Another little thing I wrote this morning. Not sure how I like it.
Their dynamic is a little different, I think. Obviously their interactions change a little post-movie, so there may be a little discrepancy between Movie!Beca/Jesse and Fic!Beca/Jesse. Hopefully it's not too much, and hopefully they're still the same Beca and Jesse we all know and love. Because seriously, I love these two.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect, etc, etc.
Beca honestly didn't know why Jesse loved her. She was easily the worst girlfriend in history. She constantly went to Stacie and Fat Amy for advice, and even Kimmy Jin was sometimes helpful. Beca just didn't know how to be a girlfriend, let alone let anyone close to her.
It wasn't that she pushed him away on purpose. It was just easier for her. She was used to being alone. Her father abandoned her and her mother when she was very young, and her mother was constantly at work or drowning her sorrows in bars late at night. Beca had become accustomed to living on her own and depending on no one but herself. But that was before Jesse.
That was before Jesse made it his life's mission to know her and make her laugh and love her. She had never known someone like him before. No matter how many times she pushed him away, he always came back. Always. She knew she didn't deserve him. How could she deserve someone like him when the only thing she was good for was drinking his juice pouches and watching his movies?
Jesse's birthday was quickly approaching, and she knew she had to do something great. The past few weeks had made it seem like she didn't want to be in this relationship, and she did. She really did. Because as much as she thought she didn't deserve him, she loved him. He was her ever-present cornerstone. He always knew when she needed him, and he always knew how to help her. He loved her unconditionally, and he expected nothing in return. She loved that about him.
But it was time for her to give back; to prove to him that she wanted to be with him; to prove that she loved him.
With his birthday only a few weeks away, Beca set to work quickly. Her friendship with Kimmy Jin had improved to the point where Kimmy always wished her a happy holiday or asked her how her classes were. They were still a little rocky, but she had agreed to help Beca with Jesse's present.
"Hey, nerd," Beca grinned as Jesse answered his phone with a tired 'hello?'
"It's six in the morning, Beca," he groaned. She laughed, imagining him rolling over to check his alarm clock.
"I know."
"It's six in the morning on Saturday," he elaborated.
"I know. I wanted to be the first."
"The first?" he asked.
"Happy birthday, Jesse." She could hear him sit up in his bed, probably impressed with how she had remembered his birthday—and how she had woken up early just to be the first to tell him as much.
"You remembered."
"Of course I remembered," she scoffed, "I even got you a present."
"I'm impressed. But you didn't have to—"
"Don't even start that with me. I got you a present, and you're going to accept it. It took me a long time to—" she broke off, not wanting to ruin her surprise. "Never mind. What's your schedule like today?"
"Sleep. More sleep. Eat. And then I'm spending some time with this beautiful girl."
"Oh?" she asked. "No time in your schedule for me?"
"'Fraid not. I like this girl a lot. I'll probably be spending the entire day with her," he teased.
They always had moments like this; they were silent, and it was in their silence that they were closest. She was smiling, and she knew he was, too. After a while, she could hear him yawn on the other end of the line. She rolled her eyes. "Go back to bed."
"But I'm talking to you," he frowned.
"I'll see you in a few hours," she reminded him.
"Yeah?"
She laughed. "Yeah. Now go back to sleep. You've got a busy weekend ahead of you."
"You're bossy," he said tiredly.
"Shut up."
Several hours later, Beca sat on a blanket in the quad. Her laptop was in front of her as she worked on another mix, and her headphones prevented her from hearing Jesse approach from behind. He dropped down beside her, setting his bag in the grass as she looked up.
And there it was: that special smile he saved especially for her. The way his eyes lit up and his face broke into that grin drove her crazy, and he knew it.
"Hey, birthday boy," she smiled. "Enjoying your special day?"
"I want to know how everyone I've seen today knew it was my birthday."
"Magic," she answered cryptically, and her eyes widened as she held her hands up and waved them around.
He shoved her gently with his shoulder. "Seriously, Beca. How did you do that?"
"A magician never reveals her secrets."
He shook his head. "Was that your present?"
"No," she chuckled, "of course not." She reached into her bag and pulled out a CD. "This is your present."
He took it from her carefully. In her own neat script along one edge were a few simple words: For Jesse. Happy Birthday! Beca. He held it up in confusion. "What is it?"
"Put it in your computer," she commanded. He pulled his computer from his bag and, at her suggestion, borrowed her headphones.
They were silent as his computer recognized the disc, and Beca played awkwardly with her fingers. She tugged her lower lip into her mouth nervously.
What if he didn't like it? What if—
"You made a CD for me," he murmured. She nodded.
"It's songs from your favorite movies mixed together," she explained.
"Yeah, I know," he nodded eagerly, "and… you're singing them, right? That's your voice."
"Yep," she ducked her head in embarrassment. "I, uh, I am…"
"This is amazing, Beca," he pulled the headphones down around his neck. "I'll listen to the rest later. I can't believe you did this. It must have taken you ages…"
"Just a few weeks," she shrugged, "it was nothing."
"Beca…"
"I just wanted to give you something you'd really like. I haven't exactly been the best with this whole… relationship thing. You're so much better at it than I am, and—don't look at me like that; you know it's true. I wanted to do something special. I just… you deserve a lot better than me, and I don't understand why you love me so much, but—"
"Beca—"
"I love you, Jesse."
"You what?" Had she stuttered? Maybe he thought he was dreaming.
"I love you," she repeated.
He blinked. Several seconds passed before he leaned over and kissed her, his hand snaking to cradle the back of her neck. The kiss took her by surprise, but she returned it quickly and placed a gentle hand on his cheek.
"So you like it?" she asked as they broke apart, her face mere inches from his.
"I love it," he nodded, and she smiled broadly as she drew him closer and kissed him again.
Okay, so, the ending is probably my least favorite part of this fic. I haven't written anything in months, so this is nice.
Reviews are much loved, as are any prompts or suggestions or anything else. Wee~
