Disclaimer: Lyrics used at the end are the sole property of Taylor Swift. No Copyright Infringement intended.
Aubrey hates her job. Like, really hates her job. She'd rather be sitting at home with her fiancé, curled up on the couch watching ridiculously cheesy movies with a pint of the finest ice cream and popcorn. But she has a wedding to pay for, and she's not exactly on speaking terms with her family right now, so it's not like she can ask her father for help. She sits behind a desk for 7 hours, ignoring everyone round about her, and constantly reminds herself of why she's here: she's here for Chloe. It puts a smile on her face every time.
Aubrey's workplace makes her feel uncomfortable. When she's sitting at the lunch table, alone, minding her own business, she can feel the eyes of her co-workers burning holes in her skull. Not everyone was exactly accepting when they found out that Aubrey had gotten engaged to Chloe. It's not that they didn't like Chloe, they just didn't approve of their lifestyle choices. Some were particularly more open with their disapproval than others, but Aubrey couldn't give a toss. She was hopelessly in love, and she's happy that she always has a safe, warm, loving environment to go home to every night.
The first office party that Aubrey attending with Chloe was the reason that it was also the last office party she attended. With people being drunk and living up to the 'drunk mind speaks a sober heart' charade, people were particularly harsh towards the couple. Things were said that Aubrey never wanted to hear again, and these led to a night filled with tears, a trip to the hospital and no sleep. One particular comment made in passing triggered something within Chloe, and she grabbed the commentator by the shoulder, effectively turning him round to face her.
"Would you like to repeat that, I didn't quite catch it the first time," she practically spat at him, and he did just as she had asked. He had repeated his comment and got himself a rather mean right hook to the jaw in return. It was enough to make the guy fall on his ass and clutch at his face in pain, but the only noise heard despite the collision of Chloe's fist to his face, was the yelp of pain that erupted from the redhead. Aubrey was by her side immediately to assess the damage and convinced Chloe to go get it checked. While they waited for the fate of Chloe's hand, Aubrey was comforting Chloe who had effectively broken down into tears as soon as the doctor left the room.
"Hey, baby, don't worry that pretty little head of yours. It's gonna be okay. He's just an ignorant asshole, but this love is ours, Chloe. Nobody else's opinion matters, as long as we have each other, we're gonna be okay. You did good, I'm so proud of you. I love you, my little shining star." She concluded, and pressed a tender kiss to Chloe's forehead.
"I love you too, Bree," she whispered in return, tucking her head comfortably in the space where Aubrey's neck met her shoulder.
Beca Mitchell, DJ extraordinaire, 6 time Grammy winner, the reason Aubrey and Chloe are even together in the first place. If it hadn't been for Beca leaving for LA without so much as a goodbye or a backwards glance, Chloe wouldn't have basically knocked down Aubrey's door at 2am flooding the apartment complex with tears having just found Beca's apartment completely empty and a note left on the kitchen counter reading 'I'm sorry, I had to go. I love you.' As Aubrey read and reread the note several times, she finally managed to tear away her eyes to look at her best friend. Dishevelled. Drained. Broken. She took a tentative step towards her and gently placed her hands on either side of Chloe's face and leant forward until she was mere millimetres away from Chloe's lips, waiting for approval. Chloe completed the action by joining their lips together, effectively crossing the line into more than friends territory. So when the brunette shows up again six months later, claiming she had battled her demons and wanted Chloe back, she was met with swift rejection and a door in her face. When Aubrey asked the redhead how she felt about seeing Beca again, she got her answer in a sweet kiss.
"Honestly, Aubrey, I felt nothing. But I don't care, because right now, in this moment, you are mine. And that's all I ever want."
The day Aubrey found out that she would never be able to carry her and Chloe's children was singlehandedly the worst day of her life. She had always wanted kids-a boy and a girl, in that order-and wanted to experience the thrills of that special bond with her babies and everything about pregnancy. So when the results of the test came through saying that there was 'little to no possibility of successful conception', her heart practically fell out of her ass. Her grip on Chloe's hand tightened impossibly, almost cutting off circulation, when it was confirmed that Chloe basically had perfectly functioning ovaries. The redhead wasn't listening though as she was too busy trying to read the expression on Aubrey's face after that devastating blow was delivered. Her face remained stoic the rest of the time in the office, and the car ride home, and pretty much the rest of the day. It was slowly eating away at her, bubbling inside until she finally exploded. As soon as her head hit the pillow and Chloe's arms wrapped around her from behind as she placed a soft kiss to Aubrey's shoulder, the blonde finally allowed her emotions to pour out onto her pillowcase, shaking violently from the sobs. But Chloe's grip never faltered around her as she pulled her in impossibly closer, and it was in that moment that Aubrey knew she had to make Chloe her wife.
On their wedding day, they have a small, intimate ceremony on a private beach in Florida, Chloe's home state. Instead of traditional vows, they opted to sing a song to each other that they thought properly and thoroughly represented their feelings for the other. Singing was the only option in Chloe's eyes. It was sole foundation of their initial friendship, and would later prove to play a vital part to how they got to where they are now. Chloe chose I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz, and barely managed to get through it due to being overwhelmed with tears of elation that she was actually doing this. Aubrey picked a more upbeat song, Ours by Taylor Swift, and couldn't wipe the joyous smile off her face the whole time. They both laughed, which was a bonus in Aubrey's eyes, it was funny how they had come so far despite all the negativity regarding their relationship. It was like they were laughing at all the people that ever doubted them and throwing it back in their faces.
When Aubrey first met Chloe's parents, she immediately understood where her boundary problems came from. As soon as the door was opened, Chloe's mother wrapped the blonde in a death grip hug and Chloe just laughed it off like it was normal. Which for her, she guesses it was. Once they had settled in and had lunch, Chloe's mother wasted no time in pulling out the family albums. Chloe was mortified, and Aubrey was excited. Chloe didn't keep any photos of her younger self about the apartment, so she was curious as to why that was the case. When she first set eyes on the pictures of young Chloe, she couldn't hold back the string of light-hearted compliments towards how adorable the redhead looked as a young kid. The naked bath photos, first day of kindergarten, first lost tooth, then the inevitable gap it left between her teeth.
"Oh my God, this is the cutest thing I've ever seen! That little gap between your teeth, I love it. I love you."
xxxxx
When Aubrey first found out that Chloe spoke in her sleep, she thought it was the most adorable thing in the world. They were sitting on the couch watching a movie, and Chloe had fallen asleep with her head in Aubrey's lap. The movie was in its final scenes when Chloe shifted and started mumbling under her breath. The blonde couldn't quite make out the first part of her mumbles, but what she could make out was hilarious...
"Bree, go get the pink, fluffy unicorn from the barn, I want Skittles."
It made absolutely no sense, but she sounded so cute and innocent. You are a conundrum wrapped in a riddle, she thought to herself as she tried to move Chloe to bed without waking her up.
xxxxx
When Aubrey first introduced Chloe to her father at graduation, she knew he would be sceptical of the redhead, given her boisterous attitude, and her tattoos. Chloe, one of the most enthusiastic people to ever walk the planet, was even intimidated by the mere presence of one Mr Marc Posen, the face Posen Enterprises. When she first laid eyes on him, she could see why her girlfriend was so afraid of him, with his sturdy six foot two muscular appearance, clean shaven face, crisp navy suit, white shirt and black tie, and slightly greying hair, he was like the poster boy of all things business. So, when Chloe raised her right arm to shake his hand, and his eyes fell to the small ladybug tattoo present on her wrist, his glare fell immediately to Aubrey, who looked like she wanted the ground to swallow her up for failing to mention that minor detail about Chloe.
"Aubrey, care to explain what this is?" he exclaimed as he thrust the red head's wrist into his daughter's eye line.
"It's a, uh, a ta-tattoo, sir," she whimpered in reply, unable to look her father in the eye in fear that she would vomit all over the place if she did.
"Hm, I see. Why exactly do you have such ridiculous art permanently imprinted on your body, dare I ask?"
"Because it was cute?" It had come out as more of a question than a definite statement.
"Art should be done with purpose, you should have at least gotten something that had a definitive reason instead of this guff," her father spewed, completely unaware that it did have a deeper meaning other than just being 'cute'.
The song would stick by them, through the good time and the bad. It would remind them of the day they first met all the way back in their freshman year of college. It would remind them of the first fight they ever had, although over something totally ridiculous. It would remind them of their wedding day, and the fact that no matter what tries to tear them apart that they will always have each other. It would remind them of the day that Aubrey stood by her wife's side as she gave birth, for the first and only time, to their children; twins named Michael and Sophie, one red head and one blonde.
It would carry with them till that last day, lying in the hospital by each other's side, just like they used to in college; remembering all the good times they shared throughout the years.
"I'm gonna miss you, you know," Chloe whispered, fearing that she would break down should she raise her voice any louder.
"Hey, it's okay, we're gonna be okay, this isn't the end. Just because we're lying here in this hospital doesn't not mean it's over. Hey, look at me," she pleaded as she placed her hand under Chloe's chin, directing her eyes to her own. "It's okay, remember what I sang to you on our wedding day?" When the red head nodded, they both began to sing their song to each other, through tears and cracking voices.
"Don't you worry your pretty little mind
People throw rocks at things that shine
But they can't take what's ours
They can't take what's ours
The stakes are high, the water's rough
But this love is ours."
As they declared their love for each other for what would be the last time, their eyes slipped shut as Chloe rested her head on Aubrey's chest, listening to her heartbeat deteriorate, and feeling her own match the pace of her love's. As they both slipped into a deep sleep, the last thing they heard was the heart monitor indicating that they were gone. But they were gone the way they were always destined; together.