28AN: Hello everyone and welcome to the latest and (for now) final instalment of this story. I hope you are all well and have enjoyed the story so far. Many thanks as always to those who read and reviewed last time, EnchantingNightmares – I like that song too, it's one of the better ones.
OneHorseShay – yes, if the universe rooted for Freddie he'd be fighting the girls off, like Webicon really (oh, and Nora). As for Beck, well he's been avoiding Jade so will he show up? We'll see.
Challenge King – thank you and remember, there are none so blind as those who refuse to see.
Twilight Warrior 627 – thank you for your kind words. This story will likely just be the snapshot of the weekend but there is scope for continuation if people really want it.
Fanfic-Reader-88 – thanks. As above, maybe we'll get more of their later relationship at some point.
Jeremy Shane – here is some more.
Irishfan62 – you may be right that any future exploration would be another story, or I could just continue this one a couple of months later. It's all a little up in the air for now.
And now, please enjoy the rest of this story – or at least this part of it.
Jade closed her eyes as she relaxed and enjoyed the feeling of Freddie's lips against her own; she felt herself sliding along his lap as his strong arms, still locked behind her back, pulled her closer to him. She felt the urge to deepen the kiss and her tongue poked out of her mouth where it met his; she grinned mentally at the thought that they had the sort of connection that meant they were even in sync for this.
Suddenly, however, after a few enjoyable moments of playfully battling for dominance over the kiss, the girl found the rational part of her mind kicking in again just as she felt the urge to slide her hands down his sides and to the hem of his shirt. Despite the wonderful feeling of their dancing tongues, she reluctantly pulled her head away from his, opening her eyes and feeling a deep pang of regret at the look of surprise, confusion and hurt in his eyes. She put on a downcast expression of her own but maintained her hold on his sides, even as his arms slackened their grip on her.
She made the mistake of looking into his brown eyes and began to lose herself anew, having to fight the desire to just resume kissing him. She looked down, desperate to be looking anywhere but into the boy's eyes and took a calming breath.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I just…" She chanced a look at him; his gaze had softened to one of concerned curiosity, though the hurt was still etched in his eyes, "I want to figure out what we are. I'm not looking for a fling or… or a one-night stand." She grew in confidence and her self-assured smile returned as she concluded, "I've no interest in that; I'm not that kind of girl."
He nodded as he leaned back against the couch, letting out a tired breath of his own. "I don't want that either and I'd never try to pressure you into anything like that," he insisted vehemently. "I don't know what we are," he shrugged, "I don't know what you want; hell I don't even know what I want, but right here, right now, I like being here with you – and you're a great kisser," he finished with a boyish smile.
The gothic girl's own smile widened at his words and, especially, his compliment. She leaned back in and claimed his lips again, pressing hers softly against his before pulling away.
"You kiss pretty well yourself Freddie Benson," she whispered mischievously before moving back in for another sample, confident that they would both be able to control themselves and prevent things from going too far. The boy firmed his hold behind her back and pulled her towards him as he began to lean; their momentum meant that he quickly found his action having its desired result; he was flat on his back with the raven-haired girl on top of him.
If Jade was surprised by this turn of events she didn't show it at all, adapting to the situation and enjoying the position she was in. She gently sucked his bottom lip into her mouth and gently teased it with her teeth, eliciting a slight shudder from the boy beneath her. She grinned wickedly and began to redouble her efforts, only to be disturbed when her mother returned to the living area.
"Is everything ok, I heard noises – oh…" Mrs West cleared her throat in embarrassment as her daughter practically jumped off Freddie and landed on her back on the floor with a most uncharacteristic yelp. "I – uh… I see you two are deciding things," the matriarch muttered. She turned on her heel and returned to her room, leaving the two teens grinning guiltily at one another for a moment before each looked away in discomfort and embarrassment.
"Deciding?" Freddie asked curiously; Jade turned to meet his look as she propped herself up on her right arm. The Seattleite swung his legs off the couch and stood up, offering a hand to help her up, which she accepted. Unfortunately this brought them back into very close proximity and the Angelino girl took a quick step backwards.
"We talked this morning," she admitted in a low voice, gesturing that he should take a seat. He complied and she turned and walked to one of the nearby arm chairs, sat in it and turned towards him; he eyed her expectantly. "Some of the stuff you've said about me – I guess I feel the same sort of thing," she continued, "but then I ask myself why you'd look at me rather than Tori, which you've tried to answer all weekend, and then there's the whole 'you live in Seattle' thing…"
"Which is why you asked about my plans for summer and college?" the boy surmised; the gothic girl nodded, sweeping her purple hair extension to one side.
"Like I just said – I'm not a fling or a one-night-stand girl, so I want to figure out what's going on, and… and what the likelihood is of it continuing, before I commit or… or emotionally invest in something." The girl had laid all her cards on the table for him, something she was certainly not used to doing, and gazed intently at him to gauge his response.
Freddie cradled his hands in his lap and studied his laced fingers for a few moments. He nodded slowly as he processed her words. "I can't make you any promises about the future but…" he lifted his head to look across at her, "I would like to see if there's anything between us and I think that maybe there could be. I'd love to come back here over the summer and spend time with you. Maybe if we think that there is then we can look at colleges together. Right now? My head's still reeling from the last week or so but by the summer hopefully things would be better. For tonight? Nothing has to happen that we don't want to; we can head to our rooms now and say goodnight – or we can make out a little longer?" He gave her a humorous smile, one that she returned with interest before rising from the chair and joining him again on the couch; Jade pushed him gently to steer him back into a lying position on the couch and took a position on top of him again as she sought his lips.
Around half-an-hour later Jade reluctantly eased herself off the boy. "I uh…" she jerked her thumb down the hallway. "Nature's calling," she admitted, a crimson tinge adorning her usually pale features. "Stop it," she chided as Freddie began to shake a little as he attempted to suppress his giggles. He covered his mouth with his hand but the laughter brimmed in his eyes.
She returned a few moments later, glancing at the clock as she did. "I guess we should get some sleep," she whispered. He nodded, offering her his hand, which she took. They made their way quietly up the stairs and reached his bedroom doorway. He stood on the threshold but the girl didn't release his hand.
"So goodnight?" he asked in a low voice, leaning in to kiss her again. She returned it readily and lingered against his lips a fraction longer when he pulled away, standing there with eyes closed and maintaining pressure on his hand.
The raven-haired girl bit her lip nervously as her eyes darted from him to the made-up bed behind him. Her nerve failed her and she avoided looking at him again; instead she whispered "Goodnight" to his chest before dropping his hand and turning to head down the hallway to her own room.
The Seattle native sighed quietly as he watched her go; he pinched the bridge of his nose as he turned to enter the room, closing the door softly behind him and padding over to the bed, changing into his sleepwear before sliding under the sheets and closing his eyes, the streak-haired girl filling his mind's eye as he tried to get comfortable.
The mean girl closed her bedroom door and leaned against it, closing her eyes and letting out a deep sigh of frustration. She shook her head as she attempted to clear some of the thoughts from it and glanced in the direction of his room. She ran her hand through her hair before walking to the dressing table, taking a seat in front of the mirror and removing her hair extensions and facial jewellery. With her head once again returned to its natural appearance she rested her elbows on the table and cupped her hands, resting her chin on them as she stared into the mirror and attempting to find a direct line to her soul as she wondered about everything that was racing through her mind and body at the moment, about how close she had come to following Freddie into the guest room, how much she was having to stop herself from heading back there. She wondered what it was about the boy that made it such an appealing prospect, especially when she had never gone that far with Beck during their relationships. Something about the Washington-based boy appealed to her in a way that neither Beck nor any other guy ever had and something told her that he was genuine in what he had said about them. Then there was the physical aspect; she had enjoyed their make-out session immensely and found herself wondering how much better he could make her feel if she gave him the chance. She stood and looked at her own bed, then to the door before turning back to the bed with a slump of her shoulders as her nerve failed.
On the other side of the door a nervous looking Freddie Benson stood with his hand raised, balled into a fist. He took a breath before dropping his arm back to his sad. He turned sadly and returned to the guest room.
Sunday, May 13th 2012.
Jade was roused from her slumber by the morning light was streaming through the curtained window. She propped herself up by her right elbow, resting on it for a moment before rolling onto her back and closing her eyes again as she thought back on the previous night; she had enjoyed the evening with Freddie and the others but after returning home… she thought on what she and the Seattle boy had shared, what they had almost shared, maybe, if she'd been a little braver and a little more willing. She figured that there was no point now in reflecting on what might have been. Was she glad it hadn't happened or disappointed that she had lacked the bravery to make a move? She struggled out of bed, no longer able to enjoy a relaxing Sunday morning lie-in. Instead she made her way to the dresser and brushed her hair. She eyed her hair extensions and facial jewellery but something stayed her hand; instead she decided to do this looking as natural as she could.
Freddie was coming around after a restful sleep. It had taken him a while to get off to sleep after his abortive trip to Jade's room; he had tossed and turned early on in the night as he tried to quell the part of him that wished he had knocked on her door. The gentleman in him, however, over-rode that part by recalling that she had left him alone to go to her own room – that meant no he told himself sternly. So sleep had been easy to come by but he felt a pang of regret that the night, the last night he'd be near her for a while, had ended with them apart. A soft knock on his door surprised him.
"It's open," he called quietly and smiled as Jade stuck her head around after opening it. "Hey," he greeted her warmly, smiling at the atypically shy expression on the girl's face.
"Hi," she whispered, rocking nervously on her feet in the doorway. "Can I come in?" she asked cautiously.
"Of course," he was surprised by the request and more surprised when the girl smartly crossed the room and slipped under the bedclothes with him; it wasn't a cold morning but would certainly be warmer in the bed. "Uh… hey?"
She smiled, trying to cover her nervousness with false bravado. Bereft of profound pronouncements to make she simply leaned in and gave him a soft peck on the lips, smiling against his mouth as his muscular left arm snaked around her back. He shifted his weight a little and Jade found herself rolled onto her back with the boy on top of her.
His mouth moved to the exposed skin at the base of her neck and began to kiss it gently. He unveiled a little more flesh by moving the neck of her pyjama top slightly aside and sent a shiver through her body by kissing along the top of her arm towards her shoulder. Her arms acted of their own accord as they ducked under his T-shirt and began kneading his back as he kissed his way back to and up her neck, to her cheek, forehead, nose and finally lips.
"Freddie," she firmed her voice as he paused in his efforts. He lifted his head to look at her and she wriggled from underneath him. "Last night I… I almost came back," her voice dropped in volume.
Just outside the still partly-open door Mrs West was walking past when she heard her daughter's voice, something that surprised her. She listened intently, well aware that she was eavesdropping on their private conversation but the matriarch decided that her parental concern outweighed anything else right now.
"I almost knocked on your door," he admitted.
"If you had, I would have…" she swallowed, "let you in. But – I guess I'm glad that you didn't; it means nothing complicated last night for us. We decided to try and figure it out and we can do that this summer without the added complications – well, not yet anyway," she concluded with a mischievous smile.
"What we did share last night – emotionally if nothing else," he rationalised, "was special and meant a lot to me. I mean it Jade, I've felt a real connection to you and I'm happy with that. Sex? Well," he sighed and her interest piqued as he mentioned the word, "it would have made the night even more special and magical but you're right. We need to figure out what we have and what we want before we take that step."
Outside the door Mrs West smiled at the couple's comments and marvelled at the maturity they were displaying, rather than giving into the temptations that she knew were obviously there having observed them a little over the weekend and spoken with her daughter. She crept past the teens unseen and headed downstairs to make a start on breakfast.
Freddie clambered out of the bed and walked around the other side of it, offering his hand to the gothic girl. She smiled as she took it and allowed him to help her to her feet. To his slight surprise she kept her hand in his as they left the room and made their way downstairs. He gave her a slightly nervous look as they approached the kitchen area, wondering what her mother would make of them appearing hand-in-hand first thing in the morning. She nodded and reluctantly released him before leading the way into the kitchen.
"Hey mom, is the coffee ready?" she asked, giving the matriarch a good morning kiss on her cheek.
"You know it is," Mrs West laughed. "Did you both sleep well?"
The teens both nodded their confirmation as Jade helped herself to a cup of coffee before pouring a second one and handing it to Freddie. The three traded small talk over breakfast before Jade's mother turned to the question of their plans for the day.
"What are you going to be doing? Will you see the others today? What time do you need to be at the airport?"
"Uh… my flight isn't until this evening so probably aim to be at the airport for around seven-thirty. Until then I'm not sure really; we don't have any firm plans so we'll just see where the day takes us."
Jade nodded her agreement as she spoke up, "I thought we might spend the day a bit further afield than Hollywood, maybe head into Downtown LA for a while?"
"Sounds good," Freddie agreed.
"Will the others be joining you today?"
The two glanced at one another; Jade shrugged to indicate that it was Freddie's decision.
"I was thinking it would just be the two of us today," the brown-eyed teen responded. "We could call the others later and they can meet us at the airport so I can say goodbye to them," he proposed.
The raven-haired girl nodded over her coffee mug; it sounded like an excellent idea to her, spending the day alone with the boy, my boy? she wondered to herself. Is he mine now, what exactly are we? I guess that's what we'll figure out going forwards from here. "Huh?" she turned to her mother, realising that she had just missed whatever the elder West had said to her. The matriarch chuckled as she responded,
"I was asking whether you had any specific places in mind to see."
"Well I know Freddie likes his model trains," she began, trying in vain to keep the tedium out of her voice, something that drew a grin from the boy sat next to her at the table, "so I thought he might like a trip to Union Station. The Historical Monument has some touristy stuff in the area so I'll take the tourist there," she playfully nudged his right arm with her left hand, "and, for my dreams, we have to take a look at the Performing Arts Center." Her mother nodded as she turned to the Seattleite, "I always like to go there when I'm downtown; I look around it and imagine myself on stage there. It reminds me of what my goals are for my career."
Freddie nodded, appreciating this little bit of insight and a glimpse at the girl's determination. He could understand it as he felt the same way about his own aims and goals; he would spend hours over making sure his camera set-up, lighting and everything was perfect for the web show (well, not anymore, he noted) and, with his dreams of working in the electronics industry, maybe as an engineer for Pear or some similar company, any time he worked on repairing his old computers or fixing old devices by mending circuit boards, he was an absolute perfectionist. Hell, he smirked, bringing a curious look from Jade, I'm even a perfectionist when it comes to preparing a pizza.
"I get it," he nodded at her, "keep your dream in your mind and it will help you stay focussed on those difficult days when you really don't want to know."
After breakfast the pair got themselves ready for their day out. Jade fielded a couple of calls from Tori, asking whether they had any plans, and tried to answer as vaguely as she could without outright lying to her rival. Instead she explained that they were heading into the city but would see her and the others before Freddie left. Tori was disappointed by the response, and her unsuccessful attempts to ferret any more information from the gothic girl, but she reluctantly had to accept that the information would not be forthcoming and drop the matter. She considered calling Freddie and asking him what they were doing, however when she tried she simply reached his voicemail; the boy had lost count of the number of voicemails, texts and missed calls from Carly when he had switched his phone on at various points over the weekend (he wanted to make sure nothing serious had happened in his absence and so he checked in with his mother a couple of times, rolling his eyes at her over-protective manner and questioning of him and again when his inbox and voicemail filled up with Carly's number). He spent a surprisingly satisfying few minutes on each occasion clearing the messages unread and unheard before turning his phone off again before she could try to contact him again. One thing his mother had told him was that she had not given away his location to the girls, simply saying that he had gone away for a couple of days but should be back before Monday; he was grateful for her discretion – and the fact that she was even less of a fan of Carly than he was at the moment. He knew he would have to deal with an irate brunette either tonight or in the morning, at school even if he avoided her until then, but just wanted to enjoy the rest of his weekend with the beautiful girl who had become his… something.
All too quickly morning turned into afternoon; the duo found a nice café for a light lunch and some coffee for Jade. They were able to find a private table for two in the corner of the place, the neighbouring tables were empty; Freddie was glad of this as it gave them a chance to talk.
"Thanks for this morning; I know you really didn't enjoy the station and the trains."
She smiled. "You bought me a coffee after so it was worth it."
He chuckled at her comment and set his sandwich down for a moment. "It's been great, just being here with you today. Don't get me wrong I like the others –"
"I don't," she half-joked, earning a shake of the head and roll of the eyes from him.
"But, being with you, trying to figure out what we are… it's been a good weekend."
"Do you think we'll have an answer this weekend?" she asked, her tone was curious as she tried to disguise the nervousness she felt.
"Do you?" He shook his head a little regretfully. "I don't want to rush into it, one reason I guess I'm kinda glad we didn't go further last night," she smiled slightly as she bowed her head to suppress the blush forming on her pale skin as she thought back on the previous evening. "I do want to know what we could be but I can't jump into something right now. I'll be back over the summer but I don't think I can give an answer today."
She nodded. "I can wait until summer," she reassured him.
They spent a few more hours seeing some of the sights of downtown LA before Tori called again, wanting to know what time they would be at the airport.
"About seven-thirty," she replied, having put the girl on speaker.
"It's nearly that now," the half-Latina pointed out.
"Oh chizz!" they cried in stereo, having totally lost track of time as they enjoyed their afternoon. The two raced to Jade's car and sped to the airport, arriving a little after seven forty-five.
Freddie presented his ticket and received his boarding card; he would have to head through security in a couple of minutes. Jade found the others and they met by the screening area.
"So, I guess this is goodbye for now," he said to the Hollywood Arts students. "It was good to see you Tori," he hugged the girl, who wrapped her arms tightly around him, earning a scowl from Jade. "Trina," he hugged her in turn when the younger Vega released him; the older girl was even more forceful than her sister when it came to hugging him. "Cat," he smiled. The red-head bounced into his arms and gave him an innocent peck on the cheek. Jade found herself less bothered about this, knowing that it's a part of who her friend is.
The boy shook hands with André and Robbie, noting again that Beck was conspicuous by his absence as he had been all weekend. He shrugged off this detail and turned his attention to the last member of the group, the girl he had bonded with over the last fifty or so hours to a degree he couldn't have imagined was possible. The two smiled at one another and took a couple of steps to the side, giving themselves a little privacy from the others. The two Vegas, Trina especially, looked on enviously at how at ease the two seemed and especially with what was to ensue.
"Well I guess there's not much to say for now…" Jade noted.
"Except for goodbye, we'll talk soon and I can't wait for summer," he smiled at her, forcing his eyes to stay dry.
"Until the summer then," she whispered, pulling him into a hug and giving him a lingering kiss.
"Goodbye for now Jade," he smiled as they parted.
"See you soon Freddie."
He gave one last look back at the girl, stood slightly apart from her friends, and waved before joining the line for the scanners so he could make his flight. I'll be back soon, he silently promised her, and himself.
AN: Ok that's it for this story, at least for now. I have had requests for it to continue so we'll see if I do pick it up with their exploits over the summer. No promises but hopefully, depending on my other writing commitments. Until then thank you for reading, for all of you who reviewed (please review this chapter and let me know what you thought) so Irishfan62, Jeremy Shane, Fanfic-Reader-88, Twilight Warrior 627, Challenge King, OneHorseShay, EnchantingNightmares, Subject87 and ShadowFires51 – thank you for your support and feedback.
