Waking up to the morning sunlight over her face was nothing new to Tori at this point, but the warmth of Jade's body pressed against her on the couch was a feeling too comforting to ignore. It was the third time they woke up together, though this felt like a middle ground between when they became a couple and the night they made love together. They didn't go all the way this time, but it was still quite a night to cap off their first real date; and hopefully more to come.
Tori's eyes fell on Jade, who was still fast asleep flat on her back, but with a telltale smile that told volumes of how much she enjoyed the last night and a strap of her bra hanging off her shoulder. It was almost a picture-worthy moment, if Tori wasn't too dazed herself from their cuddling, but she settled for a quiet laugh to herself.
Despite every urge to just lay on the couch with Jade all day, Tori slowly sat up and reached for her phone on the table in front of her. She read the time, 7:30, across the lock screen and lightly ran her free hand across Jade's arm hooked around her.
"Jade~" Tori whispered sweetly, "We have to get up now~"
"Mm...don't wanna," Jade mumbled, nuzzling her face against Tori's neck, eliciting a light giggle from her. "Can't we call in sick today?"
"No, we can't," Tori replied, turning over to face Jade, still only inches from her and still half-asleep, "You told Emily Parker you were gonna meet with her today, remember?"
"Fine..." Jade groaned as her eyes slowly lifted open. Her grumpy frown turned into a light smile as Tori's face filled her vision. With a sigh, she sat up and stretched her arms to a satisfying pop of her joints. "Mm! I like cuddling with you, Tori, but next time, let's go to one of our bedrooms first!"
"Oh, you're so sure there'll be a next time~?" Tori smirked as she sat up next to her, "Someone's forgetting the Roommates Rule~"
"Excuse me?" Jade scoffed, poking Tori's forehead with her finger, "Who was it that initiated our little makeout last night that ended up on this very couch?"
"W-Well..." Tori stammered, blushing as she recalled the near-intimate moment, "It's your fault for using your seduction voice and whispering that you loved me in my ear like that!"
"Like my writing, I say what I feel~" Jade shrugged, "You should know that by now!" Her eyes fell from Tori's adorably puffed cheeks to the black and gold necklace still safely—albeit unevenly—set over Tori's bra. Jade quickly adjusted it before giving Tori a quick kiss, "You wanna shower first?"
"If I do, that means you're making breakfast~" Tori raised her eyebrows in anticipation to Jade's response, which was a quick leap off the couch and into the bathroom herself. Laughing to herself, Tori ran a hand through her hair to smooth out any messiness before getting up and throwing her shirt back on to prepare breakfast.
As Tori took out some leftovers from the fridge and set them on the counter, her eyes caught the University of Miami folder Jade kept on the dining table next to their bags. Curiously, she leafed through the admissions forms they had spent the other day reading about requirements and how they could potentially graduate early with advance credits. Everything seemed to work out in their favor, Tori thought, but nothing would be certain until at least one of them was actually considering applying; one...or both of them.
"Hey, babe," Jade called, opening the bathroom door and poking her head out, "Are we eating those admissions forms for breakfast? I know my mom said I need to eat more fiber, but—"
"Sorry, I was just—Jade!" Tori glanced up then immediately covered her eyes with the folder upon seeing Jade naked, even if it was only from her chest up. "Put on a towel!"
"Tori...you've already seen me naked, remember? Man, how were you in locker rooms at school?" Jade's eyes narrowed before rolling her eyes and shutting the bathroom door behind her, shouting over the running water, "I just wanted to ask for an extra shot in my coffee!"
"You could have said that with a towel on!" Tori shouted back as she put the folder down, took a deep breath, and returned to the kitchen.
Opening Jade's box of leftover pork fried rice, she poured what remained of Jade's dinner onto a plate and tossed it in the microwave for one minute. Stepping back to watch the bowl spinning from a safe distance, Tori's mind went back to the idea of college. It was the most she actually considered going after her record deal occupied so much of her mind throughout senior year. She thought back to everyone else discussing their plans post-Hollywood Arts.
Andre was offered a full scholarship from a famous conservatory in New York, which was a no-brainer for him after all the acclaim he'd received from his music teachers and having family in New York helped his living situation. Tori recalled a movie they had seen together about a similar situation that turned into quite a crazy drama, but Andre insisted he would never let it get as hectic as that movie—especially when their own experiences were hectic enough to adapt into a sitcom.
Robbie and Cat were set on attending UCLA to knock out general studies for their first year while they considered their respective career paths. They seemed more concerned with each other for a while, but some incident involving Cat's roommate, Sam, her ex-boyfriend, Freddie, and a pool of tuna fish seemed to change their relationship significantly, at least according to Jade.
Beck was already being cast in movies even when they were still attending Hollywood Arts, including the Resident Evil adaptation he was cast in after graduation, so he seemed okay with not pursuing a degree yet; at least until he felt like settling down from acting...if he felt like settling down. Everyone agreed he could handle the film world; considering he handled everything rather well with his cool, relaxed demeanor.
It was a shock to everyone that Trina was able to graduate in the top half of her class, but her grades in her performing arts classes were insufficient for advanced credit, so she decided on starting from scratch at a local community college before transferring somewhere else later. Tori felt partly responsible for Trina still living at home since their parents spent a lot to secure her new home in Miami following the record deal from Neutronium, but Trina brushed off the thought and has only ever been supportive of her; much to her relief.
And then there was Jade, who was uncharacteristically quiet and kept to herself for the majority of senior year—save for a few verbal jabs that may have just been second nature at that point. If not for their group outing at the boardwalk fair after graduation and Cat's performance at Karaoke Dokie on that fateful night, Tori might never have gotten to know Jade as well as she does now. She made sure to show her gratitude for that with every moment they shared after. Now they were in a relationship, living together, working together at times, so going to school together again should have been a no-brainer. So why wasn't it?
Lost in her thoughts all alone, Tori almost didn't hear the shower stop running and Jade emerging from the bathroom with only a long black towel covering her.
"Okay~ I have a towel on now...and only a towel on~" Jade called over to her with a teasing tone, "You happy now, Vega?" To her surprise, Tori only glanced at her for a second and flashed a smile before turning her head back around. With a curious eyebrow quirked, Jade moved closer and leaned her cold, slightly wet bare shoulder against Tori's. "Penny for your thoughts?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry Jade." Tori snapped out of her thoughts long enough to recognize Jade in her half-dressed state and flushed immediately at the sight. "Th-thanks for putting on a towel this time..."
"Tori," Jade frowned, now certain her girlfriend was somewhere else entirely, "What's on your mind? Are the leftovers really beyond recooking or something?"
"N-No, they're fine—I mean, if you're okay with fried rice for breakfast..." Tori rolled her eyes and turned toward Jade, "I was just thinking about...college. I took another look at the papers you got from Emily Parker and I started considering my options, too. Do you think she'll be able to make time for both of us today?"
Jade shrugged, "I don't see why she wouldn't, especially for her daughter's idol~"
"Are we talking about me or you, Miss Pretty Director~?" Tori smirked, reminding her of their chance encounter with Emily and Rose on their date.
The resounding blush on Jade's face was proof enough that Tori's teasing worked. "Touché. Anyway, we'll just have to see when we get there. For now, though, I'm gonna go get dressed..." she smiled as she turned around in the direction of her bedroom, "Unless...you'd like to take a picture while you can~ You know what they say about a picture and a thousand words, right?"
Instantly, Tori's face turned as red as the peppers in the fried rice and she turned her back to hide it, unsuccessfully. "J-Just go get dressed, Jade!"
"Your loss~" Jade chuckled as she continued on her way, blowing a kiss as she did so.
With breakfast prepped and Jade already dried and dressed up, Tori wasted no time getting her own shower ready. Much like the microwave in the kitchen, the white noise of the shower water running cleared Tori's mind as she went back to the idea of attending school again. What would it mean for her music career? Could she balance both responsibilities, or would one of them eventually give way to the other? As she ran her shampoo through her hair, another thought creeped in that she realized she was taking for granted; Jade staying with her in Miami.
Ever since the showcase a few weeks back, they didn't have to worry about rent or Jade finding work of her own, not to mention she was on greater terms with her own mother, but was it enough to convince Tori's parents that they weren't just a summer fling; that this was something more for them? As she rinsed her hair under the showerhead, Tori hoped it would be enough...because she really didn't want to tell her mom and dad about the...intimate details, otherwise.
A few minutes later, Tori came out of the bathroom, already dressed for the day, and found Jade at the dining table typing away on her phone. She joined her, politely resisting the temptation to peek over at her text message; though it wasn't hard for Jade to catch on.
"Have I told you how much I hate this phone's screen?" Jade chuckled, "The pear shape lost its charm years ago, in my opinion."
"And have I told you that you could easily get a new one like mine if you didn't spend so much on this little necklace for me?" Tori sighed, looking down at the beautiful gold piece around her neck, "I mean, it's not that I'm ungrateful, but..."
"Well," Jade shrugged, "How I feel about you outweighs my grievances with this phone. Besides, the next model is probably due to be announced soon anyway; just in time for the holidays~"
"Fair point," Tori shook her head as she took an apple to slice from their fruit basket. "So who are you texting?"
"Emily. Just letting her know ahead of time that you wanna talk about enrolling, too. Would probably be better for us if she wasn't blindsided."
"Good idea...but right now I'm not really thinking about college, at least not first."
"Why? What's on your mind this time?"
"You...I-I mean, you still being here...with me. You know, when we promised my parents way back when?"
"I remember, but after your showcase and your cover album, you still think they won't sign off on us?"
"Believe me, I want them to! But...maybe we shouldn't assume they will. Maybe there's something we can do to show them what we've been up to; more than the music stuff, I mean."
"...You might be onto something. Maybe we can think of it on the way to the university?"
"Of course!" Tori smiled, taking a bite from her apple, "I'm glad you're on board with this, babe..."
"Why wouldn't I be?" Jade winked, "After all, I don't give my time and admiration to just anyone~"
It was all Tori could do not to choke on her food upon hearing that, "Okay! Just remember not to add that to whatever we do for my parents, got it?!"
"I make no promises~" Jade grinned wickedly, in the way Tori both feared and somehow loved at the same time.