#Stace and Aubrey are the best friends ever

[bechloeislegit]

Secret Love?

Everybody knows Beca Mitchell and Chloe Beale have been best friends for years. Everybody knows they have won awards in their fields (Beca as a music producer, Chloe as an actress). Everybody knows they are always each other’s plus one to the awards show. Everybody knows they share a home in L.A. Everybody knows all these things, so they think they know everything about the best friends. But do they really?

Beca Mitchell walked the Grammys red carpet alone for the first time in four years. She felt a vulnerability she had never felt before without her constant companion, Chloe Beale, by her side. Chloe was an award-winning actress, and seeing one without the other at most awards events was rare.

Beca was worried because she had no idea where Chloe was; her texts and voicemail messages have gone unanswered. 

“Beca, over here!” one of the multitudes of photographers called out. 

Beca would stop and pose before moving on to one of the many media entertainment reporters set up along the red carpet.

“How are you feeling tonight?” the first reporter asked.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Beca responded. “It’s always exciting to be nominated.”

“Where’s your other half?” the reporter jokingly asked.

“I’m not sure,” Beca said with a chuckle. “Something came up, and she had hoped to be here, so we’ll see if she makes it.”

Beca was lying through her teeth, but she wasn’t going to let the reporter know that. After repeatedly stopping by several interview areas and being asked the same questions, Beca finally made it into the Staples Center.

Beca greeted her fellow musicians, most of whom also asked about Chloe. Of course, Beca gave them all the same spiel she gave the reporters. 

Beca reached her seat, and looked at the empty one beside her, knowing that some ‘seat filler’ would be sitting next to her for the night. She sighed and rubbed her forehead.

Beca checked the time and saw they still had about thirty minutes before the show started. She got up, made her way to a quiet place near the back, and pulled out her phone. She was going to try calling Chloe again when she noticed an Instagram notification from Chloe’s acting account.

“I said YES!” was the caption under a picture of Chicago Walp holding a hand and showing off an engagement ring. The hand was the only part of Walp’s new fiancée that could be seen. Even if she hadn’t been on Chloe’s Instagram, Beca knew that hand almost as well as her own; it was Chloe’s.

Beca doesn’t know how long she stood staring at the ring. She was brought back to the present when Stacie came up to her.

“You saw?” Stacie asked quietly.

Beca nodded and asked, “It’s her, isn’t it?” 

Beca knew she was grasping at straws and was holding onto whatever hope might tell her this was all a bad dream.

“Yes, it’s her,” Stacie said. “Her agent, Gail, confirmed it on her Twitter and Instagram accounts. I’m sorry, Beca.”

“Great,” Beca said with a strained smile.

“Are you okay?” Stacie asked. She could see how pale Beca suddenly looked.

“I’m not feeling so great,” Beca said. “If I win anything, could you accept it on my behalf? I need to get out of here. I really don’t think I want to see a picture of me puking plastered all over the tabloids tomorrow.”

“I’ll get Emily to do it,” Stacie said with some concern. “That way, I can take you home.”

“No, stay. Enjoy the night,” Beca said. “I was already feeling a little sick. At first, I thought it was just nerves, but now I’m not so sure. I probably should have stayed home anyway.”

“If you’re sure?” Stacie said, and Beca nodded. “Okay. Text me to let me know you made it home and that everything’s okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Thanks,” Beca said.

Beca made her way out of the Staples Center and grabbed a cab. Finally, she arrived home and stood at the front door, remembering when she first bought the house and all that had happened there.

Five years ago, Beca had recorded her first album and was able to afford what she called her mini-mansion. A year later, Chloe told Beca she was moving to L.A. to try her hand at acting, and it was a no-brainer that she would live with Beca. They had been sharing this home since Chloe moved to L.A. four years ago. She and Chloe were happy with the house, and although they could afford it, neither wanted to move.

They were BFFs as well as roommates and were always photographed out and about in L.A. Then, about a year ago, Chloe admitted she had some not-so-friend-like feelings for Beca, and Beca reciprocated those feelings. They were still BFFs, but now they were in a secret relationship, and nobody knew. Beca hated sneaking around but was on cloud nine because, duh, Chloe Beale was her girlfriend. The two were in love; at least, that’s what Beca was led to believe. Apparently, Chloe was as good an actress as her two Oscars said.

It was only because of Chloe’s career that they kept their romantic relationship a secret. Beca was okay with that until Chloe and some new actor on the scene named Chicago were cast as love interests in Chloe’s latest movie. For publicity to hype the film, they were seen out and about as if they were a couple in real life. Beca and Chloe weren’t going out as much together anymore, even as BFFs; Beca wasn’t happy about that. Chloe would smile and tell her that it was her job and just a publicity stunt. She also said it would only last until the movie came out. Besides, Chloe would tell her she would always come home to Beca.

Beca took a deep breath and walked into the house. She made her way upstairs to the room she shared with Chloe and changed out of her Grammys outfit. She then pulled out her suitcases, and without thinking about it, she started packing everything she could fit into them. She then found some boxes to put her personal belongings in. She left anything that Chloe had given her, plus all the photos that had Chloe in them, on the bed for Chloe to find. She left behind the hoodie she ‘borrowed’ from Chloe and always wore because Chloe said it looked better on her; Beca didn’t need it anymore. It was just another reminder of Chloe’s betrayal.

She carried everything to her car and made one last trip through the bedroom and the rest of the house. Then, she got into her car and drove off without looking back.

Beca was about five miles from the house before she broke down and pulled over to the curb. The tears started slowly, and she let them fall unabated.

~Secret Love?~

“Thank God,” Stacie said when she opened the door of Beca’s house to find Aubrey standing there.

Stacie had tears in her eyes and started pacing back and forth. Aubrey closed the door and walked over to sit on the sofa. As Chloe and Beca’s best friends, Stacie and Aubrey knew all about Beca and Chloe’s secret relationship.

“I should have insisted that I bring her home,” Stacie berated herself. “I knew she shouldn’t have been left by herself. She seemed way too calm when she saw the ring on Chloe’s finger.”

“And you’re sure she left?” Aubrey asked.

“All of her clothes and mixing equipment are gone,” Stacie said. “She left some things on the bed. It looks like stuff Chloe had given her over the years.”

“Where do you think she went?” Aubrey asked.

“As far away from Chloe as she possibly can,” Stacie said. “I swear to God I’m going to kill Chloe when I see her. How the fuck can she be with Beca and get engaged to Chicago? If anything happens to Beca-”

Stacie and Aubrey stopped and looked toward the front door when they heard keys jingling. The door opened.

“Beca?” Stacie called out as she moved toward the door. She stopped and glared when Chloe walked through the door.

“Beca isn’t home yet?” Chloe asked as Stacie stood with her arms crossed over her chest, still glaring at Chloe.

“No, Beca’s not here,” Aubrey said, coming to stand next to Stacie.

“Is she still at an after-party?” Chloe asked. “I really need to talk to her.”

“Where were you?” Stacie asked. “Beca waited for you at the Grammys.”

“I, um, had a meeting with some producers for my next movie,” Chloe stammered. “It went longer than I thought.” 

“Why didn’t you return Beca’s calls or texts?” Stacie asked.

“My phone’s battery died, and I didn’t have my charger,” Chloe said as she pulled out her phone. “Can I borrow yours to call Beca and see when she’ll be home?”

“Don’t bother,” Stacie spit out. “She’s not here, and she’s not coming back.”

“What do you mean she’s not coming back?” Chloe asked, confused.

“She packed up her stuff and left,” Stacie said.

Chloe’s eyes widened, and she ran upstairs to their room. Tears came to her eyes when she saw all of Beca’s stuff was gone except for what she left behind on the bed for Chloe.

“I don’t understand,” Chloe cried as she made her way back downstairs. “I thought things were going great with us. What happened?”

Stacie stood there fuming while Aubrey took Chloe in her arms and held her while she cried.

“Chloe,” Aubrey said gently. “She saw the Instagram post about your engagement with a picture of you and Chicago showing off your ring.”

“My engagement?” Chloe asked, pulling back to look at Aubrey. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play innocent with us,” Stacie said. “Gail confirmed it on Instagram and Twitter.”

Stacie pulled up Chloe’s Instagram account and shoved the phone in Chloe’s face. Chloe’s eyes widened when she saw the pictures and Gail’s comment about the happy couple.”

“These are photos from the movie,” Chloe said, barely containing her rage. “I’m not engaged to Chicago, nor do I want to be engaged to him. I’m going to kill that bitch.”

Chloe grabbed her phone and screamed in frustration when she saw it wasn’t working. 

“Chloe, take it easy,” Aubrey said. “Don’t do anything you’re going to regret.”

Chloe quickly plugged her phone into the charger and paced back and forth while waiting for it to have enough charge to make a call. Stacie and Aubrey stood by, watching her pace back and forth.

“The only thing I regret is letting the studio hire that bitch as my manager and publicist in the first place,” Chloe said, seething.

Chloe checked her phone and saw she had enough power to make a call. She first tried Beca’s number, and it went to voicemail. So Chloe started speaking when the beep sounded to leave a message.

“Baby, please call me as soon as you get this. That story isn’t true. I swear to you; it’s not true. Call me. Please?!”

She ended that call and wiped a tear from her eye. She then pulled up Gail’s contact name and hit send. “She’d better answer her-”

“Hello, Chloe,” Gail answered in a sweet voice. 

“Don’t hello me,” Chloe snarled into the phone. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing posting pics of Chicago and me and saying we’re engaged?”

Gail laughed. “Just more publicity for the movie.”

“Bullshit!” Chloe yelled at her.

“Chloe, calm down,” Aubrey said, trying to soothe the angry redhead.

“Chloe, look,” Gail said with an exasperated sigh. “The studio wants to hype this movie and told me to do whatever it takes to get more attention for it. This has garnered so much more attention-”

“I don’t give two fucks about how much attention this has garnered or what the studio wanted,” Chloe shouted. “You posted something on my Instagram account that I did not consent to. You will post a retraction on every social media account those pictures are on. You have ten minutes or else, so help me God, I will sic Aubrey Posen on your ass. Oh, and in case it wasn’t clear, you’re fired!”

“You can’t fire me,” Gail sputtered.

“I just did,” Chloe said and ended the call.

Chloe tossed her phone on the counter. She gripped the counter's edge and took several deep breaths to calm herself down. She wiped at a tear that had fallen down her face. 

“I need to find Beca.”

~ Secret Love? ~

While Stacie and Aubrey were with Chloe, Beca sat in their living room. She did not know where else to go so after driving around for a couple of hours, she went to Stacie and Aubrey’s.

Beca had only turned on one lamp when she arrived. She was now sitting in the semi-dark living room with dried tear tracks on her face. She needed to talk to someone and finally sent Stacie a text asking when she would be home.

Stacie’s phone pinged, and she grabbed it.

“It’s from Beca,” Stacie said. “She wants to know when I’ll be home.” She furrowed her brow and then said, “Oh, my God! She’s been at our house all this time.”

Stacie immediately texted Beca to stay put and that she’d be home in twenty minutes. Chloe grabbed her keys and headed for the door.

“Wait, Chloe,” Stacie said and grabbed her arm.

“I have to talk to her,” Chloe said with tears in her eyes. “I can’t just-”

“I know,” Stacie said, interrupting Chloe. “But, if she sees you, she’ll react badly before you can say anything. Let me go to her and tell her what’s going on. I promise to bring her back here as soon as I can.”

“Stacie’s right, Chlo,” Aubrey said. “Let her do this alone. I’ll stay with you.”

“Please, Chloe,” Stacie said. “You know this is the best way to handle this. She’ll listen to me. Please, let me do this alone.”

Chloe swallowed and dropped her keys on the table. 

“Okay,” she said and sat down on the sofa. “I’ll wait for you to bring her back to me.” Chloe let out a small sob. “Please bring her back to me.”

Stacie gave her a small smile and hurried out the door. Aubrey sat next to Chloe and put her arm around her shoulders.

“Let’s go into the kitchen,” Aubrey said. “I’ll make us some tea.”

As they walked into the kitchen, Chloe’s phone rang, and Gail’s name popped up on the caller ID. Chloe picked up the phone and answered the call.

“What!?” Chloe angrily answered.

“I did everything you said to do,” Gail said. “I’m sorry for posting it all without your permission. Now, can we talk about your next project?”

“Too little, too late,” Chloe said. “I meant it when I said you were fired. Now fuck off and lose my number.”

Chloe ended the call and checked Instagram. Gail had indeed printed a retraction and taken down all the photos. She pulled up her Instagram account and posted how the story was false and was put up without her permission by her EX-manager/publicist.

Chloe put her phone away. She wanted to shut it off because of all the new notifications she was receiving but didn’t in case Beca or Stacie tried to reach her. So instead, she sat anxiously waiting for Stacie to bring Beca home.

~ Secret Love? ~

Stacie walked in the door, and Beca looked up at her from the shadows.

“Oh, Beca,” Stacie said and hurried over to her friend. She pulled Beca to her, and Beca sat there, unmoving.

“Beca,” Stacie said as she pulled back to look at her. “Chloe came home just a while ago. She explained everything, and it’s not what you think.”

Beca stared blankly at Stacie. Stacie held Beca’s face in her hands.

“Listen to me, okay?” Stacie said. “Please respond so I know you can hear me.”

“I can hear you,” Beca mumbled.

“Good,” Stacie said. “Those pictures were fake. They were from the movie, and Gail put them up to try and get more publicity for it. Do you hear me? The pictures are from the movie. Chloe didn’t know they were out there until I showed them to her.”

“She is always checking social media,” Beca said. “I’m supposed to believe that she conveniently missed seeing those pics on her Instagram?”

“Her phone died,” Stacie said. “That’s why she didn’t call you or text you back.”

Stacie recounted what happened when Chloe got home. 

“Beca, she loves you with everything she has.”

“I read a lot of the comments,” Beca said, staring at the floor. “Chicago wrote happiest man alive.  Everyone else was congratulating her on getting engaged and how cute they were together. It was easy for everyone to believe the story because she hid our relationship. The only ones who knew about us were you and Aubrey.”

“I think you should talk to Chloe,” Stacie said. “Let her explain it all to you.”

“Why?” Beca asked, looking over at Stacie.

“What do you mean why?” Stacie asked.

“No one knows we’re together,” Beca said. “This can happen again, and it won’t be fake next time. I can’t bear feeling like this again. It’s too much. There’s nothing to explain, so I’m not going back.”

“You can’t believe that Chloe would allow this to happen again, do you?” Stacie asked.

“You said she didn’t allow it this time,” Beca said. “But it still happened. So I’m not waiting around for the next time.”

“Beca, don’t do this,” Stacie said. “Go talk to Chloe. Look, I believed everything at first. But, if you saw how she reacted when I showed her the post, you’d know she had no idea that Gail had done it. Please, Beca. I’m begging you. Don’t walk away from Chloe like this.”

Stacie and Beca’s phones both pinged with notifications. Stacie looked at hers, but Beca ignored her phone.

“Look, Beca,” Stacie said. “Gail posted a retraction saying it was false. Chloe approved it and put out her own message about firing Gail for going behind her back. See, it’s not real. She loves you, and you love her. Maybe it’s a good time to talk to her about making your relationship public.”

“I can’t,” Beca said sadly. “Her career means too much to her, and I’m not going to be the one to mess that up for her. So it’s best if we end it now.”

“Oh, Beca,” Stacie said sadly. “Her career doesn’t mean as much to her as you do. Can’t you see that?”

Beca stands and runs her hand down her face, wiping away the tears. 

“Do you think Aubrey would mind if I crash here for a couple of days?”

Stacie let out a frustrated sigh. 

“You know you’re welcome to stay anytime.”

Beca nodded her head and made her way to the guest bedroom.

~ Secret Love? ~

“Did you find Beca?” Aubrey asked as soon as she answered Stacie’s call.

“Yeah,” Stacie said and sighed. “She wants to end things with Chloe.”

“What? Why?”

“What’s Stacie saying?” Chloe asked.

“Put me on speaker, Brey,” Stacie said. “Chloe should hear this.”

Aubrey put the phone on speaker and held it out so Chloe could hear as well.

“Go ahead, Stacie,” Aubrey said.

“Chloe,” Stacie said and paused. “Beca’s inside her head right now and thinks it best if you end things.”

“What?” Chloe said, her voice quivering. “I’m coming over there.”

Chloe jumped up and hurried to the door, grabbing her purse and keys as she went.

“No, Chloe,” Stacie said. “That’s not a good idea.”

“Chloe, don’t!” Aubrey called out, but Chloe was already out the door. “Stacie, I’ll call you back.” Aubrey ended the call as she jumped up and went after Chloe. “Chloe, stop!”

Chloe stopped and turned to face Aubrey with tears streaming down her face.

“I need to fix this,” Chloe said, wiping her face.

“And you will,” Aubrey said. “Just not right now. You know Beca; her mind is made up, and if you go to her now, she’ll retreat farther away from you.”

“I hate that you’re right,” Chloe said. “But what else can I do?”

“Let’s go back inside and come up with a plan to keep you and Beca together.”

~ Secret Love? ~

It was just before six the next morning, and Aubrey was dozing lightly when her ringing phone woke her. She saw Stacie’s name on her caller ID and accepted the call, putting it on speaker and laying the phone on the coffee table near her head.

“Hey, babe,” Aubrey said.

“I was just checking in to see how you were holding up,” Stacie said.

“I’m okay, I guess,” Aubrey responded.

“How’s Chloe?” Stacie asked.

“I got her calmed down and in bed at around four,” Aubrey said. “And she hasn’t come downstairs, so I guess she’s sleeping. How’s Beca?”

“I don’t know,” Stacie said. “She went into the guest room a couple of hours ago. I was hoping she’d go to sleep, but I can hear her moving around. I don’t want to agitate her, so I’m leaving her alone.”

“What are we going to do?” Aubrey asked.

“I don’t think we can do anything,” Stacie said. “We both know Beca won’t make the first move,  so it’s up to Chloe at this point.”

“I hate this,” Aubrey said.

“So do I,” Stacie said.

“Brey, I have a plan,” Chloe said as she rushed into the living room. “I know how to fix this and need your help.”

“What can we do?” Stacie asked.

Chloe furrowed her brow and looked around for Stacie. Aubrey stood, picking the phone up as she did, and waved it at Chloe.

“Whatever you need, Chloe,” Aubrey said. “Stacie and I are here for you.”

“Thank you,” Chloe said. “Here’s what I want to do.”

Chloe spent the next 20 minutes telling Aubrey and Stacie her plan.

“What do you think?” Chloe asked as she finished explaining her plan.

“I think she’ll love it,” Stacie said.

“I have to agree,” Aubrey said. “I think Beca will love it.”

~ Secret Love? ~

It was almost nine when Stacie left her house and hurried over to Beca and Chloe’s house. Aubrey let Stacie in when she got there.

“Chloe’s getting dressed,” Aubrey said. “She’ll be down shortly.”

“Good morning, Stacie,” Chloe said as she came down the stairs.

“Are you ready for this?” Stacie asked.

“Absolutely,” Chloe said. “I need to let Beca know how much I love her, and this should do it.”

“Okay,” Aubrey said. “Sit on the sofa, Chloe. I’ll handle the camera, and Stacie will make sure everything looks okay as we go. Okay?”

“Okay,” Chloe said as she took her place on the sofa. “I’m ready.” 

Aubrey readied her phone and stood in front of Chloe. 

“I’ll count back from three, and then you start,” Aubrey said, holding her phone up, making sure Chloe can be fully seen onscreen. “Okay, here we go...3. 2. 1.”

“Surprise everyone,” Chloe said. “Chloe Beale here live streaming to all my followers. I just wanted to come on here and clear up a few things that happened yesterday. First, to make sure everyone has heard, I am not engaged to Chicago Walp. He’s a good guy and will make someone a great husband, but that someone is not me. Second, the engagement ruse was perpetuated by my former publicist to promote the upcoming movie that Chicago and I are in together. The studio told Gail to do whatever she needed to do to promote the film, and she took that to mean lying to my fans. That is unacceptable, and I did not give her permission to use my social media accounts to perpetuate the lie.”

Chloe paused and shifted in her seat.

“The second thing I need to do is apologize to you guys. I’ve been lying to you. Despite appearances, Chicago and I are not dating. And I don’t want to be involved with Chicago in a romantic capacity because I’ve been in a committed relationship...with a woman… for a little over a year. I can’t really say too much about her without her permission, but I can tell you that she has been my rock for a very long time. She kept our relationship a secret so it wouldn’t affect my career. It was wrong of me to let her do that because it made the lie of my getting engaged to a man so easy to believe. I love her so much, and she loves me; at least she did. But, after the news about my phony engagement, she left and told me she thinks we should part ways. And now-” Chloe sniffled and wiped tears from her eyes. “And now, I don’t know how I will keep going without her.” 

Chloe put a hand to her mouth, trying to hold back a sob.

“Stop,” Chloe said, waving a hand at Aubrey. “I can’t do this. I need Beca.”

“I’m here,” Beca said, walking out from behind Aubrey.

Chloe gasped and ran to Beca; Beca wrapped Chloe in her arms.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Chloe said. “I missed you so much.”

“I’m sorry,” Beca said, pulling Chloe tighter to her. “I love you, and I’m sorry for saying we were over.”

“No,” Chloe said, pulling back to grab Beca’s head in her hands and look into her eyes. “I owe you an apology. I fired Gail, and I promise if it’s okay with you, I’ll tell the whole world about us. I never want to go through another day without you in it with me. I love you, Beca!”

“I love you, too, and I want the whole world to know about us because I want to spend the rest of my life with you. As a matter of fact-”

Beca stepped back from Chloe and got down on one knee. Chloe gasped and looked down at Beca.

“Oh, my God,” Stacie whispered. “She’s really going to do it.”

She moved to stand next to Aubrey and whispered, “Are you getting all this?”

“Yes,” Aubrey said. “I never turned off the camera.”

“Chloe, I love you,” Beca said, holding up a ring box. “Will you marry me?”

Chloe wiped the tears from her face and glanced up. Her eyes widened when she realized Aubrey was still live-streaming everything.

“Um, Beca,” Chloe said, reaching down to take Beca’s arms and pull her up. “We’re being live-streamed out to my fans right now.”

“I know,” Beca said, glancing over toward Aubrey. She waved and said, “Hi, everyone! I’m Beca Mitchell, Chloe’s girlfriend and hopefully soon-to-be fiancee.” Then, she turned back to Chloe. “I guess getting engaged during a live stream is one way of letting the world know about us. So, why don’t we ask your fans what they think you should do.”

Beca turned back to the camera. “So, what do you guys say? Should Chloe accept my proposal or not?”

Beca’s phone started pinging with notifications. She pulled it out to read them and smiled.

“Oh, look, SxyStacie says, Say YES!”

Chloe looked over at Stacie only to have her smile and wink back at Chloe. Chloe then looked at Aubrey; she was giving her a thumbs up.

“CBealesMama said you’d better say yes, or your dad and I will disown you,” Beca read. “Thanks, Mama Beale! And based on the number of thumbs up and heart emojis coming through, everyone thinks you should say yes. So, Chloe Beale, will you marry me? Or will you disappoint us all by saying no?”

Chloe stood there with her mouth agape.

“How did you-?” Chloe stammered, looking at Beca. “I’m so confused right now.”

Beca chuckled and pulled Chloe into a hug.

“Stacie told me your plan, and I told her I was ready to propose,” Beca said. “We decided we’d mess with you a bit before I did. So, I came over with Stacie and watched your live-stream on my phone outside. When you said you couldn’t do this without me, I knew it was time to come in and surprise you with the proposal.” Beca pulled back from the hug, saying, “Speaking of, you haven’t answered the question yet.”

“Yes!” Chloe squealed and kissed Beca.

Beca broke the kiss and looked at the camera. 

“You guys all heard her say yes, right?”

Beca’s phone started blowing up with more notifications. She laughed and kissed Chloe again.

“Put the ring on!” Chloe said, holding out her left hand.

Beca took the ring out of the box and placed it on Chloe’s finger. Chloe held her hand up toward the camera, showing off the ring.

“My girl has pretty good taste, huh?” Chloe said before pulling Beca into another kiss.

The kiss went on, and Stacie stepped in front of the camera.

“Hi, I’m Stacie Conrad, Beca’s best friend,” Stacie said, smiling into the camera. “Beca and Chloe are going to celebrate their engagement now. They both thank you for your kind words of congratulations and your support. Bye for now.”

Aubrey stopped recording, and she and Stacie raced over to grab Beca and Chloe into a four-way hug.

“We’re so happy for you, two,” Aubrey squealed.

“I knew it would work,” Stacie said. “And it didn’t take much convincing to have Beca come with me this morning.”

Stacie and Aubrey stepped back, smiling at their two best friends.

“I knew I screwed up, and I was coming home to apologize anyway,” Beca said, pulling Chloe to  her. “I can’t say I’m sorry enough. I love you, Chloe!”

“I love you, too,” Chloe said, pulling back from the hug to kiss Beca.

As the kiss continued, Aubrey grew uncomfortable, so she grabbed Stacie and dragged her out of the house.

#BeChloe Fluff #BeChloe #Beca Mitchell #Chloe Beale #Stace and Aubrey are the best friends ever #BeChloeIsLegit

[tiny-maus-boots]

Down South pt 2

Chloe

"Quick get him on the table."

Chloe tossed a sheet over the wooden trestle table they usually shared meals together at. Guillome was pale and listless from pain and blood loss and she wasn't entirely sure she could help him. Beca and Stacie wrangled the tall man onto the table and backed away so she could work.

"Guillome? Can you hear me?"

His eyes were closed but she could tell he was on the cusp of awareness. Chloe gave him a few sharp slaps until he roused enough to blink blearily at her.

"Hey there fella. You've been beat to hell it looks like."

He gave a weak nod of understanding and she gave him a tight lipped smile. Chloe turned to ask that one of the girls bring in water but Aubrey was already at her side with a full bucket and a basin.

"Thanks, love."

While the blonde filled the basin for her she took the time to take a pair of shears to Mr. Beauchamp's best pressed shirt. He must have been visiting Kat. Another thought that weighed heavily on her mind.

If he was here in this state, what must the people of the town be suffering? Kat wouldn’t leave her cantina no matter who blew into town. She had run once but since coming to Mexico, Kat had dug her heels in firmly with no intent to ever leave or be run off again. Chloe shook her head and focused on the task before her. The cool well water felt good on her hands as she rinsed them off.

"I'm going to need help. Beca, Stacie, hold him steady. This is gonna hurt something awful."

There was a lot of work to be done and she didn't like the way the bones of his forearm had broken through the skin. Chloe took a deep steadying breath and set herself to the business of fixing their friend and Kat's sometimes paramour.

"Think he'll be able to tell us something?"

Chloe shook her head at Stacie’s question as she carefully pulled and rotated the bones back in place with a grinding crunch. He'd be damn lucky if it healed at all let alone good as it was. Guillome screamed in pain and writhed against their strong grip until he slumped back against the table, out cold. She shook her head again unsure if he would be able to tell them much of anything. It would be better if he rested.

"I think we already know enough, Stace. If they aren't on our land already they soon will be."

They all stopped to look at Beca who shrugged and looked down at the barely conscious man on their table. Her words caused a stone to plummet to Chloe’s guts.

"They beat him bad. Real bad. But someone put him on that horse. A horse with a brand I don’t recognize. Looks like two crooked letters in a star, except one of them is backward. It looks fresh too”

Silver Star Ranch. Chloe felt the world shift uncomfortably. That was impossible. She raised shadow filled eyes to the blonde and swallowed hard. It couldn’t be. Beca was mistaken.

Aubrey set the basin down on the edge of the table and silently walked to the corner to pick up her rifle. She alone understood Chloe’s sudden fear. Stacie started to follow her up the stairs to the bedrooms but Aubrey stopped her with a hand gently cupped to the taller woman's face.

"I'm just going up to have a look. If they're coming I want to know from what direction."

"You gonna be okay up there alone?"

Aubrey smiled sweetly and leaned forward to kiss Stacie with as much softness as she held her face. Chloe tore her eyes from the pair to give them some privacy while she worked. She couldn't blame Stacie's trepidation. It was hard for any of them to let the blonde out of their sights. Those long days of worrying if Aubrey would heal whole or not had scarred and haunted them all.

"It's trespassers that gotta worry, Stace. I'll put a hole in them long before they see me."

Beca didn't even try to hide the darkly amused smile at the thought. Chloe was absolutely sure the tiny woman was itching for a fight. None of them wanted to give up the peace they had found here in the home they were building together. But neither had they been so foolish as to believe they would never need to ride into danger again.

"Hey Cowgirl, how about you go grab those blankets of ours and dunk them in the trough outside in case they get the smart idea to try and burn us out?"

"Beautiful and brilliant."

She gave Beca a wink as the shorter woman sped off and waved Stacie over to help. Chloe was just as eager to strap on her rig to help defend their home but she wouldn’t do it until their friend was as stable as they could get him. Stacie worked quickly to clean up the blood still oozing from several open wounds while Chloe worked to clear and close as many as she could. She never imagined all those years of having to stitch up her brothers before their mother saw them all banged up after one brawl or another would be so handy now.

“Who do you think did this, Chlo?”

That was hard to say. It wouldn’t be the Army, not this far south. Might be banditos, they had a couple of nomadic gangs in the area. Mostly horse rustlers with a healthy respect for the town. Or at least respect enough not to cause too much grief for anyone but Kat when they got a little too drunk at her cantina. No, this felt a little bit heavier than that. Guillome was hurt in a way that was meant to make a statement. Not a dust up over a spilled drink and a pretty girl.

“If I have to guess? Bounty hunters."

Or worse. Pinkertons. She didn't have to say it. Just the thought of them brought a tingle of fear to the room. Pinkerton men were brutal and vicious. They weren't just law men, they were worse. They were true believers.

Not in God of course. But in the power of man. The power a man had granted them to do unspeakable things to ensure order in the chaos of a wild and growing country. They would do anything in any way they could to achieve what they believed was for the greater good.

Including rousting a family of emigrant Irish farmers from their beds in the middle of the night and burning their ranch to the ground to make way for the train and progress of the people. She would never forget the fear and despair of that night. That was the night she had decided the law no longer applied to her. And she had been spitting in its eye ever since.

For just a moment she heard the roar of fire consuming the walls around her and felt the heat of flames licking at her skin as her eldest brother, Cole, pitched her right through the bedroom window into mama's garden below. It wasn’t the softest landing but it had saved her life.

Chloe shook off the thought and snipped the end of her thread savagely with her shears. If Pinks were here they were in big trouble. It meant they weren't bringing the girls back for trial.

"Riders. Half broke off from the pack to go around back. A dozen in total."

Beca burst through the front door dragging wet blankets and all the linens they had. She frowned and dropped them in a pile by the door at hearing Aubrey's news from the top of the stairs.

"That hardly seems fair. Only twelve of them for all four of us.” Beca made a stink face and kicked at the pile with a leather moccasin clad foot. “I thought we were actually gonna have a scuffle. Aubrey’s gonna have them so full of holes before they get here I won’t even get to play.”

“I’ll save you a few, Bec.”

Chloe chuckled as Beca’s expression went from cloudy to bright as she ran to the foot of the stairs and shouted back up.

“I could kiss you for that, Aubrey Posen.”

There was only a quietly amused grunt from above. Stacie shook her head with a smile and dumped the bloodied water out the back door. She gave the basin a rinse and refilled it so Chloe could clean her hands before touching anything else. Beca bumped her shoulder lightly with her own and surveyed Chloe’s work.

“We’re gonna have to stash him somewhere.”

“We’re not gonna have time to get him upstairs before they get here and if there’s a fire…”

They’d never get him back down before they all burned to death. Beca nodded off the rest of Stacie’s comment and scuffed her foot lightly at the floor. The edge of a rough woven rug flipped up to reveal the dry timber floor they had laid down together.

“Help me pry out these boards, willa ya?”

“Beca Mitchell you’ll NOT be prying up my kitchen floors!”

Beca blinked once at her before looking around startled. When she didn’t see the apparition she was looking for she heaved a sigh of relief.

“Thought your Ma was here for a second.”

Chloe’s eyes widened and Stacie knew better than to even let out a hiss of a laugh from behind clenched teeth. Bright blue eyes bored into Beca who shivered and shrank in on herself.

“I mean I’ll leave them if you want him to get shot to hell when they get up here…” She paused to consider then sweetened the deal. “I promise to dig you that root cellar in there for all your herbs and stores and whatnot.”

“Aye, and this one will help you!”

Chloe sighed and jerked her head in tight agreement. She couldn’t bear to watch Stacie and Beca rip up the floor. Maybe she really was turning into her mother now that she had settled some in her life. Chloe certainly sounded an awful lot like Cerridwen when she was good and fired up. She shrugged and crept up the stairs to find Aubrey, she should be so lucky to be as strong as passionate a person as her mama.

The blonde was crouched near the window in her bedroom watching patiently for someone to get close enough. Aubrey pulled back her hair into a neat bun and lowered her head to gaze back down the length of her barrel without glancing toward Chloe.

“They here yet?”

“Just about. Can you see them yet out your bedroom window?”

Chloe trotted the few steps down the short hall and looked out at the south facing window. A handful of them had just dismounted and were cautiously scanning the area, creeping forward with rifles drawn. Still too far to shoot at but not quite far enough to make her comfortable. The redhead knelt by the foot of the bed she shared with Beca and raised the lid on the cedar chest her father had hand carved for her mother in Ireland. She took her well oiled rig and strapped it low on her hips. The weight of the heavy leather and steel felt comforting, familiar.

It had been awhile but her body remembered each movement without thought as she drew both pistols and gave them a smooth and practiced twirl before sliding neatly in their holsters. She raised the rifle from its spot resting on a pair of long horns mounted on the wall and set herself to the task of loading it with ammo.

Chloe was more of a brawler than a shooter but she’d taken every lesson Cole, Conner, Caleb, Christian, and Corwin taught her to heart and knew she could plug a man dead between the eyes if she needed to. Two rapid fire shots rang out from the next room over followed by a soft cackle.

A part of her winced at breaking out a small pane of glass to shoot out of but she rested the barrel of the rifle on the window sill and sighted down its length. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she found her mark. She inhaled slowly and tightened her finger around the trigger, squeezing smoothly on the exhale. The man’s body dropped an entire breath later, dirt rising in a cloud where he hit the ground. The men around him spread out, but didn’t creep any closer. They didn’t have to. If they were in range, so was she.

She tucked herself down low behind the cover of the wall and the heavy dresser propped against it as their shots rang out and shattered the rest of the window. Footsteps rushed up the stairs and Beca burst into the room to throw herself over Chloe’s body protectively. They could barely hear each other over the ringing aftermath of the shooting but Chloe was fixated on the soft curve of Beca’s lips as they moved with the words she was shouting.

“Yeah…yeah I’m okay, Bec. Put one of them down and they took exception. Where's Stacie?"

Chloe could hear the sounds of reloading and tossed the rifle to her partner. She drew both guns and started firing at the men below. They scattered under their duel onslaught, scrambling for what cover they could find.

"Oh she's gonna greet our gentleman callers."

Beca shot a man just raising his rifle and snickered. Chloe raised her brows at that. Well that sounded damned suspicious and if she knew Stacie at all whatever she had planned would be wild.

"Of course she is. I hope she shows them our Southern hospitality."

#maus writes #pitch perfect fanfic #pitch perfect au #aubrey posen #chloe beale #beca mitchell #stacie conrad #wild west au

[fruitynancywheeler]

Freak of Nature: Chapter 8

Title: Freak of Nature Rating: M Pairing: Beca/Chloe Words: 4,768 Summary: Beca Mitchell only came to this city to help with lowering the crime rate, yet somehow this local with pretty eyes and a warm smile has her agreeing to join some singing group on campus. Spider-Girl AU. Read on AO3 Read on FF.Net

She avoided Chloe as much as physically possible the week after their movie night gone wrong, except at practices where she still brought the girl tea but instead of giving it right to her she would leave the cup on the table her and Aubrey used for their practice plans. In fact, Beca was avoiding just about everyone, even Stacie. During practice she could feel both women’s eyes on her, which she refused to acknowledge. Even Aubrey would shoot glances at her, probably not used to Beca not questioning every decision for the setlist. She knew it was unfair to be mad at Stacie, it’s not like she could have known what would happen if Beca confessed her feelings to Chloe, but with Stacie’s incessant teasing about how they were practically already a couple it gave Beca a false sense of security that her feelings would be reciprocated by Chloe.

Her phone was full of unread messages and missed calls from Stacie and Chloe. She refused to open them, refused to acknowledge them, refused to believe this past week even happened. She threw herself back into her work, not going back to her dorm until late at night when a majority of the campus was already asleep. She knew Stacie had her location due to the tracking system in her suits, but it’s not like her best friend could follow her up to the top of the biggest skyscraper in the city.

It was Sunday and Aubrey was forcing them to practice every day since their terrible performance. She was absolutely exhausted from wearing herself thin that week, a light sheen of sweat plastered on her body, but she was able to get herself through practice. She packed up her stuff as quickly as possible, having been the last one to arrive at practices and the first to get the hell out of there. That was her plan at least, but her best friend apparently had other plans in store for her.

She felt manicured nails dig into her wrist, dragging her away from her bag and into a storage room attached to the auditorium. It was cluttered with instruments and there was very minimal space to stand. Stacie towered over her with a serious look, one she rarely ever saw from her best friend.

“Beca, what the hell is going on with you?”

“Nothing, Stace, I’ve just been busy,” Beca snapped defensively. She felt like a caged animal in here, not ready to talk about the thoughts and feelings that have been eating away at her for a week.

“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Stacie said just as aggressively. “You haven’t spoken to anyone in a week and Chloe has been looking at you like a kicked fucking puppy since you started acting this way. Even Aubrey is concerned.”

“That sounds like a problem for you guys to figure out. I just want to be left alone.”

She went to move past her friend, who blocked her way to the door. Anger spiked in her body, and if she didn’t get out of there quickly she knew she would lash out and say something she’d regret.

“Something happened between you two, didn’t it?” Stacie whispered, knowing she was walking on a tightrope with her best friend. She knew how Beca was when she wasn’t ready to talk about something, and knew her best friend spewed daggers with her words when put in a threatening state. Emotions always made Beca uncomfortable, and even before she became Spider-Girl her fight or flight instincts always chose to fight.

“No, nothing happened because you were wrong,” Beca seethed, her voice low, practically a growl. “I let your stupid comments get into my head and you were wrong.”

“You told her everything?”

“I couldn’t get that far because just telling her I liked her freaked her out,” Beca fumed, replaying the rejection in her head.

��So, you didn’t tell her who you really are?”

“God, Stacie, no. We’ve been over this, nobody can handle the truth. Chloe likes someone else, there’s no point in even telling her.”

“But Beca, she is confused because she doesn’t know who you really are!” Stacie exclaimed, a huge smile on her face, already connecting the dots that her friend wasn’t seeing.

“Will you just let it the fuck go?” Beca shouted, her anger boiling over the edge, no longer able to be contained. “I’m in this mess because of this stupid idea you have. You may be, like, the smartest person on the planet but that doesn’t mean you’re always right. I don’t want to fucking hear it anymore. Just leave me alone.”

She pushed past Stacie, causing her to trip and almost fall into the drumset that was beside her, and flung the door to the storage room open. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she pulled it out to see an encrypted message, opting to focus on that than the eyes of her teammates she could feel staring at her.

Hey Spider,

Meet me here. I have something for you that may come in handy.

Black Cat’s signature was at the bottom of the message with a set of coordinates. This could be another stupid trap, but Beca really didn’t have anything to lose, and it would get her far away from the auditorium. She quickly gathered her things and left without a backwards glance.

Stacie, on the other hand, still stood in the storage room with a silly grin plastered on her face. Nothing Beca said upset her because she knew her best friend better than anyone else, and she was right, she was the smartest person on the planet. This mysterious person that Chloe apparently had feelings for, was the same person that just stormed out of the auditorium to chase down another lead. She couldn’t help but giggle at her friend’s antics.

“Oh, Beca, you really are dense.”

-xxxxxxxxxx-

Whenever Beca would tell Stacie to leave stuff alone, she never listened. If she had, the hero probably wouldn’t have made it out of a lot of hairy situations. Which is why when Beca told Stacie to drop it earlier, she instead decided an intervention was in order. These two idiots were so in love it was sickening, and they just needed a little push in the right direction.

That thought is what led her to Aubrey and Chloe’s apartment, having tracked Beca’s suit location here a few times, so she knew where to go. As she walked into the lobby of the apartment complex, she took a quick peek at the mailboxes until she found Apt 504 A. Posen & C. Beale. Bingo.

Having had enough cardio for the day, she opted to take the elevator up to their floor. The third door on the right was her destination, and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and tentatively knocked on the door. As much as she teased Beca for being a lovesick puppy, she would never admit that she was the same way when faced with Aubrey Posen.

“Stacie,” Aubrey breathed out as soon as the door was open. Her brow furrowed in confusion. “I thought we weren’t having our study session until tomorrow.”

Stacie grinned at the other girl, having taken Beca’s advice and pretended like she needed a tutor, but she’d never tell her smug best friend that. Time to put on the charm, Stacie thought to herself. She rested her forearm against the doorframe, hip jutting out to show off her figure, the hem of her shirt riding up a tad to display a little bit of skin.

“Hey, Captain,” she purred, enjoying the way the blonde visibly swallowed. As much as she wanted to continue teasing the woman, she had a mission to fulfill to become the world’s best wingwoman. “I’m actually here to talk to Chloe.”

“Oh, thank god, maybe you can get through to her,” Aubrey sighed in relief. She grabbed the woman by the hand and pulled her through to the apartment. Stacie raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at the physicality, not expecting Aubrey to be so hands-on. A welcoming attribute. “Your little friend did a number on her. She’s barely left her room all week, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that something happened between the two of them.”

Stacie ignored the snark in Aubrey’s tone at the mention of Beca. She knew her best friend and the girl she was majorly crushing on did not get along, and she wanted to fix that in the future, but it wasn’t so much of a priority to her right now.

“It’s not all black and white,” Stacie began to explain as best as she could without divulging too much of Beca’s secrets. “Beca felt rejected and doesn’t know how to deal with emotions.”

“Wait, Beca felt rejected?” Aubrey asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I assumed she rejected Chloe and that’s why she’s been locking herself in her room.”

“It’s… complicated,” Stacie sighed. “I’m here to uncomplicate things.”

“How did you find our apartment anyways?”

“Hacked the schools database,” Stacie lied. She absolutely could hack the school’s database but didn’t need to go through all the trouble when she could just track her idiot of a best friend.

“Stacie! Y-You can’t do things like that!” Aubrey sputtered, completely in shock.

“Sure I can.”

“Whatever,” Aubrey rolled her eyes. She tried to maintain her tough exterior but couldn’t hide a hint of a smile at the brunette’s antics. “Chloe’s room is this way.” She brought Stacie down the hallway to the last room on the left, her hand still holding the other woman’s. She brought her free hand up to gently knock on the door, cracking it open when she heard a muffled response from the other side.

“Chlo, you have a visitor,” Aubrey gently said. She opened the door further, giving Stacie’s hand a squeeze before leaving the two alone. Stacie wasn’t sure if the squeeze was to reassure her or if the blonde was trying to reassure herself.

When Stacie walked into the room, she noted the flash of disappointment on the redhead’s face, probably hoping it was Beca coming to visit. She also noted the tissues, chocolate, and the red-rimmed eyes looking curiously at her. Oh, these poor, hopeless saps, Stacie internally chuckled to herself.

“Hey, Chloe,” Stacie greeted the heartbroken woman. She took a seat on the chair next to Chloe’s bed, where the redhead sat perched on the edge. She crossed her legs and her posture was rigid, straight down to business.  “I came to see how you were doing.”

“I’m okay,” Chloe lied terribly. She seemed nervous, like talking to Stacie would somehow betray Beca’s trust.

“Okay, lets just cut the bullshit,” Stacie sighed, never one for beating around the bush. “Beca doesn’t know I’m here. She hasn’t talked to me in a week other than when I cornered her, and let's just say she wasn’t in a very chatty mood.”

“You guys fought. I’ve never seen her look so angry, not even towards Aubrey.”

“Eh, Beca may think we fought but I thought our conversation was very enlightening. She even gave me quite the compliment,” Stacie grinned. She leaned forward a bit in her seat, uncrossing her legs and resting her elbows on her knees, getting back down to business. “Look, I kinda got Beca into this, so I needed to come here and talk to you to verify what I already think to be the truth.”

“I hurt her,” Chloe mumbled sadly. Her eyes wouldn’t meet Stacie’s, opting to look at her hands folded in her lap instead. “I didn’t mean to, but I did. I’m sorry, Stacie. I like her so much, but she probably hates me now.”

“She didn’t tell me much, but she said you like someone else… but you also like her?” Stacie probed, hoping to get the confession out of her.

“Yes, I do like Beca, and her company is something I’ve been seeking more and more,” Chloe explained. “But when I’m not with Beca or doing stuff for the Bellas, I spend my time with… someone else.”

“And who is this mystery person?”

“You’re going to make fun of me if I say it out loud,” Chloe whined, covering her face with her hands.

“Chloe, I think everyone knows I’m probably the most open-minded person in the world, you can tell me. I won’t judge,” Stacie earnestly said, hoping it would make the other woman more comfortable confiding in her.

“It’s Spider-Girl,” she confessed, dropping her hands back into her lap. “I know it sounds silly, but she’s real! And we’re kind of working together to try to stop some bad people.”

“So you rejected Beca because you have feelings for a woman who’s never shown her face to anybody,” Stacie said. “How do you know you have feelings for her like that if you’ve never even seen her?”

“It’s her personality, she’s so strong and caring and really listens to what I have to say. And Beca does, too. They’re both so similar yet so different,” Chloe murmured. “That’s why I’m so confused, Stace. I like them both equally and when Beca and I kissed it–”

“Wait, you guys kissed?” Stacie squealed, buzzing with excited energy. How dare Beca not tell me that?

“Yes, I– thought she would have told you.”

“It is what it is, she was pissed at me,” Stacie waved off. “How was it?”

“It was amazing, Stacie. It felt so right, but I felt so wrong,” Chloe sighed, her face crumpling with grief. “I didn’t think it was fair to her that as much as I liked her I also liked somebody else. She deserves better than that. I want to be completely sure of my feelings before committing to her.”

“Makes sense,” Stacie nodded. Her mind was whirling, wanting to just scream at Chloe that Beca was Spider-Girl and that all of this was a silly misunderstanding and that she was right this whole time. But she would never break Beca’s trust and outright tell her. However, if she made a few suggestive comments and Chloe figured it out on her own, well… Beca certainly couldn’t fault her for that.

“What did you mean when you said that you got Beca into this?” Chloe asked, looking inquisitively at the brunette.

“I told her to tell you the truth,” Stacie replied. “She only half listened and left out the most crucial information. Don’t get me wrong, telling you she has feelings for you is a big deal, but nothing can come from just that. You need to know everything to fully understand.”

“I don’t think I’m following, what else does she have to tell me?” Chloe questioned.

“I’m not at liberty to tell you that, unfortunately. Trust me, if I could you would have known by now, but that information has to come from Beca. I can’t betray her trust like that,” Stacie explained. “There’s more to Beca than she lets off. She practically carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. I try to help her where I can, but there’s only so much I can do.”

“Why are you telling me all of this, Stacie?” Chloe asked after a few moments of silence. She knew Stacie was being vague on purpose, but she didn’t understand how any of this would help her get Beca to talk to her.

“I merely came to shed a little light on something I think you already kind of know,” Stacie smirked, not saying anything more. Chloe was an investigative journalist, she must have some idea by now, and it’s not like Beca is very good at hiding this part of her. She’s always disappearing places, or running late, or looking disheveled after quickly changing out of her suit to go somewhere. If Beca hadn’t told her of her own fruition, Stacie would have figured it out quickly.

Stacie’s heart dropped when her phone went off with the emergency alert system she created that was linked to Beca’s suit. She whipped her phone out and pulled up the app, assessing the situation. Beca’s vitals were dropping due to some sort of explosive impact. She pulled up the hero’s location and realized she was at the place she had saved Chloe from all those weeks ago.

“Damn it, Beca. What are you doing?” Stacie cursed softly, not thinking about the company she was around.

“What is it?” Chloe asked, concern written all over her face.

“I-I have to go,” Stacie stammered, abruptly standing up from her seat. She didn’t wait for a response from the other girl and started making her way to the door, but felt a firm hand grasp her wrist to stop her.

“Let me come with you,” Chloe pleaded. The look in her eyes told Stacie that some of the pieces of the puzzle were connecting. “She’s in trouble, isn’t she?”

“God damn it,” the brunette cursed under her breath. Maybe coming here was a bad idea, maybe she should have listened to Beca and let it go, maybe Beca would end up hating her for what she was about to do. “Okay, but I’m warning you, Beca may kill me for this and if she does I’m coming back to haunt both of your asses for being lovestruck idiots who don’t know how to communicate properly.”

The grin that spread across Chloe’s face didn’t make her feel any better, too worried about her best friend’s safety to find comfort in it. Only time would tell if Stacie achieved the ultimate wingwoman status, or if this was about to blow up in all of their faces. She pushed down her fear and focused on what was most important.

Saving her best friend’s stupid, impulsive ass.

-xxxxxxxxxx-

Stacie was actually grateful that Chloe came with her because she wasn’t familiar with the area, but the redhead was. They had taken Chloe’s car and when Stacie gave her the destination she could see the girl tense from the corner of her eyes, clearly having a sense of what was in store when they arrived. They didn’t speak as they sped through the city, and Stacie was surprised by the reckless driving, but with minimal information it was obvious that Chloe knew this was an emergency.

It was eerily quiet when they arrived, but they could see and smell smoke coming from one of the bigger buildings. What creeped Stacie out was that there were no guards, not even webbed up to walls or anything, like Beca was able to just saunter in to investigate. Clearly this was a trap, Beca. How could you be so blind? Stacie mentally berated her best friend.

As they made their way through to where Beca’s location was, she noticed Chloe kneel down beside something. It was Beca’s Spider-Bot, and as she looked at Chloe she could see more pieces clicking into place in the redhead’s mind.

“This is Beca’s,” Chloe whispered, picking up the device and shoving it in the bag that she brought with her, knowing Beca wouldn’t want to lose it and having to start from scratch. She stood back up and Stacie could tell she was forcing down the emotions she was probably overwhelmed with.

“We’re close,” Stacie explained as they continued their trek to find their friend. “Should be just around this corner.”

When they turned the corner they saw the destruction of the building that exploded. Shrapnel covered the parking area that they had been walking in, some of which was still on fire. Stacie’s eyes scanned the area looking for Beca, and she finally saw her under a metal beam from the building that luckily wasn’t on fire.

“Over there!” Stacie pointed out to Chloe, immediately running to the hero knowing Chloe was following behind. Beca was wearing a suit she hadn’t designed and knew the other woman hadn’t. It was black with her signature spider logo in a deep red. It was nice, but she could have done better. Shaking her head from the thoughts, she turned her attention to the metal beam currently crushing her friend. “Help me with this, Chlo.”

With some effort, they were able to free the hero that had been trapped. Stacie knelt down to get a closer look at her friend’s injuries, seeing her chest slowly rising and falling with deep, haggard breaths, at least that was a good sign. She grabbed the bottom of the mask with a brief glance at Chloe, knowing there was no coming back from this, and the redhead seemed to be holding her breath in anticipation, but had a knowing look in her eyes. She pulled the mask up and off the hero’s face, revealing Spider-Girl’s identity.

Even though the older woman was slightly prepared for what she was about to see, a small gasp still escaped her lips. No doubt there would be a lot of questions later. Beca had for sure looked better, with blood trickling down her face and a few bruises adorning her cheeks. But she was alive, and that’s all that mattered.

“Beca fucking Mitchell, you better wake the fuck up,” Stacie huffed with a few gentle shakes to her shoulders. She was careful about her other injuries, seeing a few pieces of glass and metal stuck in her upper arms and her legs, and a slightly bigger piece stuck in her abdomen where more blood was leaking from the wound. After a quick assessment, Stacie confirmed that it probably didn’t hit anything major, but that didn’t make it any less serious. “Come on, you fucking loser. You can’t do this to me.”

A gasp ripped from Beca’s throat as her eyes flew open, then turned into a deep, guttural moan as her injuries hit her like a sack of bricks. Or like an exploding building. She tried to sit up but Stacie pressed against her shoulders to keep her laying down.

“You always say the sweetest things to me,” Beca chuckled weakly. She caught sight of the figure behind Stacie, and a myriad of emotions flashed across her face. Anger, horror, concern, but finally settled on relief. She tried to sit back up, which caused Stacie to push down on her shoulders with a bit more force this time.

“I swear to god, Rebeca. Stop moving,” Stacie snapped, the stress of the situation finally hitting her. She would always be there for her friend. It was the least she could do with all of the responsibilities Beca took on, but she was tired and scared that she wouldn’t come back to her some day. She was just glad she was no longer alone to carry the burden. “You can be mad at me all you want for Chloe being here later, but right now I am trying to be your god damn doctor so the loving reunion is going to have to wait.”

To get Beca to stop irritating Stacie, Chloe knelt down on the other side of Beca, grabbing her hand and squeezing it as if it were a lifeline. Chloe hadn’t said a word since they found the hero’s unconscious body, and for a moment Stacie had been worried that perhaps the older woman wouldn’t be accepting of the fact that Beca was Spider-Girl. When she glanced up at the girl she saw unshed tears brimming her eyes with a soft, endearing smile on her lips, as if she was seeing Beca, truly seeing Beca for the first time.

“Stacie, how can I help? Should we get her to a hospital?” Chloe asked, getting back down to business after her rush of emotions towards their little superhero.

“No!” Beca attempted to shriek, but it turned into a coughing fit. Blood dribbled out of her mouth which was not a good sign. Beca needed medical attention immediately, and she knew her friend refused to go to the hospital in case they did some freaky tests on her and kept her as a lab experiment.

“Chloe, I need you to put as much pressure as you can on her abdomen to try to slow the bleeding,” Stacie ordered the woman, who immediately complied. She was careful to avoid the piece of metal in her abdomen so as not to move it. “We need to get you to the car, Beca. I can bring you to Doctor Octavius’s lab. We can call Aubrey, she’s going to medical school, and between her and I, we can make this work.”

“How are we going to explain the way I am dressed? Or explain what happened?” Beca asked, concern written all over her face.

“We’ll get you undressed beforehand. I may have to cut you out of that suit though to not disrupt any metal fragments in your body,” Stacie explained. “We’ll tell her you happened to be taking a nightly stroll in this area when the explosion happened.”

“But I like this suit,” Beca pouted. “It’s badass.”

“I’ll make you another one, idiot. And you know it’ll come out a hell of a lot better than this scrap of fabric,” Stacie placated her. “Where did you get this anyways?”

“Black Cat left it at her hideout for me,” Beca mumbled, not looking either woman in the eye. She knew Stacie didn’t like Black Cat, and assuming from the way Chloe tensed, she didn’t like her very much either. She’s not a good person, Beca. She’s just trying to get into your pants, which normally I’m all for, but I don’t trust her, Stacie had told Beca on numerous occasions.

Stacie didn’t get a chance to insult the antiheroine because she noticed the look in Beca’s eyes as her attention was drawn somewhere off in the distance. Her Spidey Senses were tingling, which meant they needed to get the hell out of there fast. She grabbed her mask that was laying beside Stacie and pulled it over her head to hide her identity.

“Help me up, we’ve got company,” Beca ordered the two women. They each wrapped one of her arms around their shoulders and gently lifted her to her feet. Once she was back on her feet, five heavily armed men came near the trio. “Go get the car, I’ve got this.”

“You can’t be for serious,” Chloe spoke up. “You can’t fight with your injuries. You could die.”

“If I don’t fight then we’re all dead,” Beca said. She placed a shaky hand against Chloe’s cheek, scanning the redhead’s face as if trying to memorize every detail like it’d be the last time she’d get to see that beautiful face.

She let her hand drop after a brief moment, squaring her shoulders to prepare for what was about to happen. She breathed deeply, and as she did, Stacie noticed a yellow glow forming on her hands. Before the taller brunette could say anything, Beca raced towards the men, letting out a loud growl. The two women watched as their friend jumped into the air, moving too quickly for the henchmen to react even in her seriously injured state. As she came down and made contact with the front man, a blast of bioelectricity shot out from her hands, completely incapacitating all five of the men.

Stacie’s jaw dropped and she looked at Chloe who had a very similar reaction. They were glued to their spot, unable to comprehend the power that just came from the petite woman. Stacie had no idea what the actual fuck just happened, and she didn’t have any time to ponder upon the situation because as soon as the men were down, Beca dropped to her knees. The two women quickly ran over to her, going back to their previous position before the absolutely mind-boggling event that just occurred, with one of Beca’s arms around each of their shoulders. Stacie pulled her mask back off her face so she could breathe a little bit easier. She wasn’t even strong enough to stand, her feet dragging behind her as Stacie and Chloe guided her back to the car.

“Beca,” Stacie whispered, barely able to find words. “What the hell just happened?”

The hero let out a weak chuckle, her strength completely depleted after the day’s events. Her eyes started to roll to the back of her head and she blinked rapidly to fight unconsciousness. The wound to her abdomen was bleeding much more now, and if they didn’t get back to campus soon, Stacie worried that Beca wouldn’t make it out of this.

“Honestly, Stace, I have no fucking clue.”

#bechloe #beca mitchell #Chloe beale #beca x chloe #pitch perfect #cass writes things

[aca-awesomenerd]

Hey awesome nerds!!

Finally wrote another chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter 13

It was about halfway through the year now and Barden had played against every team in their league once. In about a week, they will be playing one of those teams for a second time. This worried Beca. She knew that their play wouldn’t work anymore, but no matter how hard she tried to get Aubrey to change her mind, the captain wouldn’t budge. However, the Fire and Ice duo, also known as Beca and Chloe had been leading their team to a huge amount of victories. Beca and Chloe could easily lead Barden to the five wins they needed to easily go straight to the semi-finals. Everyone was talking about their unbelievable chemistry on the court and their incredible plays. Some people (mostly their teammates) would argue they had even better chemistry off the court.

“So Becs, how much longer until you ask Chloe out?” Stacie asked.

During their free time, Stacie and Beca would hang out in one of their dorm rooms or play basketball together. They had become really great friends and Beca appreciated Stacie’s company… Most of the time. Stacie had been mentioning their redheaded captain more often every time they spent time together. Beca was trying really hard not to make her feelings for Chloe show but it was hard to ignore when Stacie was constantly mentioning it.

When Stacie noticed Beca wasn’t answering she added: “Look Becs, you can keep ignoring me but I know you can’t tell me I’m wrong. I see how you both act when you are together…”

Beca continued to ignore what Stacie was saying until her tall friend said: “Fine keep ignoring me! I just want you to know that your feelings aren’t one-sided”

“Even if the feeling is mutual, I don’t want to ruin what we already have! I have so much fun with her before practice and the plays we make in-game are incredible. I would never want to put that in jeopardy.”

“I understand what you mean, but imagine the plays you can make if you both dealt with the tension and the chemistry you and Chloe have!”

“I don’t think it’s the right time to be starting a relationship with her. Not with  such important games coming up!” Beca replied hoping the conversation could end there.

“When will it be the right time Beca! You can’t keep pushing this back! One day you’ll be too late and then what will you do,” Stacie said, frustrated with her best friend’s behaviour.

“I’m going to get ready for practice. I’ll see you there.”

Beca left Stacie’s dorm room and started heading to the gym. Deep down, she knew Stacie was right, but Beca could never ruin one of the best relationships she’s ever had. As she continued toward the gym, she tried distracting herself from thinking about the conversation she just had with Stacie. She had to make sure she was very focused on the upcoming games. She had to help the team get to the semi-finals.

------

When Beca finally got to the gym, she was surprised to see Chloe was already there starting their “before practice” routine. The redhead noticed Beca’s arrival right away and ran over to give the short brunette a hug.

“Hey Becs! Looks like I beat you to the gym today!” Chloe teased.

“Yeah, I guess you did,” Beca replied half-heartedly.

“Everything okay?” Beca was usually very excited to get to the gym before practice to train with Chloe, but the co-captain noticed right away that something was up.

“I’m fine, just a bit tired that’s all.”

Chloe wasn’t convinced of Beca’s answer.

“Are you sure that’s all?”

‘“Yeah. Don’t worry about it, everything’s great!”

Chloe knew that there was more to it, but decided to let it go knowing the brunette doesn’t like sharing what she is feeling. If it was important, the co-captain knew she would be the first to know what Beca was thinking.

The two of them started their drills together and played until their practice began.

-----

The team’s practice was going very well. The girls have been building a strong bond over the past few months and it was paying off. Their passing was very smooth and they always knew where their teammates were at all times. However, they constantly practiced their one and only play, which was always executed perfectly but gave the team very few scoring chances since they were so predictable. This is where Beca and Chloe came into play. The duo would take advantage of every open chance they got and they could get the ball to each other no matter where they were on the court. Even if they couldn’t practice their impromptu moves at practice, they never missed.

It was about halfway through practice at this point and the team was taking a water break. Beca was feeling much more relaxed, basketball always helped calm her down. Stacie, however, was feeling guilty for upsetting the shorter brunette earlier so she decided to take this break to go and apologize to Beca.

“Becs, can I talk to you for a sec?” Stacie asked.

“Yeah, sure what’s up?”

“I just wanted to apologize for earlier, I went too far and I don’t want to rush you. I totally understand your point and if you ever need help asking her out just let me know.”

“Of course! Don’t worry about it Stace, I know you want what’s best for me and I’ll consider what you said.”

“Hug?” Stacie questioned, knowing Beca wasn’t too fond of hugging.

“Do we have to?” Beca replied jokingly as she hugged Stacie back.

From further away, the redheaded captain was watching Beca and Stacie’s exchange and couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous. Although, she would never let anyone know that was what she was feeling. Her mood quickly changed when Beca walked right back to her spot next to Chloe.

The team was getting ready to play a five-on-five scrimmage. They split into their usual teams and started playing. The game was going exceptionally well. Their play was working pretty well and everything else was going smoothly. Beca had stolen the ball and proceeded to dribble down the court to start a fastbreak. She immediately spotted Chloe right next to the net and threw the ball directly to her. She was so focused on getting the ball to the redhead that she didn’t see Stacie defending her on her left and fell as a result of the impact from the collision.

#basketball au #bechloe basketball AU #bechloe #bechloe fic #beca mitchell #chloe beale #Pitch Perfect #sorry it took so long #school was crazy #glad i could be writing about basketball when I can't play my last ever season of basketball

[katelides]

Good Or Bad Luck Chapter 44

Good Or Bad Luck: Chapter 44

Beca feels her blood pumping through her entire body while running through the hospital, in search of her best friend. She finally finds her outside in the garden, crying on a little bench.  She makes her way towards the tall brunette and gently sits down next to her. Patiently waiting for her best friend to open up about what had just happened inside.

The two girls sit in silence for about 20 minutes, until Stacie finally speaks up.

“She broke up with me.” Is the only thing she says, before breaking out in sobs once again. Beca rubs her face with her left hand, trying to hold in a heavy sigh. She has no idea what’s going with these two but she knows that deep down neither wants to be apart from the other.

“And will you let this happen?” Beca finally asks, determined to make her best friend really think about the situation. “I uh I don’t know.” Stacie quietly admits. “I mean, it's not that I want to let her go. She just needs some time, right?” Stacie says as if she’s trying to convince herself that it might just be that. Time.

“I guess.” Beca shrugs her shoulders. I mean she did just hear that the implant might not exactly work according to plan. It’s not something we couldn’t have anticipated, but to her, this entire implant thing to actually work was/is really important. You have to give her a moment to process all this information.”

“I get that Beca, but she can’t break up with me every time it gets tough, she has to talk to me about her feelings. And if she can’t do that… I think us breaking up might be for the best.” Stacie gets up from the bench and starts walking away. Beca tries to stop her and manages to slow her best friend down. “You can’t just give up, Stacie. Please don’t make any rash decisions.”

“Just leave me alone for now Becs.” Beca doesn’t relent though and keeps trying to push her best friend towards the hospital. “I know you Beca, and I know you’ll try to change my mind about this. I just need some time to think about everything, I know I might be reacting rash at the moment, so yes, I will think about everything that happened, before giving up on love. But I need time.” This time Stacie doesn’t give Beca a chance to stop her and walks away towards her car.

Beca groans loudly, trying very hard not curse through gritted teeth. She had never seen so much pain and suffering in her best friends’ eyes and she doesn’t know how to fix it. “How do I fucking fix this!” She shouts while kicking a little stone out of the way. She sits back down on the bench they were just on, resting her elbows on her knees, and hiding her face in her hands.

-,-,-,-,-

Emily and Benji are sitting on the floor by the door of Aubrey’s room. Neither has been inside to see Aubrey yet, but they know that now may not be the perfect time to go inside. So they just wait. Either for Beca and Stacie to come back, or Chloe to walk out.

They have been sitting there for about half an hour when the door finally opens. Chloe walks out and sees the two teenagers sit on the floor. Instead of telling them to get up, she sits down next to them with a heavy sigh. “So…” Chloe says, not really looking at the kids. “Aubrey is doing fine. She uh, she and Stacie are… pfffft I have no idea what they are right now, but I hope they figure it out soon.” The redhead pauses for a brief second to collect her thoughts. “Anyway, how about we go and have some lunch and I’ll call Beca to join us?"

“Sounds like a great idea,” Benji says with a reassuring smile. He’s the first one up his feet and helps his girlfriend and Chloe up on theirs. “Come on, I know a nice little pizzeria not far from here.” The girls look at each other as if they’re considering the option. They both shrug their shoulders and wordlessly agree to have pizza. “Sounds good to me.” Emily finally says, grabbing her boyfriend’s hand and guiding him towards the elevator. Chloe following them with a distant smile.

The three make their way outside and start to head towards the parking lot. Chloe is not really looking where she’s going and doesn’t notice the teens stopping abruptly. This makes her walk into them.

“What in the w-? Why did you guys stop?” She asks confusedly. “I uh, I don’t think Beca’s talk with Stacie went very well,” Benji says awkwardly. Chloe raises her brow and peers past the couple and sees Beca sitting on a bench with her head in her hands.

Of course, the redhead doesn’t hesitate and walks straight towards her girlfriend. “Beca?” She almost whispers. The brunette slowly lifts her head when she hears her name. When she sees Chloe, she lets out a heavy sigh and gets up.

“How is Aubrey doing?” She asks, not really feeling up to discussing her thoughts and emotions. “Beca, I know what you’re doing. What happened?” Chloe asks, slightly pushing her luck. The brunette stays quiet for a minute, thinking things over.

Chloe can see her overthinking everything. “Stacie is angry and hurt. She has had enough of Aubrey pushing her away when it gets tough.” Beca finally manages to explain. “She said she needs time, but I’m not sure what her decision will be.”

Chloe lets out a heavy sigh, knowing exactly what the brunette means. “We have to let them figure this out on their own. I know it’s tough but we can’t push them into something neither is ready for.” Beca says as he finally looks up at her girlfriend. “How long does Aubrey have to stay at the hospital?” Beca asks.

“I’m not sure, but I heard May tell her that she has to stay for at least a week for some extra tests,” Chloe says, trying to think back to the actual conversation. “Alright, the two of them have a week to figure things out,” Beca says with determination. “If we don’t get any news by then, I’ll try and talk to Stacie and you’ll do the same with Aubrey.”

Chloe agrees with her girlfriend but doesn’t like the fact that she has to wait for a week until she can beat some sense into her best friend. “Until then, I want all of us to not bring up the other while being with one of them. We’ll keep visiting Aubrey and I’ll arrange a girl’s night out with Stacie to keep things light and fun for both of them. Any questions?” She asks her girlfriend and the two teenagers behind her

When none of them has anything to say, Beca claps her hands and ushers them all towards the car so they can all finally go get something to eat. Chloe can see that Beca is suffering in silence and that she’s keeping a lot of emotions inside.

“Hey, Chlo?” The redhead stops herself from getting in the car when Beca’s voice reaches her. “Thank you, for just being here and not pushing me to open up. I will talk at some point but I need to process everything before I can do that.”

“I understand Beca, and whatever time you need, I’ll wait.” Beca smiles at the answer and leans in to kiss Chloe on her cheek. Both just loving the feeling of having the other close.

-,-,-,-,-

Stacie walks into her apartment, throwing her keys on the Stacie walks into her apartment, throwing her keys into the little bowl next to the door. Her mind is racing a thousand miles an hour, trying to think about what had occurred only a few hours ago. How could Aubrey ever think that she would love her any less if she was stuck in that stupid wheelchair. Had she ever given her that feeling? Did she ever do something that would evoke that thought?

Stacie has no idea what to do in her own apartment. Half of the things in there are Aubrey’s, and she can’t just throw them out or store them somewhere. But she can’t stay here either. So the brunette runs up the stairs to her bedroom and collects a duffel-bag with clothes.

Once she has enough things that would last her at least two weeks, she heads out the door while making a phone call to a nearby hotel. Whatever would happen next, would rely on every decision she makes next.

The walk to the nearest hotel was shorter than Stacie expected. Luckily the Valentino Hotel had a room available for her. The four-star hotel is owned by Stacie’s uncle jack and he would always give her room, no questions asked.

“Ah, Stace, I’m so happy to see you again! It has been a while!” The loud voice of uncle Jack caries through the main lobby and Stacie chuckles at the surprised face her aunt pulls when she sees her niece. “Hi uncle Jack, hi aunt Sabrina.” The brunette walks up to her family with extended arms and receives a tight hug in return.

Sabrina looks her niece up and down with a skeptical look. “I’m not going to pry, but I know your happy face, and this…” the older woman points at Stacie’s face. “Is not it. When you’re ready you can come and talk to me.”

“Thank you, aunt Brina, I’ll definitely keep that in mind,” Stacie says with a gentle smile. Of course, uncle Jack does not like to be left out and pulls the not so little girl into a tight hug. “Whoa! Easy there uncle Jack, I’d like to keep my ribs of you don’t mind.”

“Alright pickle, no need to worry. How about we get you settled in and you tell us about your life over dinner?” Jack suggests with a beaming smile. It doesn’t take more than that to convince Stacie.

-,-,-,-,-

Aubrey blankly stares at the white ceiling as her mind is working overtime, trying to understand her own thoughts and feelings. She never meant to hurt Stacie, and she feels like a jerk for doing so anyway.

She has always been the black sheep in the family, the huge bother, no matter what she did. A straight-A student but that one A- makes her still less than her B average brother. Win 4 academic decathlons in a row and still made to feel stupid because she didn’t understand one sports reference.

Her brother having a cold, and her entire family rushing around him to make sure he’s ok. While once she broke her leg in the middle of winter she had to struggle with her crutches to get to school. Her parent would actually scoff at her if she even dared to ask them something. Thank god her brother was not like them.

That’s why she doesn’t want Stacie and her to be together at this particular time. Stacie will soon enough understand that living with a handicapped person will be to much for her and leave her anyway. Why wait for that to happen when you can speed up the process.

Maybe I should just let fate take its course… Aubrey thinks to herself. Why not be happy for as long as it lasts?

#fanfiction #fanfic #bechloe #beca and chloe #beca mitchell #chloe beale #staubrey #stacie conrad #aubrey posen #bemily #benji applebaum #emily junk #Pitch Perfect #pitch perfect 2 #pitch perfect 3 #good or bad luck

[presleepthoughts]

i’m really just living for powerless and i need more. oxygen may run out soon. need it now. 😂😂

Dude 😂😂 I literally thought you were talking about yourself. Like you were powerless and I was like “What? What are you talking about?”. I needed a second to realize 😂 

Thanks for liking it so much but it’s not worth dying over 😂 jk.

As always I’d love to hear your thoughts. I love seeing your reactions and it makes me feel happy when I get to talk to you. So please, leave some comments and we can chat.

Powerless - Chapter 4

Waking up feeling better than ever, Beca stretchedher muscles high over her head and was pleasantly surprised to found out thatshe wasn’t sore. Energy was crushing through her veins and she felt ready tostart the day.

As she turned on her side to leave the bed, thedoor busted open bouncing off the wall with a loud thud. Two men rushed intothe room and grabbed her by her shoulders, roughly trying to yank her to thefloor.

Beca screamed in fright and instinctively foughtback, leaning backwards to get away from their hold. One of them seized herwrist and pulled hard but Beca quickly pushed forward with her palm against hischest, sending the man tumbling into the wall. The other man halted at theunexpected counter attack and Beca took advantage, pushing him to the floor,hearing a satisfying crack as his head smashed backward, knocking himunconscious.

Breathing heavily, Beca stared at her palms equallysurprised and afraid at the ability she didn’t have a few days ago. Not wantingto waste a second before one of them got up and stroke again, Beca spring outof the bed and without thinking, jumped out of the window.

She closed her eyes mid-air and when she openedthem, she was on the ground and her bones still intact. Glancing up at herwindow, she spotted him watching her with fury displayed on his features. If hewas surprised about her ability, he hid it well.

“Watch your back, 24. I’m going to put you backinto the lab today even if I have to drag you myself.” An evil smirk appearedon his lips, which caused a shiver to ran down Beca’s spine. “We have some newexperimenting to do.”

Beca clenched her jaw and tore her gaze away,running from the backyard towards the school.

“Here you are! I’ve been trying to reach you sinceyesterday, you jerk. You had me worried!” Stacie exclaimed angrily as shestopped behind Beca, who was standing in front of her locker putting her booksaway.

The brunette turned around and rolled her eyes. Shetried to disguise her jumpiness and fidgeting all day long, watching over herback with one eye, his voice loud and clear in her mind. “I texted you where Iwas. You know why I had to leave.”

“It doesn’t matter. I was still worried.” Stacielowered her tone, her features softening slightly. “What happened?”

Beca shook her head and directed her eyes to thefloor. “Nothing that I couldn’t handle. It’s over anyway.”

Stacie swept her eyes over her petite figure,trying to find anything that would give her a hint about what happened. UsuallyBeca was forthcoming with details to Stacie but withdrawn when she reallydidn’t want to talk about something. Knowing prying wouldn’t lead to anything, Staciedecided to leave it for today. Beca would tell her if she wanted to.

While they stood in silence, Stacie noticedsomebody from the corner of her eyes and turned to the left, catching ChloeBeale walking by them, sending a smile toward Beca, causing the smallerbrunette to blush slightly and send a smile back. The leggy brunette mouthgaped open as the redhead disappeared down the hallway.

“Did Chloe Beale just smile at you? Okay, when didthat happen? Wha – Beca?”

Beca turned camisole and shut her locker, headingtoward the cafeteria for lunch. “I – um ran into her yesterday. Turns out sheknows my name and everything. Totally didn’t see that coming.” She left out thepart where Chloe found her unconscious on the floor.

“Beca, she’s the hottest girl in school.” Stacieinformed her with her eyebrow raised. “Well, beside Aubrey…and of course, me.But how did you get her to like you?” For a second, she got lost inside herhead. “Just imaging if I was into redheads… We would rule the world.” Staciestated like it was obvious.

Beca chose to ignore the last part. “Wow, wow, slowdown. She does not like me. We only had one conversation and it wasn’t anythingspecial. Just regular…awkward small talk that I love so much. Besides, I don’tthink she’s even gay.”

Stacie deadpanned as they turned the corner andwalked through the cafeteria door. “Beca. Are you blind? Chloe loves people ingeneral. Just like me she doesn’t see gender, she sees the person inside.”

“And how would you know that?” Beca asked, grabbingher regular hamburger from the shelf.

Stacie shrugged. “We hang out in the same circle. She’ssuper nice. Not like all the other cheerleaders. She totally breaks thestereotype.” She bobbed her head.

“Just admit it she’s hot.” Stacie urged as theystepped outside the building onto the grass and sat down with their lunches.

Beca felt like the only thing she does when she’shanging out with Stacie is rolling her eyes. “Fine, yes, she’s super hot. Shehas a banging body and her eyes are like killer blue. Like you could drown inthem it’s so blue. Are you happy now?”

“Wow, so many compliments already? You haven’t evenasked me out yet.”

Beca’s eyes widen in horror as the distinctivevoice of Chloe Beale sounded behind her all of a sudden. Beca’sdeer-caught-in-the-headlights expression was priceless and Stacie clapped ahand over her mouth to try and hold back her laughter. She saw Chloe smirk downat the girl.

“Hey, Chloe.” Stacie smiled widely.

The redhead directed her gaze toward the leggybrunette and smiled genuinely. “Hi, Stacie. How are you?”

“I’m great, thanks.” Stacie answered, looking backat Beca. “That was the best thing I’ve seen in my life.”

Beca snapped out of her daze at the dig. “Hey! Notcool.” She whispered to her.

“Stace, do you mind giving Beca and I a second? You’llhave her back soon.” Chloe spoke up.

Beca’s eyes rounded as Stacie easily nodded andprepared to stand up. Beca seized her arm and tried to keep her down. “What thefuck? Don’t leave me.”

“You can thank me later.” Stacie whispered backbefore rolling her eyes at the dramatics and smiled eagerly at the redhead. “She’sall yours. Take all the time you need.”

Chloe thanked Stacie and sat down opposite Beca. Thebrunette had trouble meeting the redhead’s eyes after her comment that wasn’tsupposed to be overheard. Chloe originally wanted to tease Beca further, likingthe pinkness on her cheeks but as she took in the girl, her smile softenedremembering the last time they saw each other.

“Hi.” She said kindly, tilting her head down to tryand catch Beca’s gaze. “Thought I’d check up on you. Are you feeling better?”

Beca snapped her head back before waving her handdismissively. “Oh that… I – I’m fine. Totally. It was not a big deal.”

Chloe looked skeptical but nodded. “I don’t know.I’ve never fainted before but if you say so. Did you at least go to the doctor?Or at least the school nurse?”

“I didn’t but my dad’s a doctor…he checked me out.There’s nothing wrong. Just…too much happening at once.” Beca thought backabout the unexplainable affect her body went through two days ago.

“I can relate to that… I almost lost my mind duringfinals last year. Cheerleader championship were on the same week as my two lastfinals and Aubrey almost didn’t want to let me leave the gym. I had to studybetween breaks.” Chloe smiled as she recalled the stress she was under but nowshe could laugh about it.  

There was a dull in the conversation before Chloesmiled cheekily. “What about my date then?”

Beca panicked, looking everywhere but at Chloe.“I-I…wh – “

“Beca, I’m totes kidding.” Chloe laughed beforesmirking. “But if you really want to…we can arrange that…” The redhead winkedat the smaller girl and passing her a piece of paper. “We go to Tommy’s Burger almostevery day with my friends. You can join if you want to. Call me.” She said beforegetting up from her place and leaving Beca dumbfoundedly watching her walkaway.

Gaping Beca glanced down at the paper founding tendigits wrote in pink ink with the name Chloeat the bottom. Beca scanned around, thinking it must be a prank that thecheerleaders were pressuring Chloe to execute and someone was going to jump outof somewhere and…do something; Beca didn’t know.

At the back entrance, she spotted Stacie watchingher and unconsciously she held up the paper. Stacie’s jaw hung open before shesquealed and ran up to her.

“No way! You scored her number?! Lucky bustard.”

“Stacie, I don’t know what to do with this?!” Becaadmitted awkwardly.

Stacie rolled her eyes then sat down in heroriginal seat. “It’s not rocket science. Just call her and she’ll take control.Chloe’s like that.”

Beca frowned her eyebrows at the little snippet ofinformation. “I didn’t know you knew her so well.”

“I don’t need to. I can see it in her eyes.” Staciesmirked. “She’s feisty.”

“Okay.” Beca said finally and stood up, leaving herfriend laughing behind her.

“Subject is currently unavailable.” The bodyguardspoke out strongly as he stepped inside the laboratory, the professor sittingat his desk going through research data.

“I said get her. Was I unclear?” His gaze remainedon the paper, tone ever so calm.

“She’s in school. It’s not advised to proccedfurther until she’s out of the building. She’ll be vulnerable and we can ambushwhen she’s alone.”

“Didn’t you see the security camera footage fromthis morning?” He turned to look at the man. “She’ll never bevulnerable…something happened to her and I need to find out what! She foughtoff two of my men that were twice her size and jumped out of the window withoutinjury. The trial was successful. I needher. Now!”

The guard’s face turned serious and he noddeddetermined. “Yes, professor.”

#bechloe #beca mitchell #chloe beale #Beca x Chloe #Pitch Perfect #pitch perfect 2 #pitch perfect 3 #spiderman #spiderman au #marvel universe #fanfiction #requests #ask me anything #send me asks #loved to hear from you

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Home: Chapter 2/8

A/N: Thank you to those that reviews. Didn't get a huge response but I know the first couple of chapters are kind of weak so I'm hoping you stick with me on this.

If you can find it in you to leave me a review I'd be forever grateful haha

Read on Fanfic.net

I do not own Pitch Perfect or Harry Potter or any of their characters.

Second Year

"Beca," a voice groaned from the ground beside her.

Beca did not, could not, take her eyes of the Death Eater in front of her. She felt like if she did, he would either attack, or escape.

Yet she couldn't bring herself to attack first.

"Beca," the voice groaned again. "Help."

"So?" Stacie asked, sitting on the bottom of Beca's bed, crossing her legs.

Beca spent most of her time in their dormitory these days. Last year, she spent more time in the common room with the other Slytherins, but ever since this Heir of Slytherin stuff started happening, talk in the common room turned more and more into how muggle-borns didn't belong in Hogwarts, which Beca, of course, didn't agree with. So Beca spent most of her time out the way.

"So what?" Beca asked, looking up from her book. She was reading up on the disarming charm. She hadn't managed to get to grips with the wand movement, and their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was, to put it mildly, an idiot.

"Are you gonna come audition for Flitwick's choir or not?" Stacie asked.

Beca rolled her eyes. "Not," she said, looking back at her book. Stacie took it out of her hands with a huff of annoyance. "Dude!"

"Why not?" Stacie asked.

"Why would I?"

"Because," Stacie held up a finger, "you're good at singing," she held up a second, "you actually like singing," she held up a third, "I don't want to be the only Slytherin there."

"Imagine what my dad would say if I joined a choir," Beca said, shaking her head. "I still haven't told him I tried to try out for the Quidditch team. Not that it mattered."

The Quidditch try-out had been beyond frustrating. She was a good chaser, she knew she was, but captain Marcus Flint took one look at her small, skinny frame and laughed. He wouldn't even watch her fly. The memory of it still caused a flare of anger to rush through her.

"Are you going to spend your whole time at Hogwarts worrying what your dad will say? Here's a thought, just don't tell him," Stacie said.

"That's easy for you to say, your parents are actually nice," Beca said.

"And your dad is an asshole, I know, but still," Stacie said, "he isn't here, is he? You are."

Beca sighed. "I just… I don't know, Stace."

"Chloe will be there," Stacie added, a last ditch attempt to get Beca to agree to come.

Beca flushed red. "Why are you telling me that?"

"Oh, are you trying to tell me you don't want an excuse to see her? Don't insult my intelligence," Stacie said.

Beca didn't bother to argue. "Fine," she said. "I'll come."

"Hurray!" Stacie said, her arms raised in triumph. "This will be fun."

Beca shook her head and picked up her book again. "You're a weirdo."

When she and Stacie had arrived at the audition that Saturday afternoon, everyone already there fell silent at the sight of them and their green and silver ties. They really were the only two Slytherins there.

Beca was on the verge of walking out, but Chloe leapt to her feet, clearly so happy to see her.

"Beca!" She yelled, pulling a startled Beca into a hug. "You came!"

"Uhh," Beca said, looking alarmed. "Yeah. You know Stacie, right?"

"Of course!" Chloe said, hugging her too.

Beca glanced around the room and saw a few people she recognised.

There was Chloe's best friend Aubrey, with the self-named Fat Amy and some other Gryffindors who later introduced themselves as Jesse and Flo.

Emily Junk was there, along with two other Hufflepuffs called Jessica and Ashley, who seemed glued at the hip.

Ravenclaw Benjamin ("Call me Benji," he had said, introducing himself) was also there. The other two Ravenclaws was a third year girl called Cynthia-Rose, and a slightly terrifying girl named Lily, who, when Stacie asked what year she was in, mumbled something none of them could quite hear, but which sounded like "I've been here longer than Dumbledore."

Auditioning for Flitwick's choir turned out to be less of an audition, and more of singing the Hogwarts house song so Flitwick knew where to put you.

Beca was put with the altos and they began to sing. By the end of her first rehearsal, Beca wondered why she'd been nervous and reluctant to join. Singing was probably her second favourite thing to do, after flying, and she liked everyone there. They were nerds, sure, but they were kind of awesome nerds.

Also, due to the way Flitwick had arranged them, she had been stood next to Chloe the entire time, which Beca was definitely not complaining about. Being in close proximity to Chloe made her heart speed up and her face feel hot. It was like standing too close to a fire. Beca was afraid she would get burned.

After a few weeks of rehearsing, the group actually started to sound good together.

She especially liked the way hers and Chloe's voices had blended. As if they were made to harmonise with each other. While they both sounded great on their own, as soon as they came together it was like, well, magic.

Rehearsals were put on hold, however, when a member of their choir was found petrified outside of his common room. It was the slightly dorky but very lovable muggle-born Benji, who had impressed them so often with his muggle magic tricks.

People started to take the heir of Slytherin stuff more seriously. People started travelling in groups, shooting dirty looks at any Slytherin they came across.

After a third student was attacked, a Hufflepuff this time, but no one that Beca knew, the atmosphere in the castle was starting to get tense.

Some Slytherins, the ones Beca always tried to avoid, thought the heir was some hero. Someone trying to "cleanse the school of filth". It made Beca feel sick. On Christmas evening, Beca heard Draco Malfoy talk loudly to a stupider than usual Crabbe and Goyle, about how he wish he knew who the heir was.

One morning Beca was standing just outside the Great Hall, looking at the hour glasses containing the house points. Slytherin were in the lead again, but that didn't mean much. They had actually won last year but due to some, as Stacie put it, Dumbledore bullshit, they'd come second to Gryffindor.

To be fair to Harry Potter and his friends, they had stopped Voldemort from getting some important stone. Beca had to admit that they deserved those few hundred points, even though she'd never admit that to her fellow Slytherins.

The thought that he'd been in the school, had actually been in the same room as Beca, still made her feel cold all over.

She was lost in thought, still looking at the constantly changing hour glasses, when she was shoved aside.

"Hey!" Beca said, annoyed as the books she was holding fell out of her arms. One of the Gryffindors who'd pushed her turned around.

"Sorry!" They said, their voice dripping with sarcasm. "Don't set Slytherin's monster on me!"

Beca rolled her eyes but didn't respond. It wasn't a fun time to be a Slytherin.

When she crouched to pick up her books, her vision was obscured by red hair.

"Ignore them," Chloe said, helping her pick up her books. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Beca said, taking the books from Chloe. "Thanks."

"They're just idiots. I bet they think Harry Potter's involved too," Chloe said.

"I mean when is he not involved in something? He literally flew a car to school this year."

Chloe laughed. "Right?"

"So, uh, I'll see you round," Beca said, turning and walking into the Great Hall.

"Wait!" Chloe said, catching up to her. "I wanted to tell you something."

"What's up?"

"So I had a detention with Snape last week," she said.

"You had detention? What for?"

"Oh, you know my thing where I ask too many questions and don't realise I'm being annoying?"

"Yeah," Beca said.

"Well Snape didn't appreciate me asking over and over what Slytherin's monster could be. I figured of all the teachers he would know, but he didn't," Chloe said. "Anyway, while I was doing my detention, I found out that there's this book that has every single person who ever went to Hogwarts, and what house they were in. It also shows if they'd ever been a prefect, head boy or girl, or a Quidditch captain."

"So?"

"So you can find out some stuff about your Mom, can't you?" Chloe asked, grinning broadly.

Beca felt a stomach flip and her face flush. "I, um, I don't think I'll be able to find her."

"Why? Do you not even know her name?" Chloe asked, shocked.

"I know her first name," Beca said, "but not her surname." Beca was aware that she could stop right there. She didn't need to say anymore, but for some reason she didn't want to hide anything from Chloe. "But even if I did, she wouldn't be in there."

Chloe looked at her, tilting her head slightly. "Let's go take a walk," she said. "We have a bit of time before class."

"Sure," Beca said, wanting to get away from anyone who could overhear.

It was cold outside, and Chloe linked her arm with Beca's as they walked, huddling close to her.

"Your Mom was a muggle," Chloe said. It wasn't a question.

"Yeah," Beca replied.

More silence followed.

"Are you ashamed of that?"

"No!" Beca said, pulling away slightly. "Of course not."

More silence.

"You know who my dad is, right?" Beca asked.

"Of course I do."

"Well… He thinks if it gets out that he had a kid with a muggle, it'll be bad for him. For his reputation. I don't care about his reputation, but I do care about getting through summer break alive," Beca said, sounding bitter. "He made me swear that if anyone asked about her, I'd say she was some witch that I never met."

"I'm sorry Beca," Chloe said. "Did she really die when you were born?"

Beca shrugged. "I think so. That's what he told me, anyway. I think she lived long enough to tell them my dad's name. And my dad came to get me from a foster home when I was a baby. I don't think he actually wanted me, he never loved my Mom or anything, but he said he couldn't have me being raised as a muggle and then coming to Hogwarts with his name."

"That's… That's really sad Beca. I'm sorry," Chloe said, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. "He doesn't sound like a good dad."

"He isn't," Beca said. "He's not a good person."

"All those rumours about him… Are they true?"

"Yeah," Beca said. "I hate having his name. I hate the way people look at me when they hear it. I hate that people assume I'm like him."

"Anyone who gets to know you, knows you aren't like him," Chloe said.

"I guess," Beca said with a sigh. "Come on, we'll be late for our first class."

"Thank you for telling me all this."

"Thank you for listening. But, um, please don't share it with anyone else? If he found out…"

"I won't say a word," Chloe said. "I promise."

#home #bechloe au #bechloe #bechloe/Harry Potter au #pitch perfect/Harry Potter au #Harry Potter au #hpau #pitch perfect au #pitch perfect fanfic #pitch perfect fanfiction #Pitch Perfect #fanfic #fanfiction #au #beca #chloe #beca mitchell #chloe beale #Beca x Chloe #stacie #stacie conrad

[usemeasabadexample]

Merry Pitchmas!

Merry Pitchmas @acabloe 

I’m your secret santa! I hope you had a great holiday and I really hope you enjoy the story! (Sorry I’m a little late. Holidays...ugh *insert dramatic eye roll*)

Bechloe Fanfic: Fine

Summary: AU where Beca is a music producer and Chloe is a teacher. Beca needs community service hours and gets hooked up with Chloe but they really don’t hit it off right away. 

“A club seems like a really unprofessional way to meet someone I'm going to be working with Amy.” Beca shoots a dirty look to someone who brushes past her a little too aggressively.

“Unprofessional?” Amy pauses as the bouncer waves them through the door. “Seems a bit unprofessional that you punched a guy in the face because of creative differences.” She issues air quotes to the last two words and gives Beca a pointed look before turning back around to make her way to the VIP area.

“Dude.” Beca puts a spring in her step to catch up to the blonde. “That guy was a dick. He had no idea-”

Amy's hand in her face cuts Beca off mid-sentence and mid-step. “Beca, please.” She doesn't finish her thought. Instead, Amy plops down onto the sofa inside of the roped off area.

Beca doesn't understand what that's supposed to mean and shrugs her shoulders as she sits in a chair next to Amy. “What?”

Amy glares. “No dick talk. I'm having a dry spell worse than an Australian desert in the middle of summer.”

Beca immediately regrets asking for clarification. She grimaces. “Wait, is that why you picked a club for this meeting tonight?”  

Amy is still glaring at her and Beca wants to sink back into the chair and disappear because she knows she isn't prepared for whatever Amy is going to say.

She needs a drink before she can participate in this type of conversation.

“I chose this place because I know the only way to get you to socialize like a normal human being is to get a few drinks in you.”

Beca starts to object but almost on cue, the waitress drops by and places a tray of bottles down onto the table in front of them. She mentions that the owner will be by shortly and Amy starts pouring drinks before the girl is even gone.

“Amy-” Beca tries again but it's to no avail. Amy clearly isn't having it tonight.

“No. You're lucky you got off with community service and a payout after fisting that guy in the face. These people need to like you so that your service goes well and they give good reports to the judge.” Amy passes her a drink. “Now shut up. Drink. And act like a person. I know it's hard but do it.”

Beca rolls her eyes because she knows Amy’s right but that doesn't mean she has to like it. 

She is thankful though.

For all of her quirks, Amy has always been a kind and loyal friend. She tells it like it is and she always has Beca's back. No matter what. No questions asked. It's been that way since college and when Beca moved to L.A. to work for the record label, she knew she wanted her best friend with her. The blonde didn't hesitate to take a position as Beca's assistant and they left Georgia to start a new phase of life together. That was five years ago and they've been thriving ever since. Beca considers herself a pretty successful music producer. She's worked with everyone from Katy Perry to Lil’ Wayne to Michael Buble. It's been wild but it's everything she's always dreamed about.

Until she punched that piece of shit a few weeks ago everything was perfect.

She thinks about it for the millionth time as she sips her drink. His music sucked and he was a complete dick to every woman in the studio.

A dirty comment about an intern finally forced her off the deep end and nothing in the world could have stopped her fist from connecting with his worm-looking face. Community service be damned. Fuck that dude.

She's glad she socked him.

“What's up bitches?!” Her thoughts are put on hold as the owner of the club, who is also one of their best friends, appears. Beca hops up to give the woman a hug but she gets side-swiped by Amy and almost topples over.

“Amy!” Beca winces as she regains her balance.

“What?” Amy looks like she doesn't understand what the problem is and Beca isn't surprised.

Cynthia Rose laughs loudly and peels herself from Amy to pat Beca on the back. “Hey girl. You meeting your new work buddy tonight?”

Beca nods.

“I'll get shots.”

“No.” Beca grabs her shoulder. “That's okay CR. I'll get them. You keep an eye on Amy.”

Cynthia Rose laughs and Amy furrows her eyebrows but then grins almost immediately. “That's fine. Look at my sexy fat ass all you like but don't touch.” She winks and Beca rolls her eyes before she heads to the bar.

Leaving the two of them alone together is never a good idea but what can she do?

Thankfully, the bar isn't overwhelmingly crowded yet so she slips between two people and orders a round of shots. She has a feeling she's going to need more than one to get through the night but this is a good place to start.

The bartender drops the shots down and winks at Beca as she pays. She smiles back because, why not? The girl is pretty enough and she hasn't dated anyone in a while. Harmless flirting could be fun. She picks up a shot and just as she opens her mouth to say something she's sure will be witty, someone bumps her from behind.

Her shot goes flying, spilling down the front of her shirt, and she feels something wet dripping down her back as well. She immediately spins around to give whoever it is a piece of her mind. “Dude! What the fuck?”

The mystery woman giggles in response and Beca bristles because seriously. What. The. Fuck? This isn't funny.

“Are you seriously laughing right now?”

The woman rolls her lips together. Presumably to stop herself from laughing but she's still grinning. “Sorry!” She reaches out and lays a hand on Beca's shoulder. “I wasn't paying attention.”

Beca glares at the hand resting on her arm then looks back to the stranger and a few things catch her eye.

The first being the most insane set of blue eyes that she's ever seen. Even in the darkness of the club, they're practically glowing.

The second thing she notices is the woman's flaming red hair. It's so vivid and it looks so soft that Beca almost reaches out and touches it without thinking. Stopping herself only when the redhead squeezes her shoulder. A brilliant smile forms on the woman's face and Beca closes her gaping mouth. She lets her anger take over again because how dare this gorgeous woman try and charm her.

Reasonably, Beca knows the woman hasn't done anything to be purposefully charming but that's neither here nor there. The point is, she's all wet and she doesn't like it.

“Well, maybe you should start like, paying attention or something.” The words don't come out as venomous as she'd planned and it only serves to further annoy her.

The redhead's eyes widen and Beca can admit that she actually looks a little scary. A little crazy. Intimidating almost.

“I can replace your drink.” The woman runs her hand from Beca's shoulder down across her back. “And your shirt is hardly wet.” She winks. “I think you'll survive.”

Beca shivers but recovers quickly and tries move out of reach. It's difficult though because the crowd at the bar is growing by the minute. “Yeah, no. I think you've done enough already. Just-” she tries to duck away from the redhead again but they just keep bumping into each other, “can you just move out of the way? For fucks sake!” She blows out a frustrated breath and glares at the infuriating stranger.

The woman doesn't smile back this time. She looks just as irritated and has the nerve to roll her eyes before stepping to the side to allow Beca through. “Gladly.”

Beca gives one last dirty look before bursting through, almost shoulder checking the woman in the process, and making her way back to her friends.

-----

“Shortstack! Where have you been?!” Amy already seems tipsy. “Where are the shots? We have company!”

Beca huffs because in her haste to get away from the redhead, she forgot to grab their shots. She shakes her head. Frustrated. And gives Amy a look that says “don't ask.”

She looks around and notices her best friend, Stacie as well as her co-worker, Lilly have arrived. Her lawyer, Aubrey, is also there with a few people she doesn't recognize. She assumes one of them will be her new work partner at the community center where she'll be completing her service hours. Aubrey's the one who set the whole thing up. Said she had a friend who was a teacher and also worked with kids at an after school music program. Beca seethed at the thought of having to work with a bunch of kids but whatever. She had to do something.  

She takes a deep breath and walks over to Stacie. “What's up Stace?”

“Hey Shorty!” Stacie flings her arms around Beca and plants a sloppy kiss on her cheek from which Beca immediately recoils.

“Gross.” She wipes her cheek and Stacie winks.

“Beca!” Amy is literally screaming at this point. “Where are the shots?!”

“Oh my god! Amy!” Beca whips around to face the blonde. “Chill the fuck out.”

“Well, where are they?!” Amy taps her foot. “And why is your shirt a mess?” Amy leans in and talks out of the side of her mouth. “Bathroom quickie?”  

Beca feels her blood pressure rising.

Why did she agree to this? Why does she agree to anything ever? “Amy no. Just...shut up. Some klutz ran up behind me and spilled my shot.” She gestures to her back. “She spilled her drink down my back too. Fucking clumsy ass redhead.”

She starts shaking her shirt out for dramatic effect when she hears someone clearing their throat behind her.

Amy pulls a face, baring all of her teeth and looking extremely uncomfortable and Beca doesn't understand what's happening until she turns around to address the continued throat clearing and sees that it's the redhead from the bar standing behind her. She's carrying a tray of shots and looks far too smug for Beca's liking.

“You were saying?” The woman brushes past Beca and drops the tray onto the table.

She thinks she sees Aubrey give the redhead some kind of look but she doesn't dwell on it. She's too stunned for the moment. And certainly not by this woman's beauty, she assures herself.

No way.

She convinces herself it's because of her unexpected and abrupt appearance.

She snaps herself out of it.

“I said,” she steps closer, “you're clumsy.”

“Mmm nope.” The redhead smiles and shakes her head. Unaffected by the insult apparently. “I'm Chloe.”

And Beca sees stars she's so perturbed. She opens her mouth to lay into this girl but Aubrey steps in. “Beca.” Her tone a warning. “This is Chloe. She runs the after school program where you'll be working for the next few weeks.”

Well, fuck.

Of course.

Beca grits her teeth and fakes a smile. “Fucking great.” She mumbles.

“I'm sorry.” Chloe steps closer. “What was that?”

And Beca doesn't back down. “I said,” she steps closer too, “fucking,” closer again, “great.”

Everyone else looks around at each other with worried expressions.

This is going well so far.

Chloe raises an eyebrow. “Mhmm. I thought that's what you said.” She turns around and grabs two shots from the tray, handing one to Beca, who takes it unwillingly. Skeptically.

“Cheers. Try to stay out of my way this time.” Chloe clinks their glasses and downs her shot. Then she winks and walks away before Beca can formulate any type of response and jesus christ.

“Fine!” Beca tries to yell but it doesn't come out nearly as loud as she'd like. She feels rage boiling up inside of her but she can't bring herself to act on it because there's something stopping her. She doesn't understand what's happening so she takes her shot and avoids Chloe for the rest of the night.

-----

“What was with you and Red last night?” Amy parks herself at the counter in Beca's kitchen.

“I think it's called sexual tension.” Stacie hollers from her place on the sofa and they can all hear Cynthia Rose laughing from the bathroom.

Beca slams the refrigerator shut and spins on her heels. “Shut the fuck up. There's no tension. She's just,” Beca huffs, “I can't believe I have to work with her.”

“Because you're afraid you'll attack her?” Amy prods. “Sexually?”

Beca responds by tossing a towel at the blonde and stomping off to her room as everyone else has a good laugh.

-----

Day 1 - Community Center

“What do you mean this is the equipment we'll be using? This is a boom box that uses cassette tapes Chloe.” Beca gestures to the offensive item. “And your instruments might as well be upside-down buckets with sticks and tissue boxes with rubber bands. What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?”

Chloe rolls her eyes. “First of all, language. There will be children here soon. You can't talk like that in front of them.” The redhead stops and glares and Beca shrugs. “Beca.”

“Language. Yeah. I got it.”

“And second, aren't you the self-proclaimed  music production expert?” Chloe hands her a cassette tape. “Figure it out.”

Beca grabs the tape but Chloe doesn't let go. “What's your problem?”

Chloe uses the tape to pull Beca closer until they're only inches apart and Beca holds her breath because the redhead’s gaze is piercing. “You.”

Beca feels a fire ignite somewhere inside of her and she holds the gaze. Determined not to break first. She feels Chloe tighten her grip where their hands are touching and Beca gives the tape a tug.

Chloe still doesn't let go and their faces are so close that Beca can almost feel the other woman's breath on her face. “Fine.”

“Fine.” Chloe shrugs and Beca wants to smack her for acting like she isn't bothered.  

“Hey Ms. Beale!”

Chloe diverts her eyes to the interruption and Beca uses the opportunity to yank the tape away. She gets a sideways glance from Chloe that says “this isn't over” but ignores it. Silently congratulating herself for holding strong.

“Hey guys!” Chloe enthusiastically greets the students filing in and Beca plasters on a fake smile for the rest of the afternoon.

-----

Day 14 - Community Center

“I don't understand why you won't let me bring my equipment here.” Beca rubs her temples as her and Chloe sit at a tiny table in the back of the community center.

“How many times do I have to tell you? That's not what this is about.” Chloe pushes her chair back and it screeches against the floor.

Beca cringes at the sound. She's pretty sure Chloe does it on purpose because she knows it annoys her. “I'm not saying bring in a whole studio. Just a few things so the kids can create and record on something that doesn't sound like it's from the 30’s.”

“Beca…”

“Chloe…” Beca's tone is purposefully mocking.

Chloe stands and plants her hands on her hips. “I said what I said and the answer is still no.”

Beca stands too, making sure to scrape her chair across the floor as she does. She sees Chloe flinch briefly but she's clearly determined not to let Beca get to her. “And I said what I said and I stand by it. This would be better with more modern technology.”

Chloe tilts her head to the side and Beca watches her hair tumble down around her shoulder. The light bounces off of it and she momentarily feels blinded. She crosses her arms over her chest protectively. Like she's afraid Chloe can read her mind in the moment even though she knows that’s silly.

“No.” Chloe deadpans and starts to walk past her with purpose, not stopping until she's well out of Beca's view. “And stop staring at my hair creep.”

Beca chokes on air and sputters for a good five minutes after Chloe's gone, wondering if Chloe actually can read her mind.

“Fine.” She whispers to herself.

-----

Day 28 - A Park Near the Community Center

“For fucks sake! I thought a little fresh air would clear up your attitude.” Chloe stands up from the bench they're sharing. “Clearly I was wrong.”

“It hasn't worked for you either!” Beca shouts. Not caring that people are starting to stare.

Chloe glares. “I'm done for today.”

Beca throws her hands up. “Fine. Me too.”

“Fine!” Chloe yells before stomping away.

-----

Day 35 - Beca's House

They've been sitting in her studio for the better part of the afternoon bickering about how to arrange the tracks that the kids at the center have been working on.

Chloe finally agreed, after a particularly heated argument one day which ended with Chloe basically pinning Beca to a wall, to let Beca make minor tweaks on her equipment at home. Chloe, of course, only agreed on the grounds that she be present for such tasks and Beca agreed. Almost eagerly.

She's still scratching her head over that reaction but whatever. Here they are.

“If I have to say this one more time, I swear I'll tell that judge to lock you up!” Chloe jumps up and Beca reaches out and grabs her wrist as she tries to walk away. The redhead spins around and throws down an intense stare.

She doesn't pull away though.

“Chloe!” Beca puts her free hand to her forehead and rubs. “Just fucking hear me out!”

The redhead holds steady for a moment but Beca sees her stern look beginning to fade. She gives Beca an expectant look which she assumes means that she can continue. “Just...let me bring in a few things. It'll give the the kids some experience working with the equipment and everything will sound so much better.”

Chloe takes a deep breath and averts her eyes.

“I promise the technology won't ruin the experience.”

Beca watches Chloe's resolve begin to fade. She's gotten pretty good at reading the redhead after working together so closely for the past few weeks.

She reluctantly admits to herself that Chloe has gotten pretty good at reading her too.

“Fine.”

Beca smirks. “Fine.”

“Fine!”

“Okay fine!”

They stand there staring at one another, neither one daring to look away (why do they always do this?!) and Beca feels an energy flowing through her that makes her want to do something reckless and wild. Like she's unhinged. She wants to scream or tear something apart or combust.

And she's still holding onto Chloe.

And Chloe still isn't moving away.

And she can see Chloe's chest heaving with every breath she takes and Beca finally snaps.

She yanks Chloe to her and they collide with enough force to send them toppling backwards into the wall. Beca's head smacks into it but she doesn't care because Chloe's mouth clashes with hers and it's a mess of teeth and tongues and enough pent up tension to sink a fleet of ships.

Strong hands grip Beca's sides and breeze underneath her shirt without hesitation. She feels the distinct press of nails sinking into her skin and she can't help the sound that escapes her throat. Her hands thread through Chloe's hair and fist as their tongues meet again and again. Finding a rhythm that is steadily scorching Beca from the inside out.

“Beca.” Chloe whispers her name and Beca feels everything inside of her crumble because she's never heard the redhead say her name like that before.

“Fuck.” She speaks directly into Chloe's mouth and they hover for only a moment longer before crashing back together.

Beca pushes Chloe backwards towards the small sofa and spins them around when she hears Chloe's legs hit the front of it. She sits and pulls Chloe down with her until the redhead is straddling her lap. Their mouths never part and Beca sinks her hands into the back pockets of Chloe's jeans and squeezes.

Chloe moans and pushes further into Beca, her hands gripping the brunette's shirt so tightly that Beca's afraid it might rip.

Hopes it does.

Chloe nips at her lower lip, drawing it out before letting it go and Beca wants to scream it feels so good. “Chloe, fuck.”

“Yeah.” Chloe breathes out, grinding down into Beca's lap. “I'm trying.”

Beca's entire body clenches and she bites down on Chloe's collarbone. “Bed. Now.” She pants the demand into Chloe's chest. Licking and biting as Chloe continues to move against her.

“Don't...fuck...don't tell me what to do.”

Beca pulls back. Eyes sparkling with mischief as she looks up at a disheveled Chloe. She looks devastatingly beautiful.

“Are you still being difficult? Really?” She can't help the smile that takes over her face as Chloe smirks back down at her.

“Yes.” She leans down and presses her lips to Beca's. Once. Twice. Three times. “But let's go to bed anyway.” The words are spoken against Beca's lips.

Beca finds the strength to roll her eyes. “Fine.”

“Fine.” Chloe's eyes light up and she leans in for more. And Beca’s more than fine with that.

#merry pitchmas 2018 #bechloe #pitch perfect #bechloe fanfiction #bechloe christmas

[jeffrinamichelle]

Ugly Christmas Sweater

So my Pitchmas recipient  is @magda-adgam. It totally won’t let me tag your blog. Lame. 

Anyway, I am hella sorry that you are getting this late. And trust me, I feel like a total dick about it. But, emergencies happen and they always seem to happen to me. So, to make it up to you, I am going to give you at least two parts to this story. Maybe three. I like to ramble when I write.

You won’t have to wait 100 years for the next installment. I am almost done with it.

Once again, I am so sorry. Merry Pitchmas/New Year!!!

How losing a bet and having to buy ugly Christmas sweaters changed Beca’s life. 

Read on AO3

There were few things in life that Beca hates more than movies. If she had to pick one thing that was almost as painstakingly awful as losing two hours of her life to some predictable cinematic snorefest, it would have to be Christmas. Without a doubt. One would think that she would hate Valentine’s Day more, seeing as she was perpetually single, but no. The only reason why she could stomach Valentine’s Day just a smidgen more is because she has a soft spot for the candy hearts. Her best friend Stacie makes fun of her all the time because she tells Beca that they taste like chalk. And maybe they do, but Beca still thinks that they are delicious.

Maybe the reason behind Beca’s distain for Christmas is the fact that she worked retail throughout high school and college. Stacie never knew the horrors of dealing with bitchy people who absolutely needed the newest video game console for their bratty child. She is insanely smart and got into college on a full ride scholarship. Beca wasn’t dumb by any means, she was just lazy in high school. After she graduated, she tried to talk to her father about her college plans. She wanted to major in music management and production. He immediately freaked out and told her that he wouldn’t pay for her college education if she chose that path. According to him, she needed to major in something that would give her a lucrative career. He wanted her to be a college professor like he was. They argued about it for months. There was no way in hell that Beca was going to become a teacher. Not that she didn’t respect teachers or anything, that just wasn’t the career choice for her. Since she was a child she had loved music, and she’d be damned if her father stopped her from going to school for her dream job. So, at the end of the argument, she refused to change her career path. In turn, her father refused to pay for her school. So, she put herself through college working a horrible retail job. It paid well, but she was miserable for the entirety of it. Thus came her hatred for the whole holiday season.

Aside from Beca’s affinity for the chalky heart candies that made Valentine’s Day, she can never seem to turn down a bet. Most of the time when she bets against Stacie, she loses. But for some reason she can never stop herself from agreeing to Stacie’s outrageous bets. After fifteen years of friendship, she should know better. But, she just can’t help it.

~*~*~*~

“Come on Becs, let’s go dance.” Stacie eyes her best friend with a grin before slamming back the last of her jack and coke.

“Ugh, why? You know that I hate dancing.”

“Yeah, I know. But you’re so good at it. And I need you to be my wing woman.”

“What lucky dude does the hunter have his eye on this evening?” Beca asks with a grin as she finishes her tumbler of whiskey.

Stacie tsks softly, cupping Beca’s chin with the palm of her left hand. She leans down to lightly kiss the corner of her best friend’s mouth.

“Now Bec, you know that the hunter doesn’t discriminate when it comes to sex.”

“I’m sorry. Sometimes I forget that the hunter is so fluid. So, let me rephrase. Who is on the hunter’s radar tonight? Which lucky lady or guy will you be attempting to seduce tonight?”

“I’m getting some very sexy, sapphic vibes from a tantalizing brunette at the bar.”

“Stace, I don’t even know what the hell that means.” Beca turns her head to look over at the bar, only to be stopped by Stacie’s hand gripping her chin tightly.

“Don’t look over there. You’ll ruin the air of mystery.”

“What the fuck are you talking about, woman?”

“She thinks that we here together. That’s why I need you to dance with me. It’s like she’s having some kind of internal battle on whether she should come over here and talk to me or not.”

“Any how exactly does us dancing together help this situation?”

“Because, jealousy is going to seal the deal. After she comes over to break up our dance, I’m going to take her back to our apartment so that I can make her squeal.”

Beca scowls at Stacie’s choice of words before smacking her arm lightly. “Ew! Dude, that’s so crass. You sound like a fuckboy when you talk like that.”

“I am anything but a fuckboy, Bec. I know how to treat a lady. I won’t apologize for being crass. Now are you going to help me bag this babe or not?” A perfectly sculpted eyebrow raises in question as Stacie eyes her best friend.

“Okay, fine. But when this girl shuts you down or punches you, I’m going to laugh.”

“Keep talking crap Becs and I’ll hide your beats that I bought you when we get home. And then I will fuck that hottie all night long.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Wanna bet?”

“No, because I know that you’ll do it. I love you but you’re kind of an asshole.”

“Right back atcha, babe. But since you are so doubtful of my seduction skills, how about a little bet?”

Honestly, Beca is also well aware of her best friend’s sexual prowess. She has fallen victim to it many times in their fifteen year friendship. Beca isn’t ashamed of it either, she knows that her best friend is insanely attractive. And Beca is very, very gay. When the opportunity presented itself, she would’ve been a fool to say no. It hasn’t made their friendship suffer in any way either, which is something that Beca is monumentally thankful for. Stacie has a high sex drive, and rather than risk getting some sort of std, she made a deal with Beca. When Beca is single, which is more often than she’d like to admit, they sleep together. It keeps Stacie safe and it keeps them both satisfied.

So, taking this bet is really a horrible idea. But Beca has the best punishment if she manages to beat Stacie.

“Fine. What’s the bet?”

“I bet you that I can take this girl home tonight.”

“That’s it?” Beca looks over her shoulder at the girl that Stacie is talking about. She’s attractive, yeah. Tall, brunette, and she looks kind of bitchy. She’s exactly the type of girl that Stacie usually goes for. And she’s totally flirting with the very male bartender. There’s no way in hell that Stacie is going to win this bet, because this girl is totally straight. Beca smirks in the girl’s direction, Stacie totally oblivious as she runs her hands up the bartender’s bicep. “You just want to bet that you’re going to take this girl home?”

“Yup,” Stacie pops the ‘p’ loudly, biting down on her bottom lip with a smirk. “I can’t wait for you to lose this bet. I have plans for you.”

The tone of Stacie’s voice makes Beca shiver. She just hopes that whatever Stacie has planned for her is as awesome as her plan.

“Deal.”

“Oh, babe, you are so going to regret this.”

~*~*~*~*~

As it turns out, Beca didn’t stand a chance when it came to this bet. They didn’t even make it through the first song of their dance before the brunette approached them. She introduced herself as Aubrey, eyes raking over Stacie’s body shamelessly. Honestly, the way the two women were eyeing each other made Beca incredibly uncomfortable. So uncomfortable, in fact, that she quickly excused herself so that she could make a beeline for the bar. She’s positive that Stacie and her flavor of the night didn’t even notice her absence.

The bartender gives Beca a sympathetic look as she slides a tumbler of whiskey over to her.

“Tough night, Becs?”

“You have no idea, C.R,” Beca mumbles from around the rim of her glass. She swallows her drink with a grimace. “I didn’t even want to come out tonight.”

“So, why did you?”

“Stacie needed to get laid. Finals have been kicking her ass.”

C.R. chuckles softly, wiping the countertop with her rag. She turns her attention to a customer, quickly making them a drink before turning her attention back to Beca.

“She’s the one that decided to go after her graduate degree. Nobody forced her to stay in school, therefore she has nobody to blame but herself.”

“This is true, but that girl is so fucking smart. She’s going to change the world.”

“Or destroy it.”

The two women share a laugh as Beca drains the last of her drink. C.R. is quick to refill Beca’s glass, pouring way too much into the tumbler.

~*~*~*~*~

The night drags on as Beca waits for Stacie to seal the deal with the angry brunette. Beca knows that she’s lost this damn bet, so she’s going to drown her sorrows in whiskey. Whiskey that Cynthia Rose isn’t going to let her pay for at the end of the night. The upside to having a close friend that is a bartender is free drinks. As long as Beca doesn’t ask for expensive, high end drinks, that is. But, she’s a college student, she will drink Jack Daniels if she doesn’t have to pay for it.

It’s nearing two a.m. when she hears her phone notification ping. She’s pleasantly buzzed, nearing on being drunk. She fumbles with her cell phone as she pulls it out of her tight jeans. Her vision is a little blurry, but she’s just going to blame it on the fog lights. Yeah, definitely not the Jameson that she has been borderline binge drinking for the last three hours. She just has to squint a little bit in order to read the text.

Best Sex Ever: (1:55 a.m.) Aubs and I took a Lyft home. Thought that I should let you know so that you don’t worry about me.

Broody Bitch: (1:56 a.m.) Did you change our contact names again?

Best Sex Ever: (1:56 a.m.) Like two weeks ago, babe. Lolz.

Broody Bitch: (1:57 a.m.) What the fuck, dude? Why?

Best Sex Ever: (1:57 a.m.) Aww, baby, don’t be mad. You know that I love you the most.

Broody Bitch: (1:57 a.m.) It’s weird that you’re telling me this while you are probably fucking another girl.

Best Sex Ever: (1:58 a.m.) Aww, Bec, are you jealous?

Broody Bitch: (1:58 a.m.) Not even close, dude. I’m just worried about the hunter’s sexual prowess. Why are you texting me, instead of making that hot chick ‘squeal?’

Best Sex Ever: (1:59 a.m.) Oh, I fully intend on making her squeal. And you know first hand just how much sexual prowess the hunter possesses. How many times have I made you scream?

Broody Bitch: (2:00 a.m.) That statement goes both ways, asshole.

Best Sex Ever: (2:00 a.m.) I’m not going to deny that you know how work this body. You just didn’t seem to be in the mood tonight. So, I decided to bring somebody home.

Broody Bitch: (2:01 a.m.) You know the rules. Also, it’s not my fault that work was a bitch today. I really just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep until tomorrow. But I know that you needed some sort of release.

Best Sex Ever: (2:02 a.m.) I’m sorry babe. You manage the studio though, so you could just fire all of the incompetent assholes that work for you.

Broody Bitch: (2:02 a.m.) I know that. Stacie, remember the only rule that we have.

Best Sex Ever: (2:02 a.m.) No fucking on the couch.

Broody Bitch: (2:03 a.m.) Thank you.

Best Sex Ever: (2:03 a.m.) I don’t know why we still have that rule. We have sex on the couch all the time.

Broody Bitch: (2:04 a.m.) That’s different.

Best Sex Ever: (2:04 a.m.) It’s literally the same thing, but whatevs. I gotta go, Aubrey is all sorts of naked on my bed right now. Love you, bitch.

Broody Bitch: (2:05 a.m.) Love you too, asshat! Also, I hope this goes without saying, but don’t fuck that girl in my bed!

Best Sex Ever: (2:06 a.m.) I’m sorry, the person you’re trying to reach is currently preforming cunnilingus. Please try again later.

Broody Bitch: (2:07 a.m.) Anastacia Marie Conrad, I swear to Lesbian Jesus that I will tit punch you if you have sex in my bed again.

Beca slams her phone down on the bar top with an annoyed sigh. Cynthia Rose smirks at her friend as she refills Beca’s tumbler. She should probably cut Beca off, but she knows that the brunette can hold her liquor. Despite her small stature, Beca can definitely drink with the best of them.

“Last one, Becs.”

“Whyyyy? C.R., you’re killing me.”

“I’m not in the business of letting you get white girl wasted. Remember what happened the last time that you did.”

“It wasn’t my fault, dude. That skeezy guy wouldn’t take no for an answer. I told him that we played for the same team and he refused to leave me alone. He even grabbed my ass.”

“So that gives you the right to break his nose?”

“He touched me first. Sorry, not sorry.”

“Regardless, you are not allowed to get wasted when Stacie isn’t here to keep you from kicking the shit out of somebody.”

“I have you.”

“I have to close the bar. And I’m sure that I have other people to get drinks for before I kick everybody out.”

“Ugh, fine. Take away all my fun.”

“Whatever, you love me.”

“Hardly.”

~*~*~*~*~

The buzz of her alarm startles her awake at what she knows is a godawful hour. Her head feels like somebody is jackhammering inside of it, and her mouth is as dry as the Sahara. Beca groans painfully as she stretches out her sore muscles.

“I’m never drinking again,”Beca grumbles to the otherwise empty room. She reaches out blindly, scrambling to grab her phone off of the bedside table. Her hand smacks softly against a glass cup that definitely wasn’t there when she went to bed at three a.m. She opens one eye slowly, looking over at the table. A fresh glass of water is sitting where her phone was last night. Two round orange pills are next to the glass, sitting on top of a folded piece of paper.

“What the fresh hell?”

Beca grabs the pills hastily, throwing them into her mouth and swallowing them dry. She sits up with another groan, rolling her shoulders to work out the knots. She grabs the glass and chugs down the water, slamming the glass back onto the table a little too hard, wincing at the loud clunk. She then turns her attention to the folded up piece of paper that she knows for sure wasn’t there this morning. She grabs the paper and unfolds it, tired eyes roaming over Stacie’s loopy scrawl.

Becs,

You lost our bet, babe. I don’t know why you continue to bet against me when you almost always lose, but whatever. I’ll bask in my glory.

I made a fresh pot of coffee. When you’re feeling human enough to leave your room, come get some. Aubrey and I are in the living room. You and I have a date to go shopping this afternoon.

Love ya,

Stace xoxo

Beca groans, crumpling up the note and tossing it onto the bed. She gets up, wincing at the painful throb in her entire body. She walks to her en suite, stripping off her dirty clothes and leaving them carelessly in her wake. If she has to go shopping, taking a shower is a must.

She just hopes that whatever Stacie has planned for shopping isn’t completely horrible.

~*~*~*~*~

“Stacie, no.”

“Stacie, yes.”

“I’m not going in there.”

“But you are.”

“Why?” Beca whines petulantly, frowning at her best friend.

“Because you lost our bet. And my punishment for you is that for the next two weeks, you have to wear ugly Christmas sweaters. A different one each day, to be exact.”

“I….but you know that I hate Christmas time.”

“I know.” Stacie laughs softly. “That’s what makes this punishment even sweeter.”

“You know, when you said that we were going shopping, I thought that this punishment might be fun.”

Stacie grips Beca’s shoulder as they walk through the front door of the store. The fluorescent sign above the door says ‘Aca-amazing Threads.’ Just the name alone makes Beca want to vomit. She can tell before they walk in that there is going to be a really perky, annoying salesperson. The store will more than likely be playing Christmas music, even though it’s barely the fourth of December. A tiny bell announces their presence before Beca can make a stealthy escape.

“Hi!” An all too perky voice calls out as Stacie and Beca make their way into the building. Beca hasn’t completely recovered from her hangover, so that cheery voice just makes her cringe.

“No, Stace. For lesbian Jesus’ stake. I am too hungover to deal with that voice.”

“Beca, you seriously don’t have a choice in this matter.” Stacie’s grip on Beca’s shoulder tightens slightly. Beca winces at the movement, but not in pain. To be honest, the forcefulness of her best friend is kind of turning her on a little bit. But now is not the time or the place for that.

“Dude, I will literally do anything else.”

“Nope, I think that this is the right punishment. Aubrey actually helped me come up with it.”

“Of course she did. I knew that she looked evil as hell.”

“That woman is amazing, not evil.”

“Awww, Conrad. Are you getting soft on me?”

“Hardly. I’m just letting you know that I’m going to marry that girl one day. So you should probably be nice to your future….I was going to say sister-in-law but that thought just kind of makes me want to puke. It makes us sound like sisters.”

“Ew, dude. Sisters don’t do the things that we’ve done to each other.”

“At least, not normally.”

“Welcome to Aca-Amazing Threads, ladies. Are you looking for anything in particular?” The chipper voice is closer now, making Beca finally turn her attention away from her best friend.

The first look that Beca gets of this chipper woman takes her breath away.

The woman is gorgeous. Absolutely stunning.

She’s a little bit taller than Beca, with bright blue eyes. Her red hair makes her eyes look ridiculously blue. Her smile is so bright that it makes Beca’s sensitive eyes hurt. Beca does a once over of the other woman, looking at her nametag after what she hopes is a subtle glance at her boobs.

Beca is so, so gay and this woman is one thousand percent her type.

Her subtle staring might not be so subtle because before she knows it, Stacie is jabbing her in the stomach with her elbow.

“Ouch, what the fuck dude?”

“Becs, tell Chloe the reason why we’re here.”

“I need a sweater….” Beca mumbles quietly, still gob smacked by this outrageously attractive woman.

“Okay, that’s a start. What kind of sweater are we looking for?” The woman enthusiastically grabs Beca’s hand, pulling the brunette alongside her.

“What my best friend is looking for is a Christmas sweater.”

“Okay. We have plenty of Christmas sweaters. Tis the season after all.”

“I hate you so much right now, Anastacia.” Beca grumbles as Chloe stops them in front of a very elaborate display of Christmas sweaters. She turns her head to glare at the best friend, scoffing when she is nowhere in sight. After looking around the store, Beca notices her, standing by the front doors, looking down at the phone with a goofy grin.

She’s probably texting that girl from last night. Amanda or Ashley or whatever her name was. Beca makes a mental note to give Stacie so much shit when they get home.

“Are you guys looking for matching sweaters? I always love it when couples have matching sweaters.”

“Oh no, we aren’t a couple.” Beca’s eyes roam over Chloe’s body once more. It dawns on her at that moment that Chloe is still holding her hand. Her entire body feels warm next to the other girl. She wants nothing more in that moment than to pull Chloe’s body against hers.

Whoa. You’re treading dangerous waters here, Mitchell.

“No? You guys sure argue like one.”

“No. Not even close. She’s just my best friend. We’ve known each other for a long time.”

“Gotcha.” Chloe clears her throat softly. “So, do you see any sweaters that catch your eye?”

“Yeah, that one.” Beca blindly points to the sweater that is closest to Chloe. She has literally no idea what the sweater looks like, to be honest. She just needs to get far away from this girl before she does something stupid.

She’s actually surprised that she can still form coherent sentences at this point. Usually she becomes a useless mess around pretty girls.

Chloe is so breathtakingly beautiful that Beca should probably be drooling troll by now.

Beca watches Chloe as she walks away to look for the sweater in her size, which she totally didn’t tell the other girl. She is about to call out to the other woman, but all the can think about is how cold her hand feels without Chloe’s wrapped around it.

“Becs? I am going to leave you here in Chloe’s very capable hands. I’m meeting Aubrey for lunch down the street.”

Stacie’s voice breaks Beca out of her reverie.

“How am I supposed to get home? You drove here.”

“Well it just so happens that the bistro that we’re going to is like five blocks down the road. So, after Chloe helps you pick out your sweater, you guys can meet us there.”

“Fine. That’s fine.” Beca’s eyes widen as Stacie’s words sink in. “Wait, what?”

“Oh didn’t I tell you? Chloe is Aubrey’s best friend.”

“What the fuck dude?!” Beca hisses under her breath. “I can’t go to lunch with her.”

“Why?”

“Because, dude, she is so fucking attractive.” Beca huffs indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest. “You know how I get around pretty girls, Stace.”

“I know. You become a useless lesbian.”

“I can’t be around her. I’ll make a fool of myself.”

“Would it help matters or make them worse if I told you that she thinks you’re totally hot.”

“That doesn’t help, at all Stacie!” Beca squeaks, her neck flushing with embarrassment. “Also, how do you know that?”

“Um, so I’ve maybe been dating Aubrey for the past month,” Stacie whispers. “Look, Bec….”

“Are you fucking kidding me!?!?” Beca yells at her best friend, waving her arms in the air.

“Seriously Becs, I’ve been meaning to tell you. It just hasn’t come up.”

“That’s a copout and you know it. We spend a lot of time together, you could’ve told me at any point. Were you guys dating while we were still sleeping together?”

“Yes.”

“Stacie….”

“No, you gotta hear me out. We were only kind of seeing each other. It wasn’t anything serious. But I really like her Beca. And for the first time since I dated Joey Presley sophomore year of high school, I can see myself falling in love with her.”

“That’s great.” Beca shoves her hands into the back pockets of her skinny jeans. She’s mad, sure. But she hasn’t seen this look in Stacie’s eyes in the last eight years. So, really she wants to support her best friend, but fuck, she really hates it when people lie to her. “Really it is, Stace. I’m happy that you found somebody to make you want to settle down. But you didn’t have to lie to me.”

“I didn’t lie to you.”

“You kind of did though. Lying by omission is still a lie. And what’s worse is that you felt like you couldn’t tell me that you met somebody.”

“Becs, I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“Save it. I’m gonna go. Have a good lunch with your girl. I’ll see you later.”

“Beca…”

Beca holds a hand up to stop Stacie.

“Just, don’t right now. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Without another word, Beca walks out of the store.

~*~*~*~*~*

The next three days are absolute torture for Beca. She doesn’t like fighting with her best friend. But she is mad and a little bit hurt. Not because Stacie found somebody that she wants to be exclusive with, because honestly Beca wants that for her best friend. It just kind of makes her feel gross to know that Stacie was still sleeping with her while dating another person. Just because it makes her feel like a little bit like a homewrecker, even if they weren’t technically together.

So, for the past three days Beca’s been crashing on Cynthia Rose’s couch. She’s pretty sure that C.R.’s girlfriend Denise is ready to scream from having little to no privacy. But she’s too nice to say anything.

She’s done her fair share of housework and cooking to try and make up for the fact that she’s basically freeloading. She also hid money inside of C.R.’s refrigerator last night. She’s not planning on telling her until after she leaves the apartment, because she knows that C.R. will find a way to slip it back into her bag.

Stacie has tried texting and calling her nonstop since she stormed out of the clothing store. Beca wasn’t ready to talk to her, so she has been ignoring her best friend’s messages. If she’s completely honest, she’s still not quite ready, but she’s out of clean clothes and C.R.’s laundry room is out of order. So, if that isn’t a sign from Lesbian Jesus that she needs to go home, then Beca doesn’t know what is.

Luckily, when Beca gets dropped off by Denise, Stacie is still in class. Beca thanks Denise before trudging up the two flights of stairs that lead her to her and Stacie’s apartment. She goes into Stacie’s room to grab her dirty clothes so that she can wash them along with her own. After starting the washing machine, Beca grabs a beer out of the fridge and plops her body onto the living room couch. She puts something menial on television to pass the time until the inevitable conversation the she will have with her best friend.

She’s so immersed in the cooking competition on the television that she doesn’t notice the box on the table right away. It isn’t until she goes to put her feet up on the table that it finally catches her attention. Well, the attention of her feet, anyway.

Beca grabs the box and pulls it into her lap. She studies the box curiously. She’s not quite sure what it is, but her name is written on top of it. It’s in a loopy cursive scrawl that she knows isn’t Stacie’s. She unties the ribbon on the box and opens it.

Beca isn’t able to stop the sarcastic chuckle from escaping her lips when she sees the most godawful Christmas sweater that she’s ever seen in her life. On top of the sweater is a folded up piece of paper. Beca grabs the piece of paper out of the box and then sets the ugly ass sweater on the couch beside her.

With a sigh, Beca reclines her body against the couch and unfolds the paper.

Beca,

Here’s the sweater that you picked out. Although, I’m pretty sure that you just blindly pointed to one. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas sweaters but this one is just terrible. You left before I could bring it out to you, so I bought it and had Stacie bring it home for you.

I’m pretty bummed that you didn’t come out to lunch with Stacie, Aubrey and I. While we were eating, Stacie told me about the whole not telling you about her relationship with Aubs. I’m sorry that she kept that from you, it totes sucks.

I know that I didn’t really get to talk to you much while you were in the store, but here is my number in case you want to get together sometime. I think that we’ll be fast friends.

Enjoy the sweater!

Chloe XOXO

Beca laughs softly at the cheekiness of the redhead. She pulls her phone out of her pocket and immediately opens up her text messages. She types in Chloe’s phone number and creates a contact, listing her under ‘Redheaded Babe.’ She starts a new message thread using the acquired phone number.

Beca takes her time planning out her message to Chloe. She doesn’t want to sound like a complete idiot if she actually sacks up and sends the text. She barely knows this girl, there is no reason for her to be so damn nervous. She’s such a gay disaster and Chloe just might be her undoing.

After much deliberation, she finally types out the message. She presses send before she can talk herself out of it.

Unknown (4:30 p.m.) Hey.

When she rereads what her ridiculous brain actually came up with, she wants to punch herself in the throat.

‘Hey.’ So freaking eloquent, Beca.

If Chloe didn’t think that you were an idiot before, she surely will now. There’s no way Chloe’s going to respond to that stupid message. No way in hell.

With a resigned sigh, Beca tosses her cell phone onto the couch cushion next to her. She’s just going to sit in place and die of embarrassment now. She leans back against the back of the couch, bringing her left hand up to her face to pinch the bridge of her nose in annoyance. She’s so busy chastising herself that she doesn’t hear the ping of her phone.

TBC

#pitchmas 2018 #bechloe au #beca mitchell #chloe beale #staubrey #stacie conrad #aubrey posen #side steca #pitchmas exchange

[lets-talk-appella]

Reality

Here it is, folks... an absolute monster of a fic that was never meant to be this long. I’ll update the master post soon, but this follows Expectations, in which Bechloe decide to wait for intimacy. Now, the wait is over.

Note: This is split by POV - the first half is Beca’s POV, and contains no smut, just heavy making out. If you don’t like smut, stick to the first half!! The second half is Chloe’s POV. Smut abounding.

Summary: Beca and Chloe figure out life as a couple and prepare for their First Time. Then, once they’re both ready, it happens.

Timeline: About a month after they get together as a couple.

Words: 23,715 (really. it’s excessive)

Rating: M

On a03 and FFN.

 Beca’s POV

“Well, it’s about time the little goblin pulled her head out of her ass.”

“Aubrey!” Chloe reprimanded.

“No, it’s okay,” said Beca nonchalantly. “I deserved that one. It did take me way too long.”

Aubrey nodded, “See? She agrees with me.”

Chloe covered her eyes with both hands and replied, “Okay, but you didn’t have to call her a goblin.”

Beca grimaced and said, “Yeah, that was a little low, especially since it’s over Skype where I can’t punch you.”

“What, and go back to jail for assault?” Aubrey fired back. “That’s a great way to kick off your relationship with my best friend.”

“Oh my God, it was one time!” Beca replied indignantly before Chloe made a shushing noise, halting their argument before it could truly begin.

“The point is,” she said, giving her laptop’s webcam (and therefore Aubrey) a hard stare, “Beca and I are together now, and we thought we’d start telling people.”

“Don’t listen to Bree,” came Stacie’s voice from off camera. “We’re both very excited for you!”

Beca leaned closer to the laptop resting between her and Chloe on their bed as if trying to get a better view of Aubrey and Stacie at the Lodge of Fallen Leaves. “Thanks, Stace!” she practically shouted, making Aubrey wince. “But where are you?”

“Beca!” Chloe reprimanded lightly, tugging on the back of Beca’s shirt to draw her away from the laptop.

With a laugh, Stacie came on screen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “It’s okay, I’m right here! Seriously, congrats you two. It’s been a long time coming.”

Aubrey nodded distractedly; she hadn’t taken her eyes off Stacie since she’d walked over.

“Yeah,” replied Chloe dreamily as she turned to stare at Beca. “It has. We couldn’t be happier.”

Beca smiled back at her girlfriend, warmth filling her chest at the adoration in Chloe’s gaze. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to seeing how much Chloe loved her. They’d only been together for a couple of days, but she’d been so happy it was almost gross. Sure, there had been a big misunderstanding at the start, but now… everything was absolutely perfect.

“Um… we’re still here!” came Aubrey’s impatient voice.

Beca tore her eyes away from Chloe, refusing to be embarrassed about their lapse in attention. “Yeah, well,” she fired back at Aubrey, “I noticed that you two seem awfully friendly. Care to share something with the class?”

Beside her, she heard Chloe stifle a giggle as Aubrey’s face immediately became an impassive mask and Stacie looked toward the ceiling in an effort to hide her face.

“Oh, it’s –” Stacie began at the exact time Aubrey said, “She was in –”

There was an awkward pause while they looked at one another. Beca’s grin grew into one of wicked triumph while Chloe merely watched on as if viewing her favorite TV drama.

Aubrey cleared her throat, then continued. “Stacie was in town, so I invited her to stay here instead of having to pay for a hotel.”

Stacie nodded enthusiastically.

“Riiigghhttt,” Beca drew out, “So you’re saying –”

“Beca,” Chloe interrupted, “what they do is their business until they decide to make it ours.”

With a sigh and a regretful stare at the laptop screen, Beca replied, “Fine. Anything you say, dear.”

Chloe, Stacie, and Aubrey all had to laugh at Beca’s dramatics.

“Man, Chloe,” said Stacie, “you’ve got her wrapped around your finger.”

“Well… not yet,” said Beca, earning herself a swat on the arm from Chloe.

Aubrey threw her hands over her years and yelled, “No! I don’t want to hear it!” while Stacie tipped her head back with a laugh. Beca smirked and winked at Chloe, enjoying the sight of the light blush that had taken over her cheeks.

“Anyway,” Chloe said pointedly, “they don’t have to tell us anything they don’t want to.”

Beca opened her mouth to complain, but at that moment, the buzzer to their apartment sounded, startling them both.

Sighing, Chloe stood from the bed and said reluctantly, “I’ll get it. I bet it’s the package I ordered.”

“Don’t leave me with Aubrey,” Beca pleaded, once again making Aubrey scoff and Stacie laugh.

“It’ll be quick, babe, I promise!” said Chloe, already moving to leave the apartment.

As soon as the door had swung shut behind her, Beca watched as on her laptop screen, Aubrey turned to whisper something in Stacie’s ear. Stacie’s eyes widened and she stood up with a “Good luck, Beca!” before hurrying away out of sight.

“What was that about?” asked Beca, bemused.

“Nothing major,” Aubrey replied easily. “I only asked her to leave so I can give you the talk.”

Rolling her eyes, Beca responded, “Thanks, but I already know about the birds and the bees, and I’m not sure that applies here anyway, so…”

Aubrey threw her a withering glare and said, “No, Beca, not that. The best friend talk.”

When Beca continued to look confused, Aubrey sighed impatiently and continued, “The if-you-hurt-her-I-swear-to-god-I-will-hunt-you-down-and-make-you-regret-the-day-you-were-born talk.”

Beca’s eyes widened. “Oh!” she said. “Right. Well, you don’t have to worry about that. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good,” said Aubrey forcefully. “Chloe is the nicest person I know, and you’ve already put her through years of pain. If you so much as look at anyone else or do anything to hurt her, you will pay for it. Chloe may be my best friend, but my shotgun is my soulmate.”

“Calm down, Rambo,” Beca said, trying to hide how freaked out she really was. “I was a blind idiot before, but I swear, I love Chloe more than anything or anyone on Earth. She’s my everything, and I’d die before I hurt her.”

“Yes. You would,” replied Aubrey before staring at her intently. After a few seconds of that, Beca awkwardly shifted in place. Was she supposed to respond to that, or…?

Finally, Aubrey nodded, apparently satisfied. “I believe you. And, of course, if you need any advice on your relationship you can come to me.”

Beca nodded vaguely, privately thinking that she’d rather put her head in the oven before admitting weakness to Aubrey. She was saved from having to reply by Chloe’s reentry into the apartment.

“I’m back!” Chloe called, placing the small, unmarked box on the counter before jumping back to her spot on their bed. “Did I miss anything?”

“Well –” Beca began.

“Nothing major,” supplied Aubrey hastily. “Stacie just had to use the bathroom, but she should be back soon.”

“Great!” enthused Chloe. “I’m glad we’re doing this, it’s so nice to see you both!”

“Hmm,” mused Beca. Then, seeing the dangerous glint in Aubrey’s eyes even through Skype, she decided to take the conversation a different direction. “What’s in the box?” she asked, pointing to it.

“Oh, nothing major,” replied Chloe with a wave of her hand. “Just a little outfit for myself.”

However, Beca noticed that a light pink tinge had appeared in her cheeks. Unable to resist teasing, she said, “Oh, really? So, do you want to try it on and show us?”

“Oh, uh, that’s really not necessary,” rushed Chloe, cheeks growing steadily redder.

“Everything okay there, Chlo?” asked Beca, her grin widening. “You’re looking a little –”

“Stacie!” squealed Chloe loudly. “We missed you!”

Beca turned back to the laptop and saw Stacie had indeed resumed her place next to Aubrey. “Yep,” Stacie said, “I’m back. Now before you two get all cutesy again, I have to ask; how exactly did it all happen?”

Beca’s expression softened and a content smile grew over her face, completely sidetracked from her teasing. She loved telling the story of when she’d realized she was in love with Chloe. With a quick glance at Chloe to make sure it was okay, she began. “Okay, so, we were walking in Central Park and there was this caterpillar…”

As Beca told their story to Aubrey and Stacie, she felt her right hand become encased in Chloe’s left and butterflies – the good kind – flitted around in her stomach. She was still in awe that Chloe could love her as completely as she loved Chloe. She already knew that what they had was a forever type of deal, and as she paused in her story to look into beautiful blue eyes, she knew that Chloe felt the same.

They stayed on Skype with Aubrey and Stacie for nearly another hour, getting caught up on new developments in each other’s lives. Beca actually enjoyed talking to Aubrey; somehow, over the course of several years, they’d managed to become friends. Beca figured it was all because of the redhead seated next to her.

Beca and Chloe decided to share the news of their new relationship with friends and family over the next few weeks, preferring to do it in person or over Skype when possible. After Aubrey and Stacie, the next person they told was Amy upon her return from vacation at “not Bumper’s.” She’d been thrilled with the news and had shouted “Viva la Bhloe!” before adding a stern, “No sex while I’m in the house,” and going to play on her phone.

They’d wanted to surprise the other Bellas with the news as well; however, it seemed that after they told Amy, the rest of the Bellas already knew, though they all did their best to act surprised when Beca and Chloe finally did tell them. Beca suspected foul play in the form of a hidden group chat, but Chloe told her she was being paranoid.

Nevertheless, the Bellas were beyond ecstatic. Emily had squealed so loudly over the phone that Beca had worried for her speaker; they had met Flo in person, and she had been perhaps the worst at feigning her surprise, but assured them that she was incredibly happy for them; over Skype, Cynthia-Rose had merely said, “Tell me something I don’t know,” and then had immediately yelled for Amy to pay up her $40; they almost forgot to tell Ashley and Jessica, but were able to Skype the pair of them before too much time had passed. They never managed to reach Lilly, but received a congratulatory card from her in the mail even before they had told Aubrey and Stacie over Skype.

Their families were also pleased with the news. Chloe’s parents were thrilled and insisted that she and Beca visit them as soon as reasonably possible. The thought of that future interaction made Beca pause; what if they didn’t think she was good enough for their daughter? But Chloe was quick to sense Beca’s nerves and easily put her mind at peace. She said that if Beca made her happy, that would be good enough for her parents.

Beca’s family struggled slightly more with the news, though her father and Sheila did their best to be supportive. Warren Mitchell, though by no means conservative, was surprised to hear that Beca was even attracted to women; it seemed she’d never managed to come out as bisexual to him or Sheila, so they needed a moment to absorb the amount of new information. However, once they’d had a few days, Beca got a text from them expressing their congratulations. They’d always liked Chloe and had largely credited her with Beca’s happiness at Barden.

The person Beca had been most anxious to tell was Jesse. Though their friendship had strengthened over the months since their breakup, she’d worried about his reaction. She’d put it off as long as she could, until Chloe finally had to step in. “He’d rather hear it from you, Bec,” she’d said. “I think he’ll be more okay with it than you’re imagining.” So, wondering if Chloe somehow knew more about Jesse’s feelings than she did, Beca had found the courage to call him one evening and share the news. To her pleasant surprise, he’d been incredibly happy for her.

“I’m glad you’ve found this with her,” Jesse had said over the phone. “Really, Beca. I know how happy she makes you, and that means the world to me.” He’d also asked to talk to Chloe briefly, which had taken her aback. Their conversation had been relatively short, and when Beca had asked about it later, Chloe merely said that he gave her the best friend talk. Beca again wondered if Chloe knew something she didn’t, but wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Before Beca knew it, she and Chloe had been together for just over a month. It had easily been the happiest month of her life. Chloe’s warmth and sunshine seemed to cast a glow over everything else. Beca found that little daily annoyances that used to build up no longer bothered her as much. She found herself smiling and laughing at simple things, and every text she got from Chloe while she was at work filled her heart with joy. Even the colors surrounding her looked more vibrant, making her wonder how she’d ever navigated such a dark world before Chloe.

There was a small part of her mind still cautioning her to be careful; Chloe was so completely engrained in her life that if anything were to happen, if Chloe were to leave, Beca wouldn’t recover. However, she couldn’t bring herself to fear losing Chloe, not when every touch, every kiss, every whisper they shared only cemented for her that they were permanent. Being together felt effortless, as natural as laughter.

Beca had never really believed in soulmates; she didn’t buy into the idea of there being some spiritual connection between people meant to be together. No, Chloe wasn’t her soulmate. Chloe was simply her forever.

One result of Beca’s newfound joy in life was that she no longer wanted to work such long hours, preferring to spend more time at home with Chloe. Unfortunately, her work load didn’t change with her relationship status, so she typically found herself taking work home with her and spending a few hours in the evening on her laptop while Chloe read or watched her.

One evening, she was laboring over a particularly stubborn project. She’d been staring at her laptop for hours at their kitchen table, headphones on, tongue poking out from between her teeth in concentration. There was still something off about the piece, something that she didn’t like, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

“What are you working on?” Chloe’s voice drifted over the sound of the music in her ears, but she was only half listening.

“Um…what, sorry?” asked Beca several seconds later, tugging her headphones off to look at Chloe, who’d been perched on their bed, reading.

Rather than being annoyed, Chloe sent her a bright and understanding smile. Beca knew she’d always loved to watch her work on mixes, but she couldn’t see why. Surely, there were more interesting things to see than just her, gazing at a screen and playing with different settings?

“I asked what you’re working on,” repeated Chloe. “You’re doing that thing with your tongue again.”

“Oh,” grinned Beca, “you know me too well. Um, it’s just a song for work. The artist is new and has a lot of promise, but I’m having a hard time finding good balance on the sound.”

Chloe hummed thoughtfully before standing up to move behind Beca. She bent down and wrapped her arms around her, resting her chin on Beca’s shoulder to look at the laptop screen. Beca relaxed into her touch, leaning back into her and resting her temple against Chloe’s. She felt the tension and stress leak away until all that was left was the solid presence at her back.

Pressing a kiss to Beca’s cheek, Chloe said confidently, “You’ll get there, Bec. I know it.”

Beca smiled at Chloe’s unwavering belief in her and replied gratefully, “I hope so. I really want to get it right. This artist deserves it – they haven’t had it easy getting this far.”

Chloe reached out to gently turn Beca’s face toward her own. Once Beca was looking at her, she leaned in to kiss her soundly on the lips.

“What was that for?” asked Beca when Chloe pulled away again. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“I love that you care so much about other people,” Chloe responded. “It’s one of the reasons I fell for you in the first place.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Beca, trying hard to ignore the blush she knew was rising in her cheeks. “I’m a badass. I don’t care about other people.”

Chloe’s smile widened. “Your secret is safe with me.”

Rolling her eyes, Beca scrunched up her nose as Chloe pulled away to sit on their bed again to watch her work. Beca put her headphones back on but left one ear free so she could hear Chloe if she said anything else. She continued to work on the song for several more minutes, only vaguely aware that Chloe was still watching her.

“I’m ready,” Chloe said suddenly into the quiet.

“Hmm?” said Beca, turning her face to Chloe but leaving her eyes locked on her laptop. “Oh?”

Chloe took a deep breath, making Beca finally tear her gaze away from her screen to give Chloe her full attention. Chloe was looking down at her own lap, but then made eye contact with Beca, seemingly resolute about something.

“I’m ready,” she said again. “For us to…you know…sleep together. I’m ready for us to take that step.”

Beca’s stomach knotted. She’d been thinking about being with Chloe in that way frequently over the last month, ever since they’d decided to wait on the first day of their relationship. Neither of them had been ready for sex then, but it seemed as though Chloe was ready now.

“Oh…” trailed off Beca, taken aback by the sudden proclamation. “Like. Right now? Or…”

She swallowed. She knew she wasn’t quite on the same page as Chloe yet. Almost, but not yet. She was still too nervous about disappointing Chloe to feel really relaxed and ready.

Seeing her concern, Chloe quickly replied, “No, not now! You’re busy. And you have to be ready too.” Beca sighed, relieved, as Chloe continued. “No. And I’m not pressuring at all, I just wanted to let you know, so that whenever you’re ready, we’re in the same place. I will absolutely wait.”

Beca watched her as she spoke, then they sat in silence. She needed time to absorb the information. Chloe was really being wonderful about this, Beca thought. She didn’t feel any kind of pressure to be ready soon. Chloe had only made it clear where she was at with everything, which helped Beca a lot. Beca had always needed extra time to think and prepare herself for big changes, and this next step in their relationship was no different. The fact that Chloe understood that about her and was this patient sent a sense of calm security through Beca’s chest.

“Okay,” Beca finally said. “Thanks for telling me. I’ll, uh, keep you posted?”

Chloe nodded, beaming with her impossibly white smile. “Okay,” she said. “Now get back to work. You have music to make.” And with a final flirtatious wink that sent heat rising in Beca’s neck, she returned to her book.

Beca turned to her laptop, not seeing the screen in front of her as she considered what Chloe had said. She’d been kicking herself for the past month over how nervous she’d been about the idea of sex when they’d first gotten together. At times, she’d felt guilty over making Chloe wait, but then Chloe would touch her arm or envelop her in a hug or give her a quick kiss on the lips and Beca would remind herself that they both hadn’t been ready then. It would have been wrong to sleep together so soon. Now, though, Beca knew they were in a much better place. Chloe was ready, and Beca almost was. Thinking about sex with Chloe still made her nervous but had also started to make her feel excited.

The only thing holding her back was the doubt that she wouldn’t be good enough. She wanted to give Chloe the best of everything, so the thought that their bedroom activities could be sub-par because of her was paralyzing.

“Beca,” Chloe’s serious tone ripped Beca from her dark thoughts. “Stop overthinking.”

“I’m not –” Beca tried.

“Yes, you are. I know that look.”

Beca smiled sheepishly at Chloe, who was looking at her with so much tenderness it was kind of unbelievable.

“There’s no pressure,” Chloe said. “Really. I could wait for years if you need me to. And in case you’re scaring yourself again, don’t. You are perfect. Nothing,” Chloe shook her head, “and I mean nothing, will change that.”

“I don’t want to disappoint you,” Beca whispered, unable to look away from Chloe’s intense gaze.

Chloe’s already open and loving expression softened even further into one of absolute adoration. “You literally can’t,” she said gently. “I’ve never been with a woman either. I’ve said it before, but I’ll keep saying it until you believe me – knowing I’m with you is already amazing.”

The tension left Beca’s shoulders and she exhaled her anxiety in a big puff. Chloe always knew what to say. They complimented each other so completely that she knew it should be scary, but it wasn’t. It only reinforced her sense of rightness.

Nodding, Beca responded, “I believe you. You’re pretty perfect, too, you know.”

With the smirk she’d picked up from Beca, Chloe fired back, “Yeah, I’m pretty confident about all this.” And she gestured grandly down her body with a playful wink.

A smile spreading over her face at the memory, Beca said her usual line. “You should be.”

The tension gone and her worry set at ease, Beca fully returned her focus to her work while Chloe resumed reading her book.

Beca knew she’d be ready soon. Just, not yet.

As it turned out, soon was about one week later. Beca came home from work earlier than her usual time to see Chloe alone at the stove, chopping vegetables likely meant for a waiting pan. The whole apartment smelled like Beca imagined Italy would smell, and she knew Chloe’s signature lasagna must be in the oven. Chloe’s cooking playlist (made for her by Beca) was reverberating through the apartment, transmitted by Beca’s Bluetooth speaker. Amy wasn’t home yet from her street performing job, and Beca wondered vaguely whether that night’s routine had involved fire swallowing again.

Chloe turned to greet Beca with a “Hey, beautiful. You’re home early.”

Dropping her bag on the floor and hanging up her jacket, Beca replied, “Yeah, I was feeling spontaneous and I wanted to see you.”

Her focus back on cutting up their veggies for dinner, Chloe answered, “Wow, Beca Mitchell making spontaneous decisions…that’s new.”

“I guess that’s what you do to me, Beale,” Beca said easily as she moved to stand behind Chloe, stretching to her tiptoes to wrap her arms around Chloe’s waist and press a kiss to the side of her neck.

“Mmm, I like it,” sighed Chloe as she turned her head so that Beca could kiss her on the lips.

“Me too,” agreed Beca, resting her chin on top of Chloe’s shoulder to watch her hands slide the chopped onions, broccoli, and carrots into a pre-warmed pan. The whole thing felt incredibly domestic, and Beca couldn’t imagine anything better.

Chloe’s cooking playlist changed to Dance with Me Tonight by Olly Murs, which Beca knew was one of Chloe’s favorites. She started to sway her hips side to side in time with the beat, her hands guiding Chloe to the music along with her.

“Dance with me?” she said softly into Chloe’s ear.

“But dinner…” said Chloe, sounding reluctant.

“Can wait,” insisted Beca.

Chloe chuckled and relaxed into Beca’s touch, allowing her to move her hips to the music. “You’re such a bad influence.” Nevertheless, she placed a lid on the vegetables so they would stay warm without her.

“Thanks,” Beca replied with a grin, knowing she’d won. She turned Chloe around gently and tugged on her hips, pulling them flush against each other. Chloe squeaked in happy surprise, Beca delivering a peck to her lips.

“Dancing time,” she said, moving her hands up to grab both of Chloe’s.

Beca led them in a sort of jerky swing dance, moving back and forth, side to side as best they could in the minuscule kitchen. They took turns spinning each other, hair whirling. Chloe nearly backed her into their table once but quickly apologized with a glint in her eye that Beca had learned meant that she loved her, so Beca forgave her immediately. After Chloe spun her one final time, Beca brought their bodies close again and carefully dipped Chloe as the music reached its conclusion. The dip didn’t really go with the song, but Beca couldn’t care less. All that mattered was that the woman looking up at her from within her arms was laughing and it was all because of her.

The playlist switched to Adele’s Make You Feel My Love, so Beca pulled Chloe back to standing and wrapped her arms around Chloe’s waist, feeling Chloe’s arms slide around her neck.

Their dancing changed automatically to slow, pivoting movements as they turned on the spot. Chloe looked stunning in that moment, all casual attire with her hair loose around her shoulders. Her eyes ensnared Beca’s soul, and she felt herself falling even more deeply in love. Beca couldn’t keep the smile off her face; she’d never imagined a life like this with the love of her life, and yet here she was. Unexpected, maybe, but she wouldn’t change a single thing.

Beca moved further into Chloe, resting her cheek on a shoulder and turning her face into Chloe’s neck, feeling Chloe’s head tilt against the top of hers. Beca closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of Chloe’s perfume. A wave of peace washed over her. Chloe was holding her securely, and she knew Chloe would never let go.

Finally, she thought.

It was Chloe. It had always been Chloe.

She felt safe in Chloe’s arms. She felt loved. She felt at home.

She also felt a growing tension low in her stomach.

Oh.

Beca’s eyes flew open and she stared into a thicket of red hair. She wanted Chloe. She needed her. And Chloe wanted her, too.

She knew instantly what had changed. Her fear drained away. Her complete trust in Chloe had shifted the world; she was no longer afraid of messing up or disappointing Chloe, because she finally understood what Chloe had been telling her for weeks. Their greatest strength was their ability to support each other, laugh at their fumbling mistakes, and move on together.

Beca felt her fear slip away as the knowledge settled within her. Chloe had her. Chloe would never let her go.

The intimacy wasn’t going to be perfectly executed, but it didn’t matter. They would be together. They’d almost certainly fumble around, would almost certainly mess up once or twice, but they’d be able to laugh it off and try again. They were learning together. That’s what their whole relationship had been about from the very beginning. It would be okay. With Chloe, everything would be okay.

She stopped their dancing and pulled away, keeping her hands on Chloe’s waist. Blue eyes looked at her questioningly.

Beca only smiled softly and said, “I’m ready.”

She knew that Chloe had immediately understood what she’d meant; her eyebrows shot up and her mouth opened slightly in surprise. The arms around Beca’s neck tightened.

“Yeah?” came Chloe’s response.

“Yeah,” Beca nodded.

Chloe blinked rapidly, then said, “Are – are you sure?”

Beca nodded again.

“You’re one hundred percent sure? It hasn’t been that long yet, and –”

Beca surged forward and crashed her lips against Chloe’s, cutting her off. It wasn’t particularly graceful; their teeth clicked together before Chloe managed to reciprocate the kiss, but Beca didn’t mind. She tried to pour everything she’d realized into the kiss, tried to convey how much Chloe meant to her and how very ready she was for the next step.

Needing to come up for air, Beca broke the kiss to look at Chloe, whose eyes fluttered open, cheeks already tinged pink.

“You’re my everything,” Beca said slowly. “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”

That was all Chloe needed to hear.

Hands slid from Beca’s neck and into her hair, urging her forward to meet Chloe’s lips. Chloe’s tongue was immediately in her mouth, driving Beca wild. Chloe exhaled noisily through her nose, and Beca was overwhelmed with Chloe, Chloe everywhere.

She needed more.

A frustrated whimper escaped her throat, and Chloe must have understood. She was guided backwards blindly, stumbling but trusting Chloe to catch her, until her back hit their front door with a resonant thud.

Chloe’s hands moved to her hips, pressing her there, holding her in place as she dropped to give attention to Beca’s neck. Beca didn’t remember moving her arms, but found them wrapped around Chloe’s back, angled up so that her hands were on her shoulder blades. She needed to feel more, so she began smoothing her hands down and back up, trailing her fingers over the dips and curves of Chloe’s spine, over her sides, and back up to run her nails lightly over Chloe’s shoulders.

Chloe switched to the other side of her neck and pressed even closer, her hips jarring into Beca’s. The temperature spiked and Beca’s chest heaved at the intensity of Chloe’s onslaught, not that she really minded. But she needed to taste Chloe’s lips again, so Beca dropped her head forward and slid one hand to the back of Chloe’s neck to angle her face upwards and once again their lips crashed together.

Beca took control this time, letting her tongue flick teasingly at Chloe’s before pulling back. Chloe whimpered and Beca gave in, snaring Chloe’s lower lip between her teeth, biting gently, and pulling back slightly before releasing it. Chloe shivered under her hands and released a gasp that sent desire shooting through Beca.

Her hands dropped to the small of Chloe’s back, clutching, massaging, and Chloe again broke away to press open-mouthed kisses along her jaw and to her ear. Beca’s eyes rolled back when Chloe flicked her earlobe with her tongue and then bit down on it delicately. Her hands dropped still further to Chloe’s backside and she pulled Chloe to her, hips automatically bucking forward in search of contact.

She needed even more.

Chloe moved impossibly closer and slipped a thigh between Beca’s, pressing forward. Beca’s head fell back against the door with a thump and she moaned embarrassingly loudly. She vaguely wondered if their neighbors were in but stopped caring the instant Chloe’s hands on her hips tugged her forward and onto her thigh. Again. And again.

Chloe’s hips rolled into her own, matching her every thrust. Chloe gasped at one particularly forceful rock, her mouth still right next to Beca’s ear. It was possibly the hottest moment of Beca’s life and she heard herself growl.

In one smooth motion, Beca brought one hand up to grasp Chloe’s arm and flipped their positions so she was the one pressing Chloe into the door. She lost some of the wonderful friction between her legs but knew it had been worth it when Chloe keened at the feel of Beca’s tongue on her neck.

Beca resumed rolling her hips into Chloe’s, feeling the tension low in her belly build. By the way Chloe’s hands began clutching at her back and shoulders, she knew Chloe was getting there, too.

Automatically, Beca’s left hand went down to the side of Chloe’s right thigh, lifting it so Chloe could wrap her leg around her hips, drawing them even closer together. Beca pressed into Chloe, earning another groan before she swallowed it with her lips over Chloe’s.

Chloe broke away after a moment, breathing raggedly, and choked out, “Bec.”

Hearing her name fall from Chloe’s lips like that sent Beca into overdrive, and she suddenly needed to try something. She’d do anything to get Chloe to say her name like that again. She reached behind herself to find Chloe’s arms and moved them securely around her shoulders, wanting Chloe to latch onto her. She then dropped her right hand to rest on the outside of Chloe’s left thigh and paused to look into Chloe’s eyes, to make sure she understood.

“Hold on tight,” she breathed, and Chloe nodded, her eyes dark and lips swollen.

She pressed Chloe firmly into the door, sliding her hands under Chloe’s hips to support her weight as Chloe lifted her other leg off the ground to lock behind Beca’s hips. Once Beca was sure they were stable and that she could hold Chloe, she stepped cautiously away from the door. Arms tightened around her neck and Chloe’s chin moved to lock over Beca’s shoulder as she turned away from the door, carrying Chloe.

She’d originally intended to take Chloe to the bed, but decided it was too early yet, so she veered instead to the small amount of counter space they did have in the apartment. By some miracle, she made it there without dropping Chloe, who was surprisingly light. She set Chloe down on the counter and moved her hands to the tops of her thighs as Chloe immediately started kissing her again, tangling her fingers in her hair to angle Beca’s face up to her.

“That was so hot,” Chloe breathed against Beca’s lips, her legs still hooked around Beca.

Beca groaned and deepened the kiss.

She needed more.

It was becoming unbearably hot in the apartment. Beca desperately wanted to be wearing less. More than that, she wanted Chloe to be wearing less.

Her hands moved up Chloe’s thighs and around to ghost under Chloe’s shirt and she reveled in the soft, warm skin she discovered at Chloe’s lower back. She felt goosebumps rise under her touch and Beca’s fingers curled, digging slightly too hard into Chloe’s skin. She knew she’d probably scratched her, but Chloe didn’t seem to mind; her legs locked even more tightly around Beca, pulling her in and against her.

“Take it off,” Chloe gasped out, sending a jolt through Beca and making her body ache.

Beca removed her hands from Chloe’s back to brush at the hem of Chloe’s shirt, only to change course and reach instead for her own shirt. Quick as a flash, she’d lifted it off over her head, making Chloe blink down at her in surprise.

“I thought it wouldn’t be fair if only one of us had a shirt,” Beca explained breathlessly before reaching for Chloe’s.

“Can I?” she asked, even though Chloe had already said it was okay.

Chloe nodded and Beca lifted, marveling at every inch of taut abdomen revealed, Chloe helping by pulling the shirt off her head and casting it aside on the floor.

Beca couldn’t help it; she stared at Chloe’s chest, watching as her bra moved rapidly with each breath she took.

“They’re just breasts, Beca,” came Chloe’s amused voice, though Beca noticed that her gaze was focused in on her chest as well.

“What can I say?” managed Beca cheekily. “I’m a boob-man.”

Chloe laughed and reached for Beca’s face, cupping her cheeks as they resumed kissing. Beca’s skin burned where Chloe’s almost naked upper body pressed into hers; she couldn’t believe how it felt to move against Chloe like this, pressing and shifting. They fit together like puzzle pieces. Beca ran her fingertips up and down the expanse of Chloe’s back, skipping over her bra clasp with each sweep.

Chloe’s hands were doing the same behind her, her fingers tracing over the material of Beca’s bra.

“Is it okay if I touch you?” Chloe broke away from the kiss to ask after a minute of exploring.

Beca almost died right there, feeling as though she was about to melt into a puddle. She wanted nothing more than for Chloe to touch her. She immediately replied, “Yes, go for it. Them.”

Chloe snorted at her, eliciting a small smile from Beca they moved apart slightly.

Chloe’s hands didn’t leave her, but instead merely slid along the sides of her bra to hesitate at her ribs. Beca wondered if Chloe could feel how hard her heart was beating. Cerulean eyes flicked up to meet her own and Beca nodded. “It’s okay,” she said. “I trust you.”

Biting her lip in concentration, Chloe’s eyes focused back on Beca’s chest and her right hand moved agonizingly slowly to lightly trace over Beca’s left side. Beca’s eyes fluttered at the sensation and she exhaled a huge rush of air, trying to gain some control over herself. Above her, Chloe also sighed, her hand moving to cover Beca entirely. She paused, allowing Beca to get used to the sensation.

After a moment, Chloe’s other hand moved to touch Beca’s other side, starting similarly with light touches before resting there. Beca watched Chloe’s face, amazed that Chloe seemed to be enjoying this as much as she was. A furrow appeared between Chloe’s eyebrows and Beca was momentarily concerned until Chloe ever so slightly squeezed.

Beca swore and arched forward into Chloe involuntarily, making her stop her movement immediately.

“Was that bad?” Chloe asked frantically.

“No!” Beca was quick to reassure her. “It was… really nice,” she sighed shakily. “It’s okay.”

After a beat, Chloe’s hands continued moving against her, fingers tracing over delicate areas, making fireworks explode in Beca’s mind each time. She fought to control her breathing, fought to restrain her whimpers, but only to limited success. After another minute, she adjusted to the feel of Chloe’s hands on her, and she was overcome with desire see what Chloe felt like.

With all her willpower (because she really didn’t want Chloe to stop), she lifted her hands from Chloe’s thighs to instead rest them on her wrists, halting Chloe instantly.

“Can I touch you, too?” she asked.

“Oh!” Chloe said, looking as though she’d forgotten that she might also benefit from such a thing. “Yeah, definitely,” she said, removing her hands from Beca to rest them on the counter.

Beca’s eyes dropped back to Chloe’s chest, clad in her simple green bra. It really was enticing. She hesitantly lifted her left hand to brush her fingers against Chloe’s right side, trying to replicate what Chloe had done for her. The reaction was immediate – Chloe drew in a huge gasp of air and her eyes widened almost comically.

With a smirk, Beca stopped to cover her breast, waiting for Chloe to get used to her presence there. She was floored by the enthralling feel of smooth material and the soft warmth it covered. Daringly, she gently squeezed then ran just her thumb over where she thought Chloe’s peak would be.

Chloe’s groan startled her, and she nearly jumped away but got a grip on herself at the last second. She looked up into blazing eyes watching her intently and swallowed hard. Not breaking eye contact, she repeated the motion and saw Chloe’s eyes slam shut. She kept working and moving her hand until Chloe’s eyes opened a crack to look at her.

“I do have two, you know,” she said, her voice strained.

Oh. Yeah. That’s right.

With an apologetic cringe, Beca wasted no time in raising her right hand to give Chloe’s other side equal attention. Chloe’s eyes slid closed again as she leaned into Beca, pressing into her hands so much that Beca was momentarily afraid that Chloe was going to topple off the counter and right onto her.

Chloe’s hands snaked around Beca’s back to trace over the strap and clasp on her bra. She hesitated, biting her lip, before she asked, “Is it… can I take this off you?”

Heat shot to Beca’s center and she felt her knees quake. It was more than okay.

“Yes.”

Chloe’s hands reached for the clasp and Beca felt her grab at the material, preparing to tug the sides apart when –

EEEEEEEEEE!

“Gah!” Chloe startled, lurching backward.

Beca jumped violently and stepped away from Chloe automatically only to slip on a discarded shirt on the tiled floor. As if in slow motion, she fell hard, landing on her elbow and hip.

“Ugh…” she rolled to her back to stare at the fire alarm on the ceiling, which was the source of the horrible screeching noise.

“The veggies!” cried Chloe, sliding off the counter and jumping around Beca to get to the smoking pan on the stove.

“I’ll get the alarm,” muttered Beca as she sat up painfully. She knew her elbow would have a lovely bruise on it by the morning, as would her hip. Standing up, she grabbed the morning’s newspaper from the table and fanned it under the fire alarm to dissipate the smoke while Chloe took the pan off the burner and stirred its charred contents.

Before long, the electronic wailing turned off and Beca huffed out a sigh of relief. Setting the newspaper down again, she turned to see Chloe looking at her sheepishly, still without her shirt and holding the pan far away from her body.

After a beat of silence, Beca broke; she started grinning, then laughing, and before long, she and Chloe were doubled over with laughter, because of course something like this would happen.

Finally calming, Beca straightened up and wiped at her eyes. “So… where were we?” she asked Chloe, valiantly trying to get them back on track.

“Um, I think we have to call it for now,” Chloe said with a small smile.

“The fire’s out, though,” Beca pointed out. “Well. The one on the stove. The one between us, however…” she trailed off suggestively.

Chloe pointed to the oven, ignoring Beca’s lame flirtation, “But the lasagna’s done too, I bet.”

Sure enough, the timer on Chloe’s phone beeped at that moment. Chloe grimaced at Beca apologetically and opened the oven, pulling out a perfect lasagna.

Beca sighed and hung her head in defeat. They’d been so close… she really hadn’t wanted to stop… in fact, she’d been desperate to keep going.

“Besides, Amy will be back soon, so maybe it’s a good thing we were interrupted,” added Chloe as she bent down to grab both of their tops from the floor.

Hearing the whine in her own voice, Beca said, “I mean… we could ask Amy to leave for the night?”

Chloe shook her head no, handing her a shirt. “We can’t do that, Bec. It’s not fair. This is her home, too.”

“You’re right,” sighed Beca as she tugged the shirt Chloe had handed her over her head. She poked her head out of the collar to see Chloe had gotten dressed as well.

Chloe nodded and said, “It’s okay, it’ll happen eventually, yeah? I was really enjoying what we were doing.”

Beca’s body tingled at the memory of Chloe’s hands on her. “I was too,” she hummed, “but talk about blue balls…”

Chloe wrinkled her nose with distaste, but before she could respond, the jingle of keys signaled the arrival of their roommate.

“Hey, guys,” Amy said when she opened the door. “Are you aware that it smells like smoke in here? And why are you wearing each other’s shirts?”

Beca looked down at herself to see with some horror that Amy was right. She hadn’t been paying attention to the top Chloe had handed her but had just put it on, and now she found herself clad in a turquoise shirt with polka dots that definitely did not belong to her. And sure enough, when she looked up, she saw Chloe staring back at her, wearing in a simple black T-shirt.

Beca had to admit Chloe looked good in her clothes.

“Um…” Chloe started to say into the awkward silence, but Amy waved a hand to cut her off.

“I don’t want to know. I’m assuming that’s why you’re holding a pan of charcoal?”

Beca knew her face had to be glowing. She hated being caught, but strangely, she didn’t feel like hiding. Rather, she felt a weird sense of pride.

“No, that’s for smoky flavoring. It’s a new recipe,” Beca sassed right back.

Amy laughed and said, “Woah there, short stack, it’s all good. Just don’t have sex on my bed, yeah? And not while I’m here,” she added.

Beca opened her mouth to respond but Chloe interrupted, “Dinner’s ready, so let’s, uh, eat I guess?”

“You sure you’re still hungry?” Amy asked snidely. “Didn’t already fill up on the appetizer?”

Beca choked.

Shortly following their somewhat awkward dinner, prior to which they’d changed into their correct shirts, Beca sat at the table working on her laptop. She was searching over multiple travel websites to find some nice bed and breakfast getaways that would take them for the weekend. If they couldn’t have privacy at their apartment, she’d make sure to find a comfortable place for them.

She eventually narrowed her search to a few promising options but wanted Chloe’s input before she booked anything.

“Chlo, can you come here for a sec?” she called to Chloe, who had just finished in the shower and had changed into her pajamas.

“Sure!” she chirped back and moved to stand beside Beca. “What’re you looking at?”

“Some B&Bs, I thought we could maybe stay at one this weekend? You know, for alone time?” she added quietly, gesturing to where Amy was typing away on her phone from her own bed.

From the way Chloe pursed her lips, Beca knew she’d understood. In the next second, however, Chloe’s expression fell and she looked down at her feet.

Beca frowned at the unexpected response. “What’s wrong?”

Chloe looked back up at her almost guiltily. “It’s just… you’re being so unbelievably sweet about it… but I’m not sure a B&B is really our style?”

Beca turned to look back at her laptop screen in surprise, then grimaced. She hoped she hadn’t overstepped some kind of line by assuming that Chloe would want that. She’d still been buzzing from their impromptu session earlier and it hadn’t occurred to her that Chloe wouldn’t want to continue as soon as possible.

“Oh,” she said, trying to keep the disappointment from her voice. “So, do you not want to do that? Because it’s okay if you don’t, we don’t have to.”

Chloe scrunched her nose and replied, “Maybe not for our first? I’m worried that it might add pressure, and I think we’d be more comfortable here. And besides,” Chloe added, leaning to whisper in Beca’s ear, “do you really want our first time to be in a bed that dozens of other couples have used?”

“Ick,” said Beca, grossed out. Then, she exhaled in relief. It wasn’t the timeline that was a problem, but the location. Okay, she could work with that.

“Yeah,” agreed Chloe. “But we could definitely do that in a few weeks? For a nice vacation? Maybe for now, we just have a date on Friday?”

Beca nodded, relieved. “Okay, yeah, sounds good.” She shifted uncomfortably in her chair and looked back up at Chloe. Trying to be quiet, she whispered, “Um, but what about –”

Amy’s voice cut over her; clearly her whisper had travelled in the small apartment. “Don’t worry your horny little minds,” Amy said, “I’m headed out this weekend to see a boyfriend that is definitely not Bumper.”

Beca craned her neck to glare at Amy over her laptop. “Did you say ‘little?’ Was that a short joke?”

Amy shrugged at her and replied, “That’s up to you.”

Before Beca could really get an argument going, Chloe interrupted. “Thanks, Amy!” she said, giving Beca a look that clearly said If you make her change her mind I will kill you.

“Yeah… thanks, Amy,” Beca deadpanned.

“I’m not paying rent for this weekend, then,” Amy added, making Beca grit her teeth.

With a deep, calming breath, Beca returned her attention to the screen in front of her. “So,” she said, “now we can pick the place for our vacation. Any preference?”

Chloe pulled up a chair next to her and they spent the next half hour debating the choices Beca had found before finally picking one they both liked. With just a few clicks and a credit card number, Beca had booked them a B&B for three weeks later as a nice getaway.

Beca realized, as Chloe pecked her once on the lips before moving to their bed for the evening, that she was actually quite looking forward to it. As long as she didn’t think about the scores of people that had stayed in the room before them. Maybe she’d request a deep-clean prior to their visit…

Beca and Chloe surfed on a strange tension throughout the rest of the week, both anticipating the weekend. Beca noticed that Chloe touched her even more than she usually did, sometimes brushing her entire body against Beca’s when passing one another in the apartment. She’d often look up from her laptop to see Chloe staring at her in a way that made her mouth go dry. Their kisses had become both too much and not enough. Sleeping next to each other in the same bed was almost unbearable. She was constantly on edge, worried her body was going to shatter under Chloe’s next touch or wink.

She knew they were preparing, both more than ready for the next step. It wasn’t until the week continued that she realized the full extent of their preparations. On Wednesday morning, while Beca sipped her usual black coffee for breakfast, she was watching Chloe sit up and stretch in their bed when –

“Wax or trim?” Chloe asked suddenly.

Beca set down her coffee and looked at her, her mind muddled and confused by the early morning.

“Huh?” she asked.

“You know…” Chloe said and gestured downward. “Wax or trim?”

Beca’s face and neck became warm and she shifted in her chair. She knew if she’d been mid-sip just then, the coffee would have been sprayed across their kitchen table, and Chloe would never have let her forget that one. She wondered if it would be possible to sink through her chair, through the floor, and disappear. She couldn’t believe Chloe had asked her that so casually while Amy slept in the bed next to them, hidden by only a clothes rack.

She returned her attention to Chloe, who was looking at her expectantly. After the initial shock wore off, she supposed Chloe had a point. It was important to talk about this now and be prepared rather than worry about it later.

“Honestly, dude, no preference. Um, like, you do you, you know? Do what you’re comfortable with,” she said somewhat awkwardly. “Um. What should I… what would you like me to…?” she shifted again in the chair. This was so weird.

Without hesitation, Chloe chirped back, “Same, whatever you’re feeling!”

Beca gaped, astounded by how conversational Chloe was being. She shook her head a little, debating if she could still be asleep and in the middle of a particularly odd dream. For a moment, she wondered exactly how her life had turned into discussing such things as if talking about the weather. But then, as she continued to blink dumbly at Chloe, her memory was cast back through the years to an intruder in her shower and how somehow that invasive stranger had become the person she loved most.

Life is strange like that.

The following evening, while Chloe was on her own laptop and Amy took a shower, Beca began to sympathize with Chloe’s desire to prepare when she found herself creating her first ever custom sex playlist. Well, the first one she’d ever made herself. She figured that with their shared love of music, it might be beneficial to have some playing during their time together. She hid her laptop screen from Chloe, wanting it to be a surprise when the time came. She had figured that as a mature, wise, and functioning adult, she should be able to devise a bedroom playlist without issue.

She was wrong.

She’d wanted to create their own playlist, something that was purely them, rather than using a pre-made selection, but had completely blanked on good songs to make love to. She became annoyed with herself; she knew music. She lived and breathed music, but she could not think of any songs beyond Titanium by David Guetta and Sia to add to the list. To make things worse, she had been utterly horrified to find that Spotify knew exactly what she was doing; even giving the playlist the subtle name “For us,” it threw suggestion after suggestion of lewd song at her until she was blushing just looking at the screen. The songs weren’t even good ones.

She huffed impatiently, frustrated by how long it was taking. Jesse had made theirs, and even though she’d positively despised his music taste, she hadn’t complained much because it meant she hadn’t had to make one herself. However, things were different between her and Chloe. She knew Chloe’s taste in music as well she knew her own and finding the perfect songs for them both was proving to be challenging.

Beca furrowed her brow in thought, staring at but not seeing the box Chloe had gotten in the mail a month ago resting on Chloe’s nightstand. A new soundtrack wouldn’t be the only thing different about their experience. On a whim, and with a glance up at Chloe to make sure her attention was still focused on her own laptop, Beca opened Google and prepared to type. She got halfway through her first search before she panicked and closed the tab.

Closing her eyes, Beca pulled a deep breath through her nose. This was stupid. She should be able to look up how have sex with a woman without feeling weird about it. It’s not like the sex police were going to show up at her door and make fun of her for wanting more information on how to do certain things. It’s not her fault that no one in her life had talked to her about how to be with a woman like that. For her, sex ed had been simple and heteronormative. It wasn’t her fault she didn’t know exactly what to do.

Beca opened her eyes, determined. There was no shame in wondering about certain things and wanting to be educated in them before attempting to perform them. She wanted Chloe to feel good, and to do that, she’d appreciate some advice.

Eyes flicking once again to Chloe and ears straining to make sure Amy was still in the shower, Beca looked back to her screen. She pulled up Google once again. She hesitated, then decided to open an incognito tab. Just in case.

She spent the next twenty minutes bouncing to several web sites, discovering various methods and techniques, some of which sounded just plain weird and mildly alarming, but most of which seemed as though they could be fun and were things that she’d consider trying. She found a few explicitly instructional pages, which were helpful without making her uncomfortable. There were even a few tips that she filed away for later use, but not for their first time. She closed her browser feeling much more confident and calm, glad that she had decided to shove aside her discomfort and learn from others.

As she returned to compiling her playlist, which had finally started to gain some substance, Beca once again looked up at Chloe to see her still staring hard at her laptop, uncharacteristically quiet. Her mouth quirked as she wondered if Chloe was doing the same thing she had been. It wouldn’t surprise her; they were both being incredibly methodological with all this.

It wasn’t anything like her experiences with Jesse. With him, there hadn’t been nearly as much prep, planning or buildup, it had simply sort of happened. Beca reached to her nearby glass and took a sip of water as she thought. To some extent, she and Chloe were being almost excessively, ridiculously methodological. Perhaps it would have been better if that fire alarm hadn’t interrupted them and they had done it then. But, thought Beca, maybe the planning would make them both more comfortable when the time did come. Doing things this way, while it eliminated some of the spontaneity, almost ensured that they would both feel confident and prepared.

Beca smiled to herself. She had always needed time to process and get used to things, and Chloe, in encouraging the planning and buildup, was giving her that time. Beca knew she wouldn’t panic at the last minute because the way they were going about it was taking care of all of her questions and fears, even those she hadn’t known she’d had, beforehand. Her chest filled with affection for Chloe and at how slowly they were taking things.

Besides, thought Beca as she put the finishing touches on their playlist, the added buildup only meant that she was becoming increasingly antsy by the day. She figured that was all part of Chloe’s plan, too.

On Friday, the day of their date, Beca could barely focus on her work. She physically bumped into several of her co-workers as she was walking, her head in the clouds. She put salt in her coffee instead of sugar and only noticed once she was more than halfway finished with it. She kept tuning out on conversations with others and was called on it several times. Only when she accidentally attempted to open and edit a sound file that she’d finished working on three months prior rather than the file for her latest client did Beca realize that it was perhaps better for her to go home a little early.

She wasn’t nervous for the date. She was beyond excited.

She had planned what would hopefully be an amazing evening for them. It was a little unorthodox and didn’t fit with their typical dates of fancy dining and romantic walks. No, the night she’d planned involved a trip to Jane’s Carousel for a ride, then a walk to the beach for making sandcastles, a casual dinner at their favorite Chinese restaurant, and round of mini-golf before heading home. She knew Chloe was going to love it because it was different, fun, and stress-free.

She sort of forgot that they were probably going to have sex afterward. After all they had done to prepare, she had become was so supremely relaxed about it that it had completely slipped her mind.

Well. Okay. Maybe not completely slipped her mind. She was really, really looking forward to it, after all. But she hadn’t planned their date night as any kind of build-up or pre-game to them having sex. She’d simply planned a fun night that they would both enjoy, and, well, if they ended up being intimate after it, that would be even better.

Leaving work early, Beca rushed home to begin getting ready for the evening. Chloe was already home too, as was Amy, so it felt somewhat crowded in their small apartment as she and Chloe weaved around one another, getting changed into date clothes and overall preparing themselves for a night out.

Beca ended up in the bathroom, attempting to style her long hair into something casual and yet still different from its everyday standard, when her eyes fell on a pair of nail clippers left on the sink. She smirked, but took the hint and trimmed her nails neatly, filing the edges. She’d been becoming irritated by their length anyway.

When she came out of the bathroom, her hair pinned up at the sides, she saw Chloe smoothing out the comforter on the freshly-made bed. She caught Beca’s eye and winked, a mischievous grin sliding over her features.

“Okay, that’s it, you could cut the tension in here with a knife,” Amy’s complaint brought Beca back to reality sharply. “I’m headed out for the weekend, so try not to smash the table, yeah? And if you smash on the table, use Clorox wipes to clean it.”

Beca shot a glare at Amy, not missing that Chloe had turned to look at the table thoughtfully. God no. Her back would be sore for days if they did that.

“Have fun, Amy,” Beca said, knowing she was blushing. “Where are you headed again?”

“Oh, the usual,” Amy replied. “Just another boyfriend.”

“Bumper?” threw in Chloe, trying to catch Amy off guard.

“Uhhhhhhhhh… n-no. Definitely not Bumper,” Amy said, her eyes darting around the room. Beca stared at her in disbelieving silence.

Amy recovered quickly and shot back, “But enough about my sexy ass, you two have fun. Just stay on your side of the room and use protection.”

Beca gaped at her and choked out, “Yeah, um, strangely, not an issue here Ames.”

Amy raised her eyebrows, looking between Beca and Chloe, and responded, “Listen, proper hygiene is important. Maybe wash your hands first, or, you could –”

“AMY. You don’t want to be late,” Beca said firmly through gritted teeth, glancing at Chloe who was openly laughing at the exchange.

Amy shrugged and moved to the door, opening it and heaving her overly large suitcase into the hallway. She turned around one last time and called out, “Oh, and don’t forget to let the other Bellas know when you do it in the group chat. I’ve still got twenty bucks on this.”

Beca picked up a pillow and threw it at Amy, only for it to hit the door as she slammed it shut behind her with a cackle. They heard her make her way down the stairs, swearing at her suitcase, until eventually the sounds faded.

There was a beat of awkward silence before Chloe said brightly, “That was fun!”

Beca grimaced back.

“Oh, come on, Bec,” Chloe soothed, “She’s just excited for us. And she’s right, proper cleanliness is really important –”

“Are you ready to go?” Beca cut her off firmly. She was all well and good with cleanliness, as Chloe put it, but she didn’t really need to have an in-depth discussion about it before what was going to be a fun and light-hearted date.

Chloe beamed back at her, sunshine streaming out from her face, and she replied, “Yep! All set.”

“Me, too,” Beca said, “So…after you?” she moved to the door and pulled it open, gesturing grandly outside.

Chloe plucked her purse from the floor and made her way out of the apartment with a “Thanks, m’lady!”

Beca rolled her eyes as she followed Chloe – her Chloe – out into the hall, locking the door behind them. She’d planned a fantastic evening that she knew Chloe would love. What’s more, she knew that whatever happened after their date, she was ready.

Chloe’s POV

Chloe found herself completely blown away by how amazing Beca Mitchell was.

It definitely wasn’t the first time it had happened; it wasn’t even the first time it had happened since they’d started dating. In fact, she’d been awed by Beca just about every day they’d known each other.

The past several weeks since they’d become a couple had been pure bliss. At least once per week, she’d woken up in the morning, sure that it had all been a dream because it had been so perfect. She’d always felt the loss wash over her in crushing waves, needing her dream to be a reality, until her sleep-fogged brain would finally register that Beca was lying in her arms, holding on to her as tightly as she was holding onto Beca. That was usually when she realized that her reality had somehow become even better than her dreams.

If you had told her a year ago that the little “alternative” girl she’d been captivated by at the activities fair so long ago would someday be hers and only hers, she’d never have believed it. She’d have wanted it to be true but wouldn’t have been able to let her hopes rise. But now, having experienced what was almost certainly the best date of her entire life, all of it planned by Beca, she couldn’t imagine anything having turned out any differently.

It had been an unusual date for them, Beca having kept everything a surprise until the last possible second. Chloe envied her ability to keep things a secret; she was dreadful at surprises, often too excited over them that she’d inevitably end up telling the person all about it.

Though, Chloe reflected as Beca led her by the hand up the stairs to their apartment, she’d been getting better at keeping certain things a surprise. Perhaps she’d never had the proper motivation before. Now, though, she couldn’t wait to see Beca’s expression at her latest surprise. There was nothing she loved more.

Well, except for Beca herself.

“Did you have fun tonight?” Beca glanced back to ask her before returning her focus to the stairs, for which Chloe was grateful. They’d tripped up those stairs before when too enraptured with one another and she wasn’t eager for a repeat.

“It was the best,” Chloe responded sincerely. And it had been. The carousel had been cute, even though there were lots of kids around, and the sandcastles had been a wonderful reminder of her former life in Florida. Their Chinese food had been exceptional as always. What had most surprised her was the mini-golf. She loved playing mini-golf, but knew that Beca wasn’t too fond of it, so it had been incredibly sweet of Beca to take her. Though, she could have done without seeing exactly why Beca hated it so much.

“I’m not sure you really had to yell at the inanimate objects at golf, though,” Chloe added.

“I told you,” Beca said somewhat heatedly, “they aren’t inanimate, they plot and they move directly to where I’m hitting the ball. It’s a conspiracy.”

“Hmm,” Chloe mused. “It was a tad much to threaten the kid working the course with violence, don’t you think?”

“He was making fun of me and you know it.”

Chloe did know it, and she didn’t blame him. Beca had looked ridiculous when she’d had to tug off her shoes and wade into the little pool to retrieve her ball.

Chloe smiled at the memory, falling more in love with the dork holding her hand with every passing second. With Beca, everything felt easy. She’d fallen in love with her as easily as she breathed. It had happened without conscious thought, without her even being aware of it until it had been far too late to do anything about it. Without even trying, Beca had become her lifeline, her home. Her everything. It had always been simple. Except it really wasn’t, at least not until Beca had finally loved her in return.

They’d reached the door of their apartment, but before Beca could open it, Chloe pulled her around to place a soft kiss on her lips, feeling Beca’s arms circle loosely around her waist.

“Thank you for the date,” Chloe whispered when she pulled back.

Beca smiled at her, all love and tenderness. “Anytime,” she responded, holding her gaze for a moment before returning her attention to opening their apartment.

Once inside, Chloe hung her jacket and purse on the stand by the door and turned to watch Beca lock the door behind them. It wasn’t until Chloe glanced at the bed that she remembered their potential post-date plans and her heart shot to her throat.

She’d completely forgotten that they’d basically planned on having sex following their date. Everything had been so relaxed and casual and normal between them that she’d been too focused on the moment to contemplate their night alone together. Maybe that’s what it’s supposed to be like, she thought, when you’re with the right person. It’s supposed to feel natural and right.

They hadn’t really talked about a set timeframe. Chloe had figured that if the moment felt right, they would both know. She preferred it this way; everything else had been so carefully planned that leaving the timeline open had kept things exciting, had ensured she was always just a little on edge.

She loved the thrill.

“So, I’ll have to keep carousels and mini-golf in the regular date rotation,” Beca said conversationally, moving closer to her and interrupting her thoughts.

“Yeah, I think that’d be…” Chloe trailed off, stunned into silence by the look in Beca’s eyes.

She looked different. She was staring at Chloe as though she’d never quite seen her before. Her gaze was unwavering, her head leaned forward slightly, her lips gently parted. There was no hint of the awkwardness or uncertainty that typically surrounded Beca, but instead a calm confidence.

That’s when Chloe knew. It was time.

She threw herself forward, immediately attaching her mouth to Beca’s and threading her fingers into Beca’s soft hair.

Beca made a surprised noise but wasted no time in returning the kiss as Chloe opened her mouth to let their tongues meet. Chloe’s knees weakened, and she fell further into Beca, knowing she’d support her effortlessly. Beca was such a good kisser.

Before she knew it, Beca’s hands were resting lightly on her bare lower back, having passed under the material of her shirt like it wasn’t even there. She whimpered when Beca tugged her impossibly closer, their bodies flush and touching in all the right places.

Wanting to gain some control, Chloe broke from Beca’s lips to move down to her neck, pressing kisses against her pulse point and trailing them down, down to her collarbone.

“Chlo…” Beca gasped at the sensation, and Chloe felt something hot coil low in her stomach. She needed Beca to keep making noises. She needed Beca to keep saying her name.

She needed Beca.

Without even thinking about it, Chloe flattened her tongue against Beca’s neck and dragged it up, causing Beca’s hands to curl on her back, lightly scratching her, making her body shudder against Beca’s. She didn’t care. Beca’s skin felt too amazing under her tongue for her to care.

Beca groaned and ducked her head, snaring Chloe’s lips with her own. Their kissing became frantic as the air around them seemed to heat up and crackle. Chloe didn’t want it to stop, encouraging Beca with small hums and whimpers of her own that made Beca respond with tighter hands, harder breathing, and light shivers.

Suddenly, Beca pulled away, bringing their kissing to a shuddering halt. Chloe’s eyes fluttered open, confused and dazed at the loss of contact. She was about to ask Beca if something was wrong when Beca cut across her.

“Is it okay if… do you want to?” Beca’s eyes flicked between both of Chloe’s as if looking for any sign of unease or hesitation.

Chloe was surprised by the rush of desire that overtook her at the question. She knew what Beca was asking. However, she also wanted to be absolutely sure before they took things any further; they’d had misunderstandings before.

“Are you asking if I want to have sex?” Chloe asked, feeling a little ridiculous but wanting to make certain that she and Beca were on the same page.

Beca’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink and she awkwardly rubbed at the back of her neck. Chloe had to stop herself from leaning forward to kiss her again because she looked so adorable.

“Uh. Yeah. That’s what I’m asking.”

Chloe searched Beca’s face for any discomfort. It was essential that Beca want this as badly as she did, or everything would be ruined. However, it seemed as if Beca’s previous fears had disappeared and resolve stared at her from Beca’s eyes. Resolve, and a deep wanting that sent Chloe’s heart into overdrive.

“Yes,” she whispered simply. “Yes.”

A nervous smile came over Beca’s face and she said, “Well, okay.”

Swiftly, Beca leaned forward to capture Chloe’s lips again, kissing her more slowly and sensually than she had been earlier. A tongue flicked against her own and Chloe whimpered; Beca was kissing her as she’d never kissed her before.

Beca’s hands dropped to her hips, tugging their bodies firmly together. As Beca moved from her mouth down to her neck, Chloe’s hands went around to pull at Beca’s back, needing her even closer. Getting the hint, Beca slid a thigh between Chloe’s legs and moved her hands to her behind, tugging her onto it.

Immediately, a rush of heat shot to where her center was in contact with Beca and Chloe’s hands twitched convulsively on Beca’s back. They both groaned when Chloe rolled her hips once, grinding into Beca.

But then, Beca removed her thigh and was stepping away from her, walking backwards as she led her by both hands toward their bed.

Chloe’s chest was heaving; she couldn’t get enough air. Her body was aching for Beca’s touch, needing them to move to the bed immediately, tingling in anticipation of what was to come. However, as they moved, Chloe’s eyes landed on the box on her nightstand. The one that had been delivered to their apartment several weeks ago during their Skype call with Aubrey and Stacie.

“Wait!” she said breathlessly. “I forgot something!”

Beca stopped in her backward path to their bed and looked at her questioningly.

“Um,” said Chloe, a little embarrassed to be putting them on pause. “Just… stay right there, okay?” she pointed to the bed. “Don’t go anywhere.”

Beca turned to glance at the spot where Chloe had pointed, then dropped her hands away from Chloe and moved to sit on the edge of their fold-out. “Okay,” she said, “but, like, this is still happening, yeah?”

Chloe nodded rapidly, feeling as though her knees had turned to water. “It’s so happening. I just need a minute in the bathroom.”

Beca exhaled dramatically and fanned her own face with a hand. “Good, because I think I might combust if it doesn’t.”

Snorting at Beca’s theatrics, Chloe moved to grab the box from the little shelf on her nightstand. “I’ll be super quick,” she said, already headed for the bathroom.

“No worries,” Beca called leisurely from behind. As Chloe made to pull the shower curtain divider shut behind her, she got one last view of Beca leaning back on their bed, using her hands to brace herself up. She was looking at Chloe with so much open vulnerability that she was momentarily stunned at the realization that Beca really wanted her as much as she wanted Beca. She’d been waiting years for that moment.

Once she pulled the curtain securely closed behind her, Chloe immediately started stripping off her blouse. She hadn’t been lying when she said she’d be quick – she didn’t want to wait much longer for this, either. It didn’t take much time for her to remove the rest of her clothes. She reached for the box while simultaneously tugging off a sock, nearly losing her balance and using the sink to brace herself. Even as she opened the box, having already slit the packing tape shortly after it had first arrived to check its contents, she wondered vaguely if she shouldn’t have saved this for their upcoming bed and breakfast trip. Perhaps Beca would have wanted to undress her their first time.

Ah, well, Chloe thought, as she pulled the lingerie out of the box. Too late now.

She shimmied into the blue lace panties and grabbed the matching bra, sliding it on. As she clasped it in the back, she berated herself for not getting the front-closure kind. The clasps on the bra were kind of small and tricky, and it took her longer than usual to put it on correctly. Finally, she picked up the sheer black “cover” to her ensemble, putting it on and checking how she looked in the mirror.

She had to admit, she’d done well. She hoped to God that Beca would like it and that it wasn’t too much to start with.

She bit her lip as she made eye contact with herself in the mirror. What if it was too much? What if it scared Beca away? They’d talked about basically everything else leading up to where they were, but she hadn’t mentioned that she’d bought lingerie, wanting it to be a surprise.

Her stomach felt fluttery.

She’d spent so long convincing Beca that she could never be disappointed by her that she’d forgotten to worry that she might be the disappointing one.

It had been so long since her last time. She hadn’t slept with anyone since she’d broken up with Tom halfway through Beca’s freshman year. Sure, she’d dated and had been physical with several guys and one woman since then, but she’d always stopped before having sex with them.

She’d been holding out too much hope for Beca to find sex with anyone else appealing. She knew who she’d be thinking about the entire time. It wouldn’t be fair to her partner; it wasn’t their fault they weren’t Beca.

So, in a way, Beca was more prepared for this than she was, having only ended her relationship with Jesse less than a year ago. Chloe really didn’t want to mess up or do something wrong. She wanted Beca’s first time with a woman – with her – to be absolutely perfect.

Oh, God. She’d never done this before, either. What if Beca didn’t like it?

Frantically, as though cramming last-second for a big test, Chloe cast her mind back to all that she had read, and yes, Googled, over the past month. She didn’t feel embarrassed that she’d looked up certain things; after all, she’d always felt better about the unknown when she was going in prepared. She really didn’t see that there was anything to be embarrassed about, because reading about what might be good to do had helped put her mind at ease.

Besides, she was pretty sure Beca had done the same thing. No way was she just working on her laptop all the time.

Glaring hard at herself in the mirror, Chloe took a deep breath to soothe her nerves. She glanced down into the sink, remembering what Amy had said. She grimaced and rolled her eyes at herself, but turned on the faucet and grabbed the soap to wash her hands.

She dried her hands on a towel, annoyed at herself. This was ridiculous. She was confident about her body, she loved Beca, and sex came naturally once you got started. Instinct would take over, surely.

Besides, she was already really, painfully turned on, and Beca Mitchell was laying on their bed, waiting to make love to her. Her heart soared at the thought. Beca, who had planned the perfect date, who had danced with her in their kitchen, who had asked her to come to New York, who had saved the Bellas, who had saved Chloe’s world. Beca, who, for some crazy reason, loved her. It was what she’d hoped for for years, and she knew anyone would be lucky to be in her place.

Chloe winked at herself once in the mirror as a final boost of confidence and turned to open the shower curtain. She lifted a hand, fully intending to rip the curtain aside to reveal herself to Beca, and –

Her hand hung in midair.

For the first time, Chloe appreciated how much courage it must have taken Beca to leave that bathroom on the first night of their relationship. Then, Beca had thought she’d been expecting sex, and been not at all ready for it. But she’d put Chloe first and had stepped into their apartment ready to give Chloe her all, her everything, because she thought that was what Chloe wanted.

It must have been the scariest moment of her life, and Chloe again felt a twinge of guilt over the misunderstanding.

But now, things were different because it was her turn, and this time, she knew that Beca was out there, and she knew they were on the same page. She wanted it, badly. They were both ready for it emotionally and mentally. She knew she was more than ready physically, too. It was time.

That didn’t mean she wasn’t nervous.

But she trusted Beca completely. She’d already given her heart and soul over to Beca. Beca was the only person in the world that Chloe trusted enough with what they were about to do.

Chloe knew without a doubt that if it were anyone else lying out there in wait for her, she wouldn’t have been able to do it. She’d have remained hidden in the tiny bathroom, never to come out.

But it was Beca, so she wanted this. She’d do anything for Beca.

With one final deep breath, Chloe pushed aside the shower curtain to reveal herself. Beca was sitting in the same spot as Chloe had left her, her eyes closed slightly and her breathing deep. However, the sound of the curtain rattling against the rod alerted her and Beca’s eyes opened fully to land on her.

She waited, absorbing every change in Beca’s expression, hunting for any sign that she didn’t like the lingerie.

There was none. Beca’s eyes widened with surprise, her cheeks flushed, and she inhaled sharply. Her gaze raked unabashedly over Chloe’s body, taking in everything. It was almost comical how turned on she looked. Chloe shifted her weight to her other foot.

Then, Beca’s expression changed into one so open and tender that it made Chloe’s chest hurt. A gentle smile appeared, and Chloe’s anxiety instantly slid away. The look on Beca’s face reminded her that she loved Beca more than she loved anyone else. Beca was the most important person in her life.

She knew then that what they were about to do would be perfect because they would be with each other. Her residual nerves drained away to be replaced with desire. Dimly, she registered the soft music coming from Beca’s speaker, placed on her nightstand.

“Is that… Glass Animals?” she asked.

Beca nodded. “I – uh – made a sort of playlist. The Weeknd is on there, and SoMo, and…Titanium.”

Chloe blinked, impressed. “Wow. You really prepared.”

Beca shrugged. “Not as much as you did,” she said, gesturing down Chloe’s body. “You look… amazing.”

“It’s not too much?” Chloe asked shyly.

“Not at all,” replied Beca, her eyes flicking down to Chloe’s chest and back up to her eyes repeatedly. “I kind of love it. I maybe should have done the same,” she added, gesturing at her own body, still clad in her date clothes.

Chloe was getting distracted by Beca’s wandering eyes. “You can look, you know,” she said. “It’s kind of the point.”

She watched Beca’s throat bob up and down and knew she must have swallowed hard. Chloe didn’t blame her; she knew the moisture in her own mouth had relocated elsewhere the moment Beca had mentioned getting her own lingerie.

“You can do that for the bed and breakfast,” Chloe replied suddenly, really needing them to get past the talking phase.

“Okay,” croaked out Beca in an unusually husky voice, and Chloe knew she was getting impatient as well.

Beca moved to her, as if tugged by a magnet. She stood up from the edge of the bed and moved to stand directly in front of Chloe, lifting a hand to trace her thumb lightly over Chloe’s cheek. Chloe leaned into the contact, her breath catching in her throat. At some point, her knees had started trembling again out of both excitement and the return of her nerves.

She wanted Beca to feel good.

Beca smiled softly at her then, and Chloe didn’t think she’d ever looked so attractive. “We can go slow, okay?” Beca reassured her.

Chloe nodded and Beca leaned toward to hesitantly press her lips to Chloe’s. The instant they made contact, Chloe felt a spark rumble through her body. Beca pulled back to change the angle, brushing their noses together before kissing her again, keeping things gentle. Chloe realized after a few moments of this that Beca was waiting for her to take control, so she did, allowing her tongue to taste Beca’s lower lip before Beca granted her access.

Beca’s arms came up to circle around her neck, and Chloe’s skin twitched at the first time they’d touched since she had changed out of her date clothes. Her hands rested comfortably at Beca’s hips, holding her steady. As their kissing continued, Chloe noticed that something was missing. Her brow furrowed, trying to figure out what it was, even as she continued to flick her tongue into Beca’s mouth.

Then she realized: Beca’s hands had remained around her neck rather than trailing down over Chloe’s near-bare body. Chloe almost laughed; Beca was being so respectful and good to her.

Chloe eased away from the kiss to rest her forehead against Beca’s. “You can touch me, if you want,” she said against Beca’s lips.

Beca hesitated, then pulled back and dropped her arms. Chloe’s eyes fluttered, expecting hands to land on her, but instead Beca reached for the hem of her own shirt, crossing her arms to lift it off over her head and cast it aside.

Beca shrugged. “I wanted it to be even,” she said, and Chloe nodded, not minding the view in the least.

Beca cautiously lifted a hand to the height of Chloe’s stomach, paused, then dropped it. She tried again right away but with the same result. She glanced up sheepishly and apologized. “Sorry, I don’t know why… you just…this is important.”

Chloe smiled, unoffended, because she understood completely.

“Why don’t we… here,” she responded, reaching for Beca’s hands and guiding them to rest on her waist, over the sheer material of her cover.

Beca exhaled slowly once her hands were on Chloe, brushing her thumbs over the material. Her eyes flicked to Chloe’s, then back down.

Chloe let her own hands trail up Beca’s arms to rest looped around the back of her neck, feeling goosebumps rise along Beca’s skin. She saw Beca’s eyes flutter at the touch, and a thrill shot through her.

The first movement of Beca’s hands, sliding up her sides and over her stomach snapped Chloe’s patience in half. She sucked in a noisy breath that only urged Beca on, making her step closer to move her hands around to caress Chloe’s lower back, up to her shoulders, then back down and around to her front to rest just below her bra.

Chloe was seized with the desire to grab Beca and lay her over the kitchen table right then and there, born, no doubt, of the seeds Amy had planted earlier, but Beca distracted her by touching her through the bra and sheer.

Chloe gasped, leaning into the touch. Beca moved closer, bringing her hands to the opening of the sheer. They made eye contact, and Chloe couldn’t believe how careful Beca was being as she slowly eased the sheer away from her body, sliding it off her shoulders to where she felt it pool on the floor behind her heels.

Chloe reached for Beca’s hips to tug her into a searing kiss. The sensation of their bare stomachs against each other sent her heart racing and her fingers tracing up and down Beca’s back, trying to bring her even closer, into her very skin. She could feel Beca’s hands on her own back, pulling shiver after shiver from her when fingers brushed along her spine.

Needing to feel Beca, Chloe moved her hands to Beca’s breasts through her black bra. Beca groaned into their kiss and Chloe found herself moving backward until Beca had her pressed into the wall near their bathroom. She kept her hands moving on Beca’s bra, marveling at how Beca arched into her with every sweep of her thumbs over the material.

Beca broke away from her mouth to press lips to her neck, moving up to her ear and down again. Chloe’s skin burned at the trail Beca left on her, her eyes fluttering and her head falling back to thud against the wall. Beca bit down lightly on her pulse point, tearing a keen from Chloe’s throat and making her stomach tighten. Instinctively, her leg came up to hitch itself around Beca.

The enthusiastic buck of Beca’s hips into her surprised her, making her grunt.

“Sorry,” muttered Beca, pulling back an inch. “It got away from me.”

Breathless, Chloe puffed back. “Don’t apologize. And don’t stop.”

A low growl escaped Beca’s throat, making Chloe’s body beg for more friction, more contact, more Beca. She used her leg to press Beca against her again, encouraging the slow rolling of Beca’s hips into hers. It felt amazing, but she needed even more and a frustrated noise escaped her.

Thankfully, Beca understood and reached behind herself to release Chloe’s leg from her waist. Pulling her by the hands, Beca moved backward until she was seated on the edge of their bed and looking up at Chloe. It wasn’t until Beca reached for her hips and pulled that Chloe understood what she wanted. Practically tingling in anticipation, she lifted one foot to place her knee next to Beca’s hip, then the other, adjusting until she was perched over Beca, straddling her lap.

Beca’s hands moved to her backside and pulled her in closer. Chloe wrapped her arms securely around Beca’s neck for balance, her muscles tensing when Beca’s tongue met one of the firm lines on her stomach and licked up. With a gasp of surprise, her hands tightened around Beca’s shoulders and she couldn’t stop herself from grinding down into Beca’s lap. Her body lit on fire when Beca’s hands tightened in encouragement; she began rolling into Beca as Beca pressed her lips to her chest and neck.

Her rhythm faltered when Beca bit down gently where her neck met her shoulder. The warmth between her legs started screaming at her to take things up a notch, so, planting her knees firmly, Chloe pushed at Beca’s shoulder, urging her down onto her back and further up the bed. Chloe followed, bracing her hands on either side of Beca’s head and dimly registering the heat of Beca’s touch on her thighs.

She leaned down, dropping one elbow to the mattress to kiss Beca, loving the feel of the body beneath hers. Even as their kiss deepened, she appreciated how well they fit together. See? she thought vaguely. It comes naturally after a while.

Chloe’s need grew, and she imagined Beca was feeling similarly. She pulled away to adjust her position, straddling one of Beca’s legs rather than both of her hips. Beca glanced down at their bodies and her eyes widened when Chloe slipped a knee high between her thighs. Chloe felt Beca’s hands move to her lower back as she once again leaned down for a kiss.

As they kissed, she pressed her knee and thigh up. Beca wrenched away from the kiss with a gasp as her entire body jerked beneath Chloe.

Pleased at the response, Chloe maintained the pressure and whispered jokingly into Beca’s ear, “Do we need a safe word?”

Beca turned back to look at her with a very sarcastic expression. “How about ‘No, that hurts?’” she asked dryly.

Chloe grinned down at her and began rocking her hips forward leisurely, driving into Beca. Beca screwed her eyes shut and her hands clutched at Chloe’s back.

“Why don’t we do something like ‘The eagle has landed?’” she purred out.

Beca groaned, but whether at what Chloe said or what she was doing Chloe wasn’t sure. Eyes still shut tightly, Beca managed to gasp out, “That’s so long.”

“Hmm,” mused Chloe thoughtfully, not intending to answer. Instead, she continued moving her hips and dropped her head to press open-mouth kisses to Beca’s neck, making Beca hiss and arch into her. When she found what seemed to be a particularly sensitive spot, she closed her lips around it and pulled it into her mouth. Beca’s reaction was instantaneous; her hands gripped at Chloe’s back to draw her nails down its length and she raised her own knee to give Chloe some relief.

Chloe moaned at the slight sting of the scratches and the feel of Beca against her center. She needed even more.

“Can I… is it okay if I touch you? Through your pants?” she asked.

Beca’s eyes snapped open and she nodded frantically, adding, “Yes, please, I – yes.”

Chloe blinked. Wow. Okay. So, she’d been teasing for maybe a little too long.

There was certainly one way to fix that.

Chloe moved her weight to her one elbow and to her knees to slide one hand down between their bodies. Her fingers trailed between Beca’s breasts over her bra, down over her stomach, and, with one final look into Beca’s eyes, her hand pressed into Beca’s crotch over her jeans.

Beca jerked again and whimpered, her eyebrows drawing together and mouth falling open. Chloe held her hand there for a few beats, reveling at the heat she’d discovered there and letting Beca get used to the sensation until she began to rub at the seam of Beca’s pants, pressing lightly.

Beca groaned again and her hands pulled Chloe down on top of her, trapping her hand between their hips as Beca tilted up into her.

Chloe was shocked. Beca was panting, straining to bring them even closer. She’d had no idea Beca had wanted this so badly. Had wanted her. It was remarkable.

Deciding not to tease any longer, Chloe pulled her hand away to tug at the waistline of Beca’s jeans. “Let’s get these off of you, yeah?”

Beca immediately dropped her hands from Chloe’s back to reach in between them and undo the button of her pants. Chloe slid off of her to stand at the end of the bed. She reached for the ankles of the skinny jeans and began to tug them down, but, as they were skinny jeans, they only made it so far before they got stuck. Beca lifted her hips to help and Chloe gave an enthusiastic yank on the pants.

Unfortunately, her enthusiasm pulled Beca right off the end of the bed with a surprised squeal to land on the floor with a loud thud.

“Shit, Bec! I’m so sorry!” Chloe exclaimed, immediately crouching and reaching for Beca to help her up.

Beca held up a hand to stop her. “The eagle has landed,” she groaned painfully.

Chloe rocked back on her heels, knowing that if Beca was joking around she was okay. Teasing, she fired back, “Yeah, with a thud that made the whole apartment shake.”

“Hey!” Beca said indignantly, sitting up to glare at Chloe.

Chloe shrugged in response and replied, “Calm down, you’re tiny. It just slipped out.”

Beca threw her a wicked grin, sending dread tumbling through Chloe’s chest. And, sure enough, Beca snidely said, “Well, slip back in, then.”

Chloe’s stomach jolted and she found herself gaping speechlessly at the still-smiling brunette, stunned by what she’d said. Flirtation was her job, but it looked like Beca had taken over. Beca laughed at her and moved to tug off her own jeans, kicking them away and to the side before climbing back on the bed.

“Come here,” Beca called to her, still amused and sat upright.

Chloe recovered enough to want revenge; she all but launched herself on the bed to kneel next to Beca and started kissing her feverishly. It was different, more intense now that they were both only in their underwear. Her hands ran over the smooth skin of Beca’s back, fingers sliding over her bra strap again and again. She had just started to hate the garment for being in her way when Beca pulled back from their kissing.

Beca’s eyes met hers and Beca said softly, “I love that bra on you, but I’d like it to come off. Is that okay?”

Wondering if Beca was a mind reader, Chloe responded, “Yes, that’s okay.”

Beca gave a single nod and determination filled her expression. She reached behind Chloe, her fingers following the strip of lace, until she found the clasp connecting the two sides. Chloe watched Beca’s face closely as her eyebrows drew together in concentration and her tongue poked out a little between her teeth. She could tell Beca was struggling with the tiny clasps on the bra, fingers scrabbling against her skin. Chloe mentally kicked herself again for not going with a front clasp but instead finding what had to be the most irritating bra of all time.

“Um, just give me a sec,” Beca insisted, looking adorably frustrated.

“It’s okay. They’re small hooks, if you want I can just –”

But in the next moment, Chloe felt the bra give as Beca managed to unhook it.

“Ah ha!” cheered Beca excitedly, easing the bra from Chloe’s shoulders before whirling it over her head like a lasso and launching it away to fly across the room.

Chloe raised her eyebrows. How had she fallen in love with this person? “You’re so weird.”

“Thanks,” Beca replied automatically with a huge smile. That is, until her gaze dropped to look at Chloe’s bare chest. Unexpectedly, butterflies erupted in Chloe’s stomach. No one had seen her bare like this for a long time. Beca’s expression became tender again, and she glanced back up to Chloe’s eyes.

“You’re beautiful,” she said sincerely, making Chloe’s butterflies vanish and her heart warm. “Take mine off?”

Chloe didn’t hesitate in reaching around behind Beca to find the clasp of her bra. That one was standard, and she was relieved to be able to unhook it within a few seconds of trying. She helped Beca out of it, then dropped it onto the floor next to the bed.

She allowed her own eyes to drop to Beca’s breasts, taking in as much detail as she could. Beca was stunning. “You look perfect,” she said, looking back up to see that Beca’s eyes had definitely been on her chest again. Not that she could blame her; Beca was a self-admitted boob-man.

Chloe reached forward to cup Beca’s cheek and drew her in for a brief kiss. Their chests were pulled against each other, breasts brushing, which was new and exciting. Chloe loved the feel of Beca against her but wanted more.

She lifted her hands to rest lightly on the sides of Beca’s breasts, feeling Beca inhale sharply against her lips. Taking that as a good sign, Chloe slowly moved her hands over soft skin, captivated by the warmth, until they covered Beca completely, the peaks pressing into her palms. Beca sighed and arched toward her, enthralling Chloe so much that she barely noticed when Beca’s hands landed on her. However, she was jolted sharply back to herself when Beca’s thumbs brushed over taut skin and she gasped into the feeling.

“Lay on your side?” Beca asked her softly.

A shudder went through Chloe at the suggestion. She had a pretty good idea of what was next, and she knew she was more than ready, maybe embarrassingly so. She let Beca guide her down so that they were on their sides facing each other. Beca tangled their legs together and pressed forward into her, causing one of Chloe’s hands to latch onto her hip and continue the movement. They resumed kissing, chests pressed together and working into an easy rocking rhythm that drove Chloe more insane with every cant of Beca’s hips into hers.

Much too soon, Beca paused her movements and Chloe balked, wondering if Beca had changed her mind.

“Just say the word, we can stop,” Chloe said urgently.

But Beca shook her head. “No, it’s just… lay on your back? Um, if that’s okay?”

Chloe blinked in surprise at Beca taking control but found that she enjoyed it. Like, a lot. She reclined, using the hand on Beca’s hip to help move Beca on top of her. Beca positioned herself to straddle one of Chloe’s legs like Chloe had done for her earlier and leaned down on an elbow to place a kiss against her lips. Chloe exhaled shakily when she didn’t stop there. Lips trailed over her jaw, down her neck, and across her chest. Chloe’s hands weaved into Beca’s hair, urging her on.

The first kiss pressed against her breast made Chloe’s eyes slam closed and her breathing increase. She felt Beca hesitate over her, and wanted to ask her why, but then a tongue nudged the peak of her breast and her mind went blank. Beca’s mouth dropped to enclose the straining skin, tongue prodding and soothing over and over while her hand gave attention to the other side. Chloe squirmed, hearing herself whine loudly when Beca sucked on her skin. Beca eventually released her, allowing her to relax for only a second before her mouth moved to the other side. Chloe’s hands tightened in Beca’s hair, then released to drop to her shoulders to hold Beca against her as she arched up desperately.

Unable to take any more, she scrabbled at Beca’s shoulders to pull her up and away. She was panting, craving Beca everywhere, needing her more than she had ever needed anything. Beca must have seen the need in her eyes, because without further preamble, Beca rocked forward into her, applying the friction her body had been craving.

A firework erupted in her mind. Chloe swore loudly and her hips bucked up, making Beca gasp in response. She needed that. Repeatedly. Her hands clawed at Beca’s back frantically, seeking more. Getting the hint, Beca swiveled her hips down and into Chloe again and again, Chloe rising to meet her each time, propping up a knee to give Beca some friction of her own. It wasn’t until Chloe felt Beca against her own thigh that it occurred to her that Beca must be able to feel exactly how much she wanted this. The thought only spurred her on and the moaned at a particularly pointed tilt of Beca’s hips.

Beca reached down to hoist Chloe’s free leg over a hip, giving her more room to work against Chloe. Chloe squirmed; the contact was almost but not quite, and she knew exactly what she needed.

“Bec,” she gasped, her hands digging much too hard into Beca’s back to pull them together.

Beca nodded and asked, “Is it okay if I touch you? Like, without anything between us?”

Chloe almost sobbed in relief; she felt like she was going to shatter if Beca didn’t touch her. “Yes,” she managed. “God, yes.”

Beca’s eyes darkened and she moved so that Chloe could lift her hips and shimmy her own underwear down. Beca gasped quietly when she was revealed and, brushing Chloe’s hands aside, hooked her thumbs under the hem of the blue lace to cast it from Chloe’s body.

Completely exposed, Chloe lay there as Beca stared up and down the length of her body. She wiggled somewhat uncomfortably. While she appreciated Beca taking her time and enjoying the view, she really needed attention on one specific spot, thank you very much.

Beca’s eyes found hers and she placed a hand lightly on Chloe’s knee. “Spread ‘em, Beale.”

Chloe almost died at how casual Beca was being, but obliged immediately, bending her legs at the knee and separating them to allow Beca to climb over and rest between them. This new position allowed her to feel Beca against her, driving her arousal even higher as Beca put some of her weight on top of her. Chloe reveled at how amazing Beca felt against her, and she hadn’t even touched her with her hand yet.

Stooping down for one more kiss pressed against swollen lips, Beca whispered to her seriously, “If anything doesn’t feel right, let me know right away, please.”

“I will,” Chloe promised, her hands moving to rest on Beca’s back once again. Beca leaned in for another kiss, resting on one elbow as she lifted a hand to move between them, mimicking what Chloe had done earlier. Chloe’s core throbbed in anticipation and she couldn’t stop her hips from tilting up into Beca.

Fingers trailed over her stomach, down the side of her hip, brushing along her inner thigh, moving to trace immediately below where Chloe wanted her, only to come back up the same path and rest low on her stomach, just above short, neat curls. Feather light touches traced the line, back and forth, slowly, carefully, making her stomach muscles twitch until Chloe wanted to scream at Beca to get on with it. She tutted impatiently, making Beca laugh quietly before she finally lowered her hand to press lightly into Chloe’s center.

They both groaned at the first touch. Chloe knew she was louder, her eyes sliding closed.

She risked opening her eyes a crack, needing to see Beca in that moment to reassure herself of her realness. Beca hovered above her, her own eyes closed in concentration. Yep, it was really Beca that was making her feel like this. It was really Beca touching her. That was all Chloe saw before Beca’s hand moved against her and her eyes rolled back.

Fingers slid upward, feeling and exploring carefully. They reached the top only to pull down and repeat the motion, making Chloe’s hands clamp down onto Beca’s back.

“You’re so…” Beca murmured from above her.

“I know. It’s all because of you.”

Beca made a small noise of awe at that and her movements became more confident. Chloe knew that a slew of quiet sounds escaped from her throat, but she couldn’t help it as Beca circled around, obviously searching for a specific bundle of nerves. She brushed so close to it that Chloe’s hips jerked, but then she missed it again, driving Chloe to desperation.

“It’s – unnh – a little – left,” she managed to pant out.

That did the trick. The instant Beca’s fingers nudged her bud, Chloe saw stars. She moaned and lifted into Beca, her head thrown back against the pillow.

“God, yes, that’s – yes, Beca,” she cried out, unable to form coherent words, but Beca seemed to understand. She continued her stroking movements, going up to circle around the bundle tightly, adding light pressure with each pass before easing down again. Ever the musician, Beca soon found a comfortable rhythm that had Chloe teetering on the edge much sooner than she thought she would be, her hips moving to match Beca’s pace.

Beca’s fingers circled around once more, then dropped lower to trace her entrance. Chloe’s eyes flew open, needing Beca to keep going.

Already having been watching her, Beca asked once more, “Are you sure?”

In response, Chloe pushed herself further down the bed until Beca’s hand was pressed against her. “Completely,” she said breathlessly, her voice slightly hoarse.

“Keep talking to me,” Beca replied and Chloe nodded, knowing that Beca would need to know that what she was doing was okay.

Slowly, Beca found her opening with her middle finger and delicately eased inside. Chloe moaned and her toes curled against the mattress as she processed the idea that it was Beca inside of her, making her feel so good.

“Yes, that’s – right there, Bec,” she gasped, knowing it would reassure Beca.

Beca eased in and out, slowly at first, but then with more confidence, adding a second finger. Chloe’s entire body jerked and lifted, her hands clutching desperately at Beca’s back, sides, shoulders, anywhere she could reach as Beca continued moving in and out, curling her fingers occasionally to hit the perfect spot.

“You’re amazing,” Beca whispered reverently, making Chloe whimper.

“So are you,” Chloe managed between breaths.

She panted, and her hands clenched on Beca’s back, incoherent noises mixed with Beca’s name spilling from her lips over and over. Beca twisted her hand to press her palm into Chloe even as her fingers continued moving, using her hip to drive into her more firmly.

Chloe’s entire body tensed and she writhed, pushing herself downward. “Bec – don’t stop – that’s – Christ – I’m –” Beca moved into her more firmly and dropped her mouth onto Chloe’s, kissing her sloppily and roughly, making Chloe’s muscles tense until she was pushed off the edge, crying out incoherently.

Waves crashed over her and her jaw locked as she arched into Beca, shuddering over and over. Beca kept her hand where it was, helping to hold her steady.

At long last, Chloe relaxed, melting into the bed. She felt Beca remove her hand and shift as if to move off her, but she reached up instead to pull Beca down into a tight hug, needing Beca to be as close as possible. She lifted her head to bury her face into Beca’s neck, inhaling the scent of her skin and shampoo.

“I’ve got you,” Beca whispered into her ear. “I’m not going anywhere.”

To Chloe’s embarrassment, her eyes pricked and she had to hold back tears, knowing that if she cried Beca would think she’d done something wrong. But that wasn’t it. Beca had done everything right. Chloe clung to her, feeling as if she would float away without having Beca to ground her. Beca had always kept her together, and it was no different then.

“I love you,” Chloe said into Beca’s shoulder.

“You’re my world,” Beca replied simply, making Chloe sigh and finally relax her arms.

Beca moved so that she was no longer on top of Chloe but instead was lying next to her on her back, their arms and legs touching. Chloe brought herself back under control, struggling to calm her breathing.

“Bec, that was…wow.”

Beca glanced at her. “Yeah? I’m glad. I wanted you to feel good.”

Chloe nodded back, smiling warmly. It had felt absolutely perfect. Now, though, she wanted to show Beca how much she loved her rather than tell her.

Sitting up, Chloe turned and swung a leg over Beca, settling down over Beca’s hips. Beca blinked up at her in surprise at the sudden motion.

“Oh, it’s okay if you don’t want to, I can wait or, like –”

Chloe leaned down to silence her with a kiss. “I really, really want to,” she murmured against Beca’s lips, delighting in the sharp intake of breath her words elicited. “Are you okay with that?”

Beca’s hands found purchase on her back as she twitched under Chloe. “I mean. If you insist.”

With a grin, Chloe moved her hips against Beca, pressing down, trying to replicate what Beca had done earlier that had made her feel so good. She seemed to be doing okay; Beca whined and tried to lift her own hips into Chloe but was held in place by Chloe’s weight.

Smile widening, Chloe started trailing her lips and flicking her tongue over Beca’s neck and down her chest, again mimicking what Beca had done for her. She felt Beca’s hands move to stroke at her shoulders and an idea popped into her head.

She instantly moved her mouth to Beca’s breast, attempting to flick and nudge with her tongue, sucking lightly. Hands wound into her hair, though not too tightly, and she marveled that Beca was being mindful of her even then. She listened to the heavenly sounds Beca made to judge what she liked the most, then switched to the other side to practice her technique all over again. She was fascinated by Beca and loved the taste of her skin, which was even better than she had imagined it to be.

After a while, she became aware of knees on either side of her and wondered dimly when Beca had opened to her. It didn’t really matter, though, because hips were rising to meet hers and Beca was suddenly pressing up and pulling her down and saying her name over and over. Chloe knew exactly what she wanted. She could never deny Beca for long.

Removing her mouth from Beca’s chest, Chloe looked up and was astounded to see how flushed Beca looked already, her pupils totally blown. Chloe almost stopped everything she was doing right then, distracted by the knowledge that Beca wanted this so much, that she liked what Chloe was doing. Chloe bit her lip, wanting to ask but unsure how.

“Um, is it okay if… can I take these off you?” she let her fingers trail over the side of Beca’s hip, brushing against her underwear.

“Yep, anytime now,” Beca puffed back, blinking up at Chloe in a daze.

“Okay, um,” Chloe said, slightly nervous again as she moved off Beca and hooked her thumbs under the waistline of the garment. “Same as earlier, for you. If something isn’t what you want, or if you change your mind…”

A hand landed lightly on her wrist before Chloe could start pulling down, and she looked up to meet Beca’s intense stare. “I trust you,” Beca said calmly.

Chloe’s nerves drained away to be replaced with near-ecstasy. When she’d first met Beca, she’d been an angry loner with walls higher than the Empire State. Yet, somehow, she’d reached that moment, about to become naked under Chloe’s hands. Beca’s trust meant the world to her,

Coming back to herself, Chloe nodded, reassured, and Beca’s hips lifted as she slowly slid the underwear down her legs and off. Perhaps selfishly, she took her time and enjoyed the moment. She’d thought about doing that so many times and now she was actually doing it. Her movements seemed almost surreal as she cast the fabric down to the floor.

Like Beca had done with her, Chloe took time to look over Beca’s body, admiring every curve, every freckle, the lines of her tattoos, even the small birthmark that she didn’t know existed on Beca’s left hip. Her eyes finally reached Beca’s face, and she almost flinched under the immense amount of love she saw reflected back at her.

Not wanting, or not able, to wait another second, Chloe positioned herself to settle comfortably between Beca’s legs. Now that they were both bare, feeling Beca pressed against her was otherworldly. They both sighed and whimpered at the contact, Chloe experimentally wiggling into Beca, able to feel how ready Beca was. It was intoxicating.

She leaned down to snare Beca’s lips in her own, kissing her carefully while moving her hips, wanting Beca to understand how much she meant to her. Beca’s hands stroked up and down her back, her nails running lightly over the skin and making her shiver.

They moved together, kissing, for a few moments before Chloe desperately needed more. She needed to touch. Shifting her weight to an elbow, she slowly trailed a hand down Beca’s body, brushing over the peak of a breast and making Beca arch into her again. She felt the warm skin of Beca’s stomach under her fingertips, then down, down, until her fingers met softness, tracing over the line, waiting for permission to continue.

Continuing their kiss, which had become somewhat sloppy on Chloe’s part as her focus was elsewhere, Beca merely hummed her consent and Chloe knew she was okay to keep going. Excitement and curiosity filling her mind, Chloe allowed her hand to continue its journey until the first sensation of slick heat met her fingertips.

Beca broke their kiss with a gasp at the touch and Chloe looked down at her face before allowing her fingers to feel and explore. Beca felt amazing against her hand, all warmth and soft wetness, and Chloe felt momentary guilt at making her wait this long. She watched Beca’s expression carefully as she glided her fingers up, around, down, and up again, memorizing every crease between her brows and clench of her jaw. Beca’s eyes had closed when she’d first moved against her, but Chloe could see them moving under her eyelids.

She found what she was searching for quickly, tightly circling the bundle of nerves with a finger before trailing away and back. She’d liked when Beca had done that for her, so she tried to make Beca feel the same way. Wanting to know what would happen, she experimentally touched the nub fully and pressed gently.

Beca sucked in a huge gulp of air, her hips flying upward and dropping back down with a deep moan, but not until Chloe was sure she had scratches on her shoulders now as well.

Hmm. Interesting.

She needed more.

“Can I…?” she trailed off as her hand dropped lower, a finger circling.

“God, Chlo, yes, just, yes,” Beca panted, her eyes tightly screwed shut.

Chloe bit her lip in concentration and slowly slid her middle finger into heat. She knew she’d done the right thing when Beca’s hands dropped to pull on her backside, urging her in further.

Okay. She could do that.

She took stock of things, then carefully added her index finger, curling and moving in and out like Beca had for her. Beca threw her head back against the pillow so hard that her throat was completely exposed; Chloe couldn’t resist placing a feathery kiss on it as she continued moving her hand.

Beca felt unbelievable against her hand. Chloe had never experienced anything like it, the warmth around her fingers, feeling Beca’s muscles tighten and relax. She focused all her energy on copying what Beca had done, taking the time to understand Beca’s reactions. A twist this way drew a gasp, a press here made Beca moan, this speed made her claw at her back while this other one made her arch up. Chloe was learning what Beca needed from her and she had never felt so captivated by another person.

Except. It was taking a lot longer than she thought it would. She knew it had been quite a while already from the burn in her forearm and the tension in her hand. Everything she did seemed to make Beca feel good, but it still wasn’t enough yet.

“Is this working?” she asked hesitantly, wondering if Beca needed her to do something else.

“Yeah, it’s just…” Beca’s eyes fluttered open to look at her. “Sometimes, it takes a while. I’m sorry, it’s not you.”

Chloe frowned lightly. “Don’t apologize, we’ll get there together, okay?”

Beca looked at her gratefully, allowing her eyes to slide closed again.

Okay. Chloe could do this. She’d just have work a little harder at it. “Let me know if you need me to switch it up at all,” she told Beca.

She tried for a while longer, moving in and out, pressing, twisting her palm to brush Beca’s bud, swiveling her hips more. She was sweating, but so was Beca, so she figured it was okay. She started to feel bad about how long it was taking. Beca had managed to take care of her so quickly…

But then, Beca’s noises began to run together until an intelligible slew of sounds fell from her mouth. Chloe moved faster, pressing harder, and she felt how close Beca was. Only a few more seconds…

“Can you…” Beca gasped brokenly, snagging her attention immediately. “Can you – try, like – Chlo, ah – wiggling around – down there.”

Chloe obliged immediately, rapidly fluttering her fingers, moving them in a figure eight, and swiveling into Beca harder. Instantly, Beca’s hands gripped onto her back, her muscles tensed, and she arched up. Without thought, Chloe dropped to press her lips to Beca’s neck and that’s when she felt it happen.

Beca’s mouth fell open with a cry and she rocked into Chloe repeatedly. Chloe could only stare, enthralled, keeping her hand against Beca to help her ease down.

It was probably the best moment of Chloe’s life.

When Beca finally relaxed beneath her, she gently pulled her hand away, causing Beca’s eyelids to flutter. Navy eyes stared up into hers and Beca reached to pull her down into a searing kiss. She was surprised by the fervor with which Beca kissed her but returned it excitedly.

“Was that good?” she asked once they had to break for air.

Beca smiled at her and replied, “Yeah, I’d say that was pretty top notch. You?”

Chloe rolled off to lay beside Beca again and replied, “I think I went to heaven a few times.”

Beca laughed, a contagious sound that had Chloe following along a moment later. Chloe knew happiness must have been oozing out of her; she absolutely adored that she and Beca could go from serious to laughing so easily.

After their laughter faded, they lay there quietly. Chloe relived every second of the night in her head. She was looking forward to repeating it as much as possible.

“Can I try something?” Beca’s voice, stronger than she had been expecting, cut over the sound of her memories and the music still crooning out of Beca’s speaker.

Chloe rolled to her side to get a better look at Beca, who remained flushed in the face and chest, her hair a mess, and her eyes still impossibly dark. The mere sight of her sent a new wave of heat shooting between Chloe’s legs.

“Sure,” she replied easily. “That’s what we’re doing with all this, right?”

Beca smiled back at her, looking so open and happy that it made Chloe’s heart throb. God, she loved Beca.

“True,” Beca agreed. “Let me just…” and she reached an arm forward to push at Chloe’s shoulder, guiding her until she was once again on her back with Beca hovering over her, hands on either side of her head and legs straddling her hips. Involuntarily, Chloe’s hips bucked upward and into Beca, almost throwing her off balance.

Laughing at the near mishap, Beca leaned down to say into Chloe’s ear, “Trying to throw me off the bed again?”

“Sorry...” mumbled Chloe, slightly embarrassed at her body’s reaction to Beca being on top of her.

“It’s okay,” Beca said softly, brushing a hand over the side of Chloe’s face. “It’s a big turn on.”

Before Chloe could even breathe, Beca moved down to her forearms, their chests pressed together, and began to trail open-mouth kisses from her ear down her jaw. Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, her hands flying to Beca’s back again to grasp at the soft skin she found there. When Beca’s mouth dropped from her jaw to her neck, she couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped from her throat as she ran her fingertips over Beca’s back, feeling the small scratches she’d already left there.

Beca tensed above her for a moment, then breathed a little laugh and a broken, “God, Chlo, you’re going to be the death of me.”

“How do you think I feel?” Chloe managed before Beca’s lips came crashing down on hers again, their tongues immediately meeting. Chloe’s hands skimmed up over Beca’s back, moving to grip her shoulders as their kiss continued. Beca eventually brought it to a gentle end, slowing her pace and leaving pecks on Chloe’s lips. It drove Chloe absolutely wild, how Beca controlled the situation so cleanly. How she ever worried she’d disappoint Chloe was beyond understanding, and they were barely getting started as far as she was concerned.

“I love you,” Beca whispered against her lips. “So, so much.”

Chloe opened her eyes to see Beca’s stunningly dark ones staring down at her, full of love and sincerity, and Chloe’s entire body ached under the intensity. She had to hold back tears again, her heart so full that it was borderline painful.

“I love you, too,” she replied. “You’re my forever.”

Beca smiled tenderly at her before leaning down again to kiss her face, moving from her lips to her nose to her forehead.

“Now that we’re clear on that,” Beca said huskily, “If I could try…?” and she ground her hips down against Chloe’s.

“Yes…” Chloe groaned, arching into Beca. “God, yes.”

Beca shifted above her, once again placing one knee high between her legs. Chloe throbbed in anticipation, and Beca started rocking into her slowly.

“Okay,” Beca said, “if this isn’t what you want, or if something isn’t right, tell me right away, yeah?”

Chloe nodded rapidly, amazed that Beca could speak so conversationally while doing that.

Beca again lowered herself over Chloe, maintaining the thrust of her hips as she kissed her slightly sore lips gently, carefully. Her mouth moved down Chloe’s neck and left collarbone, leaving a trail of fire where it had touched. Beca continued, down Chloe’s chest until she reached the swell of her left breast.

Chloe waited, while Beca paused over her. She could hardly breathe already and Beca had barely touched her. She felt like she’d never had relief. How was she going to survive –

Without warning, Beca’s mouth descended and surrounded the peak of her breast, her tongue flicking and nudging its tip. Chloe moaned and her hands moved to the back of Beca’s neck and into her hair, holding her in place. All the while, Beca’s hips continued their swiveling.

With barely a break, Beca switched to her other breast and Chloe arched into her again, desperate for more contact. She lifted her hips into Beca, trying to make her point. Beca’s eyes flicked up to hers even as she continued her ministrations and Beca reached a hand down push at Chloe’s leg, opening her to increase the friction.

Chloe’s eyes rolled back and she dropped her head to the pillow. God. Beca was amazing. But what had she wanted to try exactly? As far as she could tell, this was basically what they’d already done, but performed with more confidence.

That is, until Beca’s mouth left her breast and she began trailing kisses downward, over her stomach, toward her belly button. Chloe’s brow wrinkled. Why had Beca stopped rolling into her?

She lifted her head and looked down her body to see Beca backing away from her, moving down their bed, still kissing down her stomach, past her belly button, clearly headed toward…

“Wait!” hissed Chloe, more sharply than she had meant to.

Beca froze immediately, lifting her head from Chloe so they could make eye contact. “Do you want me to stop?” she asked seriously.

“What are you… were you going to –?”

Beca nodded, moistened her lips, and replied, “I mean, yeah, I thought I’d try it. I thought you might like it. I’m so sorry, I guess we never talked about it, and I should have asked before… do you want me to stop?” she repeated.

Chloe exhaled and closed her eyes briefly. She wanted it. She wanted Beca to be there, to do that for her. She’d imagined it countless times before. But…

She reopened her eyes to look down at Beca, who was still frozen, hovering over her lower body.

“It’s… okay, it’s just that – uh, I’m not sure…” she trailed off, embarrassed.

“Hey,” said Beca softly, moving back up and off her body to lay beside her. “I don’t have to if you don’t want me to. It’s something that I thought we’d both like, and I thought would make you feel good. Was I wrong?”

Looking into Beca’s wide eyes, Chloe saw that she had scared her by stopping so abruptly. Her throat tightened with anxiety. She needed to explain so that Beca knew she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“No, you weren’t wrong,” Chloe replied slowly. “I think I would like that. It’s just… no one has ever done that for me before.” She felt her cheeks warm at the admission, humiliated by her lack of experience.

Surprise crossed Beca’s face. “No one?” she asked. “Really?”

She could only nod while Beca blinked at her. This was so embarrassing.

“Wait, uh, that came out weird,” Beca backtracked rapidly. “I didn’t mean – like, it’s nothing that you should feel bad about. It’s not – I know guys don’t always do that. Which is fine, everyone can do what they like with sex stuff, I guess, it’s not like everyone has to –”

“Beca,” Chloe said firmly, trying to calm her down. Beca stopped rambling at looked at her apologetically, which made Chloe’s chest flutter. She was so adorable.

“Sorry,” huffed Beca. “It’s something I, uh, I read about and thought might be fun?” Her cheeks reddened and Chloe knew she was embarrassed about admitting to researching things beforehand.

Chloe reached out to touch the side of her face, pushing a strand of chocolate hair behind her ear as a silent gesture to continue. There was no reason to be embarrassed, and she told Beca that.

“So, I thought I’d do it for you, because it’s something that’s supposed to feel good. And I want you to feel good,” Beca continued, “And, I’ve never, you know, uh, performed it before so I can’t say if I’ll even like it. But I’d like to try. Only if you’re okay with it.”

The jolt of pure desire that shot through Chloe caught her off guard. She shifted her legs, suddenly really needing some sort of relief, and wondered why she’d even stopped Beca in the first place.

“Okay,” she said, looking into Beca’s eyes. “Yes. Let’s try.”

Beca’s breathing increased and she scooted close to Chloe, whispering, “Okay. Stop me if you change your mind at any point.”

Chloe barely got her agreement out before Beca was on top of her again, straddling one leg with her knee placed high between Chloe’s. Beca kissed her lips hard as she began rocking into her, working to wind Chloe up again.

Chloe let herself relax, driving her hips up to meet Beca’s, enjoying the rising tension low in her belly. Beca didn’t need to build up as much now and they both knew it. She dropped from Chloe’s mouth to immediately meet her breasts, licking and sucking lightly. Chloe whimpered, her fingers again finding purchase on Beca’s shoulders and in her hair, gripping harder than she meant to but unable to stop.

Beca paused for a moment at looked up at her as she reached a hand down between them, slipping past Chloe’s stomach, over her thighs to press delicately at her core. Chloe’s entire body jumped at the contact and she knew she was more than ready for Beca.

“Bec,” she groaned.

“It’s okay,” Beca soothed. “I wanted to make sure.”

Chloe nodded frantically, knowing what she needed. Beca. Beca’s mouth.

Beca removed her hand, placing it beside Chloe’s hip for balance as she resumed kissing down her stomach, past her belly button. Finally, Beca had made her way down her body and was sitting up to move off her legs.

“Could you…?” she asked, gesturing to Chloe’s legs.

“Oh!” said Chloe. Duh. She immediately scooted further up the bed and parted her legs, giving Beca room to settle between them while still remaining mostly on their bed. Self-consciousness took over briefly when Beca had settled and was suddenly up close and personal with… down there. Chloe was a confident person, but still.

However, her momentary unease evaporated when Beca looked up to make eye contact with her and said, her voice full of awe, “Chlo… you’re so beautiful.”

With a rush of heat that was like a bolt of lightning, (which Chloe was sure was incredibly obvious to Beca) she suddenly needed Beca to be there.

“Beca,” she panted again, “Would you get on with it, please?”

“Right!” replied Beca, “Um, do you wanna, maybe, go like…” and she carefully hooked her arms under Chloe’s thighs to rest her hands on her hips.

Chloe’s eyes widened and she didn’t think she’d ever been so turned on in her life.

“Okay, Beale,” said Beca, “Try not to kick me, yeah?”

Chloe fully intended to respond with a sarcastic jibe, she really did, but her brain short-circuited at the feel of Beca’s breath on her core. Beca blew on her gently, just for a moment, and it had stunned her to silence. With one more glance up at her, Beca scooted up even closer, opened her mouth, then –

“Oh my God.”

Chloe moaned loudly at the first swipe of Beca’s tongue up through her and to the little bundle of nerves at the top. Beca hummed in response as she repeated the motion.

“You taste so good,” Beca groaned into to her, making Chloe’s hips buck up, begging for more contact, only to be held in place by Beca’s hands.

“You – ah – that’s – you feel – good,” Chloe managed to choke out as Beca continued her movements. This was so different from what they’d done before, much more intimate. Beca was everywhere, her tongue flattening and sweeping, then lightly flicking, not yet finding a set rhythm.

Chloe felt like she was floating somewhere up above her body, watching this happen from Cloud Nine, as Beca continued, relentless. Chloe had no memory of how it happened, but her heels had crossed over on Beca’s back, trying instinctively to draw her closer. One hand had tangled its way into Beca’s hair, and she knew she was pulling too hard, but she wasn’t sure how to stop. Her other hand knotted into the bedsheets, tightening and relaxing with Beca’s every motion.

She was nearly thrown over the edge when she picked up her head to look right into Beca’s eyes. Knowing that Beca had been watching her, gauging her reaction, almost did the job right then. That it was Beca doing this, Beca the love of her life, Beca, whose tongue danced on and sometimes in her, drove her wild.

“That’s – ah – Bec – I’m almost –”

Beca redoubled her efforts, holding more firmly to Chloe’s hips and her tongue sweeping and flicking more rapidly, finally moving with regular purpose. Chloe writhed, desperate, panting, needing some kind of release or she was going to die – and then Beca closed her lips over Chloe’s sensitive skin and sucked and Chloe was gone.

She knew she yelled. She knew she had kicked into Beca’s back slightly like she’d been warned not to. She knew her thighs had clamped around Beca, holding her there, rocking into her. And she knew that she hadn’t felt anything like it in her life.

When Chloe finally relaxed, she immediately dropped her legs, releasing Beca. However, Beca didn’t seem in any hurry to move; she gave a few more long, slow licks, chuckling softly as Chloe shuddered and whimpered at each one, before finally sitting up to wipe her mouth and crawl her way up the bed to lay beside Chloe.

Chloe lay, breathing hard and staring at the ceiling. She knew Beca was watching her, a satisfied grin on her face. Damn her cockiness.

After a moment, Beca said into the semi-darkness, “So… that was okay?”

Chloe turned her head to look at Beca in disbelief. “Okay?!” she half-shouted. “Are you sure you’ve never done that before?”

Beca smirked at her and slid closer, leaning against her side. She propped her head on one hand to look down at Chloe, her other hand coming to rest gently over Chloe’s stomach. “Never,” she said. “But I might have read some tips.”

“Holy shit,” Chloe breathed. “I think we can add that to the list. For future reference,” she said, looking into Beca’s face.

Beca nodded solemnly. “Noted.”

“Good. Now come here.”

She reached out a hand to Beca’s face, guiding her down into a searing kiss.

When they finally broke away, Chloe traced her index finger down Beca’s cheek and jaw, caressing her face. “God, I love you,” she whispered, “So much.”

Sunlight seemed to wash over Beca’s expression in the dim room and Chloe couldn’t remember ever seeing Beca look so blissfully happy as she did in that moment.

Then, because she’s Beca, she ruined it by saying, “I knew you only wanted me for my body.”

Chloe snorted and shoved her away by the shoulder. “Yeah, that’s it,” she said sarcastically. “You figured it out.”

Beca grabbed her own chest, pretending to be hurt, which made Chloe laugh again and roll her eyes. Their legs brushed together, giving Chloe flashbacks to what it felt like to have Beca’s mouth on her. She bit her lip, thinking. She’d love to do that for Beca. She wanted to taste Beca so badly that it hurt.

With a pang, she realized that Beca must be desperate, waiting for her. “Bec! I’m so sorry, you must be dying, I’m being so selfish!” she exclaimed, turning to look at Beca, mad at herself for neglecting Beca’s needs.

“What?” asked Beca, looking utterly bewildered. “Why?”

“Well…” said Chloe slowly, confused. “Don’t you want me to return the favor?”

She felt Beca stiffen and knew immediately by her stricken expression that she’d said the wrong thing.

“Chlo, it wasn’t a favor,” Beca said urgently. “I wasn’t expecting you to do it for me just because I did it for you.”

Chloe’s eyebrows raised in surprise; she’d never had someone do something for her in the bedroom without expecting something in return.

“Yeah, don’t feel like you have to make it even, or whatever,” Beca continued. “Seriously, I wanted to make you feel good. Just because I… look, I didn’t do it because I wanted you to do it for me. That didn’t even cross my mind, honestly. I did it because I wanted to do it for you.”

Yet again, Chloe’s being filled with love for Beca and at the realization that everything Beca had done for her so far had been just that – for her. Never had anyone treated her with so much respect and love, and Chloe found herself wondering exactly what she’d ever done to deserve Beca.

“Besides,” added Beca, “is that even something you’re comfortable with? Because I get it, it’s kinda weird the first time, and if you never want to do it, that’s completely fine!”

Chloe jumped in, needing to reassure Beca. “No, I do want to!”

Beca looked at her intently and said, “I don’t want you to do it for me because you feel like you have to. I want you to want to do it.”

“Trust me, I do! I really, really do,” replied Chloe eagerly.

“Okay, then,” said Beca, apparently satisfied that Chloe wasn’t feeling pressured. “But, if it’s okay, I’d prefer if we didn’t tonight.”

“Oh.” The air rushed from Chloe’s lungs and she knew her hurt had flashed over her face before she could control her expression. She didn’t understand why Beca had said no. Did she think that because this would be her first time with it that she couldn’t do it well enough?

Beca reached out to touch her face and said quickly, “No, wait, it’s not you! I promise, it’s not you. It’s just, I’m not sure I could, you know...”

Chloe raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding.

Beca sighed impatiently, and Chloe knew she was struggling with her words. She waited, wanting Beca to be able to express what she wanted to.

“Okay,” Beca started again, slowly. “I’m, like, honestly worn out. And, you know, it took me a while to, uh, finish before, and I’m not sure I’d be able to right now. This has already been perfect with you, and I want it to end with a bang. So to speak,” Beca said wryly, smirking. “Is that okay?” she added.

Chloe nodded back thoughtfully. She understood now what Beca was worried about, though privately she didn’t think it would have been an issue. However, she wasn’t going to force anything on Beca, obviously. Sure, she was a little disappointed, but she could wait as long as Beca needed. Beca’s comfort was her priority.

“Of course, that’s okay,” Chloe responded. “We don’t have to.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I definitely want to,” Beca shifted on the bed. “Um, yeah, really, really want to. Just, not now?”

“And I really want to for you. Later?” Chloe clarified.

“Yeah. Thanks for not pushing it. Um, if I’ve left you all worked up, I can help that out?” Beca asked somewhat awkwardly.

Chloe was tempted. But Beca was right; their night had already been perfection, and they had the entire weekend. Actually, they had their entire lives, because as far as Chloe was concerned, what they had was permanent.

“I’m good,” she replied.

“Okay. In the morning?” Beca asked, sounding hopeful. “I bet by then, I could…”

Chloe’s mouth went dry at the thought. “Definitely in the morning,” she replied eagerly.

If she had it her way, they were going to practice and practice until she could get Beca there as quickly as Beca had gotten her there. She fully intended to dedicate her life to learning all of Beca’s tics.

Beca hummed and moved toward Chloe, poking her until she’d turned on her side facing away from Beca. An arm found its way under her pillow and another appeared around her waist to give a gentle tug, pulling her into the center of their bed and flush against Beca’s front.

Lips pressed against the side of her neck and grazed the shell of her ear, making Chloe shiver. Beca only held her more securely as she whispered, “I love you, too, and I promise, I’m never letting go.”

Even though she knew Beca couldn’t see it, a smile overtook Chloe’s face. Her heart was lighter than air, a balloon rising in her chest, full of contentment, joy, and an overall sense of rightness. She pushed herself further back into Beca until they were touching as though fused together along their entire bodies. Beca hummed in contentment, pressing one last kiss to linger against her still-bare shoulder.

She and Beca had been through so much to get to where they were. Chloe wasn’t sure she believed in soul mates, but she did believe that she and Beca were always meant to be together. That belief had been at her essence for the past five years, and it was why she would have waited for Beca forever.

As she felt herself drifting to sleep, lulled by the feel of Beca’s fingers tracing lightly over her stomach and by soft puffs of air on the back of her neck and shoulders, Chloe could only think one thing.

Finally.

#bechloe #bechloe fanfic #my writing #mine #first time smut #pitch perfect #pp3 doesn't exist here #beca x chloe #beca mitchell #chloe beale #pitch perfect fanfiction #bechloe smut #fluff and smut

[bechloeislegit]

12 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2021 - Day 12

Chloe's Best Christmas Ever?

Author's prompt: Beca invites Chloe to LA to spend Christmas with her because she hasn't seen Chloe since moving to LA two years ago. Chloe has always hated Christmas and never had a good one. Beca goes all out to give Chloe the best Christmas ever.

"I know you can't afford it, Chloe," Beca said. "That's why the plane ticket will be your Christmas gift. I haven't seen you since I moved to LA. You have to come and spend Christmas with me, so I don't have to spend it by myself again."

"I don't know, Beca," Chloe said. "Aubrey asked me to come to hers for Christmas. She and Stacie just bought a new house, and I haven't seen it yet."

"You haven't seen my house either," Beca said. "And you spent Christmas with Aubrey last year."

"That's because she's my best friend, Beca," Chloe said.

"I'm supposed to be your best friend, too," Beca said.

Beca waited, but Chloe didn't say anything. Beca sighed into the phone.

"I guess since I can't change your mind, I'll just let you go," Beca said. Again, no response from Chloe. "Bye, Chloe. I guess we'll talk later."

Since Chloe had been unresponsive for the last two minutes, Beca ended the call without waiting for Chloe to say goodbye.

Beca chewed her lip before scrolling through her contacts. She finally found the one she wanted and immediately tapped the call button.

"Hey, superstar," Stacie's voice came through the phone.

"Hey, Stace," Beca said. "Can I convince you and Aubrey to uninvite Chloe to yours for Christmas?"

"What are you talking about?" Stacie asked. "Chloe's not coming here for Christmas. You must have got your wires crossed somewhere."

"But, she literally just told me she couldn't come to LA because she had already accepted Aubrey's invitation to spend Christmas at yours."

"I don't know what to tell you, Beca," Stacie said. "We won't even be here. Brey, Bella, and I are going to Brey's grandparents' place in Vermont for Christmas."

"Why would Chloe lie to me?" Beca wondered aloud.

"Maybe she can't afford it," Stacie said. "And is embarrassed to say it."

"I had already figured that," Beca said. "Which is why I offered to buy her a ticket as a Christmas gift. There's got to be something else going on. Is Aubrey home? Maybe she knows something."

"She's not here," Stacie said. "I'll talk to her about it and have her call you later."

"Okay," Beca said. "Thanks, Stacie."

~~12 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2021 - Day 12~~

Later that evening, Aubrey called Beca.

"Hey, Beca," Aubrey said when Beca answered the phone. "Stacie told me about your call. I think I have an idea of why Chloe told you she was coming here for Christmas."

"Oh," Beca said. "You mean you know why she lied to me? Do tell."

"Cut her some slack, Beca," Aubrey said. "Despite her sunny and overly excited disposition, her Christmas memories from her childhood are not pleasant."

"She always gushed over Christmas," Beca said. "She never said anything to me about having a bad Christmas, ever."

"She only told me because, in Sophomore Year, I came back to Barden early and found her in the house alone," Aubrey said. "That's when she told me she hadn't always had the best relationship with her family, especially her father. And spending Christmas with her mother always left her depressed, so she chose to ignore them at Christmas. Did you ever wonder why Chloe was always the last one scheduled to leave Barden for Christmas break? And was always the first to return after?"

"She told me it was so no one was left in the house alone during the holidays," Beca said.

"It was because she didn't want to go home," Aubrey said. "So, she stayed at Barden and had Christmas alone."

"What?!" Beca screeched into the phone. "She always gushed about what a great Christmas she had. So, she's been lying about it all this time. Why?"

"She didn't want anyone to know how bad things were at home," Aubrey said. "She didn't want anyone to pity her."

"I would never pity her," Beca mumbled.

"You offered to buy her a plane ticket because you knew she couldn't afford it," Aubrey said.

"I offered to buy her the ticket as a gift because I really want to see her for Christmas, and that's the only reason."

"I don't think she sees it that way," Aubrey said.

Tears stung Beca's eyes as she thought of Chloe feeling the need to lie about her Christmases. She wanted to grab Chloe in a hug and never let her go. She wanted Chloe to know how great Christmas could be with someone who loves you.

"What?" Beca mumbled, sitting up as thoughts of loving Chloe rattled around in her brain. "I'm in love with Chloe."

"What?" Aubrey asked through the phone. "Did you just say you are in love with Chloe? It's about time."

"Yeah, well, I'm a little slow to pick up on some things," Beca said. "Especially when it concerns expressing my emotions."

"Admitting you have a problem," Aubrey teased. "Is the first step to solving it, Beca."

"Bite me, Posen," Beca said.

Aubrey chuckled, and Beca suddenly blurted out, "I just had a thought and was wondering if you would do me a favor."

"What do you need?"

"Would you call Chloe and convince her to come to LA for Christmas? I want to show her what Christmas could be like with someone who lo-." Beca cleared her throat. "Show her what Christmas would be like with me."

"I can do that," Aubrey said, smiling. "Consider it your Christmas gift from me. But, I need you to do something for me in return."

"What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to actually tell Chloe how you feel about her," Aubrey said. "And show her what Christmas could be like with someone who loves her. Give her the best Christmas she ever had."

"Um, I think I can do that," Beca said. "I'm going to try my best."

"That's all I ask," Aubrey said. "I'll call you after I've talked to Chloe."

"Thanks, Aubrey," Beca said. "I appreciate it."

"I know you do," Aubrey said. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay," Beca said. "Bye, Aubrey."

Beca ended the call and flopped back on the sofa.

"I love you, Chloe," Beca said as if testing the words to see how they felt to say them out loud.

Beca laughed and shouted to the empty living room, "I'm in love with you, Chloe Beale!"

~~12 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2021 - Day 12~~

The next morning, Beca was fixing herself some breakfast when her phone pinged with an incoming text. She picked up her phone and smiled as she read Aubrey's text.

Aubrey [8:30 am]: Expect a call from Chloe sometime today. We talked and it's all good. Don't forget our deal.

Beca texted Aubrey back, asking if she was available to talk. Beca's phone rang a few minutes later.

"Hey, Aubrey," Beca said. "I wanted to run some ideas by you before I start making plans."

"Okay," Aubrey said.

"Put her on speaker," Stacie said. "I want to hear what she has planned."

"Beca," Aubrey said. "Stacie wants to hear your plan. Do you mind if I put you on speaker?"

"I don't mind," Beca said.

"Okay, you're on speaker. Go ahead."

"Okay, so here's what I was thinking," Beca said and spent the next ten minutes telling Aubrey and Stacie what was going to do for Chloe.

"Oh, my God, Beca," Stacie said. "That sounds amazing. I'm sure Chloe will love it."

"What do you think, Aubrey?" Beca asked. "Is it too much?"

Beca got nervous when she heard Aubrey take a deep breath and let it out.

"It's too much, isn't it?' Beca blurted before Aubrey could say anything.

"I was not going to say that," Aubrey said. "I think she'll feel a bit overwhelmed. BUT, if you tell her what we talked about, she'll find it endearing and love you for it."

"What did you tell Beca to tell Chloe?" Beca could hear Stacie asking.

"Babe, that's between Beca and me."

Beca laughed and said, "Tell her after we hang up, but hide her phone first. I don't want her calling and busting my chops over it. I'm nervous enough about it."

Aubrey chuckled. "I'll do that."

Beca was getting another call. "I have to go. Chloe's calling."

"Good luck," Aubrey said and ended the call from her end.

Beca accepted Chloe's call.

"Hey, Chlo, what's up?"

"Um, I was wondering if the offer of a ticket to LA is still on the table?"

"It is," Beca said, smiling into the phone as she pulled her laptop to her. "I'll make your reservation now. When do you want to come out?"

"Um, how about on the twenty-third?"

"The twenty-third sounds good," Beca said, typing in the date and destination. "What time is good for you? Early morning or early afternoon? I'd prefer early morning so we can spend more time together."

"How early are you talking?" Chloe asked.

"There's a flight that leaves from JFK at eight-forty am and arrives LAX at twelve o-four pm," Beca said.

"That sounds good," Chloe said.

"The twenty-third is a Thursday, so I might have to send someone to pick you up from the airport," Beca said. "And, no, you will not take a cab. If I can't pick you up, I'll send someone."

"That's very nice of you, Beca," Chloe said.

Something in Chloe's voice didn't sit well with Beca. She exhaled a soft sigh.

"What's wrong, Chlo?"

"Nothing," Chloe said. "It's just. Aubrey told me Stacie told you I wasn't going to theirs for Christmas."

"Okay. So?"

"So, why are you being so nice to me after I lied to you? I figured you'd be mad at me."

"I'll admit it hurt my feelings a bit, Chloe," Beca said. "But I miss you, and I want you to want to spend Christmas with me."

Chloe was quiet for a moment. Beca remained silent as well, waiting for Chloe to speak.

"I do want to spend Christmas with you," Chloe finally said.

"Good," Beca said. "Do you have anything on your bucket list that you want to do while you're here? I'm off from Christmas Eve until the Mondy after New Year's Day."

"You mean I get THE Beca Mitchell all to myself for ten days?" Chloe's voice sounded almost chipper, and Beca couldn't help but smile.

"It could be longer if I play my cards right," Beca mumbled.

"What was that, Beca? I didn't hear you."

"I'm just glad you finally agreed to spend Christmas with me."

"Me, too," Chloe said.

Beca finished making Chloe's reservation. "The reservation is made," she said. "I sent your flight info to your email."

"Thanks again, Beca," Chloe said. "I really am excited about seeing you."

"I'm excited about seeing you, too," Beca said.

"I'd, uh, I'd better go," Chloe said.

"Okay," Beca said. "Bye, Chlo."

"Bye, Becs."

~~12 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2021 - Day 12~~

It was finally December 23rd, and Beca couldn't hide her smile or how excited she was.

"What's got you all excited?" Emily asked.

"Today's the day Chloe arrives."

"Chloe's coming today?" Emily squealed. "Boy, time sure flew."

"Yeah," Beca said. "Her plane arrives at Noon. Would you mind asking Dani to call a car and have them pick Chloe up at the airport and bring her back here? I wanted to go myself, but I need to get in the studio and lay down a few tracks, so I don't have to come in and do it while Chloe's here."

"I'll pick her up," Emily offered. "I can't wait to see her. It's been so long."

"You'd do that?" Beca asked.

"Yep," Emily said. "Unless you need me in the booth?"

"No, no," Beca said. "You're good. Thanks, Em."

"I'm happy to do it," Emily said.

"It's already eleven, and you should probably go," Beca said. "I'll text you her flight info."

"I'll see you in a bit," Emily said and left.

Two hours later, Emily led Chloe into the studio where Beca was recording.

"Beca's laying down a track, so you'll have to be quiet," Emily said as she opened the door.

Chloe followed Emily in and saw Beca in the booth with headphones on. Beca spotted her, and a big smile came to her face as she pulled off the headphones and laid them on the stand.

"Chloe!" Beca's voice called out as she ran out of the booth.

The next thing Chloe knew, Beca was swinging her around. Beca set Chloe on her feet and held her at arm's length, looking her up and down.

"Looking good, Beale."

"You're not looking so bad yourself, Mitchell."

Beca pulled Chloe into a hug. "I've missed you," she whispered.

"I've missed you, too," Chloe whispered back.

Beca held onto Chloe and only pulled back when someone cleared their throat.

"Oh, um, sorry," Beca said, sheepishly looking at Theo.

"Hello, Chloe," Theo said, smiling at Chloe. "It's nice to see you again."

"Hi, Theo," Chloe said. "It's nice to see you, too."

Beca stood smiling at Chloe; Chloe was staring down at the floor.

Theo looked from one to the other and then clapped his hands.

"Alrighty, then," Theo said. "I need you back in the booth, Beca. Give me one good run-through, and you can go. I'm sure you want to give Chloe a grand tour of the studio and get home."

"Thanks, Theo," Beca said and hurried back into the booth.

~~12 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2021 - Day 12~~

The next morning, Chloe slowly stretched and opened her eyes. It took her a minute to realize that she was sleeping on Beca's sofa.

"I guess I fell asleep while talking to Beca," she thought as she sat up on the sofa.

Chloe rubbed her eyes as she looked around. Her eyes landed on the Christmas tree, whose bright lights fought for dominance over the bright sunlight that was filtering in through the curtains.

"Don't mock me," Chloe mumbled at the tree. "You're just a reminder that Christmas always sucks. At least for me, it does."

Chloe could smell freshly brewed coffee and cookies. She got up and walked into the kitchen to see Beca pulling a tray of cookies out of the oven.

"You're baking?" Chloe asked, causing Beca to jump slightly.

"Oh, hey, Chloe," Beca said, setting the tray on the counter. "Did I wake you?"

"No," Chloe said. "What are you doing?"

"I'm baking cookies," Beca said. "I made some for the people at work and had ingredients left over. So I figure I'd make some for us to have here. It wouldn't be Christmas without Christmas cookies."

"Oh," Chloe said, walking over to the coffee pot. "Um, where do you keep your cups?"

"Cabinet above your head," Beca said. "Cream is in the fridge, and sugar's in the bowl on the counter. Spoons are in the drawer in front of you."

"Thanks," Chloe said, opening the cabinet and pulling out a coffee cup.

She grabbed a spoon from the drawer and then poured the coffee. She walked over to the counter and set her cup down. She put two spoons of sugar into the coffee and got the cream out of the refrigerator. She put some cream in her cup and returned the cream to the refrigerator. She sat down and sipped at her coffee.

"Do you want to help make the next batch?" Beca asked.

"I don't think so," Chloe said, staring into her cup. "I just want to enjoy my coffee."

"Okay," Beca said, trying not to show her disappointment. "Are you sure? I got Stacie's mint meringue cookies recipe from her. We can make those."

"The meringue cookies she made every year at Barden?" Chloe asked, looking at Beca.

"Yep, the very ones," Beca said.

"But she swore she would never give us the recipe," Chloe said. "How did you manage to get it from her?"

"I may have name-dropped," Beca said. "I told her there was a very real possibility that Taylor Swift or Selena Gomez or Adele might be eating her cookies."

"I never took you for a name-dropper, Mitchell," Chloe smirked as she stood and grabbed the recipe from Beca's hand.

"Hey, give that back," Beca yelled, reaching to take it. "Stacie will kill me if she knew you had that."

"Nope," Chloe said, holding the recipe out of Beca's reach. "I've been waiting for this moment for years."

"Come on, Chlo," Beca whined as she tried to get the recipe.

Chloe laughed as she continued to keep the recipe just out of Beca's reach. Beca sighed and put her hands on her hips, glaring at Chloe. Then, she noticed Chloe's arm drop slightly, and she quickly grabbed Chloe's arm to bring it down further.

The two were laughing as they "fought" over the piece of paper. Beca used her left hand to hold onto the counter while pushing Chloe against it with her body and reaching for the recipe with her right.

She heard Chloe's breath hitch, and she looked at Chloe's face. She looked down at Chloe's lips as Chloe looked down at hers. She swallowed loudly and began inching her face forward. Their lips were just inches away when suddenly Beca jumped back as the front door slammed and she heard Emily shouting her name.

Beca cleared her throat and moved away from Chloe, shouting, "Kitchen."

"Um, I promised Emily she could come over for breakfast with us," Beca said, looking back at Chloe.

"Oh, um, okay," Chloe said as she moved to sit back down.

Chloe was surprised to see her hand shaking as she picked up her coffee.

"Hey, Chloe," Emily said as she strode into the kitchen.

"Hi, Emily."

"I haven't started breakfast yet," Beca said. "Give me a few minutes, and I'll whip something up."

"I'm, uh, I'm going to take a shower," Chloe said, standing and leaving the kitchen.

Emily furrowed her brows as she watched Chloe leave.

"Is everything okay with you two?" Emily asked, looking over to Beca. "You both seem a little…off."

"Everything's fine," Beca replied. "Bacon and eggs okay?"

"Yeah," Emily said. "That sounds good."

~~12 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2021 - Day 12~~

Chloe chastised herself as she stood under the shower.

"I can't believe I almost kissed Beca," Chloe mumbled. "I knew coming here to celebrate Christmas with her was a mistake."

She grabbed the shampoo from the shelf and squirted some into her hand.

"It smells like Beca," Chloe thought as she tossed the shampoo bottle back onto the shelf. "I should have remembered to get my shampoo before I came in here."

Chloe looked down at the shampoo in her hand. The shampoo was so inherently Beca that she couldn't decide if she should wash her hair with it or just not use any shampoo at all. Chloe decided to use it and massaged it into her hair. She rinsed her hair and finished her shower. She turned off the water and stepped out, grabbing a towel to wrap her hair. She wiped the condensation from the mirror and looked at herself.

"Get it together, Beale," she told her reflection. "Maybe you can say your mother called and needs you to come home. Then you can get on a plane and go back to New York where you belong."

Chloe wiped at a tear that dripped down her cheek. She quickly splashed cool water on her face and went into the guest room where her suitcase sat where she left the night before. She put it on the bed and opened it to grab some clothes; it was empty. She turned and opened what she presumed was the closet door. When she opened the door, she saw that her clothes were hung neatly on hangers.

"Beca must have unpacked my stuff when I fell asleep," Chloe thought. "God, why did Aubrey have to tell her about how lousy my Christmases have been?"

Meanwhile, Beca was busy putting together a nice breakfast for Emily and Chloe.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Emily asked.

"What?" Beca scoffed. "Of course, I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know," Emily said with a shrug. "You and Chloe looked like something happened between you. Oh, my stars! Were you two arguing before I came in?"

"What? No!"

"Well, something happened between you two."

Beca chewed the inside of her mouth and looked at Emily.

"I almost kissed Chloe," Beca suddenly blurted, causing Emily's eyes to widen in surprise. "Yeah, so that almost happened."

"Why didn't you kiss her?"

"You came in yelling my name."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Beca," Emily said.

"It's not your fault," Beca said. "Besides, I think Chloe is mad at me for getting Aubrey to talk her into spending Christmas here. If we had kissed, she would be even madder at me because...just because."

Emily opened her mouth to say something but quickly snapped it shut when Chloe walked into the kitchen. Beca turned and smiled at Chloe.

"Just in time," Beca said cheerfully. "Breakfast is ready."

~~12 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2021 - Day 12~~

After breakfast, Chloe complained of a headache, blaming it on jetlag, so she spent most of the day resting in the guest room.

Beca and Emily decided to spend some time in Beca's office working on several songs Emily had written.

At three, Emily left to go home and get ready for the studio's Christmas Eve Party.

Beca was worried that Chloe still wasn't feeling well, so she decided to check on her as she was making her way to her room to get ready. She stopped outside the guest room, standing there for a moment before gently tapping on the door and calling Chloe's name.

"Yeah?" Chloe called out.

Beca opened the door and held it open as she remained in the doorway. Chloe was sitting up on the bed.

"Are you feeling better?" Beca asked.

"I am, thank you," Chloe said. "The rest did me good, and I'm looking forward to your party."

"Glad to hear it," Beca said, smiling at Chloe. "The car will be here at six to take us to the studio. I'm going to take a quick shower and get ready. I shouldn't be in the shower for more than twenty minutes. If you want or need anything during that time, please feel free to help yourself. "

"Okay," Chloe said. "I will. Thanks."

Beca nodded and backed out of the room, pulling the door closed as she did. She went to her room and gathered what she needed before entering her ensuite.

Chloe got up and went into the closet, grabbing the garment bag with the dress she was wearing that night. She unzipped the bag and looked at the dress. It was a Christmas gift from Aubrey and Stacie after she told them about Beca taking her to the studio party.

Chloe knew the dress cost almost as much as what she would bring home every two weeks as a vet tech. At first, she was going to refuse it, but Aubrey insisted that she try it on before returning it. So she did, and it looked good on her, really good. She accepted it only because she wanted to look good for Beca and not embarrass her by wearing something cheap.

Chloe laid the dress on the bed while she changed and put on a robe to do her hair and makeup.

Beca was standing in front of the mirror in her robe, putting on her earrings, when she heard a tap on her bedroom door.

"Come on in, Chloe," Beca called out.

Chloe opened the door, and Beca looked over at her.

"Wow!" Beca breathed out.

Chloe turned her back to Beca, asking, "Can you zip me, please?"

Beca swallowed and wiped her suddenly damp hands on her robe as she walked over to Chloe. Chloe looked back over her shoulder as Beca took the zipper between her fingers. She drew the zipper up slowly and stepped back.

"There you go," Beca said.

"Thanks," Chloe said. "Are you ready?"

"I, um, I just need another minute."

"Oh, okay. I'm going to head downstairs."

"I won't be far behind you."

Beca closed the door and laid her forehead against it. She needed to cool herself down after seeing Chloe in that dress.

"Wow! I'll have to make sure I thank Aubrey and Stacie for giving Chloe that dress," Beca mumbled as she turned to finish getting ready.

Chloe decided to wander around the living room since she had only gotten to see the couch and the kitchen before hiding out in the guest room.

"Beca is doing very well for herself," Chloe thought as she slowly ran her hand over the awards lining Beca's shelves.

Chloe couldn't help the feeling of pride that swelled in her chest. She always knew Beca was talented and would take the world by storm if given a chance. And now she had the awards to show it.

Chloe smiled as she moved to look at Beca's pictures. Her smile widened when she saw how many were of the Bellas but more so when she saw how many were of just her and Beca. Finally, she picked up the photo of her and Beca at their first ICCA win.

"That was the best night ever," Chloe thought to herself. "This was the moment I realized I was falling in love with my best friend."

Chloe heard a sound and turned to see Beca coming down the stairs. Chloe's breath hitched as she took in all that was Beca Mitchell.

Beca was wearing a black dress that stopped just above her knees and a pair of what had to be three-inch stilettos, also black.

"She looks amazing," Chloe whispered.

Beca smiled when she caught Chloe looking at her. Then, seeing the picture in Chloe's hands, Beca made her way over.

"Taking a trip down memory lane?" Beca asked.

"Something like that," Chloe responded, placing the photo back in place. "I was just remembering how much that night meant to me."

"It's one of my favorite photos from our time at Barden," Beca said, looking at the photo.

"Mine, too," Chloe said.

A muffled ping came from Beca's clutch. She pulled out her phone and said, "Our car is here."

"Let's go," Chloe said, smiling as she wrapped her arm around Beca's.

~~12 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2021 - Day 12~~

"Wow!" Chloe exclaimed as they entered the ballroom where the party was being held. "This looks amazing."

"Come on," Beca said, taking Chloe's hand. "We're sitting at Table 19. Let's find our seats, and I'll get us drinks."

Chloe let Beca lead her to their table, and her eyes widened when she saw Adele's name next to her seat.

"What would you like to drink?" Beca asked as Chloe settled in her seat.

"Whatever your having is fine," Chloe said.

Beca left for the bar, and Chloe got up to check to see who else was sitting at their table. She was starstruck as she read the name tags off one by one. She sat just before Beca returned, carrying two champagne flutes.

"I hope this is okay," Beca said, placing one of the flutes in front of Chloe. "The bar was already crowded, and these were being passed around. I can get us something else once the bar isn't so crowded."

"This is perfect," Chloe said, taking a sip. "Thank you."

"So, I noticed you were checking out who was sitting at the table with us," Beca said with a smirk. "How badly are you freaking out right now?"

"Oh, my God, Beca," Chloe said. "Adele is going to be sitting next to me and Taylor Swift next to her!"

"Did I hear someone say my name?" Adele asked as she sat down next to Chloe.

Chloe let out a small yelp, causing Beca to chuckle.

"My friend, Chloe here did," Beca said, looking past a wide-eyed Chloe. "She's a fan."

"Well, it's lovely to meet you, Chloe," Adele said. "I've heard a bit about you from Beca."

"Um, it's lovely to meet you, too," Chloe said, surprised that Adele knew who she was.

Just then, Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez arrived at the table. Chloe's eyes widened again, and she grabbed onto Beca's leg, squeezing with everything she had. Beca winced and grabbed Chloe's hand, prying it from her leg. She laced their fingers together, placing their hands in her lap.

"Take it easy, Chlo," Beca chuckled as she leaned in to whisper in Chloe's ear. "I kind of need my leg to walk."

"Sorry," Chloe whispered back.

"S'okay," Beca said.

"Hey, Beca," Taylor said. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Chloe," Beca said.

"THE Chloe?" Selena asked.

Chloe's brows furrowed as she looked questioningly at Beca.

"Yes," Beca said, looking at Chloe. "Chloe, I think you know who Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez are."

"Hi," Chloe squeaked.

"Hi, Chloe," Taylor said. "Beca talks about you so much that I feel like I already know you."

"You…talk about me to Taylor Swift?"

"I may have mentioned you a time or two."

"A time or two?" Selena snorted. "More like every time we see her."

Beca glared at Taylor and Selena as they both started chuckling.

"They're not lying," Adele added.

"Yeah," Selena said. "It's Chloe this and Chloe that. I don't think she's stopped smiling since she told us you were coming to spend Christmas in LA."

"Are you talking about Beca and Chloe?" Emily asked as she took her seat.

"Yeah," Selena said.

"They are so cute together," Taylor said.

"I know, right?" Emily said.

Chloe stood suddenly. "Beca, could I speak to you privately for a moment?"

Chloe hurried away from the table before Beca could say or do anything.

"Is she okay?" Emily asked as they all stared after Chloe.

"I'd better go see what she wants to talk to me about," Beca said and rushed after Chloe.

"Did we say something wrong?" Taylor asked as Beca hurried after Chloe.

Beca saw Chloe exit the ballroom and followed. She looked around but didn't see Chloe.

"Where did she go that fast?" Beca mumbled.

She stopped a waiter carrying a tray of drinks.

"Did you see which way the redhead who just rushed out of here go?"

"Yeah, she went out that door," he said, pointing toward the door in question.

"Where does that go?" Beca asked.

"Just to the outdoor patio," he responded.

"Thank you," Beca said as she rushed to the door.

She opened the door and looked around, spotting Chloe standing next to the railing in the corner. She looked as if she was crying, so Beca ran over to her.

"Chloe, are you okay?"

"I'm more than okay," Chloe said, pulling Beca to her and smashing their lips together.

It only took a few seconds for Beca to put her arms around Chloe's waist and deepen the kiss while pulling Chloe flush to her.

The kiss ended when they both started smiling. Beca pulled back ever so slightly and laid her forehead against Chloe's.

"This was not how I wanted to do this, but you've left me no other choice," Beca responded as she took in a deep breath and let it out. "I love you, Chloe."

Chloe smiled as she stared into Beca's eyes.

"You love me?" Chloe asked. "As your best friend or something more?"

"Both," Beca said, stepping closer to Chloe. "I'm in love with you, Chloe. I know it seems sudden, but it's been building up in of me for a while. It didn't hit me what exactly I was feeling for you until I was talking to Aubrey. I'm sorry she found out about it before I told you, but while talking to her, I realized that I was in love with you, and I wanted to make sure that you know you're loved every day. I'm not very good with putting my emotions into words, so just to be clear, I love you, and I want to be with you and only you."

Chloe sniffled and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"For someone who has trouble expressing her emotions, you sure strung some pretty good words together just now," Chloe said.

"I told you what I want, so tell me what you want?" Beca asked, holding her breath while waiting for Chloe to respond.

"You. It's always been you."

"Oh, thank God," Beca breathed out. "Because any other answer would have been embarrassing."

"Shut up and kiss me," Chloe said, putting both hands on Beca's face and smashing their lips together again.

The rest of the night was a blur to Chloe. She walked around with the biggest smile on her face as Beca introduced her to all her coworkers and a few of the entertainers as "my girlfriend, Chloe."

~~12 Days of BeChloe Christmases 2021 - Day 12~~

Chloe was still smiling when she woke up next to Beca the next morning.

"Merry Christmas, Chloe," Beca said as she leaned in to kiss Chloe.

"Yes, it is," Chloe said, pulling Beca closer and deepening the kiss.

The kiss ended, and Chloe buried her face in Beca's neck, mumbling, "Only two days in, and it's already the best Christmas I've ever had."

Beca smiled hugged Chloe closer to her. "Wait until you see what I have planned for today."

A/N: Sorry that this took so long to post. I wasn't happy with the ending, so I kept editing and revising it. Of course, I could keep making changes, but I kind of like this ending. I hope you enjoyed it.

#christmas 2021 #bechloe #bechloeislegit #chloe beale #beca mitchell

[tiny-maus-boots]

Queen of Hearts pt 5

A/N: thank you as always to my bestie and beta. she always does the posting thing for me because i’m lame and she is awesome. @chloes-yellow-cup

05. Ace High

“Wait wait wait. You telling me that Aubrey used to get down with this chick?”

Stacie nodded and took a sip of wine as she flipped through another bridal magazine. Everything seemed so extravagant and dated. She gave a sigh and tossed the magazine aside so she could try another. “Apparently. She was undercover at the time.” Cynthia Rose shook her head with a laugh and took a deep hit off a joint before holding it out to her. Stacie declined with a vague roll of her shoulder. “Nah, thanks. With the feds lurking I’d better not. I have the feeling Agent Esposito would just love to catch me at something, anything.”

She flipped another page while her friend mulled that over. She knew it was only a matter of time before one or both of them were arrested. Aubrey acted like she wasn’t bothered but Stacie was starting to get a little nervous. Cynthia Rose watched her carefully from the loveseat.

“You think because of what happened to Wes or because she still wanna hit it?”

The thought made Stacie’s nose crinkle and she shook her head. “Gross but accurate on both counts. With a healthy dose of revenge since the whole thing fucked her career.” She didn’t hold Aubrey responsible for that. That woman had chosen to alert the media, had chosen to get a warrant before she had proof and had made a fool of herself. As far as Stacie was concerned that was all on Alice not Aubrey.

“So then what are you going to do? You and Aubrey gonna bounce? I hear there’s no extradition in Djibouti.”

Stacie stopped at a picture of a woman in an ornate gown with long embroidered train and sighed. It was everything she didn’t want. Her eyes flicked up to catch CR smiling innocently at her.

“You just wanted to say Djibouti didn’t you?”

The other woman was caught with a lungful of smoke and the amused snicker quickly turned into a choking wheeze. Stacie laughed and reached out to take the joint and stub it out in the ashtray while her friend doubled over expelling puffs of smoke with each wracking cough. When she was able to get herself under control she slumped back into the seat and sighed.

“Damn Stace. For real though, what are you gonna do?”

That was the question wasn’t it? She shifted on her seat and held the open magazine out to Cynthia Rose who took it and looked over the dresses she had selected. They were simple fitted sleeveless tunic style dress with full length skirt.

“For now? Plan a wedding. Keep working with my charities. I don’t know…just keep living I suppose. What about this but in coral?”

“The dress is tight but coral? Hm, I don’t know about that color.”

Stacie looked at the dress again and gave a slow agreeing nod. Maybe coral wasn’t the right color for any dress. She wasn’t seriously worried about the investigation, just mildly worried. But she was willing to put it aside for something bigger, something like her wedding. The wedding she had always wanted instead of the one she had been forced to have. It made her giddy and just a little reckless with some of her choices. Stacie held the magazine out again at another dress, a mermaid cut monstrosity with skirting full of ruffled tulle.

“Fuchsia?”

“Look Ima let you know right now that just because I look good in every color does not mean I should be forced to wear every color. And what’s this? We in the 80s all of a sudden? I’m telling you this whole thing is one bad choice away from Jersey mob chic.”

Stacie tipped sideways on the couch, one arm around her belly as she laughed. It felt fucking fantastic to release some of that underlying tension she was still feeling. Cynthia Rose stretched out with her own magazine on the loveseat. Stacie laid there for a second before sitting up right again and picking up her discarded magazine.

“Don’t let Aubrey hear you say that.”

“What? Mob chic?”

“No, Jersey.” Cynthia Rose cut her a quick look then full on giggled. Stacie bit her lip to keep from laughing as she continued to flip through pages that she dismissed almost instantly. “You’re so easy to amuse when you’re stoned.”

“You jealous?”

“Yes.” Obviously. And apparently for more than just weed. Stacie felt herself blush at the sudden rush of sensory overload that the memory of Aubrey taking her roughly on the foyer table produced. “Okay do you really think part of Esposito’s motivation is…you know. Getting back with Aubrey? Like…”

CR gave her a mild look and raised one shoulder in a shrug. “I mean. You ain’t ever heard of revenge fucking? That shit is lit.” Stacie narrowed her eyes as she processed all of that information. “And I’m not saying I checked your girl out but I got eyes. Aubrey fine as hell. So. I don’t know, you tell me. Would you still be trying to get all up in that?”

“I hate you so much right now.” Not really, not even a little. Stacie threw a pillow at the other woman but CR easily snagged it out of the air and used it to prop herself up. “Assuming you’re right, so what? Just because she might want to fuck Aubrey doesn’t mean Aubrey wants to fuck her. I have nothing to worry about.” And even saying it she knew the words were right and she had complete faith in Aubrey. That wasn’t even really a concern.

But it still bugged her.

“I know that shit bugs you.”

“It DOES bug me!” Stacie nodded her agreement and reached out for her forgotten glass of wine. “I’m not even going to lie about it. They had a thing for a year.”

“What does Aubrey say about it?”

“Nothing. That it was business and there weren’t any feelings attached.” Her best friend gave her a look and she sighed and nodded. “No I do believe her on that. Even if there had been something at one time, there isn’t now. I just don’t like the idea that this woman is out there ready to jump right back in bed with my fiancée.”

“You say that like this bitch is outside hiding in the bushes or some shit.”

The front door opened and they both leaned to the side, craning their necks to see down the hall. Ashley, CR’s girlfriend strolled in with take-out bags full of Western Wok Chinese. She smiled widely at Stacie as she placed the bags on the kitchen counter.

“Who’s outside hiding in the bushes?” The petite brunette paused to kiss Stacie on the cheek before making her way to the loveseat to settle in with Cynthia Rose. “Are you talking about those cops across the street?”

Stacie sighed and shook her head. “No that’s just Happy. Aubrey says I should have a driver so I can enjoy my time with my friends. Really I think she just wants me to have a bodyguard…”

“No, I know about Happy. She’s in the truck playing Angry Birds. There are some cops outside across the street about three houses down. They look like feds to me.”

“How you know what federal agents look like?”

Ashley shrugged and picked up a magazine to look at a few dog eared pages. “Please they all have that sad air that’s a mixture of cult worship and superiority. They tip for shit too.”

Cynthia Rose turned to look at Stacie and blinked. All she could do was raise her shoulder in a shrug and make a vague ‘I told you so’ gesture. She hadn’t actually thought there would be agents outside or following her around but apparently so. Her friend got up from the loveseat and walked out to the front of her house. Stacie followed the other woman walked to the end of the drive and looked down the street first one way then the other.

“Are they out here?”

Happy got out of the Escalade and wandered to the edge of the drive with her usual smile in place. “Looking for the feds?”

“You knew they were there?” Of course she did. Stacie knew it was a stupid question the second it fell from her lips. “How long?”

“Since we left home. I figured you knew and if you didn’t, why worry you?” It was reasonable enough of an answer and Stacie was oddly reassured by how unperturbed Happy seemed. The blonde turned toward the parked black unmarked SUV across the street and waved.

Like magic it pulled away from the curb with a screech of wheels and roared up the street to pull up alongside them facing opposite of traffic. Agent Esposito was at the wheel and she lowered her window to give them all a hard stare down.

“Hey Ali. Long time no see huh?” Happy’s amicable small talk made them all turn to stare at the woman. She didn’t seem intimidated when she waved to the other agent sitting in the passenger seat. “You guys hot out there? It looks hot. You’re a little bit sweaty.”

“Shut it, slutbag.” Happy shut up immediately, the smile never left her face but something hard and angry glittered in her eyes for a moment. Alice turned her gaze away from Happy and pinned Stacie with it. “You having fun? Enjoying your life of leisure? You know that’s all going end for you when I bring your thug girlfriend down.”

Stacie had to resist the urge to say or do something her mother would disapprove of. That would just play into their hands. “Agents Esposito and Applebaum. Of course. Don’t you have something better to do like…catch actual criminals?” A snort broke the tense silence between them and they both turned to Cynthia Rose.

“Her? Really?”

Stacie cleared her throat and held in the amused chuckle. “Let’s go back inside, you too Happy. Let these guys get back to collecting tax payer money to sit on their asses.”

Cynthia Rose laughed and started back toward the house with a backward glance at the car. Alice’s face was a contorted with rage as she watched them walk away. They were inside the house again before CR jerked her thumb back at the car outside.

“That’s who you’re bugged about? Girl please.” She dropped herself back onto the loveseat with Ashley and reached out to pick up her lighter and joint. Ashley leaned over to light a candle sitting on the end table. “Yeah she wants to hit it.”

“Who?” Ashley took the joint from Cynthia Rose with both brows raised in question. Stacie shook her head at them as she started to open up the bags of take out. She really didn’t want to answer that question because it would be an acknowledgement of something she wasn’t ready to deal with.

“That lady agent watching us. She used to go with Aubrey but shit went bad and now she’s trying to fuck with them.”

“Her? Really?”

“Right? Stacie over here trippin’ on that.”

“Oh honey…no….”

It was said in the casual way a couple discusses mutual friends and Stacie had to smile at it. Cynthia Rose had always had girls around but they had always been here one moment and gone the next. All of them as insignificant and disposable as the last and none of them at all familiar enough with CR’s likes and dislikes to order the exact right items from the exact right restaurant. None of them familiar enough with her to tease and joke. Ashley was special.

Ashley was the one for Cynthia Rose and Stacie couldn’t be happier about it. “I know! I know. It’s dumb and I’m fully aware.”

Ashley smiled and waved Stacie back to the couch with her container of orange chicken. “Okay so let’s talk about something really important. Bachelorette parties. Are we doing the basic penis slash strap on theme with party hats or are you going to really do this up? Because I have ideas if you’re interested…”

Yeah. Ashley was kind of the perfect complement to her bestie. She understood the life they all seemed to swim through and knew exactly the right thing to focus on right then. Stacie settled with her legs criss crossed and pointed her chopsticks at Ashley. “A woman with a plan. I like it. Tell me more…”

[chloes-yellow-cup]

One Million Kisses

Mitchsen inspired by this Anon sent to @chloebeale​ and requested by @shaneythealphawolf​ - boy, that’s a mouthful.

Fluff. Pure. Fluff. 

Words: 4444ish

AO3     FFN

My other works.

It was a Friday night and the Bellas were drunk.

Aubrey had surprised them by showing up that afternoon, taking a rare weekend away from the Lodge, and the girls were celebrating having their ex-captain under the roof again.

Stacie paused on the way to the door, having to leave early for a date. “I wish I’d have known you were coming, Bree. I’d have moved dinner, but it’s too late now.”  She sighed, frowning.

“Sorry, Stace.” Aubrey got up from where she’d been sitting between Chloe and Cynthia Rose and hugged her. “It was a spur of the moment decision when I realized we were only half booked this weekend. The guys can handle it without me. They hope.” She grinned slyly.

“S’ok. I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ll all do lunch?” Stacie took a step back toward the entryway.

“Of course! I’m here for the weekend.” Aubrey smiled at her. “Have a good time tonight, you look very nice.”

“Eh.” Stacie shrugged. “I helped Ron study and he insisted on taking me to dinner when he passed his test.” She turned to open the door and looked back over her shoulder. “He’s nagged me for the past month until I finally gave in.” With a final look at Aubrey and a wave at the rest of them, she stepped out and closed the door behind her.

“I’m ordering pizza; you change your favorite in the last few years, Aubrey?” Beca looked up from her phone where she was sitting cross legged where the two halves of the sectional met.

“Ooh, did they get anything new?” Aubrey walked back to the couch and waved to Cynthia Rose to scoot over before she dropped next to Beca, leaning over to look at her phone.

“I mean, maybe?” Beca looked at her out of the corner of her eye but tilted her phone so it was easier for Aubrey to see.

Aubrey gasped, “They added a dessert menu!?”

Beca smiled and obediently clicked the link as Aubrey pressed closer.

~

They’d started drinking as soon as the pizza got there and it was after midnight when most of them called it quits and headed upstairs one at a time. Except Amy. She had “gone out for a smoothie” hours ago and Beca didn’t expect her back until breakfast.

Soon only Chloe, Beca and Aubrey were left sprawled across the sectional, talking about anything and everything that came to mind.

“Wait.” Beca giggled, reaching over to grab Aubrey’s knee, squeezing when she overbalanced and almost fell off the couch. “Wait. You’re telling me you have actual traps around the property?” Aubrey nodded at her solemnly. “They’re literally nets.” Another nod. “Covered in leaves?” A third nod. “For bears that can sometimes wander in?”

Aubrey shrugged. “It’s happened before.”

“And they hoist unsuspecting people into the air?” Beca laughed again. “Did they have those before or after you showed up?”

“I refuse to answer that on the grounds that it would intimidate me.” Aubrey sniffed.

Chloe laughed. “You mean incriminate you?”

Aubrey blinked slowly. “Yes. Thank you, Chloe.” She held her poise for a few seconds before she burst out laughing, joining an already giggling Beca. “Amy’s Aussie Surprises have gotten way stronger since I’ve been gone.” She looked down in her cup. “Oh. I’m out.”

“I got it.” Beca stood up, wobbled for a few seconds as both Aubrey and Chloe’s hands reached out to steady her. “IgotitIgotitIgotit!” She stopped swaying and reached for Aubrey’s cup. “See?” She walked into the kitchen in that precise manner only the truly drunk who are trying to hide it can perfect.

Aubrey watched her until she was out of sight, a small smile on her lips before she turned back to Chloe. “Think she’ll drop it?”

Chloe shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

~

An hour later Chloe called it a night. She locked up the house and then came back to hug them both. Beca and Aubrey were sitting with Beca’s laptop across their legs as Beca played some of her new mixes. “Don’t stay up too much longer. We’ll plan a brunch in the morning!” She bounced in place “I’m so glad you’re here, Bree!” She kissed the top of Aubrey’s head.

“Me too. I really missed you guys. There is no one fun at the Lodge.” Aubrey pouted.

Beca looked up, confused. “But, you’re at the Lodge.”

“You’ve never called me fun, Beca.” Aubrey shoulder bumped her.

“Well I’m a dick and no one should listen to me.” Beca nodded once, as if that settled the matter, and took another sip from her cup. “You’re fun, Bree.”

“Didn’t you just say I shouldn’t listen to you?” Aubrey leaned back against the couch.

“Yeah but…” Beca’s eyebrows knitted together. There was a trap here, she just knew it.

“So I can’t listen to you tell me I’m fun.” Aubrey watched her over the rim of her cup, her eyes twinkling. She’d missed this kind of banter much more than she realized.

“But I…” Beca’s free hand came up and pulled at the air. “I mean…”

“I’m just doing what you asked.” Aubrey shrugged.

“Aha!” Beca pointed at her. “But I said you shouldn’t listen to me, so that probably includes me telling you not to listen to me!” Beca waved her cup in the air, almost spilling it all over them.

Chloe left them then, smiling as her best friends dissolved in laughter, leaning on each other for support.

~

“Dude, no. You’re gonna break your neck.” Beca giggled. “Then all the girls would be mad at me that I let you break your neck.” She pushed Aubrey’s arm. “You don’t want that to happen, do you?”

“But Becaaaaaaaa. I never get to relax at the Lodge.” Aubrey whined. “It’s all stuffy corporate guys who hit on me all the time.” She made a ‘yuck’ face that caused Beca to giggle again. “Most of them have horrible breath.” She shuddered. “It reminds me of Alice and her egg breath.”

Beca straightened. “No, we only call her That Whore Alice™ in this house, now.” She grabbed Aubrey by the shoulders and pulled her close, saying sincerely, “She was horrible and should be stopped.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Aubrey trailed off, trying to remember what she was talking about earlier. She stared into Beca’s eyes as her brain spun aimlessly. ‘They really are a unique deep blue, I’ve never seen anyone else who had eyes that color.’

“Bree?” Beca tiled her head. “You ok?”

“Oh, yeah. Yeah I’m… what were we doing again?” Aubrey looked around. They’d moved from the living room into the first floor study and were currently standing in an open corner.

“You… uh.” Beca looked down at the carpet and frowned. “We were… Dude. I forgot.”

Aubrey’s tongue stuck out from the corner of her mouth while she thought. “Oh!” It rushed back to her and she stood up straight. “Handstand!”

“Right!” Beca smiled brightly then let it slip. “Why again?”

“Because it’s fun. Stacie always told me that’s why she did them. Cause they were fun!” Aubrey sighed. “I miss fun.”

“Stacie does them cause she can also do a mid-air split and it causes people on the quad to walk into trees. Or each other. The security guards. A rose bush. The coffee cart once.” Beca ticked them off on her fingers. “So her motivations are suspectible.” She blinked. “Wait. What did I just say?”

Aubrey giggled. “Try it again.” She watched as Beca’s brows knit in concentration and her fingers itched to smooth it out.

“Suspectiable.” Beca stuck her tongue out. “Supectial… Fuck! Why are words hard?” She closed her eyes. “SUSPECT!” Aubrey bit her lips to keep from laughing. “But, no. Bree. Dude.” She grabbed Aubrey’s hand and squeezed. “If you hurt yourself, the rest of them will hurt me.” Her face fell. “And I’m small. You don’t want that on your conscience, do you?”

“I won’t let them.” Aubrey said with conviction. “It’ll be fine. Stacie’s showed me how before, it’s just been long time.”  

The two of them had moved into the study because it was carpeted and Aubrey had decided maybe a corner would be better as it gave her another surface to balance against. If she needed, which she totally didn’t.

“Here, hold my drink.” Aubrey thrust her solo cup into Beca’s hand.

“Dude. Two things. One, no good has ever come from someone saying that sentence.” Aubrey waved her hand dismissively. “And two, this is totally empty.” Beca turned and set it on the desk. “OK, if you’re going to do this, let’s get it over with.” She stepped forward and held her hands up and at the ready.

“What’re you doing?” Aubrey eyed her narrowly.

“Catching you?” Beca’s hands opened and closed.

“Oh.” Aubrey giggled again. She decided not to mention the fact that Beca’s hands were on level with Aubrey’s chest and for a minute she’d thought Beca was about to grope her. “That’s, uh. Nice of you.”  She frowned for a minute. “Now, how did she say to start out again…” Aubrey exhaled, “Shit.”

“Dude.” Beca whispered. “You said a bad word.”

“I curse, Beca. I’m not a complete prude. It’s just more impactful when it’s used properly.” Aubrey absently placed her hand over Beca’s mouth. “Shh, I’m trying to remember how to do this.” She ignored Beca’s eyes which had crossed trying to glare down at the offending appendage. “Right… I just…” She gestured with her other hand absently. “And then I just…” She raked her teeth over her upper lip. “Right,” she said again partially to convince herself. “OK. I got this.”

After tucking her shirt into her jeans, Aubrey leaned over and got into a sprinters stance, facing the wall. “Careful, this may take a couple tries.”

Beca stood to the side, but her hands were ready. “I gotchu, Bree.” She muttered a soft, “Please don’t break your neck.” She watched as Aubrey flailed out with one leg. “Um.” Aubrey flailed again. “What…” Both of Aubrey’s legs suddenly kicked out and Beca ducked wildly back even though she was not in any danger of getting kicked. “Dude!”

“I need to do the kick to get my legs up.” Aubrey turned her head to look at Beca almost upside down. “I know I can do this! I’ve done it before!”

“But like, were you drunk at the time?” Beca asked reasonably, though she really wanted to laugh again. “Cause I’m pretty sure you’re drunk right now.” She watched as Aubrey gave a few more uncoordinated attempts. “Wait, wait. Hold on. Don’t like, kick me in the face. I like my teeth.” Beca eased forward. “How about I help, for this first one?” After a moment, she reached down and looped her arms around Aubrey’s knees, also facing the wall. She tried not to think about how close she was to Aubrey’s ass, though since it was right there, it was extremely distracting.

“How is this going to help?” Aubrey’s face was turning red, either from being upside down, the exertion, or anger. Knowing Aubrey, it was likely all three.

“You’re gonna do your kick flail thing, and I’m going to hoist up your legs and throw you at the wall.” Beca paused. “Well, now that I’ve said that out loud, that sounds dangerous.” She giggled. “Or awesome.”

Aubrey said eagerly, “Let’s try it.”

“Do the count thing. I think it’ll help.” Beca grinned. “Is it on three, or after three?”

“Oh my god, shut up and let’s do this before my head pops off.” Aubrey took a deep breath. “One, two, three…”

Aubrey’s legs kicked up and Beca took their weight in her arms and pulled upward. Shifting her grip to grab Aubrey’s knees and push, she miscalculated and Aubrey’s feet thumped back to the floor. “Aw shit! I’m sorry! Maybe this was a lame idea.”

“No, no! That will actually work!” Aubrey jumped upright and hugged Beca. “Let’s do that again!” She dropped back down almost before Beca had registered the embrace.

It took several tries and a kick to Beca’s shoulder, but they finally got Bree up into a curved handstand against the wall. Beca clapped. “That’s what I call teamwork, baby!”

Aubrey huffed out a breath and drew in another one. “We’re aca-mazing!” She looked up at her awkwardly and smiled. “Thanks for the help, Beca.”

“You’d have gotten there, but this way you get to the good stuff quicker.” Beca settled down cross legged in front of her. “How does it look?”

“You guys totally need to repaint this ceiling.” Aubrey told her seriously.

“Only you would spend all this time getting into a handstand and then critique the décor.” Beca poked her in the stomach.

“Don’t shoot the messenger.” Aubrey wobbled and steadied again.

“Or what?” Beca poked her again and Aubrey jumped. “Wait, are you ticklish?!”

“No!” Aubrey knew she’d said it too fast the second it was out of her mouth. “Beca… don’t…”

Beca rose to her knees. “Oh no, I have you at my mercy right now. I’d be silly to not take advantage of it.” Her fingers trailed experimentally up Aubrey’s side, grinning manically as Aubrey yelped.

Aubrey’s voice shook with laughter and strain. “Beca, I’m warning you…”

“Worth it.” Beca flexed her fingers. “It’ll so be worth it.” She cackled as she launched a full scale tickle attack on the upside down woman.

“No! ARGH!” Aubrey twisted her body though there was nowhere to go. “Wait, Beca, no, I’m…” But her warning came too late and she arched away from the wall, knocking Beca to the ground underneath her.

“Oof!” The air was expelled from two sets of lungs.

The room was quiet for a minute, then twin giggles filled the air.

“I told you to watch it!” Aubrey squirmed around until her face was above Beca’s.

“I couldn’t help it.” Beca laughed and looped her arms around Aubrey and hugged her. “There was this irresistible force telling me to do it. I was powerless.” She shrugged.

“Mmhmm.” Aubrey was still out of breath, giggling. “Whatever. Once I recover from almost dying, I’m going to get you back for that.”

Beca’s eyes went mock-wide. “Ooh.” She giggled again. “I’m soooo scared.”

Aubrey smiled at her, teeth bared. It was a smile that had made many of her employees squirm in their chairs as she prepared to reprimand them. “You should be.”

Beca burst out laughing again, shaking Aubrey who was still resting full body against her. Aubrey chewed the inside of her cheek, trying not to join in though Beca’s glee was infectious. But her lips twitched in a grin as Beca stopped abruptly. “Oh.” She snickered. “You’re serious.” A giggle jostled them both. “I’m sorry I knocked you down, Bree.” There was absolutely no sincerity in her voice.

Aubrey rolled her eyes and slid off to her left, more along Beca’s side and hopefully not crushing her ribs. She rested her head on Beca’s shoulder, still trying to catch her breath, and unconsciously snuggled in, tangling their legs together. “I’m glad you stayed up with me, Becs.”  Her right hand smoothed its way down Beca’s stomach and across her side, squeezing gently.

What she’d meant to say was ‘I’ve really missed all of you.’ What she ended up saying was “I’ve really missed you.”

“Me too. With the staying up, and the… missing. Stuff.” Beca gently rubbed circles on Aubrey’s back. “Bree?”

“Hmm?” Her nose ran along the underside of Beca’s jaw, breathing in her perfume. It smelled like home.

“Don’t you like Stacie?” She didn’t mean to say that, but she’d gotten lost in thinking about how good it felt to have Aubrey resting on her, all soft curves and warmth.

Aubrey lifted her shoulders, saying quietly. “She likes me.” It made her a bit sad, though she had never led Stacie on. She’d always been friendly with the taller brunette, cared for her a lot, but as nothing more than a friend.  “But I like someone else.” Her heart began thumping and she hoped Beca couldn’t feel it.

Beca, out of nowhere, felt her inner badass step smoothly into place. “I’ll give you a kiss if you tell me who you like.” But then her badass stepped away into the night like a fucking ninja and she was left on her own once again. ‘That bitch.’ She started giggling again at her own thoughts, the alcohol still in her system still making everything much funnier than it should.

Aubrey pushed up to look at her. “One kiss?” Beca nodded. “That’s super cheap for a secret like that, Beca.” She sniffed and shook her head. “What kind of girl do you think I am?”

“Fiiiiinnnne.” Beca rolled her eyes. “I’ll give you twoooo kisses.”

“Big spender.” Aubrey widened her eyes playfully. “Don’t empty your bank account just for lil’ ole me.” It was Aubrey’s turn to giggle. She’d missed this; the laughter and silliness, just having a good time with her friends. Coming home had been exactly what she’d needed to recharge.

“Ok ok. Five. FIVE kisses, Aubrey.” Beca’s eyes were so close, so earnest. “That’s got to be worth something.” Her right hand began to lightly comb through Aubrey’s hair, twisting locks slowly around her fingers.

“Oh, it is. But it’s still not enough for that secret.” Aubrey shrugged, wiggling to get more comfortable. Her hand traced its way up Beca’s arm until it played with the neckline of her shirt. “You’ll have to do much better than that, Becs.”

This continued for several more minutes, Beca gradually jumping her increases up by tens, then twenties, but Aubrey didn’t budge. Both of them were giggling helplessly against each other, out of breath and trying to be quiet all at the same time.

Finally, Beca yelled. “Ok! FINE!” She took a deep breath. “I will give you one meeeeeeeeeeeeellion kisses to find out who you like.”

Aubrey gasped. “You saw ‘Austin Powers’?!” She giggled, trying to imagine how that must have gone.

“Jesse made me for that movication thingie we do once a month.” She shrugged. “It wasn’t the worst thing he’s made me watch.” She bounced them a little. “So?”

Aubrey looked back down at her, lost for a second in midnight blue. “What?”

“My offer?” Beca’s eyes traced Aubrey’s face. “Of one meee- no, I can’t do it again.” She shook her head. “One million kisses for you to tell me who you like.”

“OH! Right.” Aubrey considered, weighing her options. “That’s a lot, you know.” She narrowed her eyes. “Are you sure you’re good for it?”

“Pssh, of course I am.” Beca giggled. “I’m rich in kisses, Bree. Don’t you worry about that.”

“Well, I think maybe… You drive a hard bargain, Mitchell, but you have yourself a deal.” Aubrey smiled at her, giggling at the look of triumph spreading over Beca’s face.

Beca cheered and kissed Aubrey on the nose. “One!”

“Oooh, someone’s eager to pay off their debt.” Aubrey ignored the flutter in her chest and the pull in her stomach as Beca’s eyes began to sparkle.

“What can I say, I believe in paying my dues.” Beca stretched and kissed Aubrey’s right eyebrow. “Two.” Her left. “Three.”  Each kiss tickled, causing Aubrey to giggle, which caused Beca to giggle, but she continued with no particular plan on where to settle next.

Both eyelids – “Four, five.”

Each check – “Six, seven.”

Aubrey’s chin – “Eight.”

Then Beca ducked her head and placed a soft kiss on Aubrey’s pulse point, which had begun to flutter wildly. Both women paused, their breath catching briefly before they giggled once more, this time more out of shy quasi-embarrassment than anything else. “Nine.” But this time it was Aubrey who said it, her voice soft with a hint of wonder.

Beca continued, and while they still giggled, they were tapering off, a longer pause between them as her lips began to linger. Beca’s nose nudged Aubrey to turn first one way and then the other, placing soft kisses on either side of her neck. “Eleven, twelve.”

She reached up with her left hand and tilted Aubrey’s head a little more, placing a new kiss behind her ear. She whispered softly, feeling Aubrey’s heart racing against her own until they found themselves in sync. “Thirteen.”  She trailed her lips down the column of Aubrey’s throat, breath warm, and felt Aubrey shiver. Fourteen was open mouthed and at the edge of Aubrey’s shirt, against her collarbone.

They were silent now, only the sound of their breathing disturbing the quiet of the house.

She tilted Aubrey’s head the other way again, their noses brushing together. Fifteen – the other collarbone – and sixteen – behind the other ear, were placed quickly, before she brought Aubrey around to face her directly again.

Beca placed kisses at each corner of her mouth before brushing her lips against Aubrey’s. They were soft, gentle as Aubrey pressed a bit closer, a half whimper buried in her throat. Beca pulled back, tried a new angle, sliding across them again. She pulled away, eyes closing, before pressing close, lingering and chaste despite the lightning running up her spine.

After several, long and powerful heartbeats, Aubrey parted her lips, feeling Beca sigh softly before slipping her tongue past them. The first tentative touch against her own made Aubrey’s toes curl and she fisted her hands in Beca’s shirt, trying to pull them closer together.

They spent several minutes trading increasingly deeper kisses, soft whimpers and moans as their bodies shifted, each sensation new and almost overwhelming. But also familiar and comforting, keeping them both grounded together as Beca’s hands pushed their way under Aubrey’s shirt and pressed against her back.

Finally, driven by the need for more air than the miniscule sips they’d take before slanting their lips together again, they parted, foreheads resting as they panted.

Suddenly Beca giggled, breaking the comfortable silence between them and Aubrey quirked a brow in question.

“Uhhhhhh.” Beca giggled again. “I think I lost count?”

Aubrey felt her lips part in a grin. “Guess we’ll just have to start over until you can count one meeeeeeellion kisses.”

“And then you’ll tell me who you like?” Beca stroked a finger across the ridges of Aubrey’s spine.

Aubrey nodded solemnly. “A deal is a deal.”

They gazed into each other’s eyes, losing track of time before Aubrey blurted, “Oh!” and started to giggle again. “Uh, just so you’re aware. If you figure out before you’ve made full payment, you should know there’s no refunds.”

“What!? That’s like. Highway robbery!” Beca’s voice was outraged even though they were both giggling again.

“Nope.” Aubrey took on a superior air. “Not my fault you didn’t ask the terms before you agreed to our negotiations.”

Beca rolled her eyes. “You and your lawyerese!” More giggles slipped free from them both.

Aubrey shrugged. “Sorry. It’s also not my fault you didn’t read the fine print.”

“There was fine print!? My mother would be so ashamed. She prides herself on making sure she knows all the ins and outs of a deal.”

Both of them paused at Beca’s choice of words before they both decided to ignore the slight innuendo.

Aubrey cleared her throat. “I believe we were back at 1?”

But before she even finished speaking, Beca’s lips had captured hers, hungry and wanting. Urging gently with her own, she pulled Aubrey’s tongue into her mouth, encouraging her to take control of the kiss. They lost themselves in it, hands pulling and tugging, thighs pressing and parting as they let this new layer of their relationship settle over them.

Aubrey broke away, her heart hammering – or maybe it was Beca’s – needing the brief pause before they took things even further, knowing they shouldn’t without a serious talk. But that was for another day. She cleared her throat. “The, uh… the fine print also says that was all one kiss because your lips touched me the entire time.”

Beca gave one last giggle. “Well, if that’s what the fine print says...”

“Definitely.”

“Then this could take a really long time.” Her voice warned teasingly even as her eyes held promise.

Aubrey’s voice was soft. “Sounds perfect to me.”

~

The next morning Chloe came downstairs and, out of habit, looked into the room to the right. She paused as she saw a pile of blankets that she was sure hadn’t been there the day before. She walked in and stopped, her heart melting a little at the sight.

Aubrey was cuddled on top of Beca, her face pressed into the brunette’s neck, and it looked like Beca’s arms were wrapped around her, based on the outline under the blanket. Both of them had contented smiles on their faces. She smiled once more before leaving the room.

She walked into the kitchen, pausing again as she saw Stacie sitting at the center island drinking coffee. “You’re up first?” She tried to keep it light, knowing how Stacie felt about Aubrey. She got a glass from the cupboard, filled it from the tap and took a drink.

“I got home somewhat early for me last night.” Stacie’s voice sounded normal and Chloe relaxed a bit. “The light in the study was on and I found those two passed out and snoring.” Chloe chuckled. “So I covered them with a blanket and went to bed.”

But now there was something in her tone that made Chloe set down her glass and wrap her arms around Stacie from behind. “You ok?” She rested her cheek against the top of her head.

Stacie thought for a moment, rolling the question in her mind. It was one she’d been thinking on and off since she’d gotten home and why she hadn’t really slept at all. “Well. If she chooses anyone but me, I’m ok with it being Beca.” It was an answer she knew that she’d eventually believe, even if she wasn’t really sure about it this second.

Chloe kissed her on the temple, “Come back upstairs and snuggle with me? It’s still early; I just forgot to fill up my water bottle before bed or I’d still be snoozing.”

“Sure, Chlo.” Stacie turned in the circle of Chloe’s arms. “And thanks.” She wrapped her long arms around Chloe and hugged her back.

“Always.” She waited while Stacie ran water into her mug and placed it in the sink for later.

The two of them headed back upstairs where Chloe played big spoon, to sleep for another hour or so before the rest of the Bellas woke them back up for brunch.

As Stacie cuddled back into her, holding onto the arm Chloe had put around her waist, Chloe knew that, with time, Stacie’s heart would heal. Maybe, eventually, Stacie would even let her help.

Chloe was willing to wait however long that took.

A/N:  My Bechloe heart isn’t sure about my first stand-alone Mitchsen, and my Stechlobree soul is not much better, but we all hope you liked it.

Updated 6/12/20 to include the last 2 lines - my Chacie nod was way too subtle and while I updated it on AO3 ages ago, apparently I didn’t do that here.

#mitchsen #mitchsen fanfiction #beca mitchell #aubrey posen #anna kendrick #anna camp #wlw #chloe beale #stacie conrad #brittany snow #alexis knapp #Pitch Perfect #mitchsen fluff #mitchsen fanfic #cyc oneshots #cyc writes

[pyxiscetus]

Bechloe Week 2018 Day 6 - Good Luck Charm

Zombie AU

This ended up being waaay longer than I expected. And made me really want to write a multi-chap zombie AU... We'll see if I ever get around to that...

AO3 link

Chloe ducked under the gap in the fence, dropping the panel that would hide the entrance to their camp.

A breath escaped as she leaned against the fence for just a second. It was a false sense of security she knew but it helped make it seem as though the entire world hadn’t ended.

Quiet voices filtered through the gaps between run-down buildings as Chloe made her way to the communal area.

Amy was the first to notice her approach. “Ginger! You survived!”

Chloe’s eye twitched at the welcome. Amy had a knack for making the worst comments.

“Yeah, Ames. Still kicking. Hey, Lilly, I found some something I think you’re gonna like.” Chloe said as she pulled the rucksack off her back and settled next to the quiet weapons expert.

Lilly glanced at Chloe before peeking into the bag. A gasp pulled the attention of those around them as Lilly grabbed the bag and retreated back to her forge.

Chloe chuckled, “guess she liked it.”

Stacie settled in where Lilly had vacated and slung an arm around Chloe’s shoulders. “Care to share with the group how your adventure went today? Aubrey was pissed you ducked out on partner assignments again this morning.”

Chloe’s shoulders hunched as the unease slithered in her stomach. “Sorry. I know you had to deal with calming her down…”

Stacie shrugged, her partner was a difficult person and she loved that about Aubrey, “Yes, still doesn’t explain where you wandered off to. Or if we’d see you again.”

Chloe winced, “Emily… I can’t…”

Chloe faltered as the tears started and Stacie pulled her into a hug, rocking the two of them.

Stacie understood to an extent, Emily was her younger sister, and not a day went by that she didn’t miss her. But she hadn’t witnessed Emily’s death, she hadn’t seen what Chloe had, the way the zombies had swarmed the three of them; how Emily had distracted the hoard so Chloe and Jesse could flee, how she had stolen Chloe’s last ditch effort—a grenade—and cooked it until she had no hope of escaping herself.

Chloe couldn’t handle that happening again. She couldn’t watch another person die for her.

Shouts distracted the group from Chloe and Stacie as Aubrey and Jesse stumbled into the camp lugging a body between them.

Stacie took control as they placed the body on the table that she’d turned into a surgery station.

“What happened?”

Jesse rambled about finding her after avoiding a horde that had fallen into a trap. She’d cornered them with a shotgun before collapsing and Jesse had fought Aubrey on bringing her back here for help.

Stacie nodded through his retelling as she stripped the stranger’s shirt from her looking for obvious injuries and bite marks.

“Chloe!”

Chloe jerked from her stupor as Stacie called her over.

“Jesse, Bree, go get some food from Amy and rest up. I’ll have Chloe help me with this for now, okay?”

Chloe watched as Aubrey pressed her lips together and fought the scathing comments she wanted to make. Instead she nodded and marched off, saying nothing as she dragged a hapless Jesse behind her.

“I’m so dead once this is over…”

Stacie snorted as she resumed her inspection. “Help me roll her to the side.”

Chloe did as instructed, now able to see the girl for the first time. Unkempt shoulder length brown hair, obscured her face but her tattoos were on full display. Chloe traced the equalizer bars on her back and the flowers curling over her left shoulder, the headphones on one wrist and a grasshopper on the other.

Scars littered her chest, abdomen and sides. Small cuts that looked like they’d been purposefully done.

Stacie hummed as she traced a few of the larger scars on the girl’s arm.

“Let’s get her pants off I don’t see any bites or injuries on her top half. Get that blanket so we can cover her up, Chlo.”

Chloe retrieved the tattered blanket she herself had once used and handed it off to Stacie.

“Okay, lift her back! Alright set her down.” Stacie tugged the well-worn cargo pants off and set them with the shirt. She draped the blanket over the girl and started her exam again.

Stacie hummed again, holding a leg as Chloe kept watch incase the girl woke or turned.

“There aren’t any bites or treatable injuries. I don’t see or feel anything that might be internal bleeding. Best thing we can do is wait, she might have collapsed from hunger or thirst but I don’t want to open up a LRS bag only for it to go to waste…” Stacie readjusted the blanket before grabbing a second one to place over the first.

“I’ll stay while you get food, Stace.”

Stacie turned to Chloe, eyes narrowed as she took in the redhead. She nodded and parted with a final reminder. “You can’t avoid Aubrey forever, she’ll come looking for you.”

Chloe sighed as she watched the brunette sleep. Stacie was right, she couldn’t avoid Aubrey but at least she could put off the inevitable just a little longer.

Her thoughts turned to Lilly and the wrenches she had gifted to be turned into weapons. Some of them would end up as throwing knifes while others would be made into machetes of sorts. Lilly had a thing for sharp and pointy objects and as bullets and gun powder got scarcer Lilly had turned her obsession into a revered skill.

The smell of smoke filled her nose and Chloe smiled. By tomorrow the group would have new weapons.

A gasp jerked Chloe to the once sleeping girl. “Benji!”

Chloe leapt to her feet, hands raised as she spoke. “Woah! Hey, I’m Chloe. My friends brought you back after you collapsed. Do you remember?”

The brunette stopped looking around as her eyes landed on Chloe. “Where’s Benji?”

“I don’t know a Benji. You were the only one brought home.”

The girl’s eyes widened as she struggled to swing her legs to the edge of the table. “When?!”

Chloe managed to catch her as unresponsive legs gave out and she dropped to the floor.

 ‘Oh, wow… her eyes…’

“He’s alone! Don’t you get that?! My brother is alone out there! Please!”

Chloe stood, supporting both of them as the girl panicked. “Hey, look at me.”

Running feet filled the silence as panicked steel blue-grey eyes stared into her own.

“Chloe!?”

“Are you okay?!”

“What’s going on?”

Stacie, Aubrey, and Jesse sprinted around the corner. The others could be heard following behind.

Chloe kept her attention focused on the girl. “I’m okay. Just had to play catcher. Do you remember Jesse and Aubrey?”

The brunette’s attention turned to those now gathered around them, eyes locking with Jesse and Aubrey’s. “Yeah, yeah I do.”

Chloe nodded and turned to them. “Do either of you remember seeing anybody else with her? She said her brother was with her.”

The color drained from both faces as Aubrey stumbled. Stacie wrapped an arm around her waist to support her.

Aubrey shook her head. “No… We didn’t see anyone in the area.”

“I have to go…”

All eyes turned to Chloe and the brunette still in her arms. “Benji needs me.”

Chloe nodded, she understood. “How about getting dressed along with food and water?”

Stormy eyes narrowed in confusion before looking down. A blush erupted as a small squeal escaped. Vigorous nodding made Chloe laugh for the first time in months.

“We’ll see you guys soon.” Chloe said as she shooed the group away.

Chloe helped the girl dress in silence before making their way to the others gathered around a small fire.

“I’m Beca by the way.”

Chloe smiled, it was good to finally have a name for her. “It’s nice to meet you, Beca.”

A bowl was given to Beca and another shoved into Chloe’s hand by Aubrey.

“Uh…” Beca started but Chloe waved her off.

“She’s mad at me, don’t worry about it.”

Beca nodded before digging into the stew-like concoction. A hum of approval sounded as Beca stuffed another bite into her mouth.

Minutes later Beca’s bowl was empty. Chloe watched as she set it aside and waited. Before Chloe could say anything Lilly appeared, tapping Beca on the shoulder. She handed over the wrapped object in her hands and disappeared just as quickly.

Beca looked to Chloe who shrugged, intrigued by the interaction.

Beca unwrapped the cloth and pulled out a short sword made from one of the large mechanic wrenches Chloe had brought back from an earlier exploration.

Beca stared at it. Chloe chuckled as she set her empty bowl aside. “Looks like Lilly likes you. You have her seal of approval to join the group. She doesn’t had out her babies to just anyone.”

“Chloe.” Aubrey called as the two stood.

Chloe flinched, this would be the time when Aubrey chooses to strike.

“We’ll talk later about this morning. Are you leaving with her?”

Before Chloe could answer Beca did. “No, she’s not going. I need to get to Benji. He’ll need water.”

Stacie tossed a water bottle to Chloe, who passed it to Beca. Aubrey scowled.

“Aubrey…” Stacie called.

Aubrey sighed with a nod. “I can’t stop you, can I?”

Chloe gave a faint smile. “Aubs… I can’t…”

Chloe hugged her, trying to convey everything she couldn’t with words.

Aubrey pulled back, holding Chloe at arm’s length as she searched her eyes. “Okay.”

Chloe nodded and stepped back, pulling Beca with her. She waved at the others seated around as they left.

Beca waited a few minutes as Chloe guided her through the camp back to where Beca had woken up. A pack was sitting on the table, fully packed. Chloe handed it to Beca and lead her to the hidden entrance.

“You can’t come with me.” Beca stated, leaving no room for argument.

Chloe smiled. “I know.”

Beca nodded. “Okay?”

“Here.” Chloe said reaching for Beca’s hand.

Cool metal settled in Beca’s palm. It was a necklace adorned with a key.

“My good luck charm. I want you to hold on to it. So now you have to come back.”

Beca smiled, a small shy one that just touched her lips.

Chloe’s heart seized momentarily before jump-starting at the sight.

“I’ll make sure to return it.”

With those parting words Beca ducked through the small opening and vanished into the night, leaving Chloe to hope for her return in the following days.

#bechloe week 2018 #bechloe week #bechloe fanfiction #bechloe fanfic #pyx's fanfiction

[fandom-hell-yeah]

It’s a Bummer

“Why don’t you have a girlfriend yet?“

“I have strict parents. Why don’t you?“

“You have strict parents.“

Stacie had already tried on a multitude of outfits. She tried on sundresses, plain t-shirts, and even the latest fashion trends but nothing seemed to work.

“This is so dumb!” she shouted at no one in particular.

“Dude, chill. It’s just a party, Stace. You’ve never cared this much about a party.” Beca replied aimlessly while scrolling on her phone.

“I know, but Aubrey’s gonna be there. I need to look better than I normally do without looking like I’m trying too hard and with something that fits ‘bonfire chic’.”

Beca was still fixated on her phone, barely acknowledging what Stacie had said.

Stacie rolled her eyes and picked up a pillow, flinging it at her best friend, “Are you even listening to me?”

Beca turned off her phone and set it on the desk before getting up and walking over to Stacie and her mountain of clothes.

“Just wear a flannel” Beca said while grabbing a white shirt and pair of black shorts.

“Flannels are like the ‘symbol’ of fall, aren’t they? It’ll totally fit in”, Beca added in hope that Stacie would just pick an outfit.

Stacie seemed to be in deep thought.

“You always pick out flannels but, it would really fit in with the whole bonfire thing. And the shorts would make my legs look fantastic… I guess the midget can pick a proper outfit every now and then.” Stacie said cockily.

Beca smacked her arm, “Shut up. Flannels make everything look good. Now, I’m going outside so you can change. I don’t want to see anymore then I already have.”

~

The two brunettes pulled onto the street in Beca’s jeep, parking on the side of the road since there were no other parking spots near the house.

“I can’t believe this many people are already here” Stacie commented.

“Well, you did take years to find an outfit. Plus, it’s the back-to-school party. Of course it’s gonna be packed” Beca noted.

They continued to make their way towards the two-story house, walking through the fence and up the steps.

“Oh my gosh, babe. You made it!” Chloe exclaimed when they walked in the door.

Stacie rolled her eyes and Beca chuckled, “Of course I made it. Why would I ever miss my girlfriend’s big back-to-school party with a bunch of people I don’t like?”

Now it was Chloe’s turn to roll her eyes, “Shut up, you love secretly parties.”

“I secretly don’t. I just love you.” Beca smirked.

Chloe leaned in to kiss Beca, clutching her by the waist and pulling her in.

“Oookay, I need to be a bit more intoxicated if I’m gonna have to watch you two make out” Stacie stated.

She headed over to the kitchen to grab a drink. Between the tons of alcohol laid out, she opted for a beer and decided to try and find a certain blonde that peaked her interest.

When she turned around, she choked on her drink which caused her to have a coughing fit.

Aubrey was walking through the door way looking as magnificent as ever. She was wearing a black crop top that showed off her toned stomach perfectly and a pair of white shorts that made her tan pop even more.

“The great Stacie Conrad can’t hold her liquor down?” Aubrey questioned jokingly. Stacie noted the way the Aubrey’s eyes trailed her body when she walked over.

“I can handle my liquor.” Stacie mentally face palmed at her response.

“So, why is the amazing Aubrey Posen sporting such a ‘precarious’ outfit today?” Stacie asked while trailing her own eyes over the blonde.

Aubrey leaned into Stacie’s ear and whispered, “Maybe I’m just trying to impress someone.”

She pulled back with a smirk on her face, leaving Stacie speechless.

Aubrey rarely flirted back, but when she did, it made Stacie’s feel lightheaded.

She quickly took a sip from her beer and realized that she was going to need something stronger.

~

Stacie and Aubrey were sitting side by side at the campfire after having spent most of their night together. They were both a bit tipsy, but sober enough to be fully aware of what they were doing.

“Oh my gosh, Breeeee” Chloe slurred while making her way over to the duo.

“I haven’t seen you at all tonight.” She continued.

Aubrey chuckled, “Chlo, you just saw me like 10 minutes ago when you passed by. You said the same thing.”

“I did?” Chloe asked, looking genuinely confused.

“Okay, I think you need to be cut off now, babe” Beca said while taking the bottle away from her girlfriend.

Chloe frowned, “But what am I gonna do for fun?”

Beca shook her head and smiled, “We can have fun without getting black-out drunk.”

Chloe leaned her head against Beca’s shoulder and let out a deep sigh, “Mhmkay. I always have fun with you anyways.”

The scene melted Stacie’s heart. She wished for a relationship like theirs but she was too afraid of commitment, that is until she met Aubrey. She looked over at Aubrey, reminiscing about when she started to fall for the entrancing blonde.

Suddenly, Chloe perked up with a look of joy on her face.

“We should play truth or dare.”

Of course. No high school party would be complete without a game of truth or dare.

Chloe spent a solid 5 minutes recruiting people to play. When the game started, there were about 14 people gathered around the campfire.

“Okay, so who wants to start?” Chloe asked the group.

“I’ll go first. Can’t let any of you skinny twig bitches get the upper hand on me.” Fat Amy stated.

~

The game was going as expected. With gross dares and questions about the person’s sex life.

Aubrey managed to avoid being picked for the majority of the game because no one dared to make her mad, but then Chloe looked over with a mischievous glint in her eye.

“Bree” Chloe singingly said.

Aubrey looked hesitant, “Yes, Chlo?”

Chloe gave her a wicked smile, “Truth or dare?”

Aubrey knew that either choice she picked would not bode in her favor. She thought about it for a moment.

“Truth.”

Chloe pretended to be shocked, “Truth? I never would’ve guessed.”

Aubrey smiled and rolled her eyes, “Just get it over with already.”

“If you insist. Why don’t you have a girlfriend yet?”

The whole group seemed to go silent. Aubrey was as surprised by the question as much as everyone else.

Aubrey never confirmed or denied that she was into girls, and flirting with Stacie was the only thing she did to show signs of her being into girls. Stacie took that as a good sign and always assumed that Aubrey was into girls, but now it was about to be confirmed.

“Well, I don’t have a girlfriend yet because I have high standards. And because I have strict parents.”

Stacie was burning up in her seat. Aubrey was into girls! Now all she needed to do was become ‘Aubrey Posen’ standard. Maybe it wouldn’t be that hard, considering Aubrey flirted with her already. But flirting didn’t mean she wanted to date her. Stacie needed to up her game.

“Ok, Beca. Truth or dare?”

~

The group went through a few more rounds, everyone was slowly becoming bored of the game and started to retire one-by-one.

When the last person left, it was just Beca, Chloe, Aubrey, and Stacie sitting around the campfire.

“So, I’m going to help drunky over here-” Beca said while pointing at Chloe, “get into bed and get rid of the rest of the drunks.”

“Do you need any help?” Stacie asked.

Beca regarded her for a moment, “Nah, I’ll be good. You two have fun.” Beca got up while supporting Chloe and walked into the house.

Stacie turned to look at the blonde. Aubrey was currently looking at the fire in deep thought with her chin resting in her hand.

“Thinking about all those standards that one would need to date the magnificent Aubrey Posen?” Stacie asked while nudging her shoulder against the blonde’s.

Aubrey turned to look at the younger girl, still resting her head on her hand. Stacie thought she looked adorable.

“Maybe.”

Aubrey looked at her adoringly.

Stacie started to feel self-conscious under her gaze. “What?” she asked softly.

“Why don’t you have a girlfriend yet?” Aubrey asked just as quietly.

Maybe it was supposed to be a thought. Not something that Aubrey was supposed to say aloud, but it was an opening for Stacie to make a move. It was now or never.

Stacie turned her body, fully facing Aubrey. She was hesitant to tell her, but she knew that she would chicken out if she didn’t tell her now.

“Because you have strict parents.” It almost seemed like a question, but the truth gleamed in Stacie’s eyes.

Aubrey smiled brightly at her.

“Well, I think I can convince them otherwise. Especially with someone as amazing as you.”

“You think I’m amazing?” Stacie asked with a huge grin on her face.

“Of course. There’s so many things that make you amazing.”

Stacie had never felt as happy as she did in that moment. Aubrey thought she was amazing. The Aubrey Posen.

“I really want to kiss you right now.” Stacie stated.

“Then what are you waiting for?” Aubrey said while leaning towards the brunette.

Their kiss was slow and soft. Nothing like Stacie thought it would be.

She always imagined their first kiss to be hard and full of years of sexual tension built up, but this was so much better.

Stacie pulled back, keeping her forehead against Aubrey’s.

“Do you want to go on a date with me?”

“Yes”, was the only word that Aubrey got out before leaning back in.

#staubrey #stacie conrad #Stacie/Aubrey #aubrey posen #bechloe #beca mitchell #chloe beale #PP #pp3 #PP2 #Pitch Perfect #pitch perfect 2 #pitch perfect 3 #f/f #F/F romance #fluff

[katelides]

Good Or Bad Luck: Chapter 43

The group meets Stacie in the waiting room. The tall brunette lets out a relieved breath when she sees her best friend walking up to her. “Thank god you’re here.” She rushes out while wrapping the other brunette in a tight hug. “I don’t know what to do, or think…” Stacie whispers.

“Whoa, Stace, take a deep breath and let’s sit down, ok?” Beca leads her best friend towards some chairs in the room and makes her sit down. “When you feel up to it, start from the beginning, and tell me what’s going on.” Stacie takes a deep breath and tries to listen to her best friend but her fears keep taking over. What if the surgery went really bad and Aubrey is dead?

Beca notices the expressions on her best friend’s face change from bad to worse so she steps in. “Ok, Stace, Aubrey will be fine. I just need to know what has been said before, I know that you love her and that right now you’re scared, but she’s strong, and May would never let anything happen to her.”

Stacie manages to take a deep breath and looks up into her best friends eyes. “May came out after the surgery and it looked like something was wrong. She walked straight past me and when I tried to talk to her she just blew me off… I don’t know what to think… I’m scared Beca, I’m really scared.”

Beca tries to think of the right words to say but nothing seems to be right enough. She doesn’t really get much time because Chloe is rapidly tapping her on her shoulder, so she turns around and sees her girlfriend staring off in the distance, not stopping her tapping. This, of course, catches Stacie’s attention, so she looks back towards the place the redhead is looking and sees May standing at the desk, signing some papers.

Beca doesn’t get a chance to fully apprehend what's happening but before she knows it, she’s left sitting on the floor while her friends run off, and bombard their friend and doctor with millions of questions. The brunette gets up from the floor with help from Benji and Emily, and they make their way up to the three.

She can hear bits and pieces from the questions but doesn’t really catch a whole sentence.

“Stacie, Chloe…” Hearing Beca’s authoritative voice, the two stop talking instantly and awkwardly take a step back, quietly apologizing to May. “It’s alright girls. I understand. I shouldn’t have blown you off before either, I’m sorry.” May sighs slightly before taking a deep breath. “Anyway, I have news about Aubrey. She did great during the surgery, she’s back in her room and should be waking up soon.”

The news instantly puts a smile on Stacie’s face. “When can we see her?” Chloe asks, just as impatient as her best friend’s girlfriend. “You can go up to her room now, she’ll be glad to see you when you wake up,” May says when she steps aside to give her friends a free passage to the hospital rooms.

Beca hesitates slightly and lets her friends go first before turning back to May. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t really know you that well. But I do know Stacie, and if something is wrong and you’re not telling us, she’ll be devastated.” The brunette says calmly.

“I understand, but there is no need to worry. I blew Stacie off by accident before. There was something that had to be checked with our department in New York, and I was in a hurry. I promise you that the surgery went fine, now we just need to pray that the implant worked.” May explains.

Beca nods her head with a not so convincing smile but lets it go for now. “Why don’t you go see Aubrey as well? I’ll join you girls in a bit, I want to freshen up a bit first.” Beca agrees with the doctor and leaves in the same direction as her best friend and girlfriend went not too long ago.

-,-,-,-,-

It has been three hours since Aubrey was brought into her room. Beca had sent the ‘kids’ to the cafeteria and told them to hang out there for a while, and that she would come and get them when Aubrey would wake up.

Stacie has been alternating between pacing and sitting by the blonde’s side, gently squeezing her hand. Beca, on the other hand, was sitting in a corner, watching her best friend worry and her girlfriend trying to figure out what to say.

It’s almost four hours later when the first signs of Aubrey waking up are happening. Chloe and Stacie are instantly standing by her side, encouraging the blonde to wake up. Beca watches the two women for a moment and then decides to go get May.

It doesn’t take her long as she finds the doctor already walking up towards the room. “Hey Beca, how’s everyone doing?” She asks with a smile. “Everyone is fine, Aubrey is waking up as we speak, I think Stacie is helping her through it.”

May smiles warmly and looks over Beca’s shoulder at the door. “You should go in there, I’m going to warn the kids that she’s waking up,” Beca says with a smile of her own, before walking away towards the stairs that would lead her to Emily and Benji.

Beca finds the two love birds almost instantly somewhere in the back of the cafeteria, holding hands and quietly talking to each other. She makes her way towards them and clears her throat when she reaches the table. “Aubrey is waking up.” She says slightly louder than a whisper. “How is she?” Benji asks. “Not sure yet, we’ll find out once she’s fully awake.”

“Can we go see her?” Emily asks carefully. “Sure, but we need to make sure we don’t overwhelm her while we are in there.” The teenagers quickly agree and then get up to follow Beca up to Aubrey’s room.

When the three are about to reach the room, Stacie almost storms out with a huff, Chloe following her soon after with a worried expression. Beca doesn’t hesitate and straight out walks up to them. “What happened?” She asks Chloe. “Aubrey kicked us out of the room. That’s what happened.” Stacie answers instead, with a sour look on her face.

Looking at Chloe for something more of an explanation, but no luck. “Alright, Stace, maybe she just needed to talk to May for a moment.” Beca tries to calm down her best friend but to no avail. “What can be so difficult that I would not be able to understand it, huh? I bet something happened during the surgery and they’re just not telling us.” Stacie spits back angrily.

Beca wants to jump in and try to convince her best friend that it isn’t true but gets beaten to it by May. “The surgery went just fine, Stacie. It’s the implant that worries her, she’s worried about what would happen if it doesn’t work.” The raven-haired woman quickly explains. “I told her that with or without the implant she would most likely walk again. The implant should, in the best case scenario, stimulate her muscles to help her regain her mobility faster. This implant is still in its beginning stages so we’re not even sure if it will actually work.”

Stacie takes in a deep breath, trying to figure out what she could say to Aubrey when she goes back inside. Yet nothing seems to sound right in her head. “I uh I need to talk to her. To tell her everything will be alright.” The tallest brunette doesn’t even seem to acknowledge her friends around her. She walks around them, straight into the room.

Aubrey looks up from her phone when Stacie enters. The blonde slouches back into her pillow, not really feeling up to having a confrontation about her feelings. Stacie instantly notices the movement and the facial expression on her girlfriend’s face and lets out a heavy sigh. “Bree, can we please talk?”

Stacie takes a hesitant step closer to the bed but stops when she doesn’t get an answer. “Please, we need to be able to talk about this.” The brunette's voice is on the brink of being desperate. “There is nothing to say. I might walk again. I might never walk again. We knew that before the surgery, so nothing has changed.” Aubrey says, in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

“Give it some time Bree. You will start physiotherapy again and maybe the implant will start wo-“ Stacie gets cut off by a heavy sigh. “I’m not sure if…” Stacie notices a tear rolling down her girlfriend’s cheek. She instantly rushes to the blonde’s side and grabs her hand. “Babe, I promise that no matter, whatever happens, I’ll always be by your side. We will make it through.”

“N-no, y-you can’t promise that,” Aubrey says, trying to hold in her tears. “What? Of course, I can. I love you Aubrey, and I will never leave you.” Aubrey can hear the sincerity in Stacie's voice, but something still doesn’t let her believe it. “I appreciate it Stacie but…” After taking a deep breath she continues. “ I think that maybe it’s best for us to take some time apart, and figure out what we need… Whom we need.”

Stacie lets go of Aubrey’s hand in shock. “Wait, a-are yo-, are you breaking up with me?” She asks, her knees trembling as she takes a step backward. “I don’t know what we’re doing Stacie, I can’t give you the life you deserve and I’d rather figure things out on my own, instead of stringing you along in false hope.”

The last words broke something in Stacie, nothing in the world could have ever hurt her more than this moment. She just stares at the blonde, not knowing what to say. It takes her a few minutes to figure out what she could say but it feels like hours. “If that’s what you want then fine, but I am not giving up on us. I’ll give you your space but I will never give up on our love.”

Not really giving Aubrey another chance to say something about it, Stacie leaves the room where she’s met with five worried faces. “I uh, I need to go.” She quickly mutters before rushing off and disappearing down the stairs. Beca and Chloe share a look and know what they have to do.

Chloe rushes into her best friend’s hospital room, while Beca runs towards the direction her best friend went to. The brunette comes back a few minutes later when she realizes she left Benji and Emily by the door. “Sorry, I got worried and forgot that-“ Benji cuts her off with a laugh. “Don’t worry, we’ll wait here for Chloe, now go after Stacie, she needs you.” Beca doesn’t need to be told twice and rushes down the stairs.

-,-,-,-,-,-

Chloe stares at her best friend, not sure whether she should be angry with her, or try and comfort hurt. The redhead is extremely confused about everything as she watches her friend cry her eyes out. “Can you tell me what happened?” She asks gently. Aubrey nods her head as she tries to wipe away her tears.

The redhead slowly makes way towards the bed and sits down next to her. “Bree, I know you love her and that’s why I need to know what just happened in here.” The slight pressure Chloe puts on her friend, helps her open up.

“I uh, I think I just broke up with her.” Aubrey manages to choke out with great difficulty. “What?!” Chloe all but shouts. “What do you mean? You mean the world to her. Why would you do that? Did she say something? Or-“

“Chloe!”

The redhead instantly stops talking and looks down at her feet in embarrassment. “Sorry, I got carried away.” She meekly apologizes. “Don’t worry about it Chlo. I get it. But there is no way I’m changing my mind.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Chloe takes her best friend’s hand and gives it a squeeze. “I get that you’re scared about what will happen but you also need to understand that Stacie worries about you too. She loves you so very much, and I haven’t seen anyone make you this happy, ever.”

Aubrey knows her best friend is right, but yet she still has a very bad feeling about this surgery. “I do understand Chlo. That’s why I need to take a step back and figure things out on my own. I don’t want to put this pressure on her. I need her to find happiness with someone who can take her on those long walks she loves. The adventures she has been dreaming about. And she can’ t do that with a significant other in a wheelchair. We haven’t had sex since the accident, and we both know how she is, I can’t keep denying this for her.”

Chloe listens intently to her best friends words and gently shakes her head. “She would give up sex if it meant being with you, I just hope that you’ll be able to see it eventually,” Chloe says after a few minutes.

The girls stay quiet. Each thinking of different things. Aubrey about how she would get her stuff out of Stacie’s apartment. While Chloe is hoping that Beca’s conversation with Stacie has a better outcome than this one.

I DO NOT OWN PITCH PERFECT!

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#fanfiction #fanfic #bechloe #staubrey #beca and chloe #beca mitchell #chloe beale #stacie conrad #aubrey posen #bemily #benji applebaum #emily junk #good or bad luck