Disclaimer: I kinda like bold text. I actually feel bolder. It's weird. I'm gonna talk like this in real life. Oh, and I don't own Victorious. Boldly.

A/N: Oh, before we start, I'ma need you guys to suspend your belief, 'kay? I realise the... uh, flaws in the scenario, but I couldn't help myself. I love cheese.

"...And Cat will be paired with..." Tori burst into the classroom, just in time to hear Sikowitz's announcement, "...Tori."

Tori sat down breathlessly, panting. "What'd I miss?" She asked Andre surreptitiously.

Andre grinned at her. "Oh, you're gonna love this."

Sikowitz clapped his hands together, getting everyone's attention. "Okay, you've all done this before, so this year I want the advanced version! Make me believe it people. I want to feel borderline uncomfortable! Make me feel like a dirty old man watching you!"

Tori eyes flicked from side to side, trying to make sense of Sikowitz's expectorations. "What's he talking about? Advanced?" She hissed at Andre, looking panicked.

"Ah! Tori! I forgot you weren't here last year. You know about stage kissing?" Boomed Sikowitz, turning to her.

Tori nodded... she'd been doing it since the first day she'd got here. "Well, this is similar. You and your partner devise a short play in which the two of you kiss. Last year's was more simple, this is intermediate, which means, oh..." Sikowitz raised his hand to about the height of his shoulder, "About this much smut."

"This can't be legal." Muttered Tori, her eyebrows furrowed.

Sikowitz flapped his hand at her, "Pish! Tosh! Legal... we're a performing arts school, and kissing is a vital part of performance! If you can't believably kiss anyone, how can you become an actor, hmm? Or, failing that, even a second rate porn star? You think Rosie Cheeks never had to kiss anyone she didn't like?"

"What? Who's that?"

"Oh, nobody. Just a girl who used to go here and- nevermind. She's in Silicon Valley now."

Tori sighed heavily. "Okay. Who's my partner then? Do we get to choose?"

"Your partner is Cat." Cat waved to Tori from across the room.

Tori took a deep breath. "Cat? You mean that Cat? Girl Cat? Cat Valentine?"

"Told you you were gonna love it." Murmured Andre, smirking.

Sikowitz spun around, returning to the stage. "Okay, same rules. No changing partners, no complaining, no full frontal nudity! You have two weeks to come up with your scene. And remember people, it must be believable! If I wanted fake kissing, I'd go home to my wife!"

The bell chimed, Tori frozen in her seat when Cat bounced up to her.

"Hey Tori! We're partners! Isn't it great!"

Tori looked up at Cat incredulously. "Great? Cat... you do know what we have to do, right?"

Cat looked worried. "Is there something else? I thought we just had to kiss..."

Tori looked exasperated. "Exactly Cat." She frowned. "How is this legal?"

A cutting voice sounded behind Tori. "Oh come on Vega, grow up." Tori turned to see Jade glaring at her. "It's just stage kissing. You either do it, or you fail. I don't care either way, just stop complaining about it."

Cat watched Jade leave, twirling a strand of red velvet hair around her fingers. "I had Jade last year. She was really good."

Tori's eyes widened. "What? You... you had to kiss Jade?"

"Mhm." Cat said simply, swaying slightly. "There weren't enough boys in our class last year either. That and he mixed up the hats with the boys and girls names in them."

Cat gasped suddenly. "Oh! I'm late for makeup class! See ya Tori!" She rushed off, leaving a gaping Tori behind in her wake.

Tori fretted the rest of the day. It didn't seem to be a big deal to anyone else, but Tori just wasn't as... as liberal as them, she guessed. All they ever said in response to her questions was, "It's just acting." Tori knew that! She knew it was just acting... it was just... she wasn't that good at acting yet. She couldn't detach herself like it seemed everyone else could. Despite that, she found herself agreeing when Cat asked if she could come over to rehearse. She'd tried to frantically backpedal when she realised what that might entail, but Cat had already skipped away, humming to herself.

Tori crossed her legs, jogging her foot nervously. Cat was supposed to be here any minute, and Tori was freaking out. It wasn't Cat per say, it was what Cat was. A girl. As far as girls went, Tori supposed, Cat was quite nice... adorable even, and a hell of a lot better than whoever else she could've been paired with... like Jade. Tori shivered at the thought. She reasoned that it was better being someone she knew, especially someone like Cat, who was probably a pretty good kisser anyway. Wait. What? Did she really just think that?

Tori jumped at the sound of the door, springing to her feet clumsily. She opened the front door, groaning internally as she saw Cat lounged against the frame, turning towards Tori as the door opened.

"Hey Tor! You ready?"

"No. I mean... come in." Tori cursed mentally, moving out of the way as Cat bounced inside. Cat never could seem to walk anywhere, or, rather, she always seemed so full of energy. She made Tori feel ancient and slow in comparison. Tori closed the door softly, Cat already seated and rummaging through her purse when she turned around.

Cat pulled a slip of paper from her bag triumphantly. "I had some ideas for the scene, so I wrote them down here so you could look at them, and so I wouldn't forget. 'Cause I forgot this thing once and... wait... did I? I can't remember." Cat stared off into space for a moment, a blank look on her face and her eyebrows knitted together in concentration.

Tori raised an eyebrow, studying the ruby haired girl for a moment. She shook her head, getting back to the issue that plagued her mind. "Cat... I can't... I can't do this."

Cat snapped to attention. "What? Why?" She looked at the piece of paper in her hand. "I thought some of them were good..."

Tori sighed. "It's not that. I can't... I don't think I can kiss you."

Cat looked at Tori, confusion crossing her face. "Do... do I have bad breath?" She put a hand to her face, breathing on it and sniffing.

Tori felt her patience start to erode. "Cat, you're a girl!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cat huffed, crossing her arms.

"N-nothing," Stammered Tori, taken aback by Cat's abrupt change in mood. "I just meant... I'm not sure that I can kiss a girl."

"Oh." Cat said, calming down. "Why?"

It was like talking to a brick wall, albeit an adorable one, but a brick wall nonetheless. "Cat, I don't like girls... like that."

Cat sighed. "Tori, you're being stupid."

"Wh-what? Stupid?" Tori spluttered indignantly.

"She's right you know." A voice drawled behind Tori. She turned, seeing Trina with a hand on her hip looking down at her. "You're being stupid Tori." Trina descended the rest of the steps, walking over to Cat and ignoring Tori. "Do you have it?"

Cat smiled at Trina before digging around in her purse. "Yup. Here!" She pulled out a bra, handing it to Trina.

Trina inspected it before nodding. "Thanks Cat." She patted the younger girl on the head, Cat squeaking in appreciation. Tori looked on bewildered, her eyes following Trina as the older Vega ascended the stairs, disappearing back into her room.

"Cat... what... why... wha-?" Tori shook her head, closing her mouth to prevent her baffled words from spilling out. "Anyway."

"Tori, it's acting. It doesn't matter if you like girls or not, what matters is if your character does, 'kay? Actors play gay all the time."

Tori furrowed her eyebrows. "Huh. That's true." She sat down beside Cat, her face pensive.

Cat looked pleased, nodding. "Okay. So kiss me."

"But..." Tori stammered. She saw Cat's point... it was just... she didn't think she was quite ready yet, and-

"Do it."

"Cat..."

"Kiss me."

"Ca-"

"Do it, do it, do it, do it!" Cat chanted.

Tori made a sound of frustration before leaning forward quickly and pecking the waiting Cat on her lips. Tori pulled back, folding her arms. "There."

Cat burst out laughing, opening her eyes. "That? That was it? I'm not your grandmother!" Her eyes twinkled with amusement, colour rising in her cheeks to match her ruby hair.

Tori gaped, looking indignant. "What! I kissed you. It's done. And you leave my grandmother out of this." She pointed an accusing finger at the still-giggling Cat.

Cat's eyebrows raised in sympathy. "Aww, Tori, that wasn't a kiss. C'mon," She urged, pushing the brunette lightly. "I've seen you kiss Beck. That was a kiss."

Tori shrugged uncomfortably, looking away. "That- that was different."

Cat's face grew serious, her eyes studying the taller girl. "How?"

Tori flicked a glance at Cat, struggling to explain. "It's... I was trying to annoy Jade. And... it's different... Beck's a guy and-"

"-And you like him." Cat nodded, finishing Tori's sentence. She sighed. "Look Tor, it's just acting. If you want to pass you have to kiss me. For real." Tori's eyes skittered away from Cat's gaze.

"I know... it's just..."

Cat raised her hand. "Okay. Stop being Tori."

Tori's eyes darted from side to side, confusion filling her face. "Wha-"

Cat shook her head. "Be your character. Look at me as your character. You want me. You need me." She put her hands on her hips, wiggling suggestively. "You want to get with this."

Tori laughed despite herself, Cat grinning. "There! See! All you have to do is relax." Cat studied Tori, biting her lip. "Would it help if I started?"

Tori let out a held breath. "Maybe." It was surprisingly nerve-wracking kissing a girl who you had to convince yourself to want, especially when that girl had already said you kissed like an old woman. It didn't build confidence.

Cat nodded, a soft smile on her face. She moved a hand to cup Tori's cheek, Tori stiffening at her touch. "Just relax."

A/N: Part deux coming soon. I do hate to tease... although I do seem to do it often, don't I? But I promise the next part will be up soon. You know what to do for this part thought.

Review.

Is what I meant. I appreciate it ever so much, and I do like seeing you Cori fans come out of the woodwork. It's an under-appreciated ship certainly, and perhaps an understandable one, but I'll do my damndest to correct that. The one condition being; that you guys want it, and let me know. The other condition being that I can be arsed to do it. I'm... I'm so lazy. But reviews are like being stabbed with a needle... stimulating if nothing else, and occasionally quite pleasant if you do it in the right spot with the right pressure...

Okay, so reviews aren't like that at all. I'm sorry, my metaphors are just terrible today. They're like... something...