It was a weekly Barden Bella tradition. Every Thursday, they broke from rehearsal early so they could gather at Aubrey and Chloe's off-campus apartment and watch Parks & Recreation. While Aubrey may have preferred to rehearse longer, she allowed this ritual for two reasons. For one, despite popular opinion, she wasn't completely made of stone. She recognized the fact that this weekly event brought the girls closer together, and that their skill as an ensemble was strengthened by their bond as friends. Secondly, she admired Leslie Knope's tenacity, commitment, and drive and she secretly hoped the character might rub off on the other girls.

One week in February, both Beca and Chloe missed the girls night. They both had big exams the following day that accounted for a large part of their grade. Aubrey insisted that they spend the night studying. The girls had to maintain a certain GPA in order to participate in extracurricular activities. Aubrey couldn't risk losing anyone for the ICCAs. Beca gladly accepted the captain's proposition and took the night off from female bonding. Chloe, on the other hand, put up a fight. Parks & Rec night was her favorite night of the week, but when Aubrey reminded her how dangerously close her GPA was to slipping below the line, she begrudgingly acquiesced.

As Chloe had predicted on Beca's very first night as a Barden Bella, the two really had become fast friends. The pair agreed to meet up in Beca's dorm on Saturday afternoon to watch the episode they missed so they wouldn't be out of the loop the following week. Kimmy Jin was heading out of town for the weekend, so they wouldn't even be bothered by her scoffs and disapproving stares.

Beca and Chloe sat close together on Beca's bed, huddled around Beca's laptop as they watched the antics of the residents of Pawnee, Indiana play out on screen.

The plot of the episode centered around Leslie's best friend Ann wanting to have a baby. Leslie agreed to accompany her to a sperm bank, despite her initial disapproval of Ann's decision to give up on love.

The nurse at the desk explained that she needed some details for Ann's file. "Now, are you two a couple?" she asked.

"No, tragically we are both heterosexual," Leslie responded, sounding genuinely disappointed as Ann nodded in agreement.

"Oh my God, that is so us," Chloe giggled.

Beca laughed, but stopped short as she realized the implication of what Chloe just said. "Wait... what?" she asked incredulously.

"Tragically both heterosexual," explained Chloe.

Beca froze. "Oh... I-I'm not... I mean..." she stammered.

Chloe reached out and paused the episode before picking up Beca's laptop and moving it to the foot of the bed. She folded her legs beneath her and faced Beca directly, elbows resting lightly on her knees. "You're not...?"

"No," replied Beca a bit too quickly. "I mean," she corrected, "I... don't know..."

"But I thought you and that Jesse guy-"

"No! No, absolutely not. I mean, he's..." she struggled to explain her relationship with the Treblemaker. "We're friends," she stated definitively. "We're just friends." Beca's cheeks burned and she knew they must have been bright pink. She felt like she was sweating and she struggled to maintain eye contact with Chloe.

It was silent for a long moment, until Chloe finally said, "Me neither."

Beca's eyes immediately darted back to Chloe's. "What?" she asked incredulously. "What about Tom?"

"Tom is just a friend. It's a... casual thing," Chloe said flippantly. She paused, then inhaled a shaky breath and stared down at the comforter beneath her. When she spoke again, her tone was quiet and serious. "I've always been curious..." her voice trailed off as her eyes flicked back up to meet Beca's.

The look in Chloe's eyes made Beca's heart stop. Her brain felt like it was short circuiting. After a moment, Beca realized she was breathing through her mouth. Her lips were parted and her tongue felt dry. She closed her mouth and rubbed her lips against each other, restoring her mouth's natural wetness. She gently swallowed as she looked down at Chloe's lips, and then back to her eyes. "Can I...?"

A smile tugged at the corners of Chloe's mouth as she nodded. Beca closed her eyes and leaned forward. Their lips hesitantly connected for a short second before Beca pulled back. Beca could feel Chloe counter, trying to lean forward so their lips would remain pressed together. Beca smiled as she continued to pull away, only to quickly lean forward again and recapture Chloe's lips, this time with much more vigor.

Beca was spurred on further by the guttural noise that came from the back of Chloe's throat. Without a second thought, she suddenly found herself straddling Chloe's lap. She felt Chloe's hands grip her thighs and she moved her hands up to cup Chloe's face. The sound of their lips and Beca's own uncontrollable groan stoked a fire between her thighs. She ground her hips forward once as she slipped her tongue into Chloe's mouth, then moved her right hand to grasp the hair at the back of Chloe's head.

Chloe immediately reciprocated and moved her left hand up to press into the middle of Beca's back, trying to bring her even closer.

The continued to kiss for what simultaneously felt like forever and no time at all until Beca abruptly stopped. She shifted her weight back and released Chloe. "I'm sorry," she said, trying to catch her breath. "I've, uh, been thinking about that since…"

"Yeah?" asked Chloe breathlessly. She reached for Beca's chin, forcing her to look directly into her eyes. "Me too."

"Yeah?" Beca paused, inhaling sharply in an attempt to steady herself. "Wow," she exhaled, her shoulders curling as she pressed her forehead against Chloe's.

"Yeah… wow."


A/N: The episode of Parks & Recreation referenced in this episode is titled "Ann's Decision" (season 5, episode 12) which originally aired on February 7, 2013.