title: Lemonade
pairing: Beck/Tori
rating: T
a/n: I love Avan Jogia, and the chemistry that him and Vic Justice have. I love Jade...but I love Tori that much more. And it's so obvious that Beck feels the same. ;)
–
It's Trina's graduation party, and Tori Vega is bored out of her freaking mind. Of course, let's be realistic. There's only so many times you can count the number of wood planks on the floor without getting bored. And because Trina forbade Tori from inviting any of her "like, major uncool" friends, Tori is destined to stay bored.
She hums "Make It Shine" to herself and licks banana frosting off a cupcake, not even looking up when she hears Trina make a frustrated "UGHHH" sound. Frequent temper tantrums come with the territory of living with Trina. The sound flows through the house, coming closer until Trina makes her grand entrance into Tori's kitchen hiding spot.
"Victoria!" Trina exclaims, stealing Tori's cupcake and tossing it into the trash.
Tori is used to Trina's antics but seriously, that was a perfectly good cupcake! "Trina! I was sort of, oh I don't know, eating that!"
Trina rolls her eyes in that really annoying way that screams, "Does it look like I care?'. "Oh, don't get your granny panties in a twist. You don't need it anyways."
"Thank you, big sister. I love you too," Tori deadpans, lips pursed.
Trina completely ignores the jab at her "sisterliness" and huffs. "Toriii." Hervoice is a completely nerve-grating, high-pitched whine (and it takes all of Tori's willpower not to reach over and strangle her because GOD SHE'S BEING ANNOYING). "I told you not to bring your stupid friends!"
Tori blinks, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah..." she says slowly.
"So why is that Beck kid here?!" Trina exasperates. She blows her bangs out of her eyes, and for a second Tori catches a glimpse of Trina at 5 years old, helping her cross the street and playing Barbies and crying over "Pochahontas" with her.
And then it hits her that oh my God, Beck Oliver is at my house!!! :D (except he has a girlfriend so try not to drool).
"BECK is here?" Tori squeaks out, reminiscient of a mouse or a chipmunk or some other small rodent. "But I didn't invite him!"
Trina glares and sticks her finger in between Tori's eyes. "Don't let him near my party," she says darkly, then sashays out of the room with a stomp of her favorite Gucci heels.
As soon as Trina leaves, Tori makes a mad dash for the bathroom. Brush hair, fix shirt, check teeth -
"Hi, Tori."
"Holy - !" Tori exclaims and very nearly drops her brush on her toe, being the graceful little ballerina she is. "Beck! Hi!"
"As much as I love your bathoom couture," Beck says with a good-natured smile, "perhaps we could take this to the kitchen?"
Tori takes a deep breath, using the pause to compose herself and set down her brush. "Kitchen. Yeah. Sure."
"Cool."
There's a semi-awkward pause as Tori leads Beck to the kitchen, but maybe that's only her imagination because Beck sits down at a barstool like everything's peachy keen.
"So what brings you to mà casa?" Tori asks with a smile (thanking God for braces and Spanish I).
Beck shrugs. He's playing with the zipper on his jacket though and running a hand through his hair and looking deliciously broody and intense in general.
"Ooookay," Tori says suspiciously. "Can I interest you in a Coke?"
He shakes his head.
"Water? Juice?"
Another shake of his head. "Nah."
Tori rustles through the refrigerator and smiles when she finds lemons. "I could make lemonade."
Beck's head raises at the mention of lemonade. He glances as Tori and finally nods his head. "Sure."
While Tori gets out a pitcher, she asks again; "You gonna tell me what's up yet?"
Beck groans in a way that Tori finds incredibly sexual though he probably means it as frustrated. "Fuck."
"Not on the first date." The quip bubbles out of Tori naturally and she's ridiculously relieved to know that her tongue has decided to betray her yet.
Beck laughs his pretty laugh. "Gee wiz, I was so hoping. You're breaking my heart, Tor."
"Now come on, Beck. People don't just show up at other peoples' houses unless they either need advice, are looking for a booty call, or are committing a crime. So which is it?"
Finally, with a melodramatic sigh and a zipping of his jacket he says, "Jade and I broke up. Again."
Tori groans and cuts a leom in half with way more force than necessary. There is NO WAY IN HELL she's helping them get back together again, not for a million dollars and the chance to touch Taylor Lautner's glorious abs. And she tells Beck so with a certain amount of vim and vigor.
"I don't want her back," Beck says, equally adamant. And then he adds meekly, "And that scares me."
Tori immediately softens, pouring the lemon juice into the pitcher. "Why does it scare you?"
"Because," Beck replies as though he's spent a lot of time contemplating why he's scared. "Because the only girl I've wanted since I was 14 is Jade, and I'm not used to feeling things for other girls. Another girl. Because I've never let myself."
Tori cocks her head as she dumps sugar over the lemon juice, and then water. "You broke up with Jade for another girl?"
"Pretty much," Beck twists the ring he wears on his right thumb – the red one with the spikes on top that Tori got him for his birthday. She watches his expression, the way his eyes get all starry and his lips kinda curve into a smile and he tangles his fingers into his hair with his free hand. He looks like a movie star. Perfect. Out of reach. Like kisses in Sikowitz's class and fresh lemonade.
"Who?" Tori asks. "Is she like, major hot?" She uses her generic boy voice to hear him laugh again.
"Oh, MAJOR," Beck nods solemnly and begins to stand up. He puts the lid on the pitcher of lemonade with this totally shit-eating grin. "The hottest."
She tries to keep her hand steady as she pours him a class of lemonade. "Funny? Smart? Girl-next-door type?"
She can feel his fingertips graze hers when he takes the glass of lemonade. A chill courses through her veins. She's dying to know who he's talking about.
"Definitely."
Tori watches him bring the glass to his lips and take a long drink, his eyes closing. When he opens his eyes again, he sets down the glass and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.
"You know what I also like about her?" Beck muses. He swirls the lemonade around in his glass.
"What?" Tori meets his eyes with a curious smile.
Beck leans in closer and brushes Tori's bangs from her eyes. "She makes really, really good lemonade."
Tori can't breathe for a second. Is this reality? Is this happening? Does Beck really like her? Is her lemonade really that good?
"Better than canned lemonade?" she says with bated breathe. His lips look nice. Soft. And they don't have the remnants of Jade's red lipstick on them anymore.
"Way, way better."
He touches his lips to hers, like it's the only kiss they'll ever have and he doesn't want to mess it up, and applies the gentlest pressure he possibly can.
Tori tangles her fingers in his hair, and leans forward a little too much. Damn gravity, damn it to hell, because the glass of lemonade knocks over and spills onto the counter.
Beck doesn't move. "Get it later," he murmurs against her lips.
"Your wish, my command," Tori whispers.
And it's a good 45 minutes before the lemonade gets cleaned up.
–
Beck/Tori FTW.
Please review with more than "so cute" or "i loved it" because...well, that's just annoying. x)