Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect, any of the characters, or any songs mentioned!
"My father will be watching."
The words came out barely above a whisper. Aubrey wandered aimlessly from the door to the window and then back again. She hadn't been able to sit still in hours, not since the phone call from her father. Much to Aubrey's surprise, he had decided that he would be watching the ICCA performance on television that night. Aubrey's hands began to shake as she felt the pressure to win surge through her for the dozenth time that day. Her stomach lurched. She was far too ashamed to admit it to Chloe, but she had already vomited a little bit about an hour ago. Silently cursing herself for having such a disgustingly inconvenient nervous habit, she placed a hesitant hand on her stomach until the wave of nausea passed.
Aubrey could not recall a time at which her father hadn't dismissed the arts as completely useless. She had always found herself drawn to them as a therapeutic hobby, but her father had other ideas. She still sorely recalled the time he made her quit theater club in high school to study more for the SAT. Naturally, all of her acapella endeavors at college so far had gone ignored. She hoped that maybe the ICCAs would change his mind if the Bellas won.
Chloe looked up from her phone to find Aubrey pacing their hotel room nervously yet again. Something about her had been off all day, but not wanting to upset her before the big ICCA performance, Chloe hadn't pressed the issue. Upon hearing the blonde's barely audible confession, her heart dropped. Aubrey truly feared her father, and every time Chloe thought about it, she wanted to cry for her. "Is that what's been bothering you?" she inquired softly.
Aubrey nodded in response. "I don't know what made him change his mind, but he called me earlier to tell me that he will be watching it on television. He has never even heard me sing before."
Chloe rose from her bed and made her way over to her shaking friend to give her a gentle hug. "Please don't worry. You're gonna be great," she whispered, stroking a lock of blonde hair.
"But we have to win. If we don't win, he... he won't be—"
"Shhh, Aubrey." Chloe squeezed her tighter. "Of course we're going to win! But please, don't even think about it. You'll stress yourself out."
"Okay," Aubrey sighed weakly. She finally gave into Chloe's embrace and hugged her back, reveling in her comforting warmth.
"I love you, Bree." Chloe's fingers drew lazy circles against the fabric of Aubrey's shirt. "You'll be fine, and I'll be there with you the whole way."
"I love you too."
"Cut that gay shit out," barked a voice from outside the door. Chloe frowned, recognizing the voice as Alice, the cruel leader of the Bellas. "We're leaving now. We have to get there in time for hair and makeup."
"Don't listen to Alice," Chloe whispered, rolling her eyes. "Come on, let's go win!"
Aubrey untangled herself from Chloe and grabbed their bags off of the floor between the beds. She handed Chloe hers, and then they left the room, joining the other Bellas in the hall. As they all stood outside waiting on their bus, Aubrey felt like her stomach was in knots. She couldn't mess this up, not when her father had finally agreed to watch a performance. Chloe reached over and gave her hand a subtle, reassuring squeeze. But Aubrey still couldn't shake her bad feeling about the upcoming performance.
The number started off strongly, exactly as they had rehearsed so many times before. "I got a new life. You would hardly recognize me. I'm so glad," Alice began, beaming confidently at the audience.
Although the routine was going along exactly as planned, Aubrey's anxiety intensified underneath her confident stage persona. Her solo was coming up incredibly fast. If I mess up, everyone will hate me, she thought. It was true, though, wasn't it? Here she was, front and center on stage. The Bellas would undoubtedly lose if she messed up even just a little bit. She would be letting everyone down on national television, and, worst of all, her father would see. Her stomach lurched at the thought.
"How could a person like me care for you? Why do I bother when you're not the one for me?" This was it: her signal to take the microphone. Putting on a bright, fake smile, she locked her arm with Alice's. The brunette handed her the microphone while they were spinning around.
"Is enough enough?" Aubrey sang as she began to bounce across the stage, just like in rehearsal. "I saw the sign, and it opened up my eyes. I am happy now living without you. I've left you all alone. I saw the sign, and it opened up my eyes." So far, so good.
Aubrey happened to catch a glimpse of the camera, reminding her that this event was being broadcast to the whole country, including a certain sour Mr. Posen, who was undoubtedly judging her every move from the comfort of her childhood home. "I saw the—" Aubrey stopped abruptly, never finishing the line. Her stomach lurched again, more powerfully this time, and suddenly, she, the stage, and the entire first few center rows in the audience were covered in sticky orange projectile vomit. A shocked silence fell over the whole auditorium. Alice gasped, and a few of the other Bellas retched at the sight. Chloe was staring open-mouthed at her, unsure of what to do.
"Whoa!" gasped John, one of the commentators.
"No!" added Gail, his female counterpart.
"Holy..."
"Thisis a surprise!" exclaimed Gail. "Now this is how you bring some excitement to the International Championship of Collegiate Acapella."
"She had a week's worth of lunch and lost it!" snickered John.
"Well, she didn't lose it," Gail corrected. "We know where it is. It's all over the third row!" The two commentators howled with laughter.
"I'm so sorry," Aubrey whimpered. "I—" Before she could finish, she doubled over and puked again. Bent over at the edge of the stage, she noticed that someone near the front of the audience had pulled out their phone to record her misery. A few tears escaped, adding only further embarrassment.
Chloe pushed past Alice and ran to Aubrey. Hearing hurried footsteps behind her, Aubrey figured that it was Alice coming to kill her, which honestly did not seem like such a horrible fate at the moment. Instead, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked up into Chloe's concerned blue eyes.
"Aubrey, honey, what happened?"
"I-I don't know..."
"I'm getting you out of here. Come on, let's go back to the hotel and clean you up." She grabbed Aubrey's hand and dragged her off-stage. Aubrey walked with her head down, not wanting to face the other Bellas' icy stares.
"Thanks for being a huge fucking failure!" screeched Alice as she ran backstage after the two. "You're a disgrace to the Bellas and to the entire world of acapella, Posen."
Chloe came to an abrupt stop, causing Aubrey to stumble slightly. She turned around, looked her captain dead in the eyes, and hissed, "Shut the fuck up, Alice."
Stunned that sweet, bubbly Chloe would speak to her in such a manner, Alice said nothing more as Chloe left the stage with Aubrey. Chloe grabbed their bags and called a taxi to take them back to the hotel. As they stood outside and waited, Chloe rubbed Aubrey's back soothingly. Aubrey didn't speak, or even look at her. Too ashamed to lift her head, Aubrey's gaze was fixed firmly on the ground. Her thoughts raced. I'm a failure. My father saw that. No one will ever respect me again. It's over, it's all over.
After what seemed like a lifetime, the taxi finally came. As they settled into the back seat, Chloe reached over to take Aubrey's hand again. Aubrey glanced down at their hands. "Why aren't you angry too?"
"You didn't mean to mess up, Aubrey."
"But I made us lose."
"You had an accident." She gently stroked the back of Aubrey's hand with her thumb. "Nobody's perfect."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"It's going to be okay."
Once they made it back to the hotel room, Chloe immediately turned on the shower and helped Aubrey out of her vomit-coated clothes. They were beyond saving, so she simply tossed the entire outfit minus the heels in the trash, feeling a bit sorry for housekeeping. She took all of the pins out of Aubrey's hair, letting it fall freely down her back.
"A nice, hot shower will make you feel so much better. Go get in. I'll set out your toothbrush and mouthwash and bring you some fresh clothes, okay?"
Aubrey nodded and got in the shower. Chloe scrubbed her hands at the sink, then left to grab Aubrey's toothbrush and pajamas. She brought them back to the bathroom and set them on the counter. Ever so faintly, through the dull roar of the shower, she could hear the sound of Aubrey sobbing. Her heart sank. Sure, she was upset about losing, but above all, she couldn't stand for Aubrey to be so upset and embarrassed over an accident, something she couldn't even control.
"Are you still okay in there?" she called softly. Aubrey quickly tried to quiet her sobbing.
"Yes."
"Good." Chloe left, pulling the bathroom door shut behind herself to give the other girl some privacy.
After changing out of her own Bellas uniform, Chloe decided to go down to the vending machine to get Aubrey something to settle her stomach. She decided on some water and a package of plain crackers. Snacks in hand, she turned around to leave and found herself face-to-face with none other than a seething Alice.
"You'd better tell your stupid girlfriend—"
"Not tonight," Chloe said simply, stepping around the angry brunette.
"Aca-scuse you! I am your captain—"
Chloe cut Alice off again and pressed the button for the elevator. "Alice, seriously, not tonight."
"Fine, but this isn't over," Alice hissed, reluctantly letting Chloe go.
Aubrey sat curled up on the shower floor. Normally, she found hotel bathrooms disgusting, but in this case, she was too upset to care. Although she had washed all of the vomit off of herself, she still felt filthy with shame. She was a failure. Countless thoughts raced through her mind. Did Chloe really think it was okay that she made such an awful mistake, or was she secretly angry with her too? She knew she was going to have to face the rest of the Bellas eventually, and the idea was nearly enough to make her sick again. They would all berate her for making them lose, and Alice would call her names she didn't even feel comfortable repeating in the privacy of her own mind. I deserve it, she thought. I deserve all of this.
Above all, what would her father say? She couldn't believe he had seen her complete and utter failure. All she wanted was to hear him say that he was proud of her, that he loved her, but he wasn't going to. Aubrey tried to recall a time when he had ever, but she couldn't; she had never been good enough. The year she had done theater club in high school, he didn't go to a single one of her plays. He had been upset with her for graduating salutatorian because it was "only second best." He didn't care when she got a full scholarship to Barden because she had gotten rejected at all of the Ivies. He didn't think it was an accomplishment that she had maintained a 4.0 for three years so far in college. Tonight had been her only chance to get him to care about anything she did outside of going to class and getting A's, and she quite literally blew it. She had never been good enough, and now she never would be. The thought brought hot tears to her eyes once more, but she blinked them away. She would have to get out of the shower soon, and she didn't want Chloe to see that she had been crying.
The water had begun to run cold, so Aubrey got out and dried off. She got dressed and brushed her teeth. Aubrey had never been so relieved to wash out her mouth. Before leaving the bathroom, she made sure her eyes were dry.
"There you are!" Chloe looked up from her phone, smiling warmly. "I thought it was important for you to have some water, so I got you some from the vending machine. I got some plain crackers too in case you needed something to settle your stomach."
"Thanks." Aubrey took the bottle of water off of the nightstand and drank some. She then opened up the little packet of crackers and took out two.
"Are you feeling any better at all?" Chloe inquired hopefully.
"No." Aubrey peeled back the blankets on her bed, secretly hoping that Chloe would sense that she needed to be held but far too embarrassed to actually ask. Before climbing into bed, however, she decided to charge her phone. When she retrieved it from her bag, she noticed that she had a voice mail from her father. All of the color immediately drained from her face.
"Bree? What's wrong?"
With a trembling hand, Aubrey pressed play and held the phone up to her ear. She felt bile rising up in her stomach yet again, but she swallowed hard, trying her best to contain herself. Aubrey whimpered softly as her father's gruff voice thundered through the speaker. His message was short and simple, but the venom with which he delivered it chilled Aubrey to the bone.
"If at first you don't succeed, pack your bags."
The phone landed unceremoniously on the floor with a muffled thud as Aubrey started to cry. She didn't even care anymore that Chloe would see. It really was all over now. Chloe gasped and jumped up off of her bed, rushing over to her friend.
"C-Chloe, I really m-messed up," Aubrey managed to choke out through sobs.
"Is it your dad, honey?"
Aubrey nodded. Chloe gently guided her to bed, quickly blinking away her own tears. Although they had been friends for nearly three years, she had never seen Aubrey cry like this before, and it was heartbreaking. Aubrey climbed in and curled up into a ball. The redhead slipped in behind her and embraced her with her whole body. She could feel Aubrey shaking against her as she cried. Chloe sat up and pulled a few tissues from the box on the nightstand, then handed them to Aubrey. She also pressed a soft kiss to Aubrey's forehead before settling back down in bed with her.
"He said, 'If at first you don't succeed, pack your bags,'" Aubrey whispered, drying her eyes. She rolled over to face the other girl. "C-Chloe..."
Chloe frowned. How could Mr. Posen say that? How could he so easily get rid of Aubrey like she was nothing? Chloe couldn't even begin to imagine life without her favorite blonde. Although Chloe had never met Mr. Posen, she suddenly felt overwhelmed with hatred for him and his disgusting treatment of Aubrey. It was a new feeling for her; she had always tried to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. But he didn't deserve it. Hoping desperately that Aubrey wouldn't start crying again, Chloe propped herself up with one arm and looped the other around Aubrey's waist. "I'm so sorry."
"What am I going to do?" Aubrey sniffled. "I'm such a failure."
"An accident doesn't make you a failure."
"I made us lose the ICCAs and embarrassed myself and you and all of the other Bellas on national television. I'm a failure."
"But we never would have even made it to the ICCAs in the first place without you."
Aubrey cuddled even closer to Chloe but said nothing, save for the occasional whimper whenever the tears threatened to return. As Chloe tried to process the night's events, she lightly stroked Aubrey's blonde curls. She had never seen Aubrey look so hurt and afraid, and she couldn't stand it. Chloe wished desperately that there was some way, any way, to make her feel even just a little bit better.
"For you, there'll be no more crying," Chloe began to sing softly, going with the first idea that popped into her head. "For you, the sun will be shining. And I feel that when I'm with you, it's alright. I know it's right."
Aubrey joined her hand with Chloe's, lacing their fingers together.
"To you, I'll give the world," Chloe continued. "To you, I'll never be cold, 'cause when I feel that when I'm with you, it's alright. I know it's right."
Tears began to well in Aubrey's eyes yet again, but this time, they weren't due to sadness and shame. She smiled weakly. Chloe was adorable.
"And the songbirds are singing like they know the score. And I love you, I love you, I love you, like never before!" Chloe finished, giving Aubrey's hand a gentle squeeze.
"Chloe..." Overcome with emotion, Aubrey leaned in and closed the tiny gap between her lips and Chloe's. Chloe kissed back, treasuring the sweetness of the moment. Although they weren't an official couple due to Aubrey's fear of her father's reaction, this was not the first time they had ever kissed each other. After breaking the initial kiss to catch her breath, Aubrey leaned in again for more and more. Chloe deepened her kisses as she ran her free hand down Aubrey's back. Her fingertips played with the hem of Aubrey's shirt, tickling the skin underneath.
"Let me take care of you," Chloe breathed, breaking away from a particularly heated kiss. "I could help you forget about tonight for a little while."
Aubrey suddenly felt Chloe groping her ass. Although they loved kissing and lying in bed together, sex was still uncharted territory for them. It was something that Aubrey had always hoped they'd do at some point but at the same time, feared, as it would inevitably change their relationship. But tonight was different. Tonight she craved Chloe's touch—in any form possible—and the idea of such a distraction seemed highly appealing. Anything to keep her from having to think about the night's events, even just for a little while. Plus, without her father in the picture, there was far less to fear about finally giving into her feelings for her friend.
"Or we can just keep cuddling if you don't want me to," Chloe offered, sensing Aubrey's hesitation.
"No, I want you to," Aubrey said finally. "Please, I need this."
"Okay, Bree. Just relax." Chloe captured Aubrey's lips again, this time allowing her hand to slip underneath her shirt. She lovingly stroked the smooth skin of Aubrey's stomach as her hand made its way upwards, taking great delight in the fact that Aubrey wasn't wearing a bra. The blonde gasped softly as Chloe suddenly rolled her over onto her back and grabbed her breasts, rubbing them and kneading them. She closed her eyes, reveling in the sensation.
"Mmm, Chloe..."
"I'm going to make you feel so good," Chloe promised. She made quick work of Aubrey's shirt and pinned her to the bed, leaning in to press hot kisses to her neck and collarbone. Aubrey moaned as Chloe's lips connected with a particularly sensitive spot near her left shoulder. Pleased with this reaction, Chloe lightly nipped the same spot, causing Aubrey to cry out again. "You like that?"
"Yes!" Aubrey moaned, wrapping her arms around Chloe and gripping fistfuls of her shirt.
"Good." Chloe continued to work her way down Aubrey's body, leaving kisses and love bites in her path. After making her way down to the waistband of Aubrey's shorts, Chloe spent a moment truly taking in the other girl's beauty. Over the course of their friendship, she had seen Aubrey in every state of undress imaginable, but she had never been able to study her body like this before. Her eyes traveled down the blonde's exposed top half. She noted the gentle rise and fall of Aubrey's bare chest and how it quickened depending on how she touched her. She loved that Aubrey's breasts fit perfectly into her hands when she cupped them. And, looking down at Aubrey's nearly naked body, she particularly appreciated all the extra time Aubrey had been spending in the gym over the past couple of months. Chloe repositioned herself so that she was lying next to her once more.
"What's wrong?" Aubrey asked, concerned.
"Nothing. I just think you look so beautiful right now." Chloe reached down and started to stroke the inside of one of Aubrey's thighs. "And I wanted to kiss you some more."
"Oh." Aubrey blushed. She was suddenly quite aware of Chloe's hand inching farther and farther up her thigh. "Um, thank you."
Chloe smiled at how cute Aubrey was being and leaned into kiss her once again. Her hand finally met its target. Aubrey moaned softly as Chloe began to rub her through the thin fabric of her shorts. Chloe started off in slow, light circles but steadily increased her pace and intensity until she could feel dampness spreading beneath her fingertips. Aubrey raised her hips, desperately trying to press her center harder against Chloe's hand. After what seemed like an eternity to Aubrey, Chloe slipped her hand underneath the shorts. Chloe's fingertips explored Aubrey's soft folds, sliding over her clit and teasing her entrance. Writhing with pleasure, Aubrey moaned into Chloe's mouth. Thanks to Chloe's skilled hands, she could barely even form a coherent thought. This was exactly what she needed.
"Oh m-my God, Chloe!" gasped Aubrey.
"Mmm, you're soaked." Chloe pulled her hand away, causing the other girl to whimper in protest. She licked the thick coating of Aubrey's arousal off of her fingers. "And you taste so good."
"Shorts off," Aubrey begged breathlessly. "Please."
Chloe was more than happy to oblige. She pulled both Aubrey's shorts and underwear down at the same time, admiring the blonde's long legs in the process. They had always been one of Chloe's favorite parts of Aubrey's body. Situating herself between them, she pressed hurried kisses to the inside of Aubrey's thigh, eager to taste her again. Hot pressure was quickly building low in Aubrey's core, causing her to ache with desire. Just when she thought she couldn't stand it any longer, Chloe's mouth finally made it to where she needed it most. Aubrey had long since forgotten that they were in a hotel and therefore had neighbors on the other side of the thin wall. She shamelessly screamed Chloe's name as the redhead dragged her tongue across her clit. Chloe began to trace lines over Aubrey's clit with her tongue, some soft, some rough. At first, Aubrey couldn't gather her thoughts long enough to figure out what shape the pattern was supposed to be, but she soon realized it was hearts.
"Don't stop!" moaned Aubrey, unable to keep her hips still. Chloe tightened her grip to steady her.
For once, Aubrey's mind was not on the humiliating incident from earlier that evening. Now, all she could concentrate on was the pleasure Chloe's mouth was bringing her. Panting heavily, Aubrey knew she was on the edge. She needed this. After the kind of night she'd had, she desperately craved the state of euphoria an orgasm would bring her.
Chloe could also tell Aubrey was nearing climax. She changed the pattern and direction of her strokes, causing the blonde to inhale sharply. Chloe tried her best not to smile, but it was difficult because she adored the little sounds Aubrey made. Although the circumstances surrounding the night were far from ideal, Chloe was excited to have reached this level with Aubrey. She slid a couple of fingers inside of her, working up a quick, steady rhythm. Once she felt Aubrey tighten around her fingers, she glowed with pride at a job well done.
"Chloe, I-I'm gonna- Oh my God!" Aubrey cried, grabbing at Chloe and the sheets as her orgasm hit. Her mind went numb as warm pleasure pulsed throughout her body. Chloe pulled away to get a good look at her, delighted that the pain on her face was gone for once this evening. As Aubrey caught her breath, Chloe settled back down in bed with her, cuddling into her side.
"That was amazing," whispered Aubrey, wrapping an arm around Chloe.
"Good." Chloe kissed Aubrey's cheek tenderly. "You needed it."
"I'll get the chance to return the favor, right?"
"Of course. Oh, wait a second." Chloe sat up and gathered Aubrey's clothes from the foot of the bed. "You might want these since this is a hotel bed, after all."
"Good call." Aubrey got dressed, and then the two cuddled up again. The blonde was quiet for a moment, content just to revel in Chloe's embrace. "Thank you, Chloe," she said finally. "For everything. Please help me deal with everyone tomorrow."
"Absolutely. I loved telling Alice to shut the fuck up." Chloe giggled at the memory, bringing a small smile to Aubrey's face. "Get some rest, okay, Bree? You've had a long night. I'll be right here if you need me."
"Goodnight. I love you."
"I love you too."