Title: I Won't Accept Defeat - one
Author: slacker_d
Pairing/Characters: Aubrey/Beca, Chloe, Fat Amy, Mr. Posen, Dr. Mitchell
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "My father would never approve of you," Aubrey explains. "You're not the partner that Thomas Posen pictured for his daughter, the future CEO of Posen Enterprises."
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Word Count: ~2,520
Spoilers: Pitch Perfect
A/N: based on a prompt from Kiarcheo who wanted Aubrey breaking up with Beca because Mr. Posen would never approve
If anyone had told Aubrey that she would be happily dating Beca Mitchell as her senior year came to an end, she would have laughed in their face. But they've been together for over two months now and Aubrey can easily see it lasting. She doesn't know how it happened, but Aubrey is in love.
She almost wishes she wasn't. It would certainly make things easier. Graduation is quickly approaching and Aubrey's been struggling with what she has to do. Beca has noticed the added anxiety, but seems to accept Aubrey's excuses about finals, graduation, and what needs to happen over the summer. Aubrey knows that Beca is busy as well and hopes it lasts long enough to keep her girlfriend distracted.
Aubrey knows what she has to do, but is dreading it more than she ever thought possible.
…
It's the night before Aubrey's graduation and all the celebrating is done. Lying in bed, wrapped around Aubrey, Beca can't figure out why she's still so tense.
"You graduate tomorrow," Beca says, voice slightly awed.
"I know," Aubrey sighs. "It feels a bit surreal."
"Is that why you're so damn tense?"
Beca feels Aubrey flinch and then tense up more before making a deliberate effort to relax.
"I'm not tense," Aubrey replies.
Now Beca is worried. When Aubrey is stressed and denying it, it never ends well.
"Bree…"
"I don't want to talk about it," Aubrey insists.
"Maybe I could help," Beca offers. "You've earned the right to relax."
"You can't."
Beca's concern is growing and morphing into paranoia. "Are you sure? I mean, I know I'm not Chloe, but if you just let me in a bit—"
"We have to break up."
Beca unspoons from Aubrey and pushes her down on her back before straddling her.
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"
Beca watches as disbelief becomes annoyance and then reluctance.
"I was planning on ending things tomorrow," Aubrey says quietly.
"That's why you're tense? Because…" Beca rolls off Aubrey and lets herself collapse onto the bed. "Why?"
"Because it's not going to work out," Aubrey replies. "I'm graduating, you're actually staying here to get your degree, and we're going in two different directions."
"But I thought you said you and Chloe were living together for the summer and then coming back here for grad school," Beca says.
"I am."
"And I'm staying with my dad this summer," Beca continues.
"I know."
"We'll be like an hour apart," Beca replies. "And I know you have to work. I do too, but we could still hang out at night or on weekends."
"We can't."
"Why not?"
"My father would never approve of you," Aubrey explains. "You're not the partner that Thomas Posen pictured for his daughter, the future CEO of Posen Enterprises."
"Well, you never pictured yourself with me, either," Beca points out. "But you're happy, right?"
Pressed together side by side, staring at the ceiling, arms touching, but nothing else, Beca feels Aubrey nod. She intertwines their hands and gives Aubrey's a supporting squeeze.
"So we just give him some time to get used to me."
Aubrey shakes her head. "It won't matter. He won't like approve," she explains. "And it's only been a couple months—"
"That doesn't mean this isn't serious," Beca interrupts. "That I'm not serious about you."
Aubrey lets out another sigh as she lets go of Beca's hand. Worried she's about to be kicked out of bed, Beca is about to protest when Aubrey moves them back into spooning position. Once Beca's arm is securely around her waist, Aubrey laces their fingers together again.
"I know," Aubrey says quietly. "But that doesn't matter."
"He's going to be here, tomorrow, right?" Beca asks. "If you just give me a chance, I can make a good first impression."
"Even with those things in your ears?"
"Yes, even then."
"Can we talk about this in the morning?" Aubrey asks.
"Fine," Beca says. "But we're not breaking up."
…
"I can't believe you're still trying to break up with me," Beca growls.
"I can't believe you keep fighting it," Aubrey replies. "I told you. This is how it has to be."
"Is it possible for you two to stop arguing, ever?" Chloe interrupts.
The three of them are sitting at the small table in Chloe and Aubrey's apartment, drinking coffee and having breakfast. Chloe is calmly peeling an orange while Beca has now very soggy cereal in front of her and Aubrey ignores her own plate of food.
"Apparently not," Beca pouts.
Aubrey wishes she didn't find it so adorable when Beca pouts. It's making it very difficult to not cave in and not end things.
"We're not arguing," Aubrey says. "Because there's nothing left to discuss."
"We haven't discussed anything," Beca protests. "Which is half the problem."
"Break ups don't need discussion," Aubrey tells her.
"They do when the reason for the break up is stupid," Beca retorts.
"I'm saving us both time and heartbreak," Aubrey defends. "Once my father… The relationship would have to end. And so why drag it out and make things worse?"
"Your pragmatism is not applicable to our situation, Bree," Beca tells her. "Though it's nice to know that you would end things just because daddy told you to."
"This isn't easy for me, Beca," Aubrey says.
"Oh really? Because this is a fucking cakewalk for me."
"What exactly is a cakewalk?" Chloe asks.
"I'm doing this for your own good," Aubrey tells Beca.
"Are you sure you aren't doing it so you don't have to stand up to daddy?" Beca asks. "Because I never thought I'd see the day that Aubrey Posen was a coward."
"Beca…"
"He is pretty scary," Chloe offers.
Beca looks skeptically at Chloe before turning back to Aubrey. The intense anger on Beca's face is something Aubrey isn't prepared for. Aubrey had thought she'd experienced the brunt of Beca's anger when they'd clashed over the set list throughout the year; apparently she was wrong.
"I guess I just thought we were worth fighting for," Beca says, quietly, obviously seething.
Aubrey doesn't have a response to that.
"And yeah," Beca continues. "My dad isn't particularly scary, he's just…" Beca sighs. "But I'd still fight for you."
Aubrey nods because she knows it's true. When Beca's passionate about something, she'll fight for it long after others would have given up.
"I mean, god, Bree," Beca says. "How can you say you love me and then do this?"
"I'm doing this because I do love you," Aubrey protests.
Beca rolls her eyes. "But not enough, apparently." She looks down at the bowl over very soggy cereal and makes a face of disgust. She stands. "Fine. If that's how you feel, then I'm leaving. After all, I have no reason to be here, anymore, right?"
"Beca," Chloe tries.
"It's fine, Chloe," Beca says. "Really. I'll see you later."
Aubrey watches Beca disappear back into her room to grab her things before stalking out of the apartment and slamming the door behind her. Aubrey lets her head drop into her hands with a groan.
"I can't believe you did that," Chloe says as the sweet smell of orange hits Aubrey's sense.
"I told you I was going to," Aubrey replies, looking up.
"I had kind of hoped you'd change your mind," Chloe tells her.
"I know."
"I wouldn't have pushed you two together if I thought—"
"I know."
"Beca can be pretty charming when she wants to be," Chloe reminds her. "That is how she got you to agree to a date in the first place."
"I remember."
"Maybe if you just introduce the two of them…"
"No," Aubrey says, shaking her head. "It's better this way."
"For who?"
Aubrey doesn't have an answer to that.
…
Watching graduation is even more bittersweet than Beca expected. Of course, she also didn't expect her girlfriend to break up with her this morning, so that might have something to do with it.
Sitting at the end of the row with Fat Amy on her left, Beca sulks. She and the other Bellas are there to support their former captains. When Chloe's name is called, they all jump up and cheer as the red head crosses the stage. She grins and blows them a kiss before walking back to her seat.
There's plenty of time between the Bs and the Ps, so Fat Amy apparently sees this as time for a heart to heart with Beca.
"What's got your undies in a bunch?" Fat Amy whispers loudly.
"Nothing," Beca grumbles.
"It's not like Aubrey's going that far," Fat Amy points out. "The way you drive, she'll be less than an hour away."
"I know."
"I'd ask if you guys had a fight," Fat Amy says. "But that's true like every day."
"Hey," Beca protests. "It's more like every other day, thank you very much."
Fat Amy chuckles. "Whatever. So what was this morning's fight about?"
"I don't want to talk about it," Beca replies.
"So? You never do. And then you realize that as your number one supporter, I can help you out."
Beca sighs. It's true. Fat Amy has always been really supportive of her relationship with Aubrey. Especially in the beginning when Beca was overwhelmed by doubt and insecurity. But she can't tell her this. Today is about Aubrey and Chloe graduating; Beca doesn't want anything to get in the way of that.
"It's fine," Beca whispers.
"It's not."
"Fine, it's not," Beca admits. "But we're not talking about it now. Okay?"
"Aye aye, Captain," Fat Amy says. "But we will definitely be talking later."
"Can't wait."
…
Beca is understandably keeping her distance. Still, her missing presence is making Aubrey's broken heart ache more. What the blonde finds most interesting is how no one else seems particularly fazed by this. They probably all assume there was a big fight this morning. The fact that Beca and Aubrey are dating doesn't seem to stop them from arguing almost daily.
Her father appears a few moments later and the Bellas, except for Chloe, all make their escape. They'd been advised by both Aubrey and Chloe to do so.
"Congratulations, Aubrey," he tells her, shaking her hand. "And Chloe."
"Thank you sir," Aubrey says.
"Yes, thanks Mr. Posen," Chloe adds.
"Thank you for coming," Aubrey continues.
"Yes, well as my heir apparent, I felt I should be at your graduation."
"Did Bryon come?" Chloe asks, looking around.
Aubrey shakes her head.
"He's your brother," Chloe says.
Aubrey rolls her eyes. The Posens do things a bit differently than the Beales do. She has tried to explain this to Chloe multiple times.
"He's preparing for this summer," Thomas says. "That baseball scholarship isn't something to be taken lightly."
"Of course not, sir."
"Excellent," he says. "Congratulations again, girls. And I'll see you Monday morning, correct, Aubrey?"
Aubrey nods. "You will."
He nods as well, gives Chloe a small smile and leaves.
"I will never get your family," Chloe says as they watch him walk away.
Having no response, Aubrey just shrugs.
…
Beca watches the brief interaction Aubrey has with her father and can concede, internally at least, that Mr. Posen strikes an imposing figure. Their interaction seem stiff and formal and Beca feels a growing understanding of why Aubrey is the way she is.
Still, Beca feels like she should be at Aubrey's side. It's a relatively new feeling for her, but it feels right. While everyone else saw their interactions this past year as simply arguments about the set list, Beca now sees it as foreplay. Thankfully, Aubrey feels the same way. Apparently, both of them were looking for a challenge and found one in each other.
Beca thinks back over the past two months of late night conversation that often turned into arguments, which often lead to sex. It had felt kind of perfect to Beca even if they haven't been together for too long. It's why she decided to spend the summer at her dad's, so she could be closer to Aubrey who is spending the summer in Atlanta, interning at her dad's company before earning her MBA in the fall.
The look of delight on Aubrey's face when Beca had told her what her summer plans were had made the awkward asking of her dad if she could spend the summer worth it. Now Beca wonders how long Aubrey's been planning on ending things. And if Aubrey didn't think her dad would approve, why did she agree to a date in the first place? Why did she kiss Beca back that first time?
Beca is starting to doubt everything about her relationship with Aubrey.
…
"You should just call her and apologize," Chloe says. "It's not too late."
Aubrey and Chloe are getting settled in their apartment in Atlanta.
"It is," Aubrey replies. "She's gone."
Chloe rolls her eyes. "She's at her dad's, which is like a half hour from the campus."
Aubrey shakes her head. "It's better this way."
"Really?" Chloe asks. "Because you look like hell and Beca didn't look much better."
"She'll get over me," Aubrey replies. "Other people seem to have done it easy enough."
"That guy in high school was a moron," Chloe tells her. "And so was that bitch from freshman year."
"Just leave it alone, Chlo."
"Fine," Chloe says. "But I still think you're being an idiot."
…
Apparently, her dad has always had a room for her at his house, even if this is only the third time Beca has stepped inside.
"You look miserable," her dad says from the doorway.
Beca is stretched out on the bed and she barely lifts her head to acknowledge him. "I am."
"You want to talk about it?"
Her dad is probably the last person she wants to talk about her dating life with, but Beca wonders if an outsider's perspective might help.
"Hypothetically," Beca says, sitting up. "If I fell for someone and I thought she felt the same way, but she ended it because her dad might not approve, should I fight for her?"
Her dad raises an eyebrow at her, but Beca's pretty sure it's because he didn't expect her to actually respond, not because of the gender. He sits on the bed.
"Fell for her?"
"I love her," Beca says.
"And you believe she loves you?" he asks.
Beca nods.
"Then if you think she's worth it, you should fight for her," he replies.
"Yeah?"
He nods. "Love is always worth fighting for."
"Thanks dad."
"Is that why you wanted to stay here this summer?" he questions. "Because of this girl?"
Beca can't meet his eyes. "Yeah."
"That's okay, you know," he tells her.
Beca looks up in surprise. "Yeah?"
"It's what I wanted for you," he replies. "To be out there, trying and putting yourself out there. And if you fell in love… Just as long as you still spend some time with me and even Sheila occasionally."
"I think I can do that," Beca assures him.
"Then I hope this summer works out the way you want."
"Thanks dad," Beca smiles.