author's note: ok firstly i'm aware that there are currently two other last five years aus being written for bechloe but i've been wanting to write this for a while now. and secondly i'm also aware i have an unfinished multichapter fic (which i will work on like right now). and this will also be quite a long ride so buckle up and enjoy :-)

(this will go according to the same timeline as in the movie so there'll probably be around fourteen chapters. this will be in alternating point of views as far as possible as shown in the film adaptation)

covered with scars i did nothing to earn

maybe there's somewhere a lesson to learn

but that wouldn't change the fact

that wouldn't speed the time

once the foundation's cracked

and i'm

still hurting

Goodbye Until Tomorrow: Chapter One

Beca frowned at the picture frames littered all across the fireplace. She took a shaky breath and her lips trembled. Removing one of the photos from its frame, she traced the redhead's face and then her own, her finger lingering on the bright smiles plastered on both their faces. She ran her fingertips over the glossy surface of the photo before sliding it into the back pocket of her jeans.

Beca's head turned slowly, her chest constricting tighter and tighter as seconds ticked by. She knew they hadn't been doing so well, but she never thought she'd get to see it fall apart like this. Perhaps just a week ago she'd thought that they would pull through this. A week ago she was sure that this would just be another small fight, and that nothing so trivial could break apart five years of built up love and adoration. But now she stood in the empty house, the hanging light swaying gently to the wind coming in through the open window. Beca looked over at the mantle again, swallowing the lump in her throat.

Polaroids hung from a white thin string, attached to the two ends of the fire place. She lifted each one, her lips curving upwards at the smiles and laughter depicted in the small white frames.

Pulling one off from the peg that held it to the string, Beca stroked the edges of the Polaroid and smiled at the memory attached to it. 26/05/12 was scribbled on the white length at the bottom in cursive handwriting, a drawing of an ice cream cone and a tiny heart scrawled next to it. They had been at an ice cream parlour with their friends, she remembers, they were fighting over ice cream flavors when Chloe shoved a spoonful of chocolate chip mint into her mouth, and they heard the click of a camera accompanied by a blinding flash. Beca blinks down at the photo, smiling at the spoon sticking out from her mouth and Chloe's triumphant grin. She blew out a soft breath of air, pulling a few more Polaroids from their pegs and shuffling them absentmindedly in her hands.

If Beca closed her eyes and focused, she could still remember the time when both of them were one, when they were basically inseparable, when all that surrounded them was love and warmth and laughter. But she knows that they've gone too far off the tracks now, Beca eyes the pictures scattered all across the four walls of their small apartment, most were taken before things went downhill. Beca sucks in a deep breath when her gaze falls on their wedding photos, ten photos neatly forming a heart on the wall. She looks as the photos fill more of their white walls, from blushing and giggling teenagers until the photos start to decrease significantly, forced smiles and awkward postures were observed more frequently and Beca wishes she had the ability to turn back time.

The brunette padded over to her desk and traces the tiny drawings that littered the surface of her white table. Most of them were carefully drawn out hearts with B + C written in cursive inside the hearts. Beca felt her throat tighten. She blinked at the remaining packed boxes lined up by the front door and picked up her pen, her thumb clicking a few times before she took in a breath. Should she be crying? Beca felt like it was appropriate to be crying, but she blinked and her eyes were dry. She thought back to those cheesy romance movies that Chloe loved, and laughed mirthlessly to herself, if this had been a scene from a movie, she'd be crying her lungs out right about now, a slow sad song would be playing as the scene pans and circles around her. But if this were a movie, it would never have ended this way, Beca would've stayed, and Chloe would've understood. The redhead would come back in time and she'd be able to stop Beca from leaving, but Beca knew her life was far from being perfect.

Beca propped herself up with her right hand and pressed the tip of the pen to the piece of paper in front of her. Millions of thoughts swam in her head and as she started the first word, she felt tears pooling up.

(So much for not crying.)

Chloe,

I know this isn't the best way to begin, you've always liked me for my courage, the way I could do whatever I want without caring about others opinions, as you once told me. And I probably should tell this to you in person but I can't. I can't do this anymore, I can barely face you anymore. It's always about you. You're so self indulged that this relationship's been pushed to the least of your priorities. You never saw how far the crack had opened. You never saw how I had run out of rope.

I know you'd have wanted us to keep trying, you'd want to hold onto this, but we're falling apart, and I've tried, I've tried so hard for you, you were the only thing that kept me grounded. The only reason why I push myself on everyday. But I could never rescue you, all I'm doing now is holding you back from what you really want. I'm sorry it has to end this way, but I can't keep this up anymore.

Beca pulled her keys out from her pocket and dropped them onto the desk, her fingers lingering too long on the matching key chains that Chloe had gotten for them.

I took all that I need, the rest of the things are yours. Don't try to find me, keep living your life, fulfil your dreams. I'm sorry that we're at this stage now, I'm sorry I couldn't love you hard enough, I wasn't enough. But I truly did love you, and I hope you find happiness somewhere along the way.

Beca sucked in a strangled gasp and the first of her tears rolled down her cheek. She swiped it away quickly and shook her head minutely. Quickly ending the letter off with her name, she doesn't bother reading it over before she folds it three times. She writes Chloe's name on the blank space of the letter and places it next to her keys.

Walking over to the mantle again, Beca pulled off her wedding ring, her fingernail scraping gently on the engraved words. She pulled off her wedding band as well, setting both items down in front of the photos and stepping back. A loud honk interrupted her thoughts and pulled her out from her reverie.

"Beca?" Jesse shouted through the open front door. "You need any help?"

Beca shut her eyes and breathed. She's never been more thankful of Jesse, she used to think younger brothers were born to annoy the hell out of her but the way Jesse's been supporting her made her heart swell.

She cleared her throat. "Yeah no, give me a minute."

Beca grabbed her luggage and the last two small boxes on the floor. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and tugged the luggage out of the front door, stumbling across the threshold with the boxes in her arms. She looked back once more and thought about how cliche this entire situation was. She half expected Chloe to come racing home, begging her to stay, but her life wasn't a movie, after all, and Chloe wasn't coming back.

"Chloe," Beca's breath wavers as she takes one final look around the apartment. She tries for a smile but her lips curves downwards. "Goodbye."