Disclaimer: Victorious and it's characters don't belong to me, neither do the lyrics of the song. It's only a couple of quotes.

Oneshot: Jori
Song: One More Try by George Michael

The first time we danced we were alone.

It was a Friday night at school, Jade and I were still practicing our monologues for Sikowitz's class final grade and it was late.

A reflection on love

The subject didn't made things easy for me. What I'd written mainly spoke of her and it was strange to share the same "mandatory" rehearsal time, it was hard to express all my emotions in her presence, over and over again.

I decided to put on a light song… well, not really "that light". It was a George Michael song my father loved, he used to play it all the time when I was little. Yet, somehow it took a whole different meaning because of her.

Three months ago, we shared a kiss. It was on an improvised exercise; we were supposed to play a couple, two girls that had a quiet romance and then parted ways to be with their official boyfriends.

It was a tragedy, at least for me, because all I saw at the end of the lesson was Jade leaving, hand in hand, with Beck. I was already so confused about my feelings and right then, the fiction had turned real and it was sour.

I guess it was at that moment that I understood just how lost I was.

Young love can be so painful, probably because you are so willing, so committed to the feeling, you are also innocent and haven't been hurt before. The first time always hurts the worst, right?

There is a part of the song that goes like:

"… So I don't want to learn to hold you, touch you, think that you're mine…"

I was lying on the couch of my living room that same afternoon, dad was cooking dinner and he played the whole album. When the song came by… I couldn't stop that ridiculous itch on my nose, the compression of my lungs, that oppression on my chest. I had done just what I shouldn't, fallen for the girl who walked with me on that stage, the one that held my hand with delicacy, who looked at me with love.

I know, it was all pretend, nevertheless, it felt so honest. Her breath tasted like mint, her lips were warm, soft, playful; her grip so affectionate and gentle, her eyes so blue, so deep. I had learned to love her, to see her in a different light… and I cried. I let myself mourn, because I had no chance.

The following weeks I would take my headphones everywhere, sit on a corner of the classroom and hear the song on repeat as I watched her life unfold in front of my eyes.

She was gracious, pensive; she spent most of her time… alone.

I don't know why I didn't see it before, but the golden couple was not so golden anymore. Cat spent most of the day with Robbie and Andre was busy with his advanced music classes. They had no time to even notice us.

But… I saw her… I cared… I loved.

Now, months later, on those rehearsal nights, I would put on my headphones, turn on the volume to the max and walk around, speaking only inside my head.

Sometimes I would close my eyes to feel the place better, I practiced the intention of my words at home. I hated the fact that Sikowitz had declared part of the grade to rehearse on site, this was too personal for that. Well, maybe that was the point, yet I couldn't say them out loud, not in front of her, not more than once.

I finished the monologue in my head and opened my eyes just to meet her blue gaze over me, smiling. It was a sincere gesture, not a mockery.

She said something, but I still had the volume all the way up and was unable to listen to her.

"What?" I asked taking my headphones off and rested them around my neck. "I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you."

"Too bad," she said, getting closer, took the headset from me and disconnected my phone, leaving them over the floor. The song was still playing, now through the speakers.

Another smile.

She approached me once more, extended her hands towards mine and smoothly captured my fingers. My left one was lightly placed on her right shoulder and the other one remained locked in hers, lifted in the air. Jade wrapped my waist and started rocking me to the rhythm of the music, with her face on the side of mine.

We… were dancing.

"You smell good," she said stealing a smile I couldn't resist and it took me a little while to respond. "Shouldn't I've said that?"

"No… it's…" I mumbled, "thanks, you too."

A swing to the right, a swing to the left; going in circles around the room. We kept silent for a few more seconds.

"I didn't know you could slow dance," she whispered.

"Well, you are guiding me… maybe it's that."

"I think you know exactly what you are doing, someone must have taught you," she wondered, pulling away from my body and making me turn on my heels. "See, it's not your first time."

"It actually is," I confessed falling back in place and then recanted. "I lie, I've dance with my dad before, but never with…"

I was dumb; I was about to ruin it.

"With… someone you 'liked'?"

That statement made me nervous, the way she accentuated that last word, it implied…

"Neither have I," she completed.

"I'm sure you've danced with Beck."

"I have, but… it wasn't the same."

My heart just pounded inside my chest, surely she could hear it, I did.

Was she playing? Joking? Because her sincereness was overwhelming and… it didn't feel like a spoof.

She got even closer, rested her head on the side of my neck, placing her lips on my shoulder… I shivered.

"I don't bite."

"Said the wolf," I joked; she chuckled.

More silence fell between us. The music kept playing; our movement was soft and fluid around the stage.

"I won't," she said under her breath.

"Won't, what?" I asked softly, not wanting to break contact.

"Let you go…"

A part of the lyric jumped in my head just as I listened:

"…Now I think it's time that you let me know. So, if you love me, say you love me. But if you don't, just let me go…"

Could it be any clearer?

"Would you?" She asked holding her breath, maybe expecting a no.

"Unless you asked me to…" I said, "maybe not even then."

She exhaled with relieve and pulled away for another turn. This time, staying face to face with me.

"I love you," she declared a bit anxious. "I have… for a while now."

Her impatience was obvious; I could see her doubts and her courage right then. Telling someone these very strong words, practically out of the blue, must not have been easy. I don't know if I could have.

I leaned in and, right before I played with our noses, I looked at her lips trembling.

"I love you," I whispered back and quiet them with mine.

At first, we kept our contact still, our bodies danced, but our mouths were fixed on one position, together. I then opened my lips to capture hers and she followed me, relaxing by the second.

The light warmth of our touch eased my thoughts; suddenly I felt the moisture of her tongue cruising to reach mine, and a shudder made her laugh.

"Why are we so nervous?" She asked. "It's not the first time we kiss."

"Maybe because this time… it's real," I hoped.

"And it will be like this from now on," she assured me.

"We'll be nervous all the time, then."

She held me tighter and sighed, "People will call us jelly and jelly," Jade joked, "I don't care, I just want to be like this… forever."

So did I.

The song played all over again and continued the cycle as we kept dancing.

It was our first dance, our first real kiss, our first I love you… and we were no longer alone.

A/N:

Too romantic? Why the hell not? XD

I actually like the idealization of that first true love. It's nice to be corny and filled with sweetness, not yet damaged.

It's great; I still remember my first love with certain innocence.

Well, if you like it you can leave a smiley, if you didn't a sad face is a good message; otherwise, feel free to leave anything on the review box.

See you soon.