A/N: Based on the song 'All I Ask' by Adele.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
They all knew it was coming eventually, the delight of graduation mixing with the dread of what would come after. The thrill of achievement coupled with the sadness of leaving. The happiness of experience paired with the fear of the unknown. This was it. Their time was up, this part of their life was over. One more night was all they had left.
The reality of the situation had only just hit the Bellas. They had graduated. This was their last night together before they all left the house to go their separate ways the next morning. After celebrating graduation with their families, they had all agreed to return to the house for one last Bella bonding session. This one was different though; there was no alcohol, no laughing at Fat Amy's outlandish stories, no height jokes, and no dancing. As they sat in a circle in the place that had been their home for the past three years, each Bella was quietly reminiscing about everything that had happened in those years, and silently wishing that it would never end.
The night continued like that, each of the girls sharing fond memories, and voicing their fears for the future. Emotions were running high as the hours passed, not one of the moving for the worry that the morning might come around quicker than they wanted. None of them knew what the future would bring, they could only hope that they would stay in touch with the group of girls that had become family.
Eventually, they had to give in to tired eyes and yawns, and, as one, made their way to their rooms for one last time. As each door closed, a sense of finality washed over the house, and the faint sound of sobs and sniffling that could be heard from every room faded until silence descended.
One particular redhead couldn't sleep though, memories of the day before plaguing her mind, causing sleep to evade her. She was catching a plane to New York the next morning and needed to rest, but all she could think of was the one regret she would be leaving with, and the one brunette she would be leaving without.
Chloe had just finished packing up her final box, the reality that all of this was almost over finally sinking in. She sat on her bed and put her head in her hands. I just need to rip the band aid off.
Slowly, she made her way up to Beca's room, wanting to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. Reaching the door, she walked in to see the sight that had always been so welcoming to her for the past 19 months and 21 days, but which now broke her heart just a little more.
Beca was sat at her laptop, no doubt wanting to make this mix perfect before sending it off as yet another demo requested by the record label in LA that she had found a job at. It was the thought of Beca pursuing her dreams that spurred the older girl to cross the room and gently remove the brunette's headphones as she had done so many times before. This time was different though; this time was probably the last.
As she saw the small body in front of her turn towards her, and storm blue orbs locked on to her own - no doubt watery - cerulean ones, her heart broke again, if it was even possible at this point. Immediately, she saw concern in Beca's eyes as the younger girl stood up, and knew that she had to get this over with for both of their sakes.
"Becs, we need to-"
"Don't," Beca interrupted harshly but then softened her tone, "please don't finish that sentence. Whatever I've done, I'll do better, I'll spend less time on my mixes, I'll cook more often, tell me what to do and I'll do it, but please don't finish that sentence."
Tears now streaming down both of their faces, Chloe stepped forward and took hold of Beca's hand.
"Beca, I love you. You know I love you so much that it hurts so much to do this-"
"So don't. Please Chlo, please don't do this to me."
"Becs, we're gonna be on opposite sides of the country. As much as I'd love to think it would work, it wouldn't."
"So we'll make it work, or I'll come to New York with you, all I have to do is make a quick trip to LA, explain to my boss that I need to decline the job offer, cancel the lease on the apartment then I'll fly to New York next week and we can be together."
"Beca, LA is your dream, I'm not gonna let you give up on that for me."
"Chlo, my dream is you! I didn't know that this would be my dream when I started college, but it is! The past 19 months and 21 days have been the best of my life. I can't lose you."
"Beca please don't make this more difficult than it already is. I'm gonna leave this room now and as much as it breaks my heart, I'm leaving you too. Long distance relationships don't work and I'd rather us be hurting like this now than in another year when all we're so far away from each other and arguing because we don't see each other enough or we're too busy to Skype. I love you Becs, more than anything, but I have to do this."
With that, Chloe left the room, only just managing to make it to her own bed before collapsing into a heap and crying herself to sleep.
Graduation had meant that the two girls hadn't had to see each other too much, and especially not to talk to, but still, Chloe's mind was plagued with thoughts of how such an amazing relationship couldn't end in that way. With that in mind, she quietly made her way out of her room and towards Beca's, knowing that a better ending needed to be written for the epic that had been their love.
As she stood outside the door, Chloe knew that she couldn't let her feelings cloud her judgement. She knew that the decision she had made had been the right one for them both, and that all that needed to be said had been said. She needed this though. One last night with the love of her life. With that in mind, she slowly opened the door and stepped inside.
Even in the darkness, she immediately knew that Beca was awake. The brunette was laid on her back facing the ceiling – a position which she could never get to sleep in. Noticing that Fat Amy wasn't in the room (no doubt she was out spending one last night with Bumper before she went back to Australia) Chloe made her way towards the bed occupied by the girl that she had broken her own heart over.
"Chlo, what are you doing in here, we've got flights tomorrow, we need to sleep," the younger girl spoke dejectedly as the redhead sat on the edge of the bed.
"Can we just pretend that tomorrow isn't happening? Just for tonight can we forget that we have no idea what we're doing? Can we forget that we're leaving everything behind?" Chloe pleaded.
"But Chloe, tomorrow is happening, and you said that we're done, so we are leaving everything behind. You can't just say that it's over and then pretend that it isn't."
"I know," the older girl sighed, "I know that we're over, and I know that tomorrow will happen whether I want it to or not, but please, can we just spend one last night together? I don't want my last memory of us together to be us arguing and breaking up. I want to remember us how we always were. Please. It matters to me how this ends."
Chloe could see in Beca's eyes that it mattered to her too, and she knew for a fact that the smaller girl could see the honesty in her own eyes. Nobody knew Chloe as well as Beca did, everyone saw the bubbly personality and the smile, but Beca knew her, and that broke Chloe's heart. Whenever the redhead had a problem, she would go straight to the brunette, and she would always know what to say. Now the only one that could tell her all the answers to her problems was her problem though, so now she had no-one to go to.
"Why are you doing this Chlo? It was hard enough for me when you decided to walk away from me in that room, and now you want to spend the night with me. It doesn't make sense."
"Becs," Chloe said, shuffling forward to take Beca's hands in hers, "I'm not doing this to be cruel and I'm not expecting you to forgive me, but I need this. I need to remember us differently to how it ended the other day. Please can we just do this, I have so many regrets about how this turned out, and this might just make it a tiny bit easier. Let's just make one last memory before we leave."
Beca slowly nodded before tugging slightly on Chloe's hands, encouraging her to lean into a kiss full of emotion and unspoken words. It was subconsciously agreed that they would take their time, movements slow and meaningful as they shed their clothes bit by bit until they were laid pressed together, committing the feeling of each other's bodies to memory.
Gently, Chloe's hand made its way down in between their bodies to Beca's centre, softly teasing before entering slowly and keeping a steady pace as her other hand found Beca's and clasped it tightly, knowing that this would be the last time she would hold that hand, and remembering all the times she had taken it for granted, never thinking that it would come to an end.
Beca's back arched slightly as she whimpered, wanting more contact, but not wanting to break the bubble that they were in. Finally, Chloe decided to pick up her speed slightly, teasing the brunette's bundle of nerves at the same time. After a few more minutes, Beca's body tensed as she let out a small cry, grasping both of Chloe's hands tightly before relaxing and looking up at Chloe.
Both girls had tears in their eyes, threatening to spill over, and as they tenderly kissed, the tears began to fall. Beca gently pulled away and wiped at Chloe's cheeks before rolling over to press down on top of the redhead, knowing that tonight was important to her, and knowing that she would do anything for the older girl.
As Beca relished in the feeling of Chloe surrounding her, she also tried to ground herself enough to remember that this was the last time she would ever feel this and that she should make sure she remembered every second of how this felt. Every sound that Chloe made, every small tremor of her walls around her fingers as she came closer, and the feeling of her body arching up into her own as she came undone. Chloe was a miracle that Beca never thought she would be witness to, and as she looked down at the girl coming down from her high, she cursed whatever power had made her fall in love with Chloe Beale, because she knew it would be impossible to get over this girl.
"So what now?" Beca asked softly as she rolled onto her side.
"Can you hold me? Just for one last time?" Chloe asked sheepishly.
Beca sighed, but opened her arms, gesturing for the redhead to scoot into them and be the little spoon, as had been the arrangement since before they had even been dating.
"I still don't understand why tonight mattered so much to you," Beca muttered sleepily.
Chloe waited, safely in the arms of the girl she knew she would always love, while the brunette's breathing slowly levelled out, signalling that she was asleep, before she answered quietly,
"'Cause what if I never love again?"
A/N: This has been floating around in my head for months, so I finally decided to write it. I don't usually write anything without at least a little bit of fluff, but this song just screamed Bechloe to me. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think, or come and shout at me on Tumblr: narwhalsarecooltoo. Thanks for reading!