"Hey, Bree. What is it?" Beca asked, approaching her co-captain.
"Beca. I'm glad you're here." Aubrey replied, standing up stiffly, her tone sounding slow, careful and measured. She looked at Beca and her smile instantly warmed. They stood foe several seconds, waiting for the other one to speak.
"Chloe said you wanted to see me?" Beca prompted.
"Oh! Right! Of course!" Aubrey laughed. "Beca, I have a problem." She began, then paused, unsure. She bit her lip in thought.
"Bree? Something wrong?" Beca chuckled.
"1, 025, 109." Aubrey blurted.
"What?" Beca frowned.
"That's my problem. There are 1, 025, 109 words in the English language Beca. Yet I can't find a single one to express how you make me feel."
"Oh. I'm… sorry?" Beca frowned, unsure of what she'd done to upset Aubrey. "I thought we were, like, becoming friends, or whatever, but if I've done something to upset you, then I'm really sorry."
"No, Beca. That's not what I meant." Aubrey told her.
"But I thought I'd upset you. That's what you mean, right?"
"Not at all. What I meant is…" Aubrey groaned, frustrated. "Beca, you make me feel so many things I can't even think of a word to describe it." Beca opened her mouth to respond, and Aubrey stepped closer and put a finger over her lips. "No. Don't talk. Just listen." Beca nodded meekly. "When I'm around you you make me feel frustrated and… irritated, and… self conscious. I feel like you're always watching me and if I screw up, I'll never forget it. You make me feel anxious and cautious, because you're everything I'm not but envious, too, because you're everything I wanted to be. Back in middle school, I would have worshiped the ground you walked on. You make me feel vulnerable. I feel exposed around you, like you can see into my heart, and that you can see my innermost thoughts, and, terrifyingly, all of my damage and all of my weaknesses. Which is why you scare me." Beca opened her mouth, and Aubrey shushed her. "Especially because of what I'm about to say next." Aubrey paused, collecting her thoughts, and took a deep breath. "You also make me feel safe. Even your presence has some sort of calming effect on me that makes me tone down the crazy." Beca smirked and opened her mouth. Aubrey shushed her again. "Yes, this is me with the crazy toned down. And you make me feel all these things and I don't know what it is, exactly, but I really like whatever it is and that's my problem. That I can't find a word to sum all of this up because if I could it would be so much easier to just tell you."
Beca crossed her eyes in an attempt to look at the finger still placed firmly over her lips, a gesture that clearly meant "can I speak now?" Aubrey removed her finger. "Bree, I think what you're feeling is called 'love'." Beca supplied.
"And you? How do you feel?" Aubrey asked cautiously.
"In a word?" Beca asked. Aubrey nodded. "Same." Beca beamed. Aubrey chuckled and sighed, relieved. "Bree?"
"Yes, Beca?"
"Can I kiss you?"
"In a word?" Aubrey teased. "Yes."