Author's Note: I don't own anything related to Pitch Perfect. These are what should have happened with Chloe and Beca throughout that movie - all the cut scenes, if you will. :) Enjoy!
"I am Titanium..."
Their voices, in perfect harmony, faded away, leaving the two naked women standing a few short feet apart, eyes locked. Chloe took a deep breath, reaching up her hand to brush a strand of hair from Beca's cheek. Beca dropped her eyes for a moment, only to bring them back up to Chloe's as the ginger stepped forward. Their bodies were nearly touching, Beca still holding a towel in front of her like a shield and Chloe standing confidently with her hand still touching Beca's cheek. Chloe put her free hand on Beca's, lowering the towel. She heard Beca's breath catch as she slipped her fingers into the younger woman's hair, stepping close enough for her to feel Beca's breath on her lips. Raising her eyebrows, Chloe waited for Beca to make the next move. The brunette leaned in the last few centimeters, touching their lips together, neither one breaking their gaze. When at last their lips touched, Chloe pulled Beca to her tightly, pressing her mouth against the other, eyes drifting close as the wave of pleasue rolled over her body, sending a shiver up her spine. Beca dropped her towel, grabbing at Chloe's waist and sliding her hands up the smooth skin of her back. As they each deepened the kiss, desperate for more of each other, Beca moaned, sending a rush of heat through Chloe. They parted, gasping for air, their eyes dark and unfocused as they stared at one another. Chloe dragged her fingernails down the back of Beca's head, down her neck and back, and over her hips, grinning as the younger girl's eyes fluttered. She took a step back, picked up the towel from the floor, and handed it to Beca.
"So I'll see you at auditions?" She smiled.
Making a conscious effort to close her mouth, Beca nodded, and watched wordlessly as the redhead disappeared back out of the shower stall.
Auditions went well, with Aubrey and Chloe inviting 10 new faces, including Beca, into the Bellas. Chloe and Beca hadn't seen much of each other outside of those few moments at auditions, their eyes meeting as Beca sat on the stage with her cup. It was nearly impossible for Beca to tear her eyes away from the sharp blue gaze.
At initiation night, with the music pumping and the a capella crowd singing and dancing and drinking, Chloe saw Beca standing higher up on the stone seats alone. She carefully made her way up to the younger woman, already a little tipsy.
"Hey Beca!" She shouted to be heard above the noise. Leaning in to touch her forehead to Beca's, Chloe wrapped her fingers around the back of the other girl's neck.
"I'm so glad I met you. I know we're going to be fast friends!" Pressing her lips to the corner of Becca's mouth, Chloe giggled.
"Well you have seen me naked, so... "Beca winked, doing her best to play it cool.
"If only you were right now," Chloe said, bringing her mouth dangerously close to Beca's neck. Beca turned to protect her neck, leaning back an inch.
"You're a little tipsy, huh?"
"Oh come on, join the party. I'll show you some fun."
"That's alright, I'll stay up here. Thanks though."
"Well," Chloe said, backing up, "I'm gonna go get another drink. This ginger needs her jiggle juice!" With a slap of her own ass, she turned and headed back down the stairs.
"Make good choices," Beca called out after her. She couldn't take her eyes off of the redhead, watching her maneuver through the crowd, stopping to hug Aubrey and Fat Amy on her way to the drinks. As she sipped her drink, she turned back around to catch Becca's eyes, still glued to Chloe. As the brunette blushed and pretended not to be caught staring, Chloe winked and tipped her chin casually. Becca turned away, blushing furiously, and headed off to her dorm room.
Bella's rehearsals started rigorously, cardio and choreography and learning the styles of a capella vocals. Beca and Aubrey clashed on a near-daily basis, from song choice, to the "ear monstrosities" Beca refused to remove, to the choreography.
"Chloe, teach Beca how to do this. She clearly isn't learning from me," Aubrey demanded, turning towards Stacie to adjust her hand gestures.
Chloe stepped behind Beca, smiling at her in the mirror. Beca jutted her chin out, determined not to blush or break eye contact. The older woman pressed her body against Beca's back, wrapping her fingers around Beca's wrists, turning her head slightly so that her warm breath tickled Beca's ear. With the music all but forgotten, the ginger used her body to move Beca into the choreography, pushing her hips into the other girl's to adjust her stance, moving her arms by the hold Chloe had on her wrists. Beca swallowed hard, willing her body not to respond exactly how it was responding. She could feel those perky breasts on her shoulder blades, the tight abdominal muscles flexing against her back, long fingers caressing her wrists as they moved her arms.
"I can do it, I've got it," Beca muttered, tugging against the hold she was in.
"Meet me at Copper Cup after this?" Chloe murmured into Beca's ear, kissing her ear lobe lightly before stepping back. Beca nodded, finally breaking her gaze away from the intoxicating blue eyes staring back at her from the mirror. Chloe tapped Beca's ass with her fingertips as she walked away, grinning at the flinch she felt.
As Beca pulled open the door to the coffee shop after rehearsal, she spotted the redhead across the room, sipping from a mug, eyes glued to a book in her hand. Beca took a moment to watch her, how her wavy red locks framed her thin face, how she drummed her fingers lightly while she read, how her long legs stretched out under the table, her ankles crossed as her right foot shifted back and forth against her left. As if she felt the brunette's focused evaluation, Chloe looked up and met intense eyes with her bright blue ones. She immediately smiled and closed her book, standing to meet Beca with a tight hug.
"Well, hey there stranger." Her breath tickled Beca's earlobe, causing a small shiver to run down her neck.
"Hey yourself, though I can hardly call you a stranger." The brunette pulled back, refusing to get caught in those blue eyes, and sat across from Chloe. "So what's up?"
"I haven't seen you outside of rehearsal since the party. How's your semester?" Beca stared at Chloe, innocently sipping from her mug, eyebrows raised, waiting for an answer.
"You really want to act like we're buddies? You came into my shower. You saw me naked. You kissed me. You flirt with me at every turn. You can't act like we're buddies." Beca's voice rose as she spoke, fire lighting her eyes.
"Calm your tits, Beca. I thought that since I know what you look like naked and I know how your lips taste, I should also know you with your clothes on. I told you, we're going to be fast friends, I know it." Chloe looke at Beca over the rim of her mug as she sipped again, unfazed by Beca's incredulous outburst. The younger woman inhaled deeply, letting out with a slow sigh. Eyeing Chloe carefully, she seemed to be judging her sincerity.
"Fine," she said after a minute, apparently deciding Chloe was telling the truth. "My semester is ok. Other than philosophy. That's really boring. I like my internship at the radio station, though I can't get the manager to play any of my mixes yet."
"Oh? You mix music? That sounds so cool. Can I hear something of yours sometime?" Chloe's eyes brightened, her smile hopeful. And contagious, as Beca found herself smiling back.
"Sure, sometime. I don't usually show anyone before a mix is finished. But I'll show you some."
"Maybe you have one with Titanium mixed in." Chloe grinned, leaning back in the chair. Beca chuckled, feeling her ears heat up.
"Maybe," she mumbled. Chloe leaned forward, laying her hand over Beca's on the table. Their eyes met, each looking deep, as if trying to see the other's soul.
"And how's your semester?" Beca broke the silence. Chloe leaned back, pulling her hand away.
"It's great! The Bellas are awesome, classes are good, and I love my apartment with Aubrey. I also met this girl with this atrocious ear monstrocities..." She chuckled and ducked as Beca lobbed a wadded up napkin at her.
"You know you're just jealous that my ears can pick up radio stations and yours can't."
"You're probably right, darling," Chloe laughed. "So, do you have any plans this evening?"
Beca checked the time, grabbing her backpack and standing. "I actually have to be at the radio station in 15 minutes." She looked down at Chloe, whose face fell just a little. "But I'll see you at the riff-off at 9, right?"
"Sure thing." Chloe opened her book again, watching Beca from the corner of her eye. The younger girl hesitated for a moment, mouth open as if she was going to say something, then thought better of it. As Chloe raised her head, Beca turned and slipped out the door, jogging down the sidewalk towards the radio station.
At the riff off, Chloe focused on the competition, trying not to melt everytime Beca brushed against her accidentally. Chloe felt someone behind her, warm breath against her neck.
"So it can be any song? Just pick one and go with it?" Beca's low voice brushed across Chloe's ear lobe. She closed her eyes for a moment to ground herself before turning to look at the brunette.
"Yep, any song that fits a word from the previous song and falls in the category." Chloe smiled at Beca as Aubrey pulled her away to discuss what songs they could sing next.
As the Treblemakers sang "It feels like the first time," Beca couldn't get a particular song out of her head. Running to the middle of the empty pool, she cut off the Trebles and started in alone.
"It's going down, fade to Blackstreet
The homies got RB, collab' creations
Bump like Acne, no doubt
I put it down, never slouch
As long as my credit can vouch"
Beca paused, turning to look at the Bellas. Aubrey was trying to figure out what song Beca had started rapping, Chloe's mouth was hanging open in awe, Fat Amy was trying to catch up with the lyrics, and no one else seemed to have a clue.
"Keep going," a Treble shouted.
"Shorty get down, good Lord." Becca skipped ahead, and Fat Amy joined in.
"Baby got em up open all over town." The Bellas started in with the background vocals, stepping closer to where Beca and Amy stood in the center of the gathering.
"I can't get her out of my mind
I think about the girl all the time." Chloe gazed directly at Beca, making the younger woman's knees go weak. Soon, everyone was joining in, and the Bellas finished the song with Beca leading. As everyone cheered, Chloe wrapped her arms around Becca from behind, whispering in her ear, "So. Damn. Hot." Beca flushed, holding Chloe's arms around her for another minute. As the readhead pulled back, Beca glanced over her shoulder at her, meeting the darkened blue eyes with her own.
They smiled at each other for a long minute, and Beca's world stood still.
The rest of the event was a blur for Beca, except for the way Chloe kept looking at her. Like the ginger was ready to pounce. Like she was imagining the brunette naked again. Like she wanted to ravage her. And Beca couldn't resist those deep blue eyes.
As everyone filtered out of the empty pool, Beca hung back, as did Chloe. Once they were finally alone, Chloe turned to face Beca, standing close enough that Beca had to look up to meet her eyes. Slowly, Chloe ran her fingertips up from Beca's hip, over her ribs, to her shoulder and down her arm.
"So you can rap." Chloe's lips curled up into a sultry smile, watching Beca struggle to maintain her composure. The redhead stepped into Beca, slipping her hand around to the younger woman's back. As Chloe's hand drifted lower, Beca nodded, arching her back with the other woman's touch.
"That's incredibly sexy, you know," Chloe murmured, leaning forward to brush her lips over Beca's cheek.
"Thanks," Beca breathed, barely able to focus on the words Chloe spoke as the ginger pushed her free hand into Beca's hair. Beca's breath caught as Chloe pressed their bodies together, moving against Beca. Finally managing to move her limbs, Beca grabbed Chloe by the upper arms, pushing her against the cold concrete wall. Chloe's eyes flew open and she grinned, taken by surprise. Beca leaned in, pressing her lips to Chloe's, who moaned as her eyes fluttered shut again. Still wrapped in the ginger's arms, Beca let herself go, feeling the rush of desire flood her. Pressing as tightly as she could against Chloe, Beca couldn't seem to get close enough. She felt Chloe's tongue on her lips, and opened her mouth to meet it. Beca felt more than heard the moan from Chloe's mouth directly into her own, and she reached down to pull at the hem of Chloe's shirt. Suddenly, Chloe pushed Beca away, gasping for air, dragging her eyes open. Beca dropped her arms to her side, sucking in air.
"What? What's wrong?" Beca asked, eyes wide. Chloe paused for a moment, still holding Beca at arm's length.
"Come with me. I want to show you something."
"Seriously? Right now? You want to go sight seeing?" Beca asked incredulously, some of the heat leaving her body.
"I don't want to strip you here in the cold or have hot sex on the concrete. Come with me. I want to show you my place. Please?" Chloe's eyes were nearly begging. Immediately, Beca was hot again, nodding quickly. The older woman grabbed Beca's hand, pulling her into a jog.
Seven very long minutes later, Chloe stopped at her door, glancing over at Beca as she opened her apartment door. Beca's dark eyes and swollen lips were all Chloe needed to rush her to unlock her door faster. Stepping inside the dark living room, Chloe pulled Beca in behind her, kicking the door closed. Beca reached for Chloe's shirt, pulling it over her head as Chloe's hands roamed Beca's stomach down towards the button on her pants. They quickly pulled each other's clothes off, finally standing in front of each other naked. Their eyes met, and their hands slowed down. Chloe ran one finger from Beca's collar bone down past her navel. Stepping closer, Beca let her gaze travel over the woman in front of her, memorizing every detail of the curves and tight muscles. Their eyes met again just before their lips touched, almost shyly.
"Chloe," Beca breathed against soft lips. Neither moved for a moment, only touching at the lips.
"You're intoxicating, Bec." Chloe stepped into Beca, their bodies molding together, and linked her fingers with the brunette's. Beca ran her hand up the back of Chloe's thigh, over her backside, before pressing her palm into the small of Chloe's back, pulling the ginger closer. Their lips met again, softly at first, growing in intensity with every heartbeat. Chloe grasped at Beca's hips, wrapping one of her legs around the brunette. Beca grabbed Chloe's thigh, pulling it higher. The younger woman stroked up Chloe's inner thigh, feeling her muscles tighten.
"God, Beca, please," Chloe gasped, pulling Beca's hair into her fist, tossing her head back as lips nipped at her neck. Beca pulled Chloe's other leg around herself, holding the redhead up by her thighs. The brunette walked towards Chloe's bedroom, pressing open-mouthed kisses to her neck and shoulder.
Beca leaned over, depositing the redhead on her bed and crawling on top. Holding herself above Chloe, the brunette paused to gaze down into the deep blue eyes staring up at her.
"Is this ok?" Beca whispered, nervous to lower herself onto the woman beneath her.
One hand tightening on the back of Beca's neck, Chloe nodded. "Yes, please, don't stop. I want you, Bec, please." Chloe slipped her other hand up Beca's chest, splaying her fingers over the younger woman's breast, brushing her thumb over a hardened nipple. Bitting her lip, Beca slowly lowered her body onto Chloe's, slipping a hand down between them. As their lips met again, hot wet kisses beigng passes between the two, Chloe felt Beca's fingertips on her hipbone, slowly drifting closer to her center. Chloe moaned, grabbing Beca's wrist to push her hand along. The moment she felt Beca's fingers touch the top of her throbbing clit, Chloe's eyes opened wide to meet the dark blue eyes above her. Time stopped for a moment. And suddenly, hips bucking, breath coming in short hot gasps, moans filling the air, Beca thrust two finges into Chloe, pulling them back out quickly, and back in. As she thrust her fingers in and out, she ground her hips into the older woman's, pressing their bodies together. Chloe arched her back, loud moans ripping through her vocal chords, one hand still wrapped around Beca's wrist, one hand grabbing the sheets. Beca's mouth caught one of Chloe's nipples, and she sucked and kissed until a dark bruise appeared. Chloe started to shake beneath Beca,unable to catch her breath, legs open wide as Beca continued to curl her fingers inside Chloe. As she came, the ginger dug her fingernails into Beca's shoulders.
"Fuck- oh my god, Beca- Bec-" Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, her mouth hanging open, as her muscles tightened. Her walls closed on Beca's fingers, shocks running through her lithe body. Finally, she relaxed, collapsing into the bed, her arms falling limply to the bed. Beca slipped her fingers out of the redhead, stroking her free hand through the woman's hair as she came down from her orgasmic high.
Beca woke up slowly, not sure what had interrupted her sleep, not quite sure where she was. A breath exhaled onto her shoulder reminded her quickly of the night with Chloe, who was fast asleep tucked into Beca's shoulder. Looking down, the brunette realized they were both still naked. A smile ghosted across tired lips. Damn, Chloe.
The sound of the front door squeeking open made Beca's eyes snap open. All their clothes were strewn about the living room. Aubrey. Shit.
Beca held her breath as the door clicked closed. The faint click of the light, and the living room was no longer hidden. Aubrey gasped. Beca closed her eyes and held her breath, waiting for whatever would come next.
She heard footsteps down the short hallway, stopping at the wide open door to Chloe's room. Beca saw a shadow fall over her face.
"Oh. My. God." Aubrey whispered. She flicked on the lights, blinding Beca and waking Chloe. The ginger stirred, groaning as she pressed her face into Beca's side, trying to hide from the light. Beca grabbed for the nearest endge of sheet to cover herself, nudging Chloe fully awake in the process.
"Chlo, get up. Aubrey is here. Chloe, come on." Beca said urgently.
At the mention of Aubrey, the redhead scrambled under the sheet as well.
"Shit, Aubrey, why are you in here? Do you not leave me in privacy at all?!" Chloe's bleary eyes were firey, glaring up at the tall blonde, towering in the doorway with her arms crossed.
"Well, I walked in and found your clothes all over the living room, so I came in to check on you. I didn't realize you were... entertaining a guest."
"My clothes are everywhere, what did you think was happening?!" Chloe grabbed her robe from the nearby chair, pulling it around herself and standing up to face Aubrey. Beca shrank into the bed, hoping to go unnoticed.
"Since when are you a promiscuous lesbian, Chloe Beale?" Aubrey spat, jutting her chin into the air. Chloe stomped over to Aubrey, pushing her backwards out of the doorway.
"Since when is it your business what the hell I do, Aubrey Posner?" With that, Chloe stepped back into the room, slamming the door on Aubrey. Beca let her breath out that she didn't realize she was holding. Chloe dropped her forehead against the door, breathing heavily. After a moment, Beca crawled out of the bed, walking over to stand behind Chloe, not sure what to do.
Chloe turned around, burying her face in the burnette's neck, her arms wrapping around Beca's still-naked waist.
"I'm sorry, Beca," she whispered, muffled against the younger woman's neck. "That was awful and embarrassing."
"Which part are you embarassed about? The naked part or the fact that it was me you're naked with?" Beca asked cautiously.
"The naked part," Chloe laughed, pulling back, keeping her arms around Beca. "You are nothing to be embarrassed of. Especially after all you did for me tonight, my darling. I'll be bragging about having this night with you for a long time to come." She smiled into deep brown eyes.
"What? Is this a one time thing for you?" Beca backed away, out of Chloe's reach. "Something for you to brag about? About how you got laid by the alt girl?" Beca wished for something, anything, to clothe herself with. Standing there naked seemed so vulnerable at the moment. The best she could do was wrap her arms around her breasts, crossing her legs to cover the rest. Chloe's eyes softened and she held out her hand, walking around the bed to Beca.
"Sweetie, no, that's not what I meant. I just meant that I'm not ashamed to be with you. I desperately hope this isn't a one time thing. I hope this is just the beginning. Besides, I do still owe you." Her bright blue eyes pleaded with Beca. The younger woman cleared her throat, looking back at the ginger for a moment. As Chloe slipped her robe back off her shoulders, Beca relaxed a little, dropping her arms. Chloe leaned against Beca, smiling up at her, running her hands up and down the brunette's arms.
"Come back to bed? I need more sleep to recover. You really wore me out. And in the morning, I need to have the energy to wake you up in a... particularly special way," Chloe said with a wink. Beca chuckled, a blush creeping up her neck. She let herself be pulled back to bed by the redhead, reaching to hit the light on the way. Back in darkness, under the sheets this time, Beca wrapped her arms around the other woman, pressing half a dozen kisses along her hairline before faling back into slumber.
Chloe woke slowly, the sun peeking through her curtains. Skimming her hand up Beca's body, the redhead grinned. She carefully extracted herself from the surprisingly strong grip of the brunette, trying not to wake her. Chloe drew the sheets back until Beca was lying uncovered, still naked from the night before. The ginger slid down between the other woman's sprawled legs, running her fingertips up the inside of her ankles to her upper thigh, massaging her thigh muscles to wake her. As Beca stirred, Chloe leaned over, eyes glued to Beca's face, to press soft kisses just below her breasts, seeing Beca was still not quite fully awake. Chloe smiled against the younger woman's stomach, kissing her a little harder, playing her fingers up her thigh a little more. As the dark blue eyes flickered, Chloe dragged one finger down her clit, making Beca's eyes fly open and her thighs tense. She lifted her head off the bed to see Chloe's devilish grin just above her center. Before Beca could even think, she felt a tongue flick over her clit. Instantly wet, and already throbbing, Beca let out a moan. She grabbed a fistful of redhair in one hand and tucked the other hand behind her head. As Chloe's tongue flicked out again, Beca opened her legs, completely undone by the sensations crashing over her. Her back arched, pressing her center into Chloe's face. The redhead opened her mouth, sucking Beca's clit between her lips. Beca moaned louder, pshing her head back farther as her back arched again. Chloe slipped three fingers just into the brunette's opening, teasing a little.
"Chlo, I want you inside me, please," Beca pulled her head up to look down her body at the redhead, begging as she tightened the grip on the redhead. Chloe glanced up, never taking her mouth off of Beca. Watching Beca beg for a moment longer, Chloe pushed three fingers deep inside of the other woman, enjoying the way her entire body tensed, shaking, her eyes rolling back, her mouth dropping open as she moaned, her grip in Chloe's hair tightening still to the point that it almost hurt. The redhead thrust into the younger woman again, keeping her clit swollen with kissing and sucking. After a few minutes, Beca gasped, her body going limp against Chloe, rocking once with an aftershock from the intensity. Feeling a slight tug on her hair, Chloe pulled herself up to lay beside the trembling woman, holding her close. Once her muscles had loosened, Beca reached up to press a long kiss on Chloe's lips, tasting herself on the older woman's tongue.
"This is the best wake up I've ever had." Beca murmured against Chloe's lips, smiling as their eyes met.
"Good. I'd like the same sometime, lady," Chloe winked, loving the way Beca blushed.
"mmm... how about some breakfast?" Becca lazily traced a pattern on Chloe's side and over across her breasts with her fignertips.
The readhead, eyes closed, smiled. "I think I've already had mine."
Beca laughed, tweaking a nipple, causing the ginger to flinch. "Real breakfast, my love."
Chloe stopped, opening her eyes suddenly, staring at Beca with a serious expression. "Am I... your love?"
Beca paused, meeting the serious gaze with one of her own. She swallowed, wishing she could take back her words. It didn't seem like the time to do this.
"Well, um... My lover, anyway..." Beca broke eye contact, awkwardly staring at her hands," I don't know..."
Chloe shifted, slipping out of bed and into her robe. "Breakfast. Come on." With a smile that belied her underlying thoughts, she tugged on Beca's hand. "I'll go grab your clothes from the living room floor. " With a wink, she disappeared from the bedroom.
I'm definitely in love with her. Why didn't I just say yes? Beca scrubbed her hands over her face. Straightening up as Chloe stepped back into the room, Beca smiled her thanks. Before Chloe could get too far, Beca snagged her by the wrist, pulling the redhead back against her front.
"I love you."
Chloe didn't respond.
"I love you, aca-nerd."
"You don't have to say that. I'm sorry for making you feel like you did." Chloe didn't turn around, her voice wavering. Beca wrapped her arms around the older woman, nuzzling her hair.
"I know I don't have to say it. I want to. I'm fucking crazy about you, Chloe, and I've never been crazy about anyone. Ever. I've never let someone in this far, never let myself be vulnerable. God, we slept all night, completely naked. You've seen me naked twice. In the light. You've been... down there... and left me with no control. And I let you. If this ain't love, baby, I don't know what is." Beca spun Chloe around, a grin on her face. The redhead took Beca's face in her hands, closing the distance quickly. The kiss took Beca's breath away and her heart soared.
"I love you too, aca-bitch." Chloe chuckled as Beca swatted at her backside.
"Seriously, though, I need breakfast." Beca grabbed Chloe's hand, puling her towards the kitchen.
"I have something for you," Chloe growled, pushing Beca's hand against her center.
Their lips found each other again, tongues sparring for control.
Aubrey walked around the corner at that moment. "Seriously, I've been listening to you all morning. And now I have to watch?" She brushed past the giggling women, who both muttered insincere apologies.
"You don't like movies?!" Chloe stopped walking, mouth hanging open in disbelief.
Beca glanced over, stopping too when she realized she was ahead of the ginger. Turning around, she put her hands on her hips. "How did you not know this? It's apparently a huge deal," she said sarcastically. "Jesse, from the Trebles, threw a hissy when he found out too." She shrugged. "Well, he also was trying to date me, poor guy."
Chloe laughed, moving to catch back up with Beca. They continued walking down the path to the auditorium for Bella practice.
"Yeah, poor guy. How did you let him down?" Chloe snagged Beca's hand in her own.
"Well, I just said he wasn't my type and that I had a little something on the side already." Beca grinned, nudging the redhead, who gasped and smacked her. Beca wrapped her arms around Chloe, holding her arms down to stop the smacking, and pressed a kiss to her pouting lips. The ginger immediately softened, leaning her weight into the brunette.
"Seriously. Stop." Aubrey demanded as she brushed past them. The two chuckled, pulling apart and following Aubrey into the auditorium.
Wide blue eyes searched the other Bella faces for any sign of back-up. "Fat Amy?"
"Well, I mean it sounded great, but... it did throw us off for like a second there..."
The air left Beca's lung in an instant, leaving her head spinning. She locked eyes with Chloe, who glanced over at Aubrey. Not even Chloe. Damn. Beca stepped back, barely registering the words Aubrey spat at her as she turned and busted through the back stage door into the hallway. She could hear Benji calling after her, but she picked up her pace, jogging away from the a capella music wafting through the air from the auditorium.
Finally finding their bus, Beca heaved a sigh. No keys. Which didn't matter. She would still have to endure the ride home with the Bellas hating her and the Trebles gloating. Great. This is fantastic. And to top it off, Chloe had left her at the mercy of Aubrey's wrath.
How had this happened? Beca leaned her head back, closing her eyes. She couldn't feel more alone if she were stranded on a desert island. Her girlfriend, she supposed they were official now with the admission of love, hadn't had her back. Wasn't that a girlfriend's job? Nine other people were upset with her in that moment, and all she had been doing was trying to help them win. Of course, they didn't get to advance, but that was beside the point.
She could hear the whoops of the Treblemakers and the clip of the Bella's heels as they approached the bus. Soon, Beca was surrounded, though no one actually spoke to her. She felt even more alone, surrounded by two dozen other people. They all clambered up into the bus, bickering and throwing verbal punches. Beca chose a seat at the front, trying to keep away from the rest of the group. The brunette felt her seat dip as arms wrapped around her waist.
"Don't. Just - don't even." The younger woman pulled Chloe's arms off of her, shifting to the edge of her seat, not even turning around to see the redhead's face.
"Bec, come on. I'm sorry she yelled at you. I tried - " Becca turned around, meeting sad eyes with firey eyes.
"You tried nothing. You stood there, not even looking at me, letting her blame me for ruining everything. Because the crap-tastic set list couldn't possibly be the problem," Beca spat sarcastically, pushing Chloe's arms entirely off of her. The ginger swallowed hard, dropping her eyes. She nodded silently and moved away to sit in her own seat, shoulders slumped. Great, now her mood is my fault too. Beca rolled her eyes, turning to face the window again. The rest of the drive, she was left mercifully alone.
It had been weeks since the disastrous loss to the Footnotes and Treblemakers. Beca hadn't seen or spoken to a single Bella since then, including a certain blue-eyed woman who made her heart sing. Her heart hadn't had a reason to sing since then, either. Not that Chloe hadn't tried to reach out. The first few days, she had called a few times, sent numerous texts, even dropped by to knock incessantly on the door, until she realized becca had no intention of answering. Since then, the texts had become more infrequent, the calls non-existant, and not a soul had knocked on the door. Beca sighed heavily, looking out the window. Spring break was upon them. The bustle of students running off with bags packed, headed home to visit their families or off for a week of vacation fun with college friends. Even Kimmy Jin headed out, an awkward "Happy spring break" good bye on the way out the door. And the freshman was blessedly alone again. At least there was the over night shifts at the radio station to keep her mind occupied. Turning her eyes back to the screen in front of her, Beca slipped the headphones back over her ears, figners playing over the controls in front of her.
Laying in a hospital bed alone over spring break wasn't Chloe's idea of a fun vacation. But with the Bellas done for the season, she took the opportunity to have her vocal chords fixed without missing classes. She couldn't believe how fast things could unravel. Two weeks ago, she was on top of the world. Bellas rehearsals were going well, though the songs were getting even older than they already were, she and Beca were acting like the two lovebirds they were, and classes sailed by smoothly. And now, here I am, alone, and I haven't even heard from her in weeks.
Her phone vibrated on the tray in front of her, and she snatchedit up hopefully. Just Aubrey.
Chloe we're in! Footnotes were disqualified. NATIONALS HERE WE COME! Meet Monday at 4 - we've got some practicing to do!
Chloe smiled, clapping excitedly. Her voice would surely be able to be used again by then. She immediately started typing a text.
Becs, we did it! Nationals, and we're totes going! Mon at 4, don't be late!
As soon as she hit the send button, she paused. Will she even respond?
Shaking her head, the ginger pushed the younger woman from her mind. It didn't matter what Beca did. She and Aubrey had their second chance to win nationals! And this year, Chloe knew they could do it.
"I texted Beca."
"You shouldn't have done that, Chloe!" Aubrey said harshly and stopped walking, causing Chloe to run into her back. As the blonde turned around, Chloe stepped back.
"I don't care. I want her here. She should be here. She's a Bella!"
"No longer! Not after what she did to us. You remember how she treated us last time? Has she even talked to you at all since then? Did she even respond to your texts?" Aubrey's voice softened. "I can hear you crying yourself to sleep every night, Chlo. The walls aren't soundproof."
Chloe's eyes dropped to the floor. "She should still know," she whispered. Aubrey rubbed her hands on the ginger's upper arms comfortingly. "It's ok. We'll be fine without her."
They stepped in front of the group, forcing smiles onto their faces. Aubrey's was genuine, at least.
As they began rehearsing for nationals, thoughts of the elusive brunette slipped from Chloe's mind entirely. Nearly half an hour into the practice, the door to the auditorium creaked open and Beca walked in slowly. Everyone stopped moving, eyes turning to Aubrey. Chloe turned her head, refusing to meet the younger woman's eyes.
"Oh thank God. I was about to pass out," Fat Amy said, gasping for air. "Oh hey Beca. Didn't think you would show." With a glance towards Aubrey, she chuckled. "She hoped you wouldn't." Beca didn't respond, meeting Aubrey's hardened gaze head on.
"I'm sorry. I took things into my own hands without asking, and I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't have done that - it really screwed up the group. Please let me back in? I would love to be here... if you'll still have me." Her dark blue eyes flicked over to Chloe, who was still staring intently at the white board, refusing to meet her gaze. Beca reached for the back of the nearest chair, slowly backing away while dragging the chair on the concrete. Every one watched Aubrey's face, waiting for a response. The blonde tipped her chin up, crossing her arms. Beca was nearly at the door when Aubrey sighed, throwing her hands up. "Fine, stay, what the hell. It's not like we can with without you, so we may as well have you here."
Chloe whipped her head around, staring Aubrey down. The blonde shrugged, turning away from the group.
"Well... I wanted to say that I really enjoy being in this group. More than I would like to admit. I'm here, however you all want this performance to go for nationals." Beca stepped to the back of the group, prepared to sing the usual, boring songs. Chloe had yet to actually look at her. Aubrey sighed, loking at the ceiling.
"Maybe you were right, Beca."
"What?" Chloe and Beca said in unison, neither sure they had heard the controling leader correctly. Aubrey lowered her head to meet Beca's stunned gaze.
"Maybe you were right. Can you teach us some new mixes? I really want us to win this thing." The blonde tossed the pitch pipe at Beca, who came out of her stunned daze in time to catch it.
"You're serious?" Aubrey nodded. "Well... let's get out of here. We need better acoustics."
"Let's remix this business!" The group cheered, arranging themselves in a semi-circle around their new leader.
"Aubrey, pick a song?"
"Just the way you are, by Bruno Mars," the older woman said, locking eyes with Chloe. The ginger shook her head. Beca paused, then nodded.
"Ok then." Taking a deep breath, Beca started the group off.
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Aubrey joined in, then the altos harmonized, and a beat was laid down. Beca finally looked over at Chloe, whose blue eyes were glued to the brunette. Beca pointed at her, offering her the lead. Taking a deep breath, not breaking their first eye contact of the evening, Chloe smiled.
Her eyes, her eyes, make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair, her hair, falls perfectly without her trying
She's so beautiful and I tell her every day
Beca winked at the redhead, mixing in her own song
I was thinking 'bout her, thinking 'bout me
Thinking 'bout us, who we gonna be
Opened my eyes and it was only just a dream
Their voices mixed perfectly, as they had in the shower that first time. Chloe blushed, remembering where this all started. As the song wrapped up, Beca took the few steps to stand in front of Chloe. Chloe's eyes widened as she licked her lips, waiting for Beca to speak. The brunette surprised her by taking her hand and dropping to her knees.
"Chloe, sweetheart, I've been terrible to you. These past few weeks sucked without you. Nothing makes me as happy as you do. And I don't want to spend another day, another moment, away from you. I want to make you smile, hear you laugh, and feel you in my arms. Please forgive me?" The younger woman held her breath, staring up into the deep blue eyes that she craved, watching the lips she wanted to kiss, waiting for a reply. Every other woman standing around them paused too, anxious for Chloe's reply.
After a moment, the redhead dropped to her knees too, taking Beca's face in her hands.
"I'm sorry I left you to fend for yourself. These weeks have sucked for me too. I forgive you, of course I do. I've really mis-" Her quiet words were cut off by Beca's mouth. The freshman kissed her hard and long, neither woman hearing the cheers and catcalls coming from the rest of the group as they melted into each other. Pulling their lips apart, they smiled at each other.
Finals. Blinding lights, intimidating groups singing confidently, a packed crowd. As the Bellas stood in the wings waiting to take the stage, Beca felt the other girls close in behind her as she watched the Trebles performance. A warm arm slipped around her waist, and she glanced over her shoulder. Blue eyes met her own, glittering with excitement.
"This is it, Becs. Lincoln Center." The words tickled her ear lobe, causing a shiver down her spine. Beca smiled, turning to watch the end of the Treblemakers' performance.
"I love you, awesome nerds," the brunette said as the boys walked off the stage, turning to face her group of women. The MC announced their name, and suddenly they were standing on the stage, every eye on them.
As quickly as it began, it was over. Panting to catch her breath, Beca found herself squeezed between Aubrey and Chloe as the group celebrated and waved to the crowd. Chloe grabbed her around the waist, lifting her feet off the ground in a bone-crushing hug.
"I can't even believe how much I love you right now!" The redhead laughed, putting Beca's feet back on the ground.
"Me neither, but not quite in the same way!" Aubrey hugged Beca around the shoulder with a wide grin. "Pretty sure we just wont this thing!"
As they found their seats again, Beca reached for Chloe, pulling her head down into a searing kiss. "This day couldn't have ended better," she whispered against the ginger's mouth.