A/N: This isn't a sequel per say but I consider it to be a part of the Getting to Know You story as that prompt and this one came from the same anon (hope you like it anon!). I'm just ridiculously slow on fulfilling the requests.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pitch Perfect or any of the characters.
"We're here!"
Chloe guides the car into a parking spot and shuts off the engine. They're sitting in front of the main lodge where they can get a map and begin their hiking trip. A hiking trip. How Beca winds up on a hiking trip (on a Saturday no less) is beyond her.
"I still don't get why we're doing this," Beca mumbles, head against the glass as she peers out the car window. Not that there's much to look at. They are surrounded by trees. Lots and lots of trees. It makes her feel a little claustrophobic to be honest.
"Because," Chloe says, the excitement vibrating in her voice. "We agreed that we'd try to do something different one weekend a month and it was my turn to pick."
Oh, right. Chloe and her ideas of fun.
Sure, Beca agreed to it at the time because it's not like there's ever another choice with Chloe Beale but she didn't know the agreement included being outdoors with the bugs and claustrophobic trees.
"I know but at least I took us to the aquarium," Beca replies, unbuckling her seatbelt. "It was air conditioned. And I got you that stuffed penguin you wanted."
"Yeah, that was fun," Chloe says, nodding her head slowly. "And now we're going to hike which is also fun." Beca snorts at that because what's fun about bug bites and thin air and the animals they might run into? Absolutely nothing. Beca points all of this out to the redhead but to no avail.
Chloe ignores her protests, as she steps out of the car, and walks to the trunk where she pulls out the backpacks they'll be carrying. Seeing no way out of the hike, Beca sighs and gets out of the car to join Chloe, taking the green bag that her girlfriend hands to her. She adjusts the straps and follows Chloe into the lodge.
People everywhere is the first thing that Beca's brain registers as she enters the lodge. The place is fairly big but feels small with all the other people hanging around. She swerves around a pair of kids chasing each other, who almost knock her into a rack of t-shirts. She doesn't even get a chance to tell them off or shoot their parents a control-your-brats look because the family heads out the door to start off on their hiking adventure.
Chloe bounds over to the man sitting at the front desk, greeting him with a smile. Ronnie, according to the pin on his shirt, tears his eyes away from the tv screen long enough to glare at Chloe. His death look does nothing to stop Chloe from making herself at home at the counter. Ronnie stares at her, mouth agape, probably wondering why the redhead hasn't withered away from his less than customer friendly attitude Beca thinks. A part of Beca almost wants to tell Ronnie that he's about to have a conversation with the redhead whether he likes it or not but then Chloe says something that sounds sports related (Beca doesn't care about sports so she can't be sure) and they're off wrapped in a conversation. Ronnie's face splits open with a smile which Beca thinks is creepy on the guy's face.
She leans with her back against the counter, half listening to the incredibly dull conversation between Chloe and suddenly animated Ronnie (the guy is swinging his arms around like an ape) when her roaming eyes land on a stand filled with pamphlets. Specifically, the What-To-Do-When ones. Beca leaves Chloe at the front desk, making her way over to the stand and starts to read them, deciding that this sort of information is important. These pamphlets will probably save them from possible death. Beca doesn't hear Chloe coming up behind her; she's too busy reading what items are essential to a survival kit (which Beca hopes they have) and trying to figure out what some of these essential items actually are (like what the fuck is a moleskin and is that as gross as it sounds?).
"What are you reading?" Chloe grabs the pamphlet out of her hands, eyes skimming the paper and its contents. Her lips twitch with an amused smile that turns into a laugh when Beca snatches the pamphlet back.
"This information can save lives." Beca waves the paper in Chloe's face as if hitting her with it will impart some knowledge onto the redhead. "And I hope these backpacks you packed contain the right stuff for emergencies." Shoving the pamphlets into her pack, Beca resists the urge to open both bags and check out the supplies within them herself. Never mind that she isn't sure she can identify the items for a survival kit.
Chloe rolls her eyes, pushing Beca out the door. "Beca, it's a hike in a state park, not a trek in the Amazon."
"Besides," Chloe says proudly in Beca's direction. "I was a Girl Scout and my grandpa, my dad, and my brothers taught me everything I need to know about the outdoors. We'll be fine."
"That's what everyone thinks until suddenly they're lost in the woods for days and eating shit like worms and trying to dodge bobcats or whatever," Beca points out indignantly, following Chloe to the start of the trail they'll be hiking.
"I knew I shouldn't have let you watch those episodes of I Shouldn't Be Alive," Chloe groans out. Beca is about to respond but Chloe cuts her off, spinning around to grab her hand and tugs her closer.
"Beca, this place is beautiful and it's nice and quiet, away from the distractions and I just want to have a good time with you. I know this isn't your thing and I'm not asking you to like it but just keep an open mind about it all? Please?"
Well fuck Beca thinks as she runs a hand across her jaw. Chloe's looking at her imploringly with those vivid blue eyes and Beca feels guilty about stomping all over Chloe's excitement with her (legitimate) worries and lack of enthusiasm for this hiking trip. Chloe just wants to spend time with her (which makes her stomach twist pleasantly at the thought) and she shouldn't punish her for that. Even if the location is a potential death trap.
Beca takes a deep breath and fits a smile onto her face as nods. "Let's hike." The squeal of delight and the lips that plant a quick kiss to her cheek widens the smile on Beca's face. Yeah, okay. Her girlfriend is kind of adorable.
xxxx
"Isn't this a great view?"
Eyes gleaming, Chloe turns to Beca who is a little ways back. The high Chloe gets from doing anything that resembles exercise is absolutely sickening. Beca thinks it's a side effect from being best friends with Aubrey Posen for too long. It proves her theory that any long term exposure to Aubrey is detrimental to one's mental health. It's a health risk Beca takes great lengths to avoid (she focuses on healthier methods by finding ways to wind Aubrey up instead. Old habits die hard and all that).
Beca isn't sure how long they've been hiking since Chloe insists on no technology on their person. Or rather not on Beca's person. The cellphone and watch are in Chloe's possession. If the feeling of dead weight in her legs is anything to go by, Beca figures they've been hiking for an hour and a half at least. Chloe calls out to her again from her spot at the top of the trail, motioning for Beca to hurry up. All Beca can do is glare back in her direction. Talking uses up oxygen and she's trying to conserve as much of it as possible. Beca doesn't want to pass out in the middle of nowhere. There is no way she's dying out here.
Making her way to Chloe's side, Beca closes her eyes for moment, struggling to catch her breath. Chloe nudges her shoulder, urging her to look and Beca opens her eyes only to find that she doesn't have any words.
"Gorgeous, right?" Chloe half whispers, slipping her arms around Beca's waist, and resting her chin on the smaller girl's shoulder. Beca nods, her eyes sweeping over the view before them. It is a pretty sight. The trees, lush and a shade of green that Beca hasn't seen before now, the pristine looking lake, and the sun highlighting all of nature's charm all make for a beautiful scene. The quiet is strange but calming. Beca doesn't mind silences but there's always some noise in the background whether it's from her or the world around her. Out here though, it's absolute quiet. The absence of noise is new but she doesn't mind it.
Feeling Chloe's eyes on her, Beca turns as much as the redhead's chin on her shoulder allows and lifts her eyebrow in question. A moment passes as Chloe searches for the right words, and she finally settles on "I just like being out here with you." It must be the air (or the way that Chloe and her soft tone make Beca feel like she's special) that has Beca swallowing past the thump of her heart in her throat. She gives Chloe a small grin. "I like being out here with you too." Chloe returns her smile and steps back from Beca. "Come on. There's more to see." Chloe pulls Beca in the direction of a nice, lesser known area that Ronnie told her about back at the lodge.
xxxx
"My dad took me on my first hiking trail when I was 10."
Chloe unzips her bag and pulls out a sandwich along with a water bottle, handing both to Beca. She lifts her sandwich in thanks, glad for the food break. Their legs are dangling over the ledge of the rock they're sitting on a few feet above the lake.
"I remember being so excited that I couldn't fall asleep the night before."
Beca can picture a smaller Chloe clad in pajamas with her red hair and big blue eyes, desperately trying to fall asleep in spite of the excitement running through her. The thought of it lifts the corners of Beca's mouth into a smile. Chloe continues the story, telling Beca how her dad had taught her how to fish but gave up when Chloe had insisted on throwing them back in the lake and how she almost got skunked and how she loved every minute of her first of many father-daughter getaway trips and they stretch out trading stories, taking pictures (Chloe doesn't take no for an answer) and coming up with a plan of survival in a zombie apocalypse. They stay like that tucked away in their own world of talking and comfortable silence and the occasional brush of lips until the timer Chloe set goes off. Beca stands up slowly, reluctant to head back which doesn't go unnoticed by her girlfriend.
"Soo..." Chloe drags out the word, a smug expression on her face while she puts the trash from their lunch in her pack. Beca knows what the redhead wants but she cocks an eyebrow at her instead, refusing to give in.
Chloe heaves a sigh, her eyes full of mock pity. "How many times do I have to make you say 'uncle' before you accept that I'm the queen of fun ideas?"
Beca shrugs, hiding (or trying to anyway) the smile that's threatening to break out on her face. Chloe folds her arms over her chest and takes a step toward her, eyes narrowing a little. "Tell me what I want to hear, Beca and we can call it a day."
Beca closes the gap between them, putting her hands on the redhead's shoulders and pushes up on her toes so that her lips are next to Chloe's ear. "Not happening."
Beca turns on her heels and runs in the opposite direction, knowing it will only be a matter of a few minutes before Chloe catches her. Still, Beca is determined to give her a hard time of it.
The "oomph" Beca lets out morphs into giggles as Chloe tackles her and drives her fingers into Beca's sides. Chloe shifts so that she's sitting firmly on Beca, making sure the brunette can't escape her hold.
"Say it," Chloe demands, stilling her hands for a moment. Beca grins up at her, trying to control her breaths before shaking her head no. Chloe's hands immediately dive right back into her sides and Beca's shrieks of laughter do nothing but spur the redhead on. Beca feels Chloe grab her flailing arms and pin them over her head.
Choe leans in close, her eyes glinting with her impending victory. "Say it."
Ready to admit defeat, Beca stops struggling and says the words that her girlfriend is waiting impatiently to hear.
"Uncle," she says and off the expectant look that Chloe gives her, adds "You're the queen of fun ideas."
Chloe kisses the tip of her nose before jumping up and helping Beca to her feet. Still holding Chloe's hand, Beca pulls the redhead to her, connecting their lips together. Beca moves her hands up to cup Choe's face to kiss her properly, smiling a little at the noise of contentment the older girl makes.
"Come on," Beca says, hooking a thumb towards the trail to head back to the car. "Let's go home."
As Beca turns to start the hike downhill, she catches the movement of a reptilian-looking creature (she will forever maintain that it wasn't a lizard but something much more menacing). It surprises her to say the least. Beca isn't the most coordinated person so it comes as no shock when she loses her footing and slips downhill for a moment or two before she catches herself.
And to think she nearly manages to do the whole hiking thing unscathed.
xxxx
"Ow! Shit, Chloe! Do you even know how to do this?" Beca yanks her hand back from Chloe's grip, glaring at the redhead holding (more like wielding Beca thinks) a pair of tweezers.
Chloe's lips curl into a slight smile. "Don't be a baby." Chloe grabs her hand and continues to pull out the splinters from Beca's palm.
They're in Chloe's bathroom, Beca sitting on the toilet doing her best to not snap at her girlfriend. She's still a little angry at Chloe for being so amused with the incident. Okay, yeah the redhead made sure she was fine but that didn't stop Chloe from reenacting out the whole thing on their way down the trail or bursting into laughter at random times on the ride home.
"It's not my fault that you got scared by a tiny lizard and lost your footing," Chloe remarks pulling out the last of the splinters from her hand. "How you got splinters is beyond me."
"I wasn't scared. I was startled," Beca bites out to the redhead who does nothing but shoot her a skeptical look.
Scowling, Beca gives up on trying to convince Chloe that her injury didn't happen out fear and gestures to her hand. "Don't you need to clean it with alcohol or something? Seriously, what are you even learning in med school?"
Chloe quirks an eyebrow at her, eyes brimming with amusement. "You have splinters and something that's barely a cut -" Chloe rummages through the first-aid kit and pulls out an alcohol pad and rips it open with her teeth, pressing the pad against Beca's palm. "But if you insist".
Beca clamps down on her lip to keep the yelp at bay while the stinging sensation spreads across her palm. She's not giving Chloe any more ammo to make the smirk on her face bigger. The redhead retrieves a band-aid from the bag and places it across Beca's palm.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Beca stares at her hand that is now covered with the brightest pink band-aid she's ever seen in her life. She squints a little and realizes that not only is the band-aid obnoxiously pink but it also has cupcakes all over it. "This -" Beca points to the offending object "is not okay." And maybe she's overreacting a little but there's only so much embarrassment she can take in a day. Chloe doesn't even bother to hide her smile.
"I wanted to see your reaction when something that pink was anywhere near you. You don't even need a band-aid."
Chloe dissolves into a fit of laughter after that, the sound echoing in the tiny space. Beca is up and moving out of the bathroom, stomping her feet as she goes but she doesn't get very far before Chloe is wrapping her hand around Beca's wrist.
"Beca wait!" The brunette attempts to shake the hand from her wrist but Chloe tightens her hold and uses the moment to scramble onto her feet. The grip on her wrist moves to her arm, turning Beca around to face the older girl.
"I'm sorry," says Chloe. Beca shrugs, shoving her hands into her back pockets, unwilling to give in to apologetic blue eyes. Sensing Beca's refusal, Chloe starts to plant kisses along the column of the smaller girl's throat. Beca knows the redhead is trying to soften her up.
"I had a really great time with you today." Chloe pulls back far enough to meet Beca's eyes, her fingers fiddling with the end of Beca's shirt. "Thank you for coming with me. It meant a lot. And I'm really, really sorry for laughing at your expense." There is nothing but sincerity in her girlfriend's apology and Beca caves just the tiniest bit.
Chloe's lips find their way back to her neck and Beca tries to hold onto her anger, she really does but she can feel it slip away with every kiss and nip that Chloe presses against her skin. It's really distracting. And so are the hands that Chloe works underneath her shirt, causing goosebumps to erupt all over her body.
Beca starts to bring her own hands to Chloe's neck to pull her closer when suddenly Chloe's hands and body retreat from Beca. She starts to protest but remembers she's supposed to be angry and tries to let it show on her face but judging by Chloe's lack of reaction, it doesn't work.
It must be a different look entirely because Chloe is off like a shot, leading them to her bedroom, and guiding them down onto her bed. The rush of cool air on her body clues Beca to the fact that Chloe has her half-naked in seconds. Beca would return the favor but her brain is still scrambling to keep up with all that's happening. Luckily, Chloe seems to have enough brain power of her own to rid herself of her shirt and bra before climbing on top of Beca. The redhead dips her fingers inside the waistband of Beca's shorts and she sucks in a breath because Chloe is giving her that smile; the one that promises Beca will be sore and probably a little hoarse tomorrow morning. It's pretty much a done deal after that.
When Beca comes down from her fourth high, she curls herself around Chloe who pulls the blanket over them. Right before she drifts off to sleep, Beca can finally admit that Chloe has the best ideas ever.
A/N: Thank you for reading!