. Leaning against the far wall, Tori took a moment to rest, the walk to the prop closet long and winding. She cursed her assignment as it took the longest, everyone else already on their way home. Even the janitor had left.
Jade struggled to enter the prop closet as the mountain of costumes stacked atop one another hindered her ability to see. Her foot caught on something hard. She gave it no mind as she focused on regaining her footing, cussing under her breath.
Tori turned subconsciously, head turning towards the commotion. Her eyes widen, hand reaching out but far too late, “wait the…” her body slackens in resignation as the door slams behind Jade “…door.” She sighs sliding down onto the floor.
Jade dumps the clothes onto the floor, she faces Tori, eyebrows creased. “Please don’t tell me we’re locked in.”
“Ok. I won’t.”
“Vega! We can’t be locked in! No! I can’t be locked in with you of all people!”
Tori rolls her eyes, “ I’m not exactly thrilled either.”
“Whatever. You stay in your corner and I stay in mine.” Jade huffs, sliding down heavily onto the floor, muttering along the way.
Thirty minutes pass by gruelingly, time seeming to stretch on and on. Jade growled suddenly kicking at a bucket nearby. The bucket topples over, hitting the floor heavily. The lid snaps open as its contents spill all over Tori. Red paint splattered across her clothes, staining her skin.
“Jade!” Tori stood in a panic, futilely trying to get the paint off of her body. “What the hell! What’s your problem!” Her voice wavered as her throat tightened, eyes stinging. That was her favorite shirt.
“Oh, get off it,” Jade scoffed, holding her legs tightly to her body, “it’s just a little paint. You won’t die.”
“A little paint! I’m fucking soaked!” Tori screamed, inching closer, tears streaming down her face.
Jade smirked, standing to her full height, towering over Tori. “So little miss sunshine does know how to cuss. Didn’t think you had it in you.”
“Fuck you.” Tori turned towards the shelves, in search of anything that can clean up the mess. “Is it so hard to say sorry?”
“Sorry?” Jade inched closer to Tori, her steps precise and careful as to not slip on the paint, “just be glad that’s all I did!”
Tori swiveled around with a furious speed, “seriously, what is your problem! I don’t get why you hate me so much! All I’ve done is try and be your friend! Even— even when you’ve done nothing but my life a living hell, I still tried!”
“I never asked you to! You did that all on your own, so don’t try to patronize me. I. Never. Asked.” Jade jabbed her finger into Tori’s shoulder at the last three words.
Tori exhaled heavily, shoulders slumping as she looked down, “you’re right. You never asked.” She looked up with a small smile, not quite reaching her eyes, “I’ll stop. You won’t have to worry about me anymore.” At that moment Tori found a paper towel roll and began trying to clean herself up, slinking to the floor.
Jade felt the small pit in her stomach that appeared whenever Tori was involved get larger and heavier. The tone of Tori’s voice, her words, the way she seemed to shrink into herself, it all caused a deep ache in Jade’s chest. She hadn’t meant what she said, really, she hadn’t. But with Tori she doesn’t seem to think, she only aims to hurt, to push away. Seems she finally got what she wished for. Jade returned to where she was sitting, placing her head on her shoulders as they rested on her knees.
Two hours or so later, stifled sniffles could be heard throughout the closet. As much as Tori attempted to muffle them, the closet wasn’t exactly the largest.
Jade groaned, causing Tori’s breath to hitch. “I don’t… I don’t hate you, Vega.”
Tori scoffed, “well you could’ve fooled me.”
“I’m serious. As much as my actions may show it or I may say it. I don’t hate you, Tori.” Jade sighed as she made her way towards Tori.
Tori stiffened as Jade approached. Noticing this, Jade held her hands up, a white flag of sorts. She sat near her but made sure to leave an arms-length of space between them. “So, why, Jade?”
Jade slammed her head against the wall, a loud thud sounding throughout the room, one that makes Tori grimace. “You make me feel things I don’t want to.” Jade’s voice is low, a small quiver making its way through. “That first day I saw you, your first day here, I had already noticed you in the halls. The way the light highlighted your cheekbones, your soft smile, your faux confidence even as your hands trembled, your atrocious side bangs.” At the last one, Jade lets out a dry laugh. “All those things and more brought butterflies to my stomach. Butterflies that never once flapped their wings when it came to Beck. And that…”, Jade’s voice breaks, she pauses, taking a shaky breath, “…that terrified me, Tori. So, I did what I do best. I pushed you away. But you… you just wouldn’t quit. No matter what I did or what I said, you always came back. Always with a smile on your face, never once complaining. And that…” Jade took a deep breath, “… that drove me insane. You drove me insane.” Jade lifted her head, chest tightening at Tori’s unwavering gaze, her face void of any clues as to how she was feeling.
A breath, then two, then a loud, boisterous, incredulous laugh. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh, it’s just…”, Tori wipes a tear, turning towards Jade with soft eyes and even softer smile, “you’re such a thespian, Jade.”
The tension eases from Jade’s shoulders, she rolls her eyes, mirroring Tori’s soft smile. She lightly pushes Tori’s shoulder. “You’re an ass, you know that?”
“Oh, no, no, no. There is no bigger ass than you, Jade West.”
“Oh, my, Vega. Have you been checking out my ass?” Jade raises her eyebrows, covering her mouth conspiratorially.
“Oh, shut up.” Now, it was Tori’s turn to lightly push Jade. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know you love this ass.”
“You’re insufferable.”
Both laugh at the direction their conversation took. After their giggles die down, a soft quiet blankets them. Not tense and charged like they’re used to but one of quiet contemplation and thinking.
Suddenly Tori gasps, “you called me Tori!”
Jade raises an eyebrow, a small and confused chuckle escaping her lips, “it’s your name, isn’t it?”
“You never call me Tori, always Vega. Only Vega.”
“Guess it was my way of separating the Tori that made me feel butterflies from the Vega that I was trying to hate.” Jade shrugs.
Tori lets out a short huff, lips quirked, a sound that felt as though it was half-laugh and half-disbelief. She stared straight ahead, eyes seemingly unfocused, as if staring through the wall and not at it. “You know, that very first day, I was enamored by you. The curl of your lips was the first thing I noticed, I remember thinking that it didn’t belong there. Your eyes were the second thing, a cool and icy blue, but they held a blazing inferno, one so hot that my whole body felt like it was on fire. Then your voice, smooth like molasses, even though your words were sharp and pointed, your voice was like sirens call. I’d follow it anywhere.” She lets out a laugh, mirthless, more hollow than anything, “Then you accused me of “wanting Beck” and I tried to assuage your fears, hell I almost outed myself for your sake. But it was futile, you’d made up your mind.” Tori sighed.
“Outed… yourself?” Jade swallowed, hope and fear warring.
Tori’s eyebrows pull together, eyes wide. “I’m gay, Jade! I never wanted, Beck. Never did, never will. And before you mention it, that stage kiss was just payback for dumping coffee on my head. The smell of coffee grounds wouldn’t leave my head for a week. A week, Jade!”
Jade has the decency to look sheepish at that, head ducked. She lifts her head and turns to Tori, “so, you never wanted, Beck?” She knows her voice sounds strangely high, but she needs that final confirmation.
“No! God, no! Him being a guy aside, he’s not even my type.”
Jade shuffles on the ground, interest piqued. “Not that I care or anything, but what’s your type?”
Tori smirks, “Goths with a flair for the dramatics that are a pain in my ass. Know anyone like that?”
Jade tenses, not expecting Tori to be so forthcoming. It takes her a second to let Tori’s words really sink in. “I think I know someone like that. Though, I’m not sure she deserves you.” All the things she’d done to Tori, all the times she’s been cruel. Having Tori indirectly confessing her feelings felt like a dream, one she never wanted to wake up from. But that’s just it, it wasn’t, and the guilt of all the stupid things she’s done to hurt Tori, it was eating her alive.
Tori slides closer to Jade, carefully taking her hand, not because she thought she was fragile, on the contrary, it was because she knew how strong Jade was. Strong-minded and strong-willed. “Don’t say that. Jade, our history aside, it took a lot of courage to open up to me the way you did. You could’ve just stayed silent and let me walk out of your life. But you opened up, something I know you don’t do often. Yes, you’ve hurt me. Nearly broken me. But this can be a new chapter for us, if we both try and you work to show me how you’ve changed. I think we can be beautiful.” The words come out softly, under-toned by a firmness that left no room for ifs-ands-or-buts. Tori lightly touches Jade’s jaw, coaxing her to look at her.
Jade stares into the most beautiful pools of brown she’s ever seen. “If I would’ve let you walk away… I would’ve never forgiven myself, Tori. Ever.” Jade’s hand covers Tori’s as she holds Jade’s face. “I promise to do better everyday. No fear is worth the risk of losing you, not when just being near you makes me braver than I ever knew how to be.” Jade other hand caresses Tori’s cheek, pulling them together as their heads lean against each other. “I’m sorry, Tori. For ever thinking that I could push you away, for all the things I’ve done trying to. You deserve better and I will strive to be that everyday.”
Silent tears left hot wet trails across both girls’ faces. Tori surged forward capturing dark lips in a searing kiss. The girls attempting to convey both things said and unsaid through the heated embrace.
Pulling back slowly, foreheads still touching, Tori let out a wet laugh. “I can’t believe it took us being locked in a closet together, for us to finally resolve the now extremely obvious sexual tension between us.”
“You’re so gay, Vega.”
“Hey! We’re so gay.”
“Shut up.”
“No you.”
“What are you? Five?”
“No, you’re five!”
“I’m beginning to regret this.”
“Nuh-uh. No takesies-backsies. We’re girlfriends now, deal with it.”
“I don’t remember getting asked out. Trying to get all the benefits without the work, eh Vega?”
“Oh, shut up. If anyone’s going to ask anyone out, it’s you asking me.”
Jade’s already wide grin seems to impossibly widen, “Tori Vega, will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?”
Tori rolls her eyes, half-heartedly pushing Jade’s shoulder, “You’re an ass. But to answer your question, yes. I will do you the honor of being your girlfriend.”
“Your ass.”
“Shut up, and kiss me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The next day the couple were luckily found by Andre, who had forgotten his wallet in the pocket of his costume. Wrapped around each other as they slept against the hard floor. Andre had the mind to snap a picture before gently waking them to release them from their overnight prison.
Moving a safe distance away, he’d shown them the photo he’d taken, fawning over their cuteness together and yammering on about how it was time they finally “fucked it out.”
Jade growled loudly, jumping and beginning to chase Andre across the school, yelling at him to delete the photo. Only to ask him to send it to her once she’d caught him but not before threatening to do serious bodily harm if he ever dared to share the photo.
That photo remained as Jade’s phone background until it was eventually replaced by one of her, Tori, and their three daughters.