A/N: A one-shot - about a shot. Of tequila. At love.

Beca felt a warm hand on her back and turned slightly in her chair. She smiled as she saw Chloe walk into her line of vision and then settle on the stool beside her.

"Chlo, what're you doing here?" she asked. Her voice was slurred but she didn't mind. She had come here to get drunk and that's what she was now - no regrets.

"Amy called when she left. She didn't want to leave you stranded here," Chloe told her friend. She smiled fondly at the small brunette and it made the Bellas captain feel special. The ginger's smile had that power, and it didn't even matter how bad her day had been, Chloe would always make her feel better.

"That was sweet of her," Beca said and took a deep sip of her beer. Then she licked at her right hand, strew some salt onto it, licked it off, took a shot of tequila and bit into a lemon slice. She shook herself but grinned. "Good."

Chloe laughed.

"You enjoying yourself?" she asked and Beca nodded emphatically.

"A lot," she reassured the redhead.

"Amy said you had quite a lot. You wanna head out?" But Beca shook her head.

"No." Chloe nodded.

"Okay," she said as she took off her jacket and lay it across her lap. She hailed a waiter and ordered a coke. Beca ordered another tequila.

"Thank you for coming, that's very... sweet of you," she looked thoughtful. Had she used that expression already today? It rang familiar in her ears. But maybe it was just because Chloe was always so sweet. You couldn't not think she was sweet because she was. She was also sexy, of course... and sweet.

Beca smiled at Chloe.

"So, what are you celebrating?" the redhead asked noticing the dreamy look on her friend's face.

"Not celebrating," Beca slurred. "Just drinking." Her look grew pensive and she took another deep pull from her beer.

The waiter arrived with their drinks and they thanked him.

"Did something happen, Becs?" Chloe asked her friend but Beca shook her head.

"No... just... Jesse and I broke up," she finally admitted but didn't look up. She looked at the golden shot sitting infront of her.

"Oh, God, Becs. I'm so sorry. What happened?"

"Nothing much... we just... he's an idiot and I'm a... what did he call me? A tomboy who doesn't ever grow up," she said and Chloe frowned.

"A tomboy?"

"Who doesn't ever grow up," Beca added. She licked her right hand again, ready to take the shot but Chloe took her hand in both of hers. They were warm and they held her tight. Beca looked at the redhead, feeling the touch, relishing in the comfort and drowning in those baby blues that had always captivated her.

"And you actually broke up? Maybe it was just a fight and you can safe the relationship."

"He said he didn't like my attitude.. toward studying. You remember Aubrey saying that... she said it at our first Bellas rehearsal. She should have just told him that I have an atti... atti-tu-di-nal problem back then. It would have spared us all a lot of headache."

'Headache,' Chloe thought. It was just so typical for Beca to not admit that she was hurting, that she actually meant heartache but couldn't admit it even to herself.

"Well, Aubrey changed her mind about you, you know that," she reminded Beca and the brunette nodded.

"Maybe, but she was probably right about me from the start. Maybe I am just a brat but... I'm not gonna give up on my dream. If Jesse wants to produce jingles for some advertising company instead of 'scoring movies' then that's his choice but I'm not giving up on DJing - it's the only thing I'm good at. It's the only thing I CAN do and I WILL do it, Chlo, I will," she told the redhead determinedly and beat on the tabletop for emphasis. Some of the tequila sloshed over the rim of the glass and Chloe's coke wobbled for a moment.

"I know you will, Becs. You're an amazing DJ, and you will do it." Chloe beamed at her friend and then pulled her close, kissing her on the top of her head.

"You always believed in me," Beca said, her mood swinging to emotional as tears leapt into her eyes.

"Because I know how good you are."

It was so simple for Chloe, yet impossible for Jesse to just believe in her. The redhead would offer encouragement and advice, Jesse would give her - what he called - a 'reality check' and tell her to grow up. She didn't want to grow up, not in the way he had done in the last two years - getting depressed over the fact that his music wasn't quite what he wanted it to be, then adjusting to life in the 'real world' and finally doing an internship at an advertising company who paid him quite generously for a jingle he came up with and offering him a job after college. Yes, he'd grown up and he'd grown bitter and he'd grown... into a guy who would wear a suit and tie to work every single day.

"You're the best," Beca said smiling at Chloe.

"I have my moments." They grinned at each other, feeling their old chemistry making waves between them, pulling them closer toward each other until they finally... kissed.

It wasn't unwelcome, it wasn't unexpected. They'd always known it existed, they'd just never talked about it, ignored it, or maybe cherished it was the better expression. And that's what they did now, they cherished this first lip-contact, the sweetness of life breathed into one at a first kiss. It felt so good, not awkward, not complicated in any way. It was simply her kissing Chloe - and Chloe kissing back.

The redhead didn't think much of getting into drunken trysts with friends - she had done it on occasion and it usually just complicated things. But this was different, this was Beca. And she felt that if this was all she'd ever have with Beca Mitchell, she would take it.

They broke for air and Chloe smiled at Beca who kept her eyes shut and her face close to the older woman's.

"You taste like fresh watermelon on a sunny day," Beca told Chloe and the redhead giggled.

"And you taste like tequila on a sticky night," she breathed into Beca's ear. The Bellas captain felt her body flush with heat instantly and when she opened her eyes Chloe could see the want in the dark blue depths.

Their lips met once again, this time hungrily attacking each other, sucking, licking with raw desire. Hands combed through hair, pulling each other closer while Beca's left clung desperately to the table top because she felt like falling.

Again they broke for air, again their faces remained impossibly close eagerly waiting for the next round of kisses, wondering at the feelings these would elicit. And then there were words waiting to be said and Chloe wanted to simply blurt them out when someone cleared their throat beside them and both heads turned and saw Jesse staring at them.

"Urgh," was all Beca made before she took that last shot of tequila for the night.

"What the hell is going on, Beca?" her boyfriend - or ex-boyfriend - asked.

"None of your business, Jesse," she told him plainly.

"I came here so we could talk."

"How do you even know I'm here?" Beca asked and turned to him again.

"Stacie texted. She said you were drunk and needed a ride," Jesse explained and shot Chloe a dark look.

"Funny how that happens," Beca thought aloud. "As you can see, I've got... Chloe here to drive me home. Thanks anyway," she told him and put her hand on Chloe's thigh. But Chloe simply took her hand and put it back on the table.

"Maybe you guys should talk," she suggested and looked sadly at Beca. The Bellas captain shook her head.

"I'm far to drunk for this, Chlo. And I don't want to," she admitted. "I want..." but instead of saying it she lifted her hand to Chloe's face and caressed her cheek, hoping to convey some of what she felt with her eyes. She felt like drowning in the ginger's blue orbs.

"Could you please stop this nonsense, Beca! You had your fun, can we leave now?!" Jesse was clearly angry, his voice vibrated with jealousy. Beca looked back at him.

"You seem to forget that you've broken up with me," she said. "I haven't and I'm not going anywhere with you." She slipped off the stool and onto unsteady legs. Chloe steadied her. "Thanks. I... I need to go to the ladies' room and then we can leave." Chloe nodded and Beca stalked in the direction of the restrooms.

"What are you doing?" Jesse asked when Beca was out of earshot.

"I'm going to get her home, that's all, Jesse," Chloe drank some of her coke and got up from her stool. She wanted to settle the tab but Jesse grabbed her arm.

"If you're trying to break us up..."

"I thought you had already done that, broken up. Jesse... I'm not going to talk to you about this. Whatever is between Beca and you, you have to figure out on your own. And whatever is between Beca and I... well, as she said, it's none of your business. And now, let go of me," she said with a stern voice. Jesse let go of her arm but he wasn't finished talking yet.

"Beca's my girlfriend. There's nothing between her and you. Do you understand?"

"Does that mean you want her back? Because right now, she's not your girlfriend."

"And you will do everything in your power to ensure that she's never again going to be?" he asked mockingly, like this was some kind of movie-conversation where rivals threatened each other. Chloe shook her head.

"Beca is her own woman, she will decide what she wants to do - and who she wants to be with," was all she said. She waved at the waiter who was standing not far from them, actually watching the young man who looked very angry and didn't seem to have a problem with man-handling a woman. Chloe appreciated his concern and gave him a nice tip as she settled Beca's tab.

"I won't give her up easily, you know," Jesse pressed through his teeth when the waiter had left. He looked squarely into Chloe's eyes, his jaw set.

"You can't not give up what you don't have, Jesse," she told him. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Beca walk unsteadily through the doorway from the restrooms. "Excuse me," she said and walked toward the small brunette who smiled thankfully at her when she put an arm around her to help her walk.

"I'm really drunk," Beca said.

"Yeah, you are," Chloe answered with her own smile. "Let's get you home," she said as she lead Beca past Jesse who looked on angrily. Both women ignored him, both women had other things on their minds as they made their way to Chloe's car. It was a mild night, it was a bitter sweet ending. And it was a beginning.

Song: Tequila by The Champs