Make You Believe [Jerrie]

Chapter 4

The next day, Jade essentially has Jesy at her beck and call, and she takes full advantage of that. Perrie tells her that morning at breakfast that she hit Jade in the head, and though the older girl blushes, she nods. Jesy’s instantly worried, pushing her hair back to see the small bruise, apologizing over and over, to the point where Jade feels bad for her. She almost tells her not to worry, but then Perrie is smirking at her from across the table, mischief in her eyes, and Jade decides to wait and see if she needs Jesy on a guilt trip for later.

The day goes like any other, interviews and meet and greets, though no concert as they usually get at least one day a week without. Jade’s thankful for that; she needs the break after last night’s, er, events. The hours pass rather quickly, answering the same old questions, playing the same old games. Perrie keeps sending Jade little looks, like maybe she’s worried the older girl will still be as broken as the night before, but Jade just grins at her, assuring her she’s alright, because she really is alright. Everything just seems…better, with Perrie knowing about it all, supporting her, promising to help her. Everything’s just good. Really good.

So the hours consist of banter and pranks and nonsense, just like always. In fact, there’s only one instance where Jade feels anything less than perfect, and that’s when Leigh asks her if she scored with the guy she saw her with last night, and Jade flushes a deep scarlet, shame fluttering in her heart. Perrie is across the table and perks up, looking at Jade with a quirk of her eyebrow and clearly asking You ok? Jade takes a deep breath and communicates back Yeah, I just…yeah. Perrie seems to understand and lets her answer for herself (“Nah, he wasn’t my type, I just came back with Perrie and we went to bed.”) before using food as an excuse to get up and move over to sprawl half across Jade’s lap. To anyone else, they’re simply sitting there while Leigh and Jesy debate about their favourite film, but Jade’s still a little shaken and Perrie knows, so she lightly takes Jade’s fingers in her own and kisses each one, which ends up just giving them both a fit of giggles.

And after that, the day’s fine, just all around good. Jade’s happy, and she doesn’t even think about her issues and the events of the last week. At all, actually.

So she’s good.

*

And the next two days pass without incident, really. Jade and Perrie are caught up in the whirlwind that is their life, and forget about their ‘plans’. There’s signings and interviews and concerts and paparazzi absolutely fucking everywhere and they’re reminded that they’ve gotten a lot closer, more cuddly, because they both have to physically hold back and then look at each other as if to say Wow, when did that happen?

Jade’s okay, to be honest. Yes, she’s still clingy and a bit needy (“I’m sorry I’m so needy, I really don’t mean to be, I-” “Shut up and cuddle me, yes?”) but her nightmares are gone for the moment, or at least, they’re not so bad as to wake her up anymore. Or maybe it’s because Perrie is there holding her each night. Yeah. That’s probably it.

So they’re Jade and Perrie and they’re Little Mix and life goes back to normal a bit and that’s kind of brilliant.

One morning three days later, Jade wakes up before Perrie and smiles. The younger girl has her head on the pillow, hair all mussed, eyes closed peacefully. Her lips are parted just a bit, steady breath hitting Jade’s shoulder. And she looks kind of perfect like that, and it’s too early for Jade to ponder why she’s thinking about it. So she just stays there and cuddles closer, burrowing back in Perrie’s neck to inhale the remnants of vanilla cologne, coconut shampoo and Perrie, happy to stay there, maybe forever.