'Mamihlapinatapai': a look shared by two people, each wishing that the other would initiate something they both desire but which neither want to begin.
Based on a tumblr post at post/121379532690
Aubrey watches, because that's what she is good at. Running the retreat, turning misfit employees into power teams, that is what she excels at. She knows how to bring the best out in people, and how to get them to face their fears.
Not many people are aware exactly how much she picks up when watching people; it's not generally a skill she tends to share with others. She realizes her forceful nature can put people on guard around her, yet she can watch someone to see under the cover and understand what they really feel. It's a skill that allowed her business to be more successful than she'd dared hope for in the first few months of opening the retreat.
She does dial back watching when she's around friends, lets herself relax (as much as she can, at any rate).
That is, unless Chloe's around.
Chloe's her best friend, and she's always felt particularly protective of her. It's hard to find someone as bright and bubbly and carefree as Chloe, and Aubrey loves that about her best friend. Their personalities offset each other, and Aubrey's always aware of who's around Chloe, and how they treat her. She thinks of Chloe like a sister, and honestly, Chloe's really the only family she has – it's been a long time since she spent any meaningful time with her actual family.
Aubrey was delighted when Chloe called last week, wanting to come to the retreat with the Bella's. She's not exactly delighted by the circumstances, because even though she's been out of the Bella's for a few years, she still cares a little too much about the group and wants them to succeed. But the thought of seeing Chloe again thrills her, because she misses her best friend.
She maintains composure as the Bella's trickle off the van, but grins to see Chloe. She's even happy to see Beca. And she's happy to know that she gets to spend the next two days with her friends, helping them to become a cohesive group again.
Yet as always when Chloe's around, she subconsciously becomes more observant, more aware, and more perceptive.
Which makes it pretty hard to miss the hard core toner between Chloe and Beca, even when they're not even aware of it.
The first time Aubrey notices, she is leading the Bella's through their first team building exercise. She stands with her arms crossed, a slight smirk on her face, as she watches the girls navigate along 'The Log'. She really likes this particular activity for its simplicity – all it requires is the group to stand on the log in a row, and are given a directive to reorganize themselves in a particular order. However, it requires focus, communication, and trust.
Right now, Aubrey has the girls arranging themselves in order of their birthdays. The girls are trying to work out who needs to go where, and how to safely get past each other.
Since it is her job to observe, Aubrey can't help but notice how hard Beca's trying not to touch anyone. This comes as no surprise to Aubrey; in all the years she's known Beca, the brunette's never been particularly touchy. She was semi surprised that Beca reached out for a hug this morning after getting off the van, although wasn't complaining – she wouldn't say they were best friends, but she's definitely closer to Beca than she used to be, through many group Skype calls with Chloe and a few visits over the summers.
Chloe, however, is an enigma that managed to break through Beca's walls. Break through may even be an understatement; barrelling through with the force of a blunt object is more like it. Chloe managed to get past Beca's inability to get close to people, and created a friendship that has each of them needing the other equally. She recalls the last group Skype call the three of them had had (too long ago, in Aubrey's opinion, before she'd even opened the retreat) and remembers how she'd observed Beca casually throw her arm around the redhead's shoulders as they were laughing about some joke Chloe had made.
It's Chloe's turn to switch spots with Beca on the log, and Aubrey watches with interest as Chloe wraps her arms around Beca to maintain balance. Beca awkwardly brings her arms up, trying not to touch Chloe as they rotate around.
Emily's back is to them, and Aubrey bites her lip as she watches the younger girl bump Chloe's shoulder.
"Oh!" Chloe gasps softly as she starts to slip, but before Aubrey can blink, Beca's arms are tightening protectively around her, anchoring the woman to her.
"I've got you, Chlo," Beca says quietly, and brings her eyes up to meet Chloe's. Chloe smiles at her, and their gazes lock.
It's intense, and Aubrey almost feels like she's intruding, and then Emily shrieks as she nearly slips off the log again. The sharp cry snaps Beca and Chloe back to the present, and Beca's arms drop back to her sides. Chloe grins at her, and then turns to the next Bella in line.
Later that morning, the Bella's are on top of the water tower. Aubrey is particularly fond of the water tower, because even she has a blast going down the water slides, and it's a huge selling point to a lot of Fortune 500 companies to bring their teams here.
Aubrey's standing at the top of the tower, her upper arm lightly brushing Chloe's. They're watching Lily shoot down the zip line, braid streaming in the air and her mouth open in a silent scream. Beca's lined up to go next, and Aubrey's secretly pleased to see Beca bite her lip nervously.
"You'll be great, Beca, have fun!" Chloe tells her with a grin, and Beca turns her head back. She meets Chloe's eye and they pause for a moment. Aubrey observes them subtly, seeing the hidden communication in their eyes.
"Yeah, Beca!" comes a cheer from the other Bella's, making the moment pass like a butterfly.
Beca nods at Chloe, gives a sarcastic smirk to the others, and takes off down the zip line. Chloe lets out a slight sigh, watching the brunette zoom away, and turns to Aubrey.
"Still have feelings for her, huh?" Aubrey asks with a soft smile. She's all too aware of Chloe's unrequited feelings, finally admitted by Chloe over many phone calls and Skype sessions the past few years. It makes Aubrey feel frustrated that Chloe won't tell Beca how she feels, but then again she respects her friend and tries not to push her too much – the last thing she wants to do is upset Chloe.
Chloe rolls her eyes. "Of course. Could there be anyone else?"
Aubrey smirks, but also feels a pang of compassion for her friend. Unrequited feelings can really suck, and she does care for Chloe. She wants her friend to be happy. She wonders to herself if it might be time that she steps in somehow.
That is if a good opportunity ever arises without any interruptions. And with the Bella's around, that's not an easy thing.
That afternoon, even as Beca and Chloe shout at each other, and Beca admits to hiding the fact she's been interning at a record label the past school year, Aubrey can see how the two care for each other. Aubrey gets validation of this when Beca is caught in the bear trap – something she tries to warn her about, but of course the brunette didn't listen.
Rather than panic, Aubrey sees the moment as a perfect team building exercise. She considers helping for a moment when she realizes Beca must be scared of heights, particularly as the trap drops a few inches, but then Chloe's organizing the group and trying to work out the best way to get Beca from the trap, so Aubrey steps back.
Chloe needn't have bothered, since Lily chooses that moment to reveal the knives she's been packing, and Aubrey has the fleeting thought of possibly renting a metal detector for the next time the Bella's come to the retreat.
Aubrey calls to the girls that they can take a short break, but stays close as she sees Chloe extend a hand to Beca and helps the girl to her feet.
"Thanks," Beca says, dusting her hands off. She glances around as the other Bella's drift away, and Aubrey pulls out her phone to appear busy.
"Chloe, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my internship," Beca says softly, and Aubrey has to strain to hear. "It was shitty of me to keep that from you, you're my best friend. I just didn't want to disappoint you by not being as focused on the worlds."
"Beca, you could never disappoint me," Chloe replies with an easy smile, reaching out to touch Beca lightly on the arm. "I'm sorry for being so crazy about the Worlds. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you enough to talk to me, I know I've been a handful lately. I'm just scared for the Bella's."
"I know," Beca says. "We're going to be fine though, we'll make it through. I promise I'll be more checked in now, okay? I'm here for you, Chloe."
Chloe beams, and Beca grins back. Chloe still has her hand on Beca's arm, and their eyes lock on each other. There's a myriad of emotions passing through their gaze, and Aubrey holds her breath, curious to what they will do next.
However, in usual Bella fashion, the rest of the girls inadvertently interrupt the moment.
"Aubrey, we need some marshmallows at this camp fire tonight!" Amy shouts from the picnic bench where the rest of the girls have gathered, and the noise is enough to make Chloe and Beca pull apart.
Aubrey internally groans, and as she heads over to join the rest of the girls, she mentally asks herself how she's managed to get so emotionally invested in her best friend and Bella's captain.
If those two don't do something about their toners soon, then she's going to be forced to step in.
Aubrey watches, because that's what she is good at. Running the retreat, turning misfit employees into power teams, that is what she excels at. She knows how to bring the best out in people, and how to get them to face their fears.
She figures she'll be able to put her skills to work again this evening.
Because frankly, she's getting tired of having to force herself not to roll her eyes each time she sees Beca and Chloe looking at each other. She dealt with it all day, and this evening is no different. The Bella's are all around the campfire, and Chloe and Beca keep meeting each other's gaze,
She's semi-surprised that the two women never ended up jumping each other in the past three years; then again, she's surprised that Beca's been dating Jesse for this long. She never pegged Beca to be the type to maintain a long term relationship, although the way Chloe would describe how Beca didn't reach out for Jesse's affection much when they spoke on the phone, gave Aubrey the idea that he was more of a safety net for the brunette.
She watches shrewdly through the flickering campfire as Beca and Chloe locked eyes when they finish singing the Cup song. She watches them smile, soft and special, and Aubrey almost feels like she's intruding in the moment.
Almost.
Her need to meddle and make the situation better is greater than her need to respect their privacy.
She can read Chloe like a book. She's known that Chloe has had feelings for Beca ever since she stepped into the brunette's shower. She also knows that Chloe honestly believes Beca doesn't feel the same, which is why she's never said anything. Aubrey's endured many phone calls over the past few years listening to Chloe lament over her unrequited feelings.
Aubrey considers, for a moment, what she should do.
And then Amy gets caught in a bear trap.
This put a hold on any planning, as the girls figure out how to lower the trap and get Amy free. They laugh about it, and Aubrey glows with pride. The girls are a solid group and are working together, and Aubrey was part of making that happen.
Eventually, when Amy was free of the net, and the s'mores supplies run low, the girls began drifting off to bed. Aubrey remains at the fire, Chloe at her side, sharing stories of their past year. Because even though they talk on the phone every few days, Aubrey misses Chloe, like really misses having her best friend around. Skype and cell phones aren't the same, so she relishes the time she has to hang out with her friend.
That is, until the perfect opportunity arises.
Chloe stretches, and announces to the few that are left – Aubrey, Beca, Emily, and Stacie – that she needs the bathroom. Stacie immediately volunteers to be her buddy, and after a quick glare and tilt of the head from Aubrey, Emily jumps up to go. Aubrey smirks a little. She still has the magic touch, making new Bella's respond to her without needing to say a word.
Not wanting to risk losing a moment alone with Beca, Aubrey asks her about the internship. Beca starts to talk about the different people she works with, but Aubrey's only half listening.
"Okay Beca, I want to talk to you," Aubrey breaks in when she's positive Chloe is out of earshot.
Beca's eyes raise, and she nods at Aubrey to continue.
Aubrey considers her words carefully. "I know this past year has been pretty stressful for you," she begins.
"Is this because I didn't make enough time for the Bellas?" Beca says quickly. "Because I didn't mean for that, I just-"
"No, it's not that at all," Aubrey responds, with a smile and a shake of her head. "Don't forget, I'm not your Bella's captain anymore, I'm just your friend."
And this is true; they've come a long way in the past three years. Winning Nationals in Aubrey's senior year was the catalyst for their friendship, which then continued to strengthen over the occasional visit to Barden while she had a break from grad school, or group skype calls with Beca and Chloe. She regrets that their friendship went on hold over the past few months – Aubrey's been just as stressed out, ever since acquiring the retreat property only four months ago and transforming it into such a successful business. She barely had proper time to tell Chloe about it in the two skype calls they've had in the past several months, let alone have time to tell Beca about it. However, Aubrey reasons, she can make up for it by doing this favor for Beca now.
"I want to try an exercise with you," Aubrey says, "because I think it will help you. But I don't want you to ask me why, I want you to just trust me. Can you do that?"
Beca's apprehensive, and she's twisting the ring around on her thumb, but she nods anyway, and Aubrey smiles.
"Great. First, I need you to close your eyes," Aubrey tells her, and the brunette's eyebrows shoot up.
"Why?" Beca asks, curiosity and a little suspicion arising on her face. "You're not going to do something to me, are you?"
Aubrey bites back a sigh, and shakes her head. "No, Beca, this is a speaking only exercise. I believe it will be easier for you to focus with your eyes closed. Please?"
Aubrey's not one to say please often, so Beca nods slightly and closes her eyes, exhaling slowly.
"Alright," Aubrey says with a smile. "Now, here's how this exercise works. I'm going to ask you a question, or perhaps even just say one word, and I want you to respond quickly. Don't think about your answer at all, just say the first thing that comes to mind, okay?"
Beca tenses slightly. "Okay," she responds, after a pause.
"Great. We'll start off nice and easy to get you warmed up to it," Aubrey says. "What's your favourite colour?"
"Purple," Beca responds.
"How many tattoos do you have?"
"Four."
"What's your favourite type of weather?"
"Snow."
"Why do you like the snow?"
"Because it hardly happens here so when it does, it feels special."
"What makes you nervous about graduation?"
"Losing touch with Chloe," Beca responds, and after a beat, adds "and the Bella's."
Aubrey grins slightly, but smoothly moves onto the next question.
"If you could travel anywhere around the world, where would you go?"
"Switzerland and Thailand."
"What's your least favourite thing about the holiday season?"
"How crazy people get at the mall."
"What's your favourite book?"
"The Hunger Games."
Just as Aubrey starts to ask Beca what her favourite household chore is, she sees Chloe, Stacie, and Emily making their way back towards the campfire. Fortunately, they're not talking, but Aubrey still waves a hand to get their attention and holds a finger to her lips.
"Why?" Aubrey asks, when Beca responds that her favourite chore is laundry, and she uses the time that Beca takes to respond, to hold a hand up to the other girls to get them to stop. She shares a quick look at Chloe, glances to Beca, and then looks at Chloe again.
Chloe understands immediately, and bends her head towards Stacie and Emily to whisper in their ears. They stay still, and Aubrey turns to look back at Beca.
"How do you feel about the Worlds?"
"Nervous."
"What was the best part of this retreat?"
"This campfire tonight," Beca says, eyes still closed, and Aubrey smiles at that response.
"What was the worst part?"
"Getting stuck in that god awful bear trap." Aubrey's smile turns into a smirk at that answer.
Out of the corner of her eye, Aubrey sees movement, and glances over to see Stacie and Emily walking away from Chloe, in the direction of their tent. Chloe is standing there, watching them curiously, but respecting their privacy. Aubrey's pretty sure she can't hear what they're saying.
"Are you proud to be a Bella?" Aubrey asks as she considers how she wants to word her next question.
"Of course," Beca responds.
Aubrey licks her lips. "Who do you love and want to spend the rest of your life with?"
"Chloe," Beca answers. There's a beat of silence, and then Beca's eyes snap open. "What the fuck, Aubrey?" she exclaims, shock on her face.
Aubrey shrugs, but gives her a reassuring smile. "You gave the answer that you truly feel, deep down. That's how this exercise works," Aubrey explains.
"But I can't love Chloe," Beca stutters back. "I mean, I don't love Chloe."
Aubrey raises her eyebrows. "Why can't you love Chloe?" she asks, smoothly ignoring Beca's finish to the sentence.
"Because, I, because she's not even gay, or even interested in me," Beca replies. "Plus, I'm with Jesse. I love Jesse." God, it even sounds lame to hear herself say it.
"Beca," Aubrey says gently, reaching forward to touch Beca lightly on the knee, "it sounds like you're more concerned about Chloe reciprocating your feelings than your feelings for Jesse."
Beca groans, burying her face in her hands. Aubrey takes advantage of this moment to glance over at Chloe. She's still waiting, leaning against a large rock, and Aubrey gestures for her to come join them.
"Hey guys, what's happening?" Chloe asks as she sits on the bench next to Beca, draping an arm around the girl's shoulder.
Aubrey can see Beca tense up, and the younger girl shoots her a look that clearly says say anything and you die tonight. Aubrey smiles blithely, and pretends to check her cuticles. "Oh, not too much, Chloe," she says breezily. "Beca was actually just telling me how she's completely in love with you."
Beca stares at her in horror. "No – that's not – I didn't," she says falteringly, her face turning red.
"Oh, right, that's not quite what you said," Aubrey replies, still smiling brightly. "I had asked who you love and want to spend the rest of your life with, and you said Chloe."
Beca's mouth opens and closes wordlessly. Aubrey can't tell if the girl is going to bolt or not, and realizes she needs to make her next point pretty fast.
"Aubrey, what..." Chloe begins to ask, but falters as she sees Aubrey open her mouth.
"You can ask me questions in a sec, Chloe," Aubrey tells her. "I didn't get to finish talking to Beca. Because I was about to tell her how you're in love with her too."
It's Chloe's turn to shoot a look of horror Aubrey's way, however Beca's face turns to shock.
"She actually told me again this morning, while we were on the water tower," Aubrey continues smoothly as she turns to Beca, "I had asked her how things were going between the two of you, and asked if she still had feelings for you – I believe her exact response was an eye roll and 'could there be anyone else?'"
Chloe blushes, burying her face into Beca's shoulder. Beca, on the other hand, has a spark of hope in her eyes. She looks at Aubrey for confirmation, who nods in encouragement.
"Chloe," Beca starts, and falls silent when Chloe raises her head and meets her eyes. They stare at each other for a moment, silent.
"Look, I know that this could have potentially been a really shitty thing for me to do," Aubrey tells them, breaking their spell. The girls turn to look at her. "Chloe, I know I promised to keep your feelings a secret the past several years. And Beca, I know that what I did was a little bit of a mind trick to get you to admit how you feel. But honestly, I wouldn't have done this if I didn't think it would honestly have a truly wonderful outcome. You both have such intense feelings for each other, I can see it just in the way you both look at each other. Don't spend graduation, and the rest of your lives, wondering about what could have been. You both feel the same, and should be embracing that, and sharing it with each other."
Chloe and Beca are staring at her, speechless, but a smile is slowly breaking out on Chloe's face, and Beca's hand has drifted to rest on Chloe's knee.
"Now, I believe my work here is done," Aubrey announces, and gets to her feet. "Don't stay up too late, you two. And make sure the fire's out before you go to bed. Goodnight."
The two women murmur goodnight back to her. Aubrey strides away into the darkness, following a path that will lead her back to the bungalow she lives in. Before she gets too far, she turns back to observe her friends for a moment.
They're facing each other, illuminated in the flickering firelight. Their hands are clasped, and are whispering to each other. Aubrey sees Chloe reach up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Beca's ear, and smiles. Mission accomplished, she thinks to herself as she turns back to the path and continues on her way.
Several days later, after the Bella's have left, Aubrey's settles into her office to catch up on paperwork that's a boring, yet required necessity of running the retreat. She leafs through a stack of papers on her desk, and is just picking up a pen when there's a sharp rap on the door.
"Come in!" she calls, setting her pen back down, and glances up as the door opens.
She's a little confused at first, because all she can see is a burst of color, and then she quickly realizes there's a delivery man carrying a huge bouquet of flowers in a vase, and he's thrusting an electronic tablet at her for her signature. She scrawls her name as he sets the vase down in the middle of her desk, and she thanks him. A quick tip of his head and he's gone, leaving her with a floral scent wafting around her office.
Aubrey smiles at the flowers, because they're truly gorgeous, and then spies a small envelope peeking out between some tulips. She plucks it out and pulls out the card inside.
The card is simple, and only has two lines written inside.
Thank you!
Seriously, thank you.
Aubrey grins wider, because she immediately recognizes the first line's handwriting as Chloe's, and the second line as Beca's. She sets the card down on her desk, and lets out a happy sigh.
Who ever said meddling was a bad thing?