Tumblr request: Tori goes to get a tattoo and Jade works at the parlor.

Tori sat in her car and took several deep breaths.

"You wanted this. You still want this." She told herself. She held her breath as she opened the car door and stepped out. She counted the steps it took to get into the tattoo shop and nearly jumped when the bell over the door rung. She was really too skittish to be doing this. She exhaled slowly as she moved over to the counter. The woman behind the counter had blond and bright blue dreadlocks and bracelets cover the entirety of her forearms and making it difficult to figure out what the sleeve on her right arm was. Tori thought it might be a bunch of butterflies.

"Oh, Tori!" The receptionist smiles. "Right on time. J is back in that room." She pointed to a door on the other side of the wall. Tori turned around and faced the door. It was slightly ajar and she could see a shadow on the wall. She had never met J. Only talked to her in emails and she knew she should have met the woman tattooing her in person, she just didn't have the time. She was holding her breath and didn't realize it until her chest started to hurt. She gasped for air and clutched at her chest.

"Oh, Sweetheart, J is a lovely woman, her bark is much worse than her bite. She is a great artist." The receptionist smiled at Tori. "Go on in." She urged. Tori nodded shakily and took a step forward. To keep herself moving, Tori once again counted the steps it took to get to the room. She knocked on the heavy white door.

"Come in!" A familiar voice called from behind the door. Tori didn't have time to ponder the voice because as soon as she stepped into the room she was face to face with Jade West.

"Jade?" She squeaked. Jade laughed.

"Hey, Sweet Sally Peaches. Getting a tattoo?" She smirked. Tori couldn't help but stare.

She hadn't seen Jade in a few years. She automatically thought Jade became a big time producer and didn't look around to figure out otherwise. Her hair was longer and she had it in several braids on one side. She had three piercings above her left eyebrow instead of one and she had a lip piercing as well. She wore dark red lipstick and she had tattoos across her chest and arms. She looked great.

"Thanks, now, go ahead and sit there." Jade pointed to the chair. Tori's mouth dropped open. She had said that last bit out loud. She shook her head and lowered herself down on the chair that Jade told her to sit on.

"So, you're sure this is what you want?" She held out a transfer sheet with the tattoo on it. It was a microphone and the cord was made of the words 'Make it Shine', Tori figured that it was an important enough moment in her life to get a tattoo of. Tori nodded stiffly.

"Yeah." Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. Jade chuckled.

"You nervous?" She questioned.

"A little." Tori said with a shrug that seemed too rigid.

"Look, there is nothing to worry about. I won't hurt you too much. And none of the pain will be on purpose. I promise." Jade gave her a smile and Tori saw the tongue piercing through her teeth. She wondered what that would feel like if she kissed her. Tori choked and started coughing. What was she thinking? Jade looked alarmed and filled a cup with water for her to drink.

"Jeez, Vega, calm down."

"I'm fine." Tori snapped. Jade's eyes widened. "I'm fine." Tori reiterated in a calmer voice.

"Okay, well, you want this on your right side, correct?" Jade questioned setting the transfer onto her table. Tori nodded.

"Yeah." Her voice was softer.

"Then you're going to need to take your shirt off." Jade said. Tori did as she was told and set her shirt on the chair she had been sitting on.

"Hop up here and lie down on your left side with your arm above your head." Jade patted the table that looked a lot like the ones in doctor's offices. Tori had trouble moving her limbs but she finally managed to pull herself onto the table and lie down. Jade prepped the area and after she got the tattoo outline transferred she looked at Tori seriously.

"Are you ready?" She asked. Tori bit her lip.

"Don't do that. If you bite too hard while I'm doing this, you could bite through your lip." Jade told her. Tori's jaw dropped open and she looked horrified.

"I'm ready." Tori inhaled slowly.

"Okay," Jade pressed the needle to her skin. "Oh, and don't hold your breath. I don't need you passing out." Tori let the oxygen she had been holding in her lungs in anticipation of the pain out immediately. Jade smiled before going to work. Seconds after she started Tori's face contorted in pain. She lifted her arm up into the air as if that would lessen the pain and tears sprung to her eyes.

"It's okay, you're doing great, Tori. Why don't we talk about something to take your mind off of the pain?" Jade suggested and Tori couldn't believe that she was being so kind. Tori breathed through the pain and squeezed her eyes shut. A few tears slipped down her face.

"Okay," She huffed in single breath.

"What are you doing with your life, lately?" Jade asked.

"Singing." Tori answered. "I have a new," she paused and grimaced, "album coming out in June." She pulled on her hair roughly.

"Oh, I'm not surprised about that." Jade smirked. Tori would have laughed if she wasn't in so much pain.

"Why?" She asked.

"You were always a good singer Tori." Jade replied.

"No." Tori's eyes squeezed closed in pain again. "You were way better than me." She said emphatically.

"Don't argue with me, Vega, you deserve to be where you have gotten." Jade said. Tori nodded and opened her eyes.

"Thanks. What," She paused again and held her breath.

"Don't do that." Jade commanded and Tori exhaled slowly.

"…are you doing with your life?" Tori finished her question.

"You're looking at it Peaches," Jade responded. "I've been working here for six years. On occasion, I will dabble in the movie making business." She stopped talking and focused on the tattoo. "But, I'm doing what I really love here. I've always had a fascination with tattoos and piercings."

"Ah." Tori commented. She was surprised that Jade hadn't tried to become more successful in her passion for script writing.

"You were really good." Tori said. "With your writing, I mean."

"Thanks." Jade laughed. "It's like high school all over again. You and me trading compliments." Tori nodded.

"Yeah, it is." For a few minutes Jade worked in silence until it looked like Tori was in too much pain.

"Are you dating anyone?" She asked.

"What?" Tori gasped. Jade was on her rip cage now and it hurt.

"Is Sweet Sally Peaches single or taken?"

"Oh," Tori pondered the question. "I'm single. I just broke up with my girlfriend." She said. This caused Jade to stop for a second and stare at Tori before going back to work.

"You?" Tori asked. Jade shook her head before remembering that Tori couldn't see her.

"I – uh, just came out, and – I guess – I don't have very good gaydar." Jade laughed to herself.

"I think, I'm bisexual but I don't know exactly how to go about being bi." She told Tori. Tori bit her lip again.

"Stop it." Jade ordered and Tori released her lip quickly.

"Well, it's not too hard." Tori said. "If you like a girl, and there is a possibility that she 'swings your way', hell even if there isn't a possibility" She paused because of the pain. "Kiss her." She panted. Jade laughed.

"Sure." She stopped and leaned back. "Well, there you go. All done." She smiled. It looked nice. "Can I take a picture, for my website?" Tori nodded and Jade picked up the camera from her table. She snapped a few pictures and then treated the tattoo and bandaged it.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Okay, you're going to want to be very careful, and don't forget to do what I explained to you, and what is written on that paper." Jade watched as Tori buttoned up her shirt.

"I won't."

"Oh, and Tori?" Jade said. Tori looked up and Jade kissed her. It was slow and testing but Tori couldn't care less, it almost made her forget about the pain on her side. "Do you want to get some coffee, sometime?" She smiled.

"Sure."