Beca tried to outlast her roommate, she really did. Not because she actually wanted to be there for Kimmy Jin's group study session, because let's be real, she doesn't even want to be present for her own study sessions. It's more the principle of the thing, knowing her roommate wants her gone makes her want to stay around.
But eventually it's too much even for her legendary stubbornness, and Beca has to pack up and leave. There are only so many barely whispered comments from the other side of the very small room that can be ignored in one night. At first the comments about her presence only made her more determined to stick it out, turning up the volume on her laptop enough to bleed through her headphones when she listened to how the audios she was working on were matching up.
But after an hour of glares and comments, she finally gives in, shoving her laptop into its bag and tossing a shirt she thinks is clean in after it. She just needs to find somewhere to crash, and she'll come back in the morning before her first class to actually get dressed. Packing for an actual night out just means she'll be in the room that much longer, and at this point that isn't an option unless she wants the RA to report her.
Once she's managed to escape the building though, Beca realizes she has no idea where she's going to end up spending the night. The only people she really counts as her friends are the Bellas and Jesse, and there's no way she's spending the night in Jesse and Benji's dorm room. It wouldn't just be weird; it would give Jesse entirely the wrong impression about where she sees their friendship heading. Plus she'd probably end up roped into a movie marathon and she'd honestly rather face the disapproving glares of her roommate's friends.
The Bellas she'd actually be okay with spending the night with, at least most of them. But they're all in dorms as well, and she's heard enough horror stories during breaks to rule out most of them without a second thought. Stacie probably has company over, or is out with someone. She's not really sure which dorm Jessica and Ashley are in, and she's still not sure which of them is which, would could turn very awkward if she turns up at the wrong door. She'd be fine spending the night with Fat Amy, but she's taking an extra week before Thanksgiving break to visit her family.
There's no way she's asking to stay at Lilly's, not after actually hearing one of the things she was whispering at the last practice about knives and evening out the competition. Cynthia Rose is another Bella she'd be open to staying with, but she's also pretty sure she and Denise have something going on, and she's not about to make it awkward by asking to stay the night.
That leaves Chloe and Aubrey, and if the two didn't share an apartment, Beca would have already sent Chloe a text asking to crash on her couch for the night. And to be fair, outside of practice Aubrey was usually not the worst person to be around. Definitely better than facing down five unblinking stares when her mix interrupted an in depth conversation about chemical equations or whatever it was they were studying.
But today had been an extended Bella practice day, the last one before Thanksgiving break, and Beca had been extra vocal about the setlist. Something about the prospect of being expected to act polite around her step monster for the holiday had already put her into a bad mood, and after the fifteenth time trying to force some kind of compelling harmony out of the same three songs, Beca had snapped. It hadn't helped that some of the other girls had tried to back her up, and Aubrey had actually ended practice early rather than get into another argument, banishing them all with the warning to stay out of her sight until after the break.
After that near fiasco, Beca was sure there was no way Aubrey would be willing to so much as spit on her if she were on fire, let alone willingly share her roof for the night. And if there were any other possibility, Beca might have been tempted to return the sentiment. But it's looking like her choices are either Aubrey or her Dad, and at least Aubrey has a particular redhead sharing the apartment.
Come to think of it, Chloe had shot her a comforting glance as Aubrey banished them. She hadn't taken sides in the argument, but that was about what Beca expected at this point. After all, she and Aubrey were best friends, and supporting each other was what best friends did. It was just a fact, really. At the same time though, not taking Aubrey's side was almost like agreeing with Beca. And she knew that Chloe had fought to get her into the Bellas, and very likely fought to keep her there.
True, they're not close, other than the shower they've really only talked during practice, or during the rare Bella outings to the campus coffee shop. But Beca thinks that the redhead just might be willing to help her out, and might even be willing to hide her from Aubrey. At the very least, she might let her inside so she's not freezing on a dark campus at night.
Even in Georgia the nights get chilly, and in her rush to get out of the room, Beca had forgotten to grab any kind of jacket. That's enough to make up her mind, and it's with only a little reluctance that she pulls out her phone and pulls up Chloe's contact.
Hey, roommate kicked me out, can I crash at your place?
She's already walking towards Chloe's apartment, hoping the redhead is home and willing to help her out. Even if she's not, walking is warmer than standing around in the falling temperatures waiting for an answer.
Absolutely! You remember where it is, right?
Yeah, walking that way now.
You're walking alone on campus this late at night?! Where are you, I'll meet you.
Then there will be two of us walking alone on campus at night until you get here, I'll be fine.
Beca Mitchell, where are you? I'm meeting you at least halfway, no argument!
Just left my dorm, walking past the science buildings.
I'll be there in five.
Staring down at the last text, Beca has to sigh. It's just so very Chloe, and if she wasn't already going to the redhead for help, she'd probably be annoyed. Although she's found that it's very hard to be annoyed at someone who smiles as honestly as Chloe does. Even a sullen and dedicated introvert like Beca isn't immune to the pure joy Chloe somehow manages to spread just by being in the room. It was disconcerting at first, and even in the hell that is Bella practice, Beca knows she's been happier than any time in recent memory when she's in the redhead's presence. She's sure the other Bellas have to feel the same way, because she can't see how they're all still in the group otherwise.
It's significantly less than five minutes before she sees Chloe heading towards her at a fast jog. If she hadn't seen how seriously the older woman took Aubrey's cardio tips, she'd probably be worried that someone was chasing her. As it is, Beca just rolls her eyes and picks up her own pace from the slow walk she'd been in, not wanting to shout across the dark campus to talk to her friend.
"You didn't have to come get me you know, I have my official Barden University rape whistle and it's not all that far of a walk." Even if she's grateful, she has an image to protect damn it. She hopes the lack of sting in her words is enough to let Chloe know she actually means thank you, and the smile she gets seems to say it's understood.
"Well it's still safer with two, and I would've had to come downstairs to let you in anyway. So, Kimmy Jin kicked you out? Study session, or is she going to be nicer to you for a few days?" It takes Beca a few seconds to catch up to what Chloe is trying to ask, and by now she really shouldn't be surprised by anything she says, but somehow she is.
"Dude, gross! Are you seriously asking if my roommate is getting some?"
"Well, you're the one who got kicked out. And in college, it's usually one of those two reasons. It's the whole reason the scarf on the door code was implemented at the old Bella house."
"Okay, let's change the subject. It was a study session, and I wasn't welcome. Apparently my mixes weren't very conducive to the study atmosphere." So it's not exactly changing the subject, but at least now Beca can keep the conversation going without imagining Kimmy Jin and some guy in her dorm room.
"I guess I can see that. Kimmy Jin always sounds like she's so studious, and sometimes when you get in that study zone, music can pull you away."
"Are you seriously siding with my uptight roommate right now? They glared at me for an hour straight until I gave in and left." She knows Chloe isn't actually on Kimmy Jin's side, but at the moment it at least seems like she is. It's probably the chill, the lack of jacket is starting to really be felt, and Beca's sure she's actually shivering a little.
"Not at all!" Chloe actually stops and grabs Beca's arm, turning her so they're facing each other on the path. "God Beca, you're freezing. Did you not even have time to grab a jacket?"
"After pushing so long, when I finally decided enough was enough I just sort of bolted" she says with a shrug, trying to play it off like it's nothing. She's usually pretty good at that.
"You're a little ridiculous" Chloe says with a smile before dropping her arms. Beca misses the warmth, before her mouth goes dry when her friend unceremoniously strips her hoodie off, the undershirt riding halfway up as she does. Suddenly her mind is back in the shower, and it takes a minute to snap back into the current reality when Chloe shoves the hoodie into her arms.
"Now you're going to freeze." It's the only thing Beca can think to say, because she really should be refusing the hoodie, but she's just so cold and it smells like Chloe, and before she can think about it she's pulling it over her head.
"You're already frozen, you need it more. Besides, I have a plan for that too." And before Beca can pull away, Chloe has one of her arms and is pulling it around herself, snuggling into her side with a smile. "Not perfect, but we're not going far and you're warm now."
This is bad, Beca manages to think to herself as they start walking again. It's not like she didn't know Chloe was hot, and Beca knows herself well enough to know when she finds someone attractive, but this is crossing so many lines that kept the attraction theoretical that her brain might be short circuiting a little as they walk.
It doesn't help that she was just imagining Chloe in that shower stall, and now of course her brain is singing Titanium in Chloe's voice, and if she doesn't manage to say something soon Beca knows she's going to make an absolute fool out of herself.
"Do you think we can maybe sneak me past Aubrey?" is what ends up coming out of her mouth, and if her arms weren't firmly held by Chloe, she thinks she would have had to smack herself in the head for going with that. Yeah, she doesn't want Aubrey to know she's there if there's any way around it, but did she have to sound so desperate and bring it up in such a lame way?
"Aubrey should already be in bed, she has an early test tomorrow. As long as we keep it down, it should be fine. I'm guessing you're not anxious to face her after practice earlier?" At least Chloe seems to understand, even if Beca is still upset with herself for bringing it up like this.
"Yeah, kind of. I mean, I stand by what I said, there's no way to make these songs work for this group, especially with the arrangement we're working with. But it's not worth another fight tonight and getting kicked out into the cold again." She shrugs as she talks, as much as Chloe's grip on her arms will let her.
"Do you really think I would let her throw you out into the cold?" Chloe sounds hurt, and her pace slows just enough to drag Beca back. Shit, now she's hurt her feelings, and Beca knows hurt feelings and fixing screw-ups is not her strong suit.
"No, that's not what I'm saying at all" she starts, desperately trying to think of what to say. "But I also don't think I'd be comfortable staying in the same apartment after another fight. It's just not worth it, you know?"
"Fighting for the Bellas will always be worth it" comes the surprising response, and once again Beca has no idea what to say. It's okay this time though, because Chloe continues before Beca has a chance to stammer out any kind of response. "I think that's why you and Aubrey have trouble getting along, you're both fighting for the same thing, just in different ways. And you both have some valid points."
"That's the closest you've ever come to agreeing with me" Beca says before she can stop herself, and by now she's really wishing she had a hand free to smack herself with, because hello that is not something you should say.
"You have good ideas, Beca. Never doubt that for a second. And I know Aubrey would agree with both of us on that, if it wasn't about the Bellas." Apparently Chloe can tell Beca is skeptical even in the dark, because after a second she continues. "Maybe not on everything, she's got some very definite ideas on music and what counts as music, but I've seen your iTunes library, and I've heard you humming some of your mash-ups during breaks. You two have some definite common ground."
"Well, maybe we can wait on finding out what kind of common ground we have until after Thanksgiving, and just shoot for a quiet night tonight?" Beca just really wants to curl up with a spare blanket and get some sleep at this point, even if it's going to be cold and uncomfortable on the floor of Chloe's room.
"Sure, we can do that. If you want to take the boring route for tonight." There's something about Chloe's voice that tells Beca she's grinning, and if they weren't already at the apartment, she probably would have at least pretended to be offended by it. As it is, all she can do is sigh with relief as they hit the warmth of the entry, even if she was strangely reluctant to let Chloe go so she could unlock the door.
She makes Chloe enter the apartment before her to check that the coast is clear, only half joking as she does. She really doesn't want to face the captain, even if she doesn't think it would likely be as bad as her imagination can paint. It's much easier to slip in after Chloe once she gets the whispered all clear, following behind her friend with only a trace of awkwardness as they head for her room.
Once safely there with the door shut behind them, Chloe turns on some quiet music to cover any soft conversation they might have before bed, before walking to her dresser and pulling the top drawer open.
"Did you bring something to sleep in?" comes the quiet question, and Beca shrugs, trying not to be embarrassed.
"I grabbed a shirt, but I was kind of in a hurry, and figured I'd end up sleeping on the floor anyway, so comfort wasn't really a priority." Okay, the trying not to be embarrassed thing really isn't working, and Beca is suddenly feeling like an idiot for not taking two minutes to grab something other than a questionable shirt before heading out to spend the night with someone.
"You're so not sleeping on the floor. And here, you can borrow some of my stuff, it should fit well enough for a night." Well, that wasn't what Beca had been expecting.
"What do you mean I'm not sleeping on the floor? I'm not going to make you sleep on the floor, and Aubrey will ask questions if you sleep on the couch." There's no way she's sleeping on the couch either, not when the whole point of having Chloe check the apartment was to make sure she didn't have to face Aubrey.
"I have a queen sized bed, Beca. There's plenty of room for both of us to sleep comfortably, and no reason for anyone to sleep on the floor." And with a final roll of her eyes at Beca, Chloe proceeds to strip off her shirt and start changing for bed, leaving Beca to stare in shock, trying not to stare. She really should have seen this coming, the second time they met the woman had burst into her shower naked. Now they're friends and they'll be sharing a bed, and obviously Chloe isn't the slightest bit worried about what someone might think about her body.
It takes Beca a minute, but eventually she turns towards the corner, still fighting not to turn and stare at her friend, and starts changing herself. She's really hoping to finish before Chloe does, but apparently that's a vain hope, because when she turns back around it's to see Chloe sitting on the edge of the bed, not even trying to hide the fact that she was staring. It makes Beca blush, and she knows her friend can tell, because her smile turns into something more resembling a smirk.
"Wow dude, easy on the staring" Beca finally manages to get out, knowing she should really say something before the silence stretches on any longer. Especially if she's going to convince either of them that she's not a little turned on knowing Chloe thought she was worth staring at.
"Not like I haven't seen it before" comes the quick response with a sly wink, and wow that didn't help at all. Once again she's imagining their shower duet, and glances that shouldn't have been made but couldn't be helped, and how on earth is she supposed to share a bed with this woman with these thoughts running through her head?
Apparently Chloe realizes how embarrassed she is, because before Beca can really register her moving, her friend is in front of her, gently holding her shoulders and looking into her eyes. "Hey, I didn't mean to make you feel weird. I'm a pretty open person, and you already know I'm confident about everything I've got going on here. And I was kind of getting a vibe as I was changing. But if I misread it, or overstepped, then I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to make anything weird."
"I take it I can't pretend I wasn't staring anymore, huh?" is all Beca can think of to say, but it seems to be the right thing because Chloe is laughing softly, pulling her into a hug that should be awkward but is somehow comforting instead.
"Not even a little bit. There's a mirror on top of the dresser, silly. It was pretty obvious you liked what you saw." Looking over Chloe's shoulder Beca can finally see the small mirror propped up and obviously giving Chloe the angle she'd needed to see every bit of Beca's reaction to her changing. Yeah, she's so busted.
"What's not to like?" Beca tries not to wince as she says it, because wow it sounds cheesy no matter who you are, but this is Chloe, so she thinks maybe she'll be able to get away with it.
"Absolutely nothing" comes the quick response, and Beca would really be laughing at how Chloe just returns the cheesiness without comment, but the redhead is pulling back from the hug and giving her a look.
The look steals her breath as she meets Chloe's eyes, and somehow she knows exactly what's going to happen next. It's like ever bad movie ending ever, and Beca can't let that happen. So instead of letting Chloe kiss her, the way it would happen in the movies, Beca leans forward and presses her lips to her friend's before she has a chance.
The kiss is slow and sweet, neither woman moving to deepen it. It's not the time for passionate embraces or declarations, but Beca prefers it this way. She still can't believe she's kissing Chloe, and that Chloe is kissing her back.
When they finally break apart, they're both smiling, foreheads resting against each other as they look into each other's eyes. There's no awkwardness, and whatever nervousness Beca would normally be feeling is pushed aside by the happiness and contentment she sees in Chloe's eyes.
"Remind me to thank Kimmy Jin sometime" Beca says with a small laugh as Chloe finally leads her over to the bed.
"Remind me to thank her myself."