Beca and Chloe had met at a café with a hasty brunette spilling coffee all over the redhead behind her when she had tried to exit the shop in a hurry. After an embarrassing attempt to dry Chloe's décolleté with a hanky - touching her breasts more than actually necessary - and a few good laughs they had decided to meet again for coffee. Though this time with more coffee in their cups and less between her breasts, as Chloe had explained to a thoroughly blushing Beca.
That fateful meeting had been three months ago. The two of them had drunk a lot more coffee since then. They also had had other dates, going to the movies, visiting museums or simply going for a walk in the park right at Beca's apartment. After their fourth date - Chloe had insisted on ice-skating and Beca just hadn't been able to refuse the radiant smile that had been thrown her way - Beca suggested they could drink some coffee or tea at her home to warm up again. Chloe had immediately agreed and not long after it became a habit: They would spend the day or evening together and end up at Beca's.
However, that was exactly what was beginning to bother the brunette. Every time she asked Chloe to go to the redhead's apartment she just giggled and said something about it being too far away, her rooms looking like something exploded in it or some other excuse. In the beginning Beca hadn't minded, her brain being too preoccupied with pleasing the gorgeous redhead in her arms. But now it had been so many dates and she still didn't know where let alone how Chloe lived. Of course they weren't in a relationship officially but it still bothered her.
It was another Friday evening when they had just exited the movie theater.
"That was hilarious!" Chloe exclaimed giddily while intertwining her hand with Beca's immediately.
"It was pretty good," the brunette admitted shrugging while gripping onto Chloe's hand tighter. She loved that the redhead was so touchy-feely.
"Pretty good? Talk for yourself, 'Admiral Underpants'!" Chloe gave back quoting one of the last scenes in the movie.
"Did you just compare me to Wreck-it Ralph?" Beca asked incredulously.
"No, I just wanted to get you to think about MY underpants," the redhead answered seductively.
The effect was immediate, Beca flushing a deep red and trying to get a quick reply out.
"I always do! I mean, no I don't; I didn't want to answer this, can we do this again?" she stuttered, becoming more embarrassed by the second.
Chloe chuckled good-heartedly, releasing Beca's fingers to lay a comforting hand on the other girl's shoulder and leaned closer.
"It's okay, Beca. I'm thinking about your underpants as well," she whispered in the brunette's ear, getting the shorter girl to blush even more.
"D'you... I mean would you like to... do-you-wanna-get-a-coffee-together?" Beca rushed out before all her courage left her.
"I'd love to; let's go to your place!" Chloe exclaimed and suddenly Beca's stance changed. The shy girl vanished and instead her eyes narrowed, her whole body radiating suspicion.
"Why don't we go to your place today?" she suggested, fully well knowing that it could end their evening together rather abruptly.
"Not a good idea, I still haven't cleaned my kitchen from baking that cake for you last week," Chloe explained quickly though Beca could sense how uncomfortable the redhead became every time they talked about her place.
"Chloe. Let's be serious for a moment: Why do you not want me to see where you live?"
Beca had to know the answer. There were too many possibilities swimming around in her head and none of them were good. It started at Chloe using her for sex and ended with the redhead being married with two kids and a drooling dog in the garden.
"I don't know what you mean, Beca. It's just bad timing, that's all," she tried to evade the question.
"Chloe. All the time we are together, you're carefree, almost too honest with some answers to my questions and sometimes bordering on crapping literal sunshine." At this point the redhead gave an albeit weak chuckle before Beca continued. "But every time I ask about your apartment you get like this. Like you don't want me anywhere near your everyday life. And I hate to do this but I just can't go on: I won't take you to my apartment until you've shown me yours. And I mean right now. I don't care if it's dirty or if it's far away. At the moment you have exactly two options: Show me where you live or this..." she gestured between the two of them, "... is over."
Chloe looked shocked at the ultimatum she had been given. Beca could almost see the wheels turning behind those blue eyes, desperate to find a solution quickly. She gave the redhead the time to think about it. Beca really liked Chloe and would love to date her but she also knew she couldn't continue with the secrecy.
Finally Chloe seemed to have come to a conclusion. She took a deep breath, her head hung low in defeat and her overall demeanor changed into acceptance of the inevitable.
"Okay," she whispered anxiously. "Come on, it's this way."
Without even waiting for Beca to follow her Chloe turned around and was off. The brunette jogged a few steps to catch up with the other girl and walked next to her. She tried to take Chloe's hand but the redhead pulled away. Beca almost wanted to ask what was going on. The redhead looked like she was going to her own execution instead of her apartment and Beca became even more anxious. What was Chloe hiding?
She was so occupied with all the ways this could go wrong that she nearly missed when Chloe stopped in front of a middle-class apartment house.
"This is it," the redhead explained flatly and unlocked the door. She went in with Beca directly behind her. They walked up one flight of steps before they stood in front of an unassuming door. Chloe took one last breath, obviously mentally steeling herself for what was about to happen, put the key into the lock and turned it around. She opened the door and they both walked inside the dark room. Chloe had barely time to flip on the light switch when a giant golden retriever ran towards the two of them.
"Hey Billy, I'm home," Chloe mumbled smiling a bit though it didn't reach her eyes. The dog however ignored Chloe completely when he saw Beca and immediately ran to her, lifting his front paws and bringing them down on the small girl's shoulders heavily. Beca - in no way having expected such an overwhelming greeting - fell backwards with the dog on top of her who had started to lick her face happily.
"Billy, get away from her!" Chloe called out but the dog just continued. Beca tried to get up but Billy was too happy about the new visitor to pay any mind to the hands at his chest or the "Get down, you mutt!" that Beca growled good-heartedly.
"Sit, Billy, sit!"
The dog as well as Beca had grown completely still when the three words rang through the apartment. Billy immediately obeyed and did as he was told. Beca however still lay on the ground looking up at Chloe skeptically.
"Did you just use a cartoon voice on your dog?" she asked incredulously while wiping away the spit on her face with her sleeve.
Chloe nodded silently, her gaze averted in embarrassment.
"When I got him, I thought it would be fun to train him like that... But now he doesn't listen to normal commands anymore," she mumbled uncertainly.
Beca blinked to process what she had just heard. Then all of a sudden she began to laugh out loud, clutching her stomach because of the hilarious explanation Chloe had given her. When she calmed down however she quickly realized that the redhead hadn't joined her laughter. On the contrary Chloe looked like she was on the verge of tears. Beca sat up and finally stood directly in front of the other girl.
"Chloe?" she began with a calm voice but the redhead just shook her head and continued to stare at the ground.
"Is the reason you didn't want to invite me to your apartment the fact that you have to use a cartoon voice on your dog to obey?"
Chloe lifted her head shortly to look into Beca's eyes fearfully before she finally nodded and averted her gaze again.
"My... my last girlfriend said no one could possibly want to be together with an imbecile like me," she muttered and finally the first tears escaped her eyes.
Immediately Beca cupped the redhead's cheek with her palm and turned her head upwards. She felt a pang in her heart at the tears shining in the blue eyes before her. She wiped them away with her thumb before leaning closer and lightly kissing Chloe on the lips.
"You really are an idiot," Beca whispered, "Especially if you think something so cute, so... Chloe would get me to break up with you."
At these words Chloe lifted her gaze and stared at Beca incredulously who looked back at her lovingly.
"Really?" she breathed out stunned.
Then - before Beca had time to answer - Chloe continued.
"Wait a minute. 'Break up with me'? Shouldn't we be together first before you can break up anything?" she asked and Beca was happy to see Chloe's smile return.
"Well I had intended to ask you to be my girlfriend... If that's okay with you," Beca answered suddenly becoming insecure again.
Chloe just leaned forward, cupping Beca's cheeks with her hands and kissing her passionately.
"I'd love to be your girlfriend."
"Awesome, I got a girlfriend and a dog in one day," Beca whispered happily before they resumed kissing.
AN: Story was inspired by this interview with Brittany Snow: watch?v=b9upM4RbIeU