It was a Friday night and the Bellas were drunk.
Aubrey had surprised them by showing up that afternoon, taking a rare weekend away from the Lodge, and the girls were celebrating having their ex-captain under the roof again.
Stacie paused on the way to the door, having to leave early for a date. "I wish I'd have known you were coming, Bree. I'd have moved dinner, but it's too late now." She sighed, frowning.
"Sorry, Stace." Aubrey got up from where she'd been sitting between Chloe and Cynthia Rose and hugged her. "It was a spur of the moment decision when I realized we were only half booked this weekend. The guys can handle it without me. They hope." She grinned slyly.
"S'ok. I'll see you tomorrow. We'll all do lunch?" Stacie took a step back toward the entryway.
"Of course! I'm here for the weekend." Aubrey smiled at her. "Have a good time tonight, you look very nice."
"Eh." Stacie shrugged. "I helped Ron study and he insisted on taking me to dinner when he passed his test." She turned to open the door and looked back over her shoulder. "He's nagged me for the past month until I finally gave in." With a final look at Aubrey and a wave at the rest of them, she stepped out and closed the door behind her.
"I'm ordering pizza; you change your favorite in the last few years, Aubrey?" Beca looked up from her phone where she was sitting cross legged where the two halves of the sectional met.
"Ooh, did they get anything new?" Aubrey walked back to the couch and waved to Cynthia Rose to scoot over before she dropped next to Beca, leaning over to look at her phone.
"I mean, maybe?" Beca looked at her out of the corner of her eye but tilted her phone so it was easier for Aubrey to see.
Aubrey gasped, "They added a dessert menu!?"
Beca smiled and obediently clicked the link as Aubrey pressed closer.
/~/
They'd started drinking as soon as the pizza got there and it was after midnight when most of them called it quits and headed upstairs one at a time. Except Amy. She had "gone out for a smoothie" hours ago and Beca didn't expect her back until breakfast.
Soon only Chloe, Beca and Aubrey were left sprawled across the sectional, talking about anything and everything that came to mind.
"Wait." Beca giggled, reaching over to grab Aubrey's knee, squeezing when she overbalanced and almost fell off the couch. "Wait. You're telling me you have actual traps around the property?" Aubrey nodded at her solemnly. "They're literally nets." Another nod. "Covered in leaves?" A third nod. "For bears that can sometimes wander in?"
Aubrey shrugged. "It's happened before."
"And they hoist unsuspecting people into the air?" Beca laughed again. "Did they have those before or after you showed up?"
"I refuse to answer that on the grounds that it would intimidate me." Aubrey sniffed.
Chloe laughed. "You mean incriminate you?"
Aubrey blinked slowly. "Yes. Thank you, Chloe." She held her poise for a few seconds before she burst out laughing, joining an already giggling Beca. "Amy's Aussie Surprises have gotten way stronger since I've been gone." She looked down in her cup. "Oh. I'm out."
"I got it." Beca stood up, wobbled for a few seconds as both Aubrey and Chloe's hands reached out to steady her. "IgotitIgotitIgotit!" She stopped swaying and reached for Aubrey's cup. "See?" She walked into the kitchen in that precise manner only the truly drunk who are trying to hide it can perfect.
Aubrey watched her until she was out of sight, a small smile on her lips before she turned back to Chloe. "Think she'll drop it?"
Chloe shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time."
/~/
An hour later Chloe called it a night. She locked up the house and then came back to hug them both. Beca and Aubrey were sitting with Beca's laptop across their legs as Beca played some of her new mixes. "Don't stay up too much longer. We'll plan a brunch in the morning!" She bounced in place "I'm so glad you're here, Bree!" She kissed the top of Aubrey's head.
"Me too. I really missed you guys. There is no one fun at the Lodge." Aubrey pouted.
Beca looked up, confused. "But, you're at the Lodge."
"You've never called me fun, Beca." Aubrey shoulder bumped her.
"Well I'm a dick and no one should listen to me." Beca nodded once, as if that settled the matter, and took another sip from her cup. "You're fun, Bree."
"Didn't you just say I shouldn't listen to you?" Aubrey leaned back against the couch.
"Yeah but…" Beca's eyebrows knitted together. There was a trap here, she just knew it.
"So I can't listen to you tell me I'm fun." Aubrey watched her over the rim of her cup, her eyes twinkling. She'd missed this kind of banter much more than she realized.
"But I…" Beca's free hand came up and pulled at the air. "I mean…"
"I'm just doing what you asked." Aubrey shrugged.
"Aha!" Beca pointed at her. "But I said you shouldn't listen to me, so that probably includes me telling you not to listen to me!" Beca waved her cup in the air, almost spilling it all over them.
Chloe left them then, smiling as her best friends dissolved in laughter, leaning on each other for support.
/~/
"Dude, no. You're gonna break your neck." Beca giggled. "Then all the girls would be mad at me that I let you break your neck." She pushed Aubrey's arm. "You don't want that to happen, do you?"
"But Becaaaaaaaa. I never get to relax at the Lodge." Aubrey whined. "It's all stuffy corporate guys who hit on me all the time." She made a 'yuck' face that caused Beca to giggle again. "Most of them have horrible breath." She shuddered. "It reminds me of Alice and her egg breath."
Beca straightened. "No, we only call her That Whore Alice™ in this house, now." She grabbed Aubrey by the shoulders and pulled her close, saying sincerely, "She was horrible and should be stopped."
"You don't have to tell me twice." Aubrey trailed off, trying to remember what she was talking about earlier. She stared into Beca's eyes as her brain spun aimlessly. 'They really are a unique deep blue, I've never seen anyone else who had eyes that color.'
"Bree?" Beca tiled her head. "You ok?"
"Oh, yeah. Yeah I'm… what were we doing again?" Aubrey looked around. They'd moved from the living room into the first floor study and were currently standing in an open corner.
"You… uh." Beca looked down at the carpet and frowned. "We were… Dude. I forgot."
Aubrey's tongue stuck out from the corner of her mouth while she thought. "Oh!" It rushed back to her and she stood up straight. "Handstand!"
"Right!" Beca smiled brightly then let it slip. "Why again?"
"Because it's fun. Stacie always told me that's why she did them. Cause they were fun!" Aubrey sighed. "I miss fun."
"Stacie does them cause she can also do a mid-air split and it causes people on the quad to walk into trees. Or each other. The security guards. A rose bush. The coffee cart once." Beca ticked them off on her fingers. "So her motivations are suspectible." She blinked. "Wait. What did I just say?"
Aubrey giggled. "Try it again." She watched as Beca's brows knit in concentration and her fingers itched to smooth it out.
"Suspectiable." Beca stuck her tongue out. "Supectial… Fuck! Why are words hard?" She closed her eyes. "SUSPECT!" Aubrey bit her lips to keep from laughing. "But, no. Bree. Dude." She grabbed Aubrey's hand and squeezed. "If you hurt yourself, the rest of them will hurt me." Her face fell. "And I'm small. You don't want that on your conscience, do you?"
"I won't let them." Aubrey said with conviction. "It'll be fine. Stacie's showed me how before, it's just been long time."
The two of them had moved into the study because it was carpeted and Aubrey had decided maybe a corner would be better as it gave her another surface to balance against. If she needed, which she totally didn't.
"Here, hold my drink." Aubrey thrust her solo cup into Beca's hand.
"Dude. Two things. One, no good has ever come from someone saying that sentence." Aubrey waved her hand dismissively. "And two, this is totally empty." Beca turned and set it on the desk. "OK, if you're going to do this, let's get it over with." She stepped forward and held her hands up and at the ready.
"What're you doing?" Aubrey eyed her narrowly.
"Catching you?" Beca's hands opened and closed.
"Oh." Aubrey giggled again. She decided not to mention the fact that Beca's hands were on level with Aubrey's chest and for a minute she'd thought Beca was about to grope her. "That's, uh. Nice of you." She frowned for a minute. "Now, how did she say to start out again…" Aubrey exhaled, "Shit."
"Dude." Beca whispered. "You said a bad word."
"I curse, Beca. I'm not a complete prude. It's just more impactful when it's used properly." Aubrey absently placed her hand over Beca's mouth. "Shh, I'm trying to remember how to do this." She ignored Beca's eyes which had crossed trying to glare down at the offending appendage. "Right… I just…" She gestured with her other hand absently. "And then I just…" She raked her teeth over her upper lip. "Right," she said again partially to convince herself. "OK. I got this."
After tucking her shirt into her jeans, Aubrey leaned over and got into a sprinters stance, facing the wall. "Careful, this may take a couple tries."
Beca stood to the side, but her hands were ready. "I gotchu, Bree." She muttered a soft, "Please don't break your neck." She watched as Aubrey flailed out with one leg. "Um." Aubrey flailed again. "What…" Both of Aubrey's legs suddenly kicked out and Beca ducked wildly back even though she was not in any danger of getting kicked. "Dude!"
"I need to do the kick to get my legs up." Aubrey turned her head to look at Beca almost upside down. "I know I can do this! I've done it before!"
"But like, were you drunk at the time?" Beca asked reasonably, though she really wanted to laugh again. "Cause I'm pretty sure you're drunk right now." She watched as Aubrey gave a few more uncoordinated attempts. "Wait, wait. Hold on. Don't like, kick me in the face. I like my teeth." Beca eased forward. "How about I help, for this first one?" After a moment, she reached down and looped her arms around Aubrey's knees, also facing the wall. She tried not to think about how close she was to Aubrey's ass, though since it was right there, it was extremely distracting.
"How is this going to help?" Aubrey's face was turning red, either from being upside down, the exertion, or anger. Knowing Aubrey, it was likely all three.
"You're gonna do your kick flail thing, and I'm going to hoist up your legs and throw you at the wall." Beca paused. "Well, now that I've said that out loud, that sounds dangerous." She giggled. "Or awesome."
Aubrey said eagerly, "Let's try it."
"Do the count thing. I think it'll help." Beca grinned. "Is it on three, or after three?"
"Oh my god, shut up and let's do this before my head pops off." Aubrey took a deep breath. "One, two, three…"
Aubrey's legs kicked up and Beca took their weight in her arms and pulled upward. Shifting her grip to grab Aubrey's knees and push, she miscalculated and Aubrey's feet thumped back to the floor. "Aw shit! I'm sorry! Maybe this was a lame idea."
"No, no! That will actually work!" Aubrey jumped upright and hugged Beca. "Let's do that again!" She dropped back down almost before Beca had registered the embrace.
It took several tries and a kick to Beca's shoulder, but they finally got Bree up into a curved handstand against the wall. Beca clapped. "That's what I call teamwork, baby!"
Aubrey huffed out a breath and drew in another one. "We're aca-mazing!" She looked up at her awkwardly and smiled. "Thanks for the help, Beca."
"You'd have gotten there, but this way you get to the good stuff quicker." Beca settled down cross legged in front of her. "How does it look?"
"You guys totally need to repaint this ceiling." Aubrey told her seriously.
"Only you would spend all this time getting into a handstand and then critique the décor." Beca poked her in the stomach.
"Don't shoot the messenger." Aubrey wobbled and steadied again.
"Or what?" Beca poked her again and Aubrey jumped. "Wait, are you ticklish?!"
"No!" Aubrey knew she'd said it too fast the second it was out of her mouth. "Beca… don't…"
Beca rose to her knees. "Oh no, I have you at my mercy right now. I'd be silly to not take advantage of it." Her fingers trailed experimentally up Aubrey's side, grinning manically as Aubrey yelped.
Aubrey's voice shook with laughter and strain. "Beca, I'm warning you…"
"Worth it." Beca flexed her fingers. "It'll so be worth it." She cackled as she launched a full scale tickle attack on the upside down woman.
"No! ARGH!" Aubrey twisted her body though there was nowhere to go. "Wait, Beca, no, I'm…" But her warning came too late and she arched away from the wall, knocking Beca to the ground underneath her.
"Oof!" The air was expelled from two sets of lungs.
The room was quiet for a minute, then twin giggles filled the air.
"I told you to watch it!" Aubrey squirmed around until her face was above Beca's.
"I couldn't help it." Beca laughed and looped her arms around Aubrey and hugged her. "There was this irresistible force telling me to do it. I was powerless." She shrugged.
"Mmhmm." Aubrey was still out of breath, giggling. "Whatever. Once I recover from almost dying, I'm going to get you back for that."
Beca's eyes went mock-wide. "Ooh." She giggled again. "I'm soooo scared."
Aubrey smiled at her, teeth bared. It was a smile that had made many of her employees squirm in their chairs as she prepared to reprimand them. "You should be."
Beca burst out laughing again, shaking Aubrey who was still resting full body against her. Aubrey chewed the inside of her cheek, trying not to join in though Beca's glee was infectious. But her lips twitched in a grin as Beca stopped abruptly. "Oh." She snickered. "You're serious." A giggle jostled them both. "I'm sorry I knocked you down, Bree." There was absolutely no sincerity in her voice.
Aubrey rolled her eyes and slid off to her left, more along Beca's side and hopefully not crushing her ribs. She rested her head on Beca's shoulder, still trying to catch her breath, and unconsciously snuggled in, tangling their legs together. "I'm glad you stayed up with me, Becs." Her right hand smoothed its way down Beca's stomach and across her side, squeezing gently.
What she'd meant to say was 'I've really missed all of you.' What she ended up saying was "I've really missed you."
"Me too. With the staying up, and the… missing. Stuff." Beca gently rubbed circles on Aubrey's back. "Bree?"
"Hmm?" Her nose ran along the underside of Beca's jaw, breathing in her perfume. It smelled like home.
"Don't you like Stacie?" She didn't mean to say that, but she'd gotten lost in thinking about how good it felt to have Aubrey resting on her, all soft curves and warmth.
Aubrey lifted her shoulders, saying quietly. "She likes me." It made her a bit sad, though she had never led Stacie on. She'd always been friendly with the taller brunette, cared for her a lot, but as nothing more than a friend. "But I like someone else." Her heart began thumping and she hoped Beca couldn't feel it.
Beca, out of nowhere, felt her inner badass step smoothly into place. "I'll give you a kiss if you tell me who you like." But then her badass stepped away into the night like a fucking ninja and she was left on her own once again. 'That bitch.' She started giggling again at her own thoughts, the alcohol still in her system still making everything much funnier than it should.
Aubrey pushed up to look at her. "One kiss?" Beca nodded. "That's super cheap for a secret like that, Beca." She sniffed and shook her head. "What kind of girl do you think I am?"
"Fiiiiinnnne." Beca rolled her eyes. "I'll give you twoooo kisses."
"Big spender." Aubrey widened her eyes playfully. "Don't empty your bank account just for lil' ole me." It was Aubrey's turn to giggle. She'd missed this; the laughter and silliness, just having a good time with her friends. Coming home had been exactly what she'd needed to recharge.
"Ok ok. Five. FIVE kisses, Aubrey." Beca's eyes were so close, so earnest. "That's got to be worth something." Her right hand began to lightly comb through Aubrey's hair, twisting locks slowly around her fingers.
"Oh, it is. But it's still not enough for that secret." Aubrey shrugged, wiggling to get more comfortable. Her hand traced its way up Beca's arm until it played with the neckline of her shirt. "You'll have to do much better than that, Becs."
This continued for several more minutes, Beca gradually jumping her increases up by tens, then twenties, but Aubrey didn't budge. Both of them were giggling helplessly against each other, out of breath and trying to be quiet all at the same time.
Finally, Beca yelled. "Ok! FINE!" She took a deep breath. "I will give you one meeeeeeeeeeeeellion kisses to find out who you like."
Aubrey gasped. "You saw 'Austin Powers'?!" She giggled, trying to imagine how that must have gone.
"Jesse made me for that movication thingie we do once a month." She shrugged. "It wasn't the worst thing he's made me watch." She bounced them a little. "So?"
Aubrey looked back down at her, lost for a second in midnight blue. "What?"
"My offer?" Beca's eyes traced Aubrey's face. "Of one meee- no, I can't do it again." She shook her head. "One million kisses for you to tell me who you like."
"OH! Right." Aubrey considered, weighing her options. "That's a lot, you know." She narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure you're good for it?"
"Pssh, of course I am." Beca giggled. "I'm rich in kisses, Bree. Don't you worry about that."
"Well, I think maybe… You drive a hard bargain, Mitchell, but you have yourself a deal." Aubrey smiled at her, giggling at the look of triumph spreading over Beca's face.
Beca cheered and kissed Aubrey on the nose. "One!"
"Oooh, someone's eager to pay off their debt." Aubrey ignored the flutter in her chest and the pull in her stomach as Beca's eyes began to sparkle.
"What can I say, I believe in paying my dues." Beca stretched and kissed Aubrey's right eyebrow. "Two." Her left. "Three." Each kiss tickled, causing Aubrey to giggle, which caused Beca to giggle, but she continued with no particular plan on where to settle next.
Both eyelids – "Four, five."
Each check – "Six, seven."
Aubrey's chin – "Eight."
Then Beca ducked her head and placed a soft kiss on Aubrey's pulse point, which had begun to flutter wildly. Both women paused, their breath catching briefly before they giggled once more, this time more out of shy quasi-embarrassment than anything else. "Nine." But this time it was Aubrey who said it, her voice soft with a hint of wonder.
Beca continued, and while they still giggled, they were tapering off, a longer pause between them as her lips began to linger. Beca's nose nudged Aubrey to turn first one way and then the other, placing soft kisses on either side of her neck. "Eleven, twelve."
She reached up with her left hand and tilted Aubrey's head a little more, placing a new kiss behind her ear. She whispered softly, feeling Aubrey's heart racing against her own until they found themselves in sync. "Thirteen." She trailed her lips down the column of Aubrey's throat, breath warm, and felt Aubrey shiver. Fourteen was open mouthed and at the edge of Aubrey's shirt, against her collarbone.
They were silent now, only the sound of their breathing disturbing the quiet of the house.
She tilted Aubrey's head the other way again, their noses brushing together. Fifteen – the other collarbone – and sixteen – behind the other ear, were placed quickly, before she brought Aubrey around to face her directly again.
Beca placed kisses at each corner of her mouth before brushing her lips against Aubrey's. They were soft, gentle as Aubrey pressed a bit closer, a half whimper buried in her throat. Beca pulled back, tried a new angle, sliding across them again. She pulled away, eyes closing, before pressing close, lingering and chaste despite the lightning running up her spine.
After several, long and powerful heartbeats, Aubrey parted her lips, feeling Beca sigh softly before slipping her tongue past them. The first tentative touch against her own made Aubrey's toes curl and she fisted her hands in Beca's shirt, trying to pull them closer together.
They spent several minutes trading increasingly deeper kisses, soft whimpers and moans as their bodies shifted, each sensation new and almost overwhelming. But also familiar and comforting, keeping them both grounded together as Beca's hands pushed their way under Aubrey's shirt and pressed against her back.
Finally, driven by the need for more air than the miniscule sips they'd take before slanting their lips together again, they parted, foreheads resting as they panted.
Suddenly Beca giggled, breaking the comfortable silence between them and Aubrey quirked a brow in question.
"Uhhhhhh." Beca giggled again. "I think I lost count?"
Aubrey felt her lips part in a grin. "Guess we'll just have to start over until you can count one meeeeeeellion kisses."
"And then you'll tell me who you like?" Beca stroked a finger across the ridges of Aubrey's spine.
Aubrey nodded solemnly. "A deal is a deal."
They gazed into each other's eyes, losing track of time before Aubrey blurted, "Oh!" and started to giggle again. "Uh, just so you're aware. If you figure out before you've made full payment, you should know there's no refunds."
"What!? That's like. Highway robbery!" Beca's voice was outraged even though they were both giggling again.
"Nope." Aubrey took on a superior air. "Not my fault you didn't ask the terms before you agreed to our negotiations."
Beca rolled her eyes. "You and your lawyerese!" More giggles slipped free from them both.
Aubrey shrugged. "Sorry. It's also not my fault you didn't read the fine print."
"There was fine print!? My mother would be so ashamed. She prides herself on making sure she knows all the ins and outs of a deal."
Both of them paused at Beca's choice of words before they both decided to ignore the slight innuendo.
Aubrey cleared her throat. "I believe we were back at 1?"
But before she even finished speaking, Beca's lips had captured hers, hungry and wanting. Urging gently with her own, she pulled Aubrey's tongue into her mouth, encouraging her to take control of the kiss. They lost themselves in it, hands pulling and tugging, thighs pressing and parting as they let this new layer of their relationship settle over them.
Aubrey broke away, her heart hammering – or maybe it was Beca's – needing the brief pause before they took things even further, knowing they shouldn't without a serious talk. But that was for another day. She cleared her throat. "The, uh… the fine print also says that was all one kiss because your lips touched me the entire time."
Beca gave one last giggle. "Well, if that's what the fine print says..."
"Definitely."
"Then this could take a really long time." Her voice warned teasingly even as her eyes held promise.
Aubrey's voice was soft. "Sounds perfect to me."
/~/
The next morning Chloe came downstairs and, out of habit, looked into the room to the right. She paused as she saw a pile of blankets that she was sure hadn't been there the day before. She walked in and stopped, her heart melting a little at the sight.
Aubrey was cuddled on top of Beca, her face pressed into the brunette's neck, and it looked like Beca's arms were wrapped around her, based on the outline under the blanket. Both of them had contented smiles on their faces. She smiled once more before leaving the room.
She walked into the kitchen, pausing again as she saw Stacie sitting at the center island drinking coffee. "You're up first?" She tried to keep it light, knowing how Stacie felt about Aubrey. She got a glass from the cupboard, filled it from the tap and took a drink.
"I got home somewhat early for me last night." Stacie's voice sounded normal and Chloe relaxed a bit. "The light in the study was on and I found those two passed out and snoring." Chloe chuckled. "So I covered them with a blanket and went to bed."
But now there was something in her tone that made Chloe set down her glass and wrap her arms around Stacie from behind. "You ok?" She rested her cheek against the top of her head.
Stacie thought for a moment, rolling the question in her mind. It was one she'd been thinking on and off since she'd gotten home and why she hadn't really slept at all. "Well. If she chooses anyone but me, I'm ok with it being Beca." It was an answer she knew that she'd eventually believe, even if she wasn't really sure about it this second.
Chloe kissed her on the temple, "Come back upstairs and snuggle with me? It's still early; I just forgot to fill up my water bottle before bed or I'd still be snoozing."
"Sure, Chlo." Stacie turned in the circle of Chloe's arms. "And thanks." She wrapped her long arms around Chloe and hugged her back.
"Always." She waited while Stacie ran water into her mug and placed it in the sink for later.
The two of them headed back upstairs where Chloe played big spoon, to sleep for another hour or so before the rest of the Bellas woke them back up for brunch.
As Stacie cuddled back into her, holding onto the arm Chloe had put around her waist, Chloe knew that, with time, Stacie's heart would heal. Maybe, eventually, Stacie would even let her help.
Chloe was willing to wait however long that took.