A/N: This chapter takes place 4 years after the main chapters. Enjoy!
"We're almost through, Tori, just one more form to sign..."
"Okay...and...done! Sending it back to you, Ms. West. I appreciate you doing this, by the way!"
"I was with you when you started, so it's only fair that I be with you when you get out, Tori. And...got it! I'll make sure this gets back to Mason right away! As of now, you are officially a free agent; independent from Neutronium Records. How do you feel?"
"Well...how does one usually feel when leaving a record label after almost 4 years? Relief? Like a lot of pressure just got lifted off of me, only for it to pile back on when I think of what I'm gonna do after?"
"I'm sure that's a tomorrow problem, dear. For now, you should take tonight to celebrate! Isn't Cat and Tara's performance tonight?"
"Yeah, it is! I'm actually supposed to be meeting Jade at Nichijou soon..."
"Then get on it! And tell them I say hi!"
"I will! I will! But first...there was something else I wanted to ask you, if you don't mind."
"Of course, dear. What is it?"
Jade was the first of their group to arrive at the restaurant. She made her way to a table in the corner with a clear view of the karaoke stage at the center. Sitting down, Jade closed her eyes and let herself relax for a moment before taking out her phone. Her lock screen never failed to make her smile; a picture of her and Tori in their graduation gowns with Cat and Tara at their sides. She smiled not only at the photo, but at how well her new phone captured the colors and didn't cut any of them off in its traditional, rectangular screen. The photo was covered, however, by a sudden stream of text notifications from the group chat.
CAT: Jade! Are you at Nichijoe already?
JADE: For the last time it's Nichijou! With a U! And yes, I am. Got us a table.
CAT: Great! Ra-ra and I are heading over there now!
JADE: Ra-ra?
CAT: It's my nickname for Tara! I tried calling her Ta-ta before, but she quickly said I should change it...
JADE: Smart girl. Don't distract her while she's driving. She's still new to it.
CAT: Kk. What about Tori?
TORI: Sorry! Just leaving home now! Had to finish exit paperwork with Nora!
JADE: Uh...since when do you call my mom by her name?
TORI: Since...now? She told me to!
JADE: Why?
TORI: My rideshare's pulling up! Tell you later?
JADE: I'll be waiting. Drink requests?
TORI: Tea!
CAT: Lemonade for me and Ra-ra!
JADE: ...right. Driving. See you soon, dorks.
Jade wrote down their drink orders for the waitress approaching her. As much as she wanted something stronger than tea or lemonade, it wouldn't be in good taste (literally or figuratively) to be the sole drinker in a group.
With a sigh, she picked up her phone again and scrolled through her social feed. She wasn't as active as she once was, but to her, that meant that each tweet or post was something worth sharing, unlike the dozens of food pictures and daily (or even hourly) mood updates she saw so much in high school. Her most recent posts included the same graduation photo as her lock screen, an album of her leaning over a camera and sitting at a chair as she directed her last student film project, and a photoshoot of her and Tori from the university's student life newsletter; their first public account about them as a couple.
One look at the first photo brought Jade back to how nervous Tori was on the day of that shoot, and how it took her almost half an hour (and more than a few whispered comfort songs) to calm her down and look as naturally happy as they ended up looking in the final shots. It helped that the photographer was considerate and made them both feel like they were in a calm, professional shoot, not an exploitative, paparazzi shoot. They both had a taste of that long ago, and they never wanted that again.
Jade continued scrolling through her feed, realizing how little she actually posted over the past few years. She chalked it up to being so busy with classes and theater work and shrugged it off. Seeing the highlights of those years, however, still brought a smile to her face with each significant holiday, project, and trip she and Tori had together. Even if she had the chance to tell 18-year-old Jade that she would spend the next 4 years living with, working with, and dating Tori Vega...maybe she'd be relieved to know her feelings would be reciprocated. Sighing in relief herself, she closed her phone and stowed it back in her pocket as her pot of hot tea arrived.
Jade had barely poured herself a cup when she heard the front door chime and two small blurs that resembled Cat and Tara were skittering from the entrance to the restroom. Jade could only laugh to herself until she turned back to the entrance, where Tori came in and spotted her at the table immediately.
"Hey~" Tori half-waved to her girlfriend as she walked over to the table. A quick glance showed Jade that she was holding her bag a little tighter than normal.
"Hey, yourself~" Jade turned in her seat and pulled the chair next to her out with her boot, "You worried about getting robbed or something?"
"N-No!" Tori tried laughing off the obvious nerves with a brush of her hair, "I just...felt cold tonight. That's all!"
"Well, if that's the case..." Jade smirked, leaning closer to her, "I know just the thing to get you warm~" She crooked her eyebrows toward Tori, making her blush for a moment before simply pushing the pot of tea to her, "You're lucky you got here right when the drinks did~"
"Oh, you..." Tori sighed at Jade's self-satisfied grin as she poured herself a cup of tea. "I hope you weren't waiting too long."
"Not at all. In fact, I just got here," Jade picked up her cup, but hearing her words triggered something in her mind. Tori caught Jade's flinch, and the two of them recalled an eerily similar moment from what seemed like a lifetime ago.
"Were you just thinking about...?"
"Yeah...you, too?"
"Yeah..." Tori chuckled and took a calm sip from her cup, "It's kind of...funny, huh?"
"Funny how?" Jade crooked an eyebrow up again, but this time with genuine confusion.
"Oh, just that we're here together, at a karaoke restaurant, about to watch our friends sing a new song..." Tori chuckled again and poured herself another cup of tea, "Like God has a sense of humor or something, right?"
"If there's a joke, I'm not getting it," Jade frowned, "You're squirreling on me, Vega. What's going on?"
Seeing that Jade wasn't looking as amused as she'd hoped, Tori set her cup down and took her girlfriend's hand, "Jade, you know why I was a little late getting here, right?"
"Yeah," Jade nodded shortly, "My mom was helping you finish your exit papers with Neutronium, so now you don't work for them anymore."
"R-Right, yeah..." Tori made a brief smile that quickly faded, "But, I mean, you already knew I was doing that for a while."
"You're not having second thoughts about it, are you? You said you were thinking about this since graduation; something about wanting a fresh start after college?"
"Yeah, exactly..." Tori nodded, looking down at their joined hands, "But leaving Neutronium wasn't the only thing I meant about that."
Jade followed her eyes down to their hands and felt Tori's thumb run across the top of her hand. "Tori...just spit it out. Don't leave me guess—"
"Okay, Nichijou! Who's ready for some music tonight?!" the DJ running the music onstage boomed over the speakers to the applause of all the restaurant's patrons. Slightly frustrated that their talk was interrupted, Jade gritted her teeth and tried to put it aside for what she knew was coming up.
"Our first song tonight is an original from a Nichijou newcomer, but loved all the way from Los Angeles, California! Give it up for Cat Valentine~"
The applause grew louder as Cat took the two microphones from their stands onstage and spoke into one, "And let's also give a big hand to my sweet girlfriend, who's singing with me, Tara Mendoza!" Hearing the audience follow suit with even more cheers and applause, she handed the other mic to Tara, who took it with a clear blush on her face as they stepped up together and cued the DJ to start the music. The two of them looked down as a soft, pop-synth beat filled the room. After a quick glance in Tori and Jade's direction, Cat and Tara's expressions immersed into the music as the former raised her microphone to sing the first verse:
Thought I'd end up with Sean
But he wasn't a match
Wrote some songs about Ricky
Now I listen and laugh
Even almost got married
And for Pete, I'm so thankful
Wish I could say "thank you" to Malcolm
'Cause she was an angel
Hearing some names that didn't ring any bells in her mind, Jade leaned over and asked Tori over the music, "Who are all these guys she's singing about?"
Tori simply smirked and answered, "Old exes, but she changed the names for obvious reasons!"
"Okay, but I don't think Malcolm's a girl's name..."
"No, it's not...maybe it was a flub, but I guess there's one 'ex' Cat can't let slide~" Tori shrugged and pointed to the stage to tell Jade to keep watching.
On stage, Cat stepped forward, wearing the same "performance persona" that they had seen years ago when she sang her first original song, and she broke into a charming dance to the rhythm of the refrain leading to the chorus.
I've loved and I've lost
But that's not what I see
So, look what I got
Look at what you taught me
And for that, I say
Thank you, next (next)
Thank you, next (next)
Thank you, next (next)
I'm so (I'm so) grateful for my ex
Thank you, next
Thank you, next
Thank you, next
I'm so...
The second verse drew right after as Tara stepped forward to take over, with her vocals catching the audience by just as much surprise as Cat's had.
Spent more time with my friends
I ain't worried 'bout nothin'
Plus, I met someone else
We're havin' better discussions
I know they say I move on too fast
But this one's gon' last
'Cause her name is Ari
And I'm so good with that~
With the last lines of her verse, Tara turned back to Cat and passed a knowing wink, to which the latter giggled quietly and joined her in alternating lines to the next refrain.
She taught me love
She taught me patience
She handles pain
That's just amazing
I've loved and I've lost
But that's not what I see
'Cause look what I've found
Ain't no need for searching',
And for that, I say...
Thank you, next (next)
Thank you, next (next)
Thank you, next
I'm so (I'm so) grateful for my ex~
The song continued to the audience clapping in rhythm and Tori's face glowing as she smiled for her two friends solidifying their relationship in song. Once again, Jade felt reminded of that very similar night 4 years ago as her gaze fell from Cat and Tara onstage to Tori. Whatever nerves were plaguing her in their conversation were gone the moment she started enjoying the music, like every time they had a performance, a project, or even just at home. It was obvious that music was a comfort to them both, and pressures like she was starting to feel with Neutronium and school were clearly getting to her, which was why Jade didn't have any objections to Tori dropping the label. They would return to that conversation soon, but for the moment, Jade simply smiled and wrapped her arms around Tori from behind and pulled her back to a sweet embrace as their friends' song drew to a close.
Cat and Tara were met with roaring applause as their performing personas gave way to the former giggling happily and hopping off the stage, dragging Tara with her to Tori and Jade's table. They quickly exchanged hugs and compliments and took their seats, immediately pouring glasses of lemonade for each other.
"Careful, little ones," Jade smirked, "Drink too fast and you'll be running to the bathroom again in no time~"
Tara rolled her eyes as she took her drink, "Ahh...so you saw that. Not our finest moment, forgetting to go before we left the hotel..."
"I can't believe you're still living out of that tiny room, Tara!" Tori laughed, "We extended that invitation to live with us at Piper's house years ago!"
Tara shook her head, "And like I said back then, three's a crowd! Besides, a smaller space is easier to manage, even when I have a guest with me~" She snuck a quick peck on Cat's cheek, earning a cute giggle in return.
"Now that I'm seeing it in person..." Jade chuckled, "It's better that you're on your own there. The 'suite life' seems to suit you fine, Short Stack."
"Oh, I loved that show!" Cat blurted out as soon as she heard the words, "Does anyone remember the one with that beauty pageant girl Cody tried to impress?"
"Hm...doesn't ring a bell," Tori shrugged, taking another sip of her tea and glancing away slightly. "Anyway! Amazing job, you two! That was really the first time you sang that live?"
"Yeah!" Cat grinned, "Ra-ra and I were rehearsing it for so long to get ready for this! I knew you could pick songs up first time around!"
"Well, it's a catchy tune, at least..." Tara smiled, "Your friend Andre really knows how to mix. I hope I get to meet him someday!"
"Maybe next holiday break, he'll finally come down from New York!" Tori set her cup down, "Now then, what are we having?"
Tori reached for a menu, but the sound of Jade's chair sliding out drew her attention first.
"Actually...I think I'll take a turn," Jade walked toward the stage, but turned back to Tori in a somewhat teasing manner, "You don't mind, do you, babe~?"
Feeling her face warm up at how easily she was caught off guard, Tori simply nodded, "G-Go ahead, Jade."
Cat cheered with a whoop and Tara clapped as Jade climbed the steps onto the stage and quickly typed in a song code.
Once the song was queued up, Jade grabbed the microphone in its stand and cleared her throat. "I'm Jade West, and this one goes out to my amazing girlfriend for 4 years today, Tori Vega!" Her introduction garnering cheers from the audience and an even deeper blush from Tori. Then, to her surprise, Jade's tone eased back to a sincere smile as she said, "I love you, Tori."
A few "aw"s and a muted reply from Tori ("I love you, too.") gave way as the soft guitar chords led into the first verse. Knowing the song by heart already, Jade kept her eyes on Tori as she sang in a low, almost quiet tone; one that none of them ever heard from her when it came to singing.
All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I've been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don't mean anything
When you've got no one to tell them to
It's true...I was made for you
From the first lyrics, Tori knew exactly what Jade was singing. It made her chuckle just a bit to see Jade willingly chose to sing a song so modern, as opposed to the classics she tended to lean toward, but she cheered nonetheless as this particular song fit her vocal range surprisingly well—as evidenced by Jade going from quiet to near-belting as the instrumentals kicked in with the second verse.
I climbed across the mountaintops
Swam all across the ocean blue
I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules
And baby, I broke them all for you
Oh, because even when I was flat broke
You made me feel like a million bucks, you do
And I was made for you...
The audience broke out into applause through the instrumental break and Jade soaked it all in with a smile and a knowing wink to Tori, who was cluing in more to why Jade chose this song to sing tonight.
Though they were still relatively young, the two of them have started to look very different from when they met in Hollywood Arts; both on the outside and on the inside. Only a few people know what Tori and Jade have gone through in the last few years alone, growing past the screwball high school antics to young professionals, but only they knew how much closer they've grown together.
"I meant it, you know? All of it...I have feelings for you, Ve...Tori."
"I don't want my next year—my next day—to be spent still wondering if this could have been something special. I want to be with you, Jade."
"Don't think I'm going to tease you any less. You're still my cute little dork, after all."
"This is what you've been dreaming of...and I'll be there with you the whole time."
"I was going to say...that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, that I probably wouldn't have made it here without you...and most of all...that I love you, Jade West."
"I love you, Tori Vega, and I don't care what anyone else thinks...no one except you."
You see the smile that's on my mouth
It's hiding the words that don't come out
And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed
They don't know my head is a mess
No, they don't know who I really am
And they don't know what I've been through like you do
And I was made for you
The room fell quiet for a brief moment as Jade took a deep breath and belted the final chorus, almost to the point of her voice straining like it did when she sang hard rock, but that raw emotion struck a chord with the applauding audience. Cat and Tara cheered the loudest, but Tori sat quietly, almost brought to tears by the cross of vulnerability and ferocity that Jade only rarely showed in song.
All of these lines across my face
Tell you the story of who I am
So many stories of where I've been
And how I got to where I am
But these stories don't mean anything
When you've got no one to tell them to, it's true
That I was made for you
Oh yeah, well it's true
That I was made...for you.
Even as the whole restaurant was bursting with applause, Jade and Tori's eyes were still fixed on each other, as if they were silently communicating to each other until Jade sauntered back to their table with a confident smirk on her face.
Cat squealed and practically jumped onto Jade with a hug, "Jade, that was so good! I haven't heard you sing in sooo long!"
Jade chuckled as she seemed too happy from the song to be angry at Cat touching her. Though she politely yanked her off and held her up like her namesake until Tara pulled Cat back to her. "Well, it's good to know my musical chops haven't rusted from behind the camera~"
"You know, you mentioned wanting to try acting more before writing and directing in the professional space..." Tori smiled, "Maybe whatever you do should have some music attached to it; keep those pipes tuned, so to speak~?"
With a knowing wink, Jade took a long sip of her tea, "It's a consideration."
"What about you, Tori?" Tara nodded in her direction, "You gonna sing, too?"
"Oh, uh..." Tori scratched her neck, looking at the line already forming by the stage, "I think I'll pass tonight, besides we still need to order dinner, right?"
Everyone nodded in agreement and went to pick up a menu from their spots at the table. Jade saw hers under Tori's bag and was about to lift it off when Tori quickly snatched it off herself and placed it next to her. Looking up, Jade could see a visible tint of red in Tori's face, but shrugged it off as she took her menu.
An hour later, Tara, Jade, Cat, and Tori were outside the restaurant, saying their goodbyes before separating for the night. Back in their house, Jade was in the middle of shedding off her jacket when she heard Tori's phone ping behind her and she was hunched over reading the notification with a sigh.
"What's up?" Jade asked as she hung her jacket on the coat rack.
"Nothing," Tori shook her head, "Just didn't expect the rideshare bill to be so big. Guess it was the night rate I didn't consider; since I barely use rideshares anyway."
"Yeah...sorry I didn't just pick you up from the house," Jade frowned, "But the bill can't be that big from the house to Nichijou."
"W-Well, it wasn't exactly straight from the house," Tori stammered, holding her bag tightly, "I made a stop at the shopping district to pick something up."
"What? We forget to restock on toothpaste again?"
"N-No! Nothing like that!" Tori sighed, reaching into her bag, taking something out, and holding it behind her. "Remember why I was late getting to the restaurant?"
"That was why?" Jade scoffed, "That's no big deal, Tori. Dental hygiene's important—"
"It wasn't that, dammit!" Tori groaned, "I was talking with your mom, not just about the exit paperwork for Neutronium, but for something else...I wanted to ask her something...important."
"What did you ask her?" Jade turned her full attention to Tori, noticing her hand tucked behind her.
"Something...that made me take that detour to pick something up." Tori could feel her heart beating faster and her hand starting to sweat, praying it wouldn't show on what she was holding.
"We...we talked about getting a fresh start after graduation, remember, Jade?"
"Yeah..." Jade took a step closer, "That's why you left Neutronium, but is there more to that?"
"Well...yeah." Tori bit her lip, pulling together her next words very carefully. "You remember what today is?"
"...Saturday?"
"Not just Saturday!"
"I know, you dork! It's the day we got together 4 years ago; I said as much before that song!"
"Then why would you answer like that?"
"Why would you ask if I clearly knew?"
"B-Because...I'm nervous as all hell, okay?" Tori sighed and Jade backed off the snark long enough for her to continue. "I still remember that drive home from Karaoke Dokie, when we talked about each other, where we were going, what we thought we'd be leaving behind...like how we felt about each other. Then you kissed me, and everything changed from there. Remember when I said I didn't want to go another day—another year—wondering if what we had would be something special?"
"Uh-huh..." Jade nodded seriously.
"With everything we've gone through, I think we can both agree that what we have is indeed special..." Tori smiled, "And I may not know what's ahead, now that we're graduated and free agents in regards to our work, but I want to believe that we can take it on together, just like we have these last 4 years. Right, partner?"
Jade couldn't help but chuckle at the moniker, but nodded again, "Ride or die, babe."
Tori took a deep breath before continuing, "I'm glad you feel the same...and that's why I asked your mom...and I got this."
She let her hand fall from behind her, revealing the small box that she then turned over and held out in front of her. She watched Jade's eyes widen and heard her gasp as she knelt down on one knee. With her heart beating faster than ever, Tori smiled as she opened the box and asked:
"Jadelyn Elizabeth West...will you marry me?"
Jade stood still, completely speechless for once, and stared at the ring that shined against the lights in their room. One look at Tori's beaming smile brought Jade to tears, to which she let out another laugh, "Well...well, it's about time, dammit!"
Tori's eyes widened this time, "Is that a yes?"
"Of course it's a yes, you dork!" Jade laughed again, letting herself cry happily, "I'll marry you, Tori!"
Overjoyed, Tori snatched the ring from the box, slid it on Jade's finger, and stood up to kiss her more passionately than any moment before. After their kiss broke, they rested against each other, laughing and gazing into each other until their front door suddenly swung open.
"Hey, Tori, Jade?" Tara entered, oblivious to what was in front of her as she slid out of her boots, "Cat said you had extra toothpaste, so do you mind if we..." Her eyes finally locked onto the couple hugging mere feet in front of her and the large ring on Jade's hand over Tori's shoulder. "Oh my...oh my god!" Tori and Jade only laughed as Tara dashed to them and wrapped her tiny arms around them both.
The front door still open, Cat's head poked inside as she asked, "Ra-ra, do they have toothpaste or...AHHH!" In the high squeal that only Cat could possibly make, she dashed in, slamming the door shut, and hugged the growing pile in front of her.
"Okay..." Jade managed to say through all the squeezing hugs, "There's a very inappropriate joke I could make, but since I just got engaged, I'm in a good mood. Now get off me!" Tara and Cat backed away immediately and Tori pecked her cheek with a slight giggle. "Now then...I think this calls for our own little celebration, don't you think?"
"I'll get the wine!" Tara dashed to the kitchen.
"I'll get the toothpaste!" Cat dashed to the bathroom.
"I'll get...something ready," Tori smiled, walking to the living room as Jade locked their front door; lest anyone else barge in on this moment. Jade came in just in time to see Tori seated behind their piano and looking straight at her with a smile.
"Looks like I'm singing after all," she chuckled, "But this one's special...just the moment—and person—I wanted this song to be for." Her hands found the chords and she began to play the familiar intro while Tara and Cat joined them in the living room. Jade took a seat in her lounge chair, looking down at her ring and back up to her new fiancé as she sang:
I don't wanna make a scene
I don't wanna let you down
Try to do my own thing
And I'm starting to figure it out
That it's alright, keep it together
Wherever we go
And it's alright
Oh well, whatever
Everybody needs to know
You might be crazy
Have I told you lately
That I love you
You're the only reason that I'm not afraid to fly
And it's crazy that someone could change me
Now no matter what it is I have to do
I'm not afraid to try
And you need to know that you're the reason why
As she sang, Tori looked around the room at every decoration they put of their achievements from her showcase to graduating college; all of them precious memories to her. Then she watched the delighted expressions on Cat and Tara's faces, overflowing with joy and pride for this moment. Finally, she locked eyes with Jade, and everything else fell away. For the rest of that song, there was only Tori, the piano she played on, and Jade; her best friend, her fiancé, her Postgrad Partner.
Until next time~