AN: I've never wrote Mitchsen before, so let's see how this goes.
Safe
At first, Chloe Beale thought they hated each other. It wasn't an outlandish assumption; Aubrey called Beca a bitch the first time they laid eyes on each other.
At first.
But then Aubrey kept pointing out people with ear monstrosities, people who wore too much eye liner, and people who had so much ink on their bodies Chloe thought they had to be part squid– just to judge them.
And every time they passed a short brunette, Aubrey would turn around just to look.
Aubrey Posen would find whatever reason she could to bring up the small stranger. "How could anyone find a capella lame?" She had said one day at lunch. It wasn't the first time, either. Aubrey had asked that question at least twenty-five times in the past month.
It was getting under Chloe's skin more than Tom did when he was watching baseball. If you had seen Tom watch baseball, you would know why this was such a big deal. " OH COME ON! YOU'RE FUCKING BLIND. HE WAS SAFE!" It was scary, very scary.
Chloe moved her peas around on her plate to avoid sounding irritated, because Aubrey's obsession with a stranger had gotten way out of hand. "Some people just aren't into acapella, Aubrey."
"How is that possible?"
Ughhhhhhhh. Chloe's head hit the table with a bang.
She had to do something about this. Desperate times called for desperate measures. If she was ever going to be able to talk to her friend about anything other than some goth girl, she would have to do something drastic.
And she did.
She invaded the girl's shower naked and forced her to audition for the Bellas. Because Chloe was hardcore. Everything she did, she gave 200 percent, and she needed to get someone who hated acapella to join an a capella group.
Tom helped as well. He told her she had a lovely voice.
To say the girl was freaked out would be an understatement, but Chloe's outrageous plan was so crazy, it worked.
Aubrey would thank her later.
–x
But Aubrey didn't. She got possessive. She got jealous.
Of Luke.
Of that Treble Jesse.
Even of Chloe.
Everyone saw it. It was problematic to the group, and it was tearing them apart. They needed to change their style to actually fit the group, or the Bellas were hopeless. But Aubrey became so uptight and so jealous that trying to reason with her became impossible.
Chloe knew Aubrey better than she knew herself, and she knew when the blonde was attracted to someone. She could see it easily after being around her for years.
It was in the way she moved around people, being very conscious of her body, as if she was having a photo taken of her. Chloe called it The Aubrey Posin' because it was like she was posing for a picture.
Aubrey was so tense in rehearsals, Chloe had to show the Bellas how to do choreography, and that had been Aubrey's strong suit since they were sophomores.
Chloe could see Aubrey was attracted to Beca, maybe even a little in love with her.
–x
And Aubrey would never admit it, because she was in denial. Posens believed that love was weak and never to be spoken of, because love would doom you to failure. Failure was not in a Posen's vocabulary. Their motto was, "If at first you don't succeed, pack your bags," and boy, did they live by that motto.
Aubrey snapped at Beca, Jesse, the rest of the Bellas, and yeah, Chloe too.
In the words of Chloe's blonde best friend, Aubrey needed to handle her toner before it got too out of hand.
–x
During their first rehearsal was when Stacie Conrad first noticed it.
Aubrey was always on Beca's case, on her taste in music, how she was doing the choreography wrong, all the way down to the way the short brunette dressed. Beca wasn't close to being the worst dancer. She was actually decent and had the pipes to rival even Aubrey.
Something was wrong there.
Of course, Stacie thought it was just Aubrey looking for a reason to kick Beca out of the Bellas, because Beca didn't put up with Aubrey's shit. As the year wore on, however, Stacie could feel the sexual tension between them. That was why they were constantly at each other's throats.
Sometimes, Aubrey and Beca would get so bad, Stacie would be forced to take cold showers after rehearsals, and it was getting annoying.
But she couldn't just walk up to them and yell, "JUST SCREW EACH OTHER ALREADY!" could she? Believe her, she had thought about it multiple times. She decided not to, to play it safe and avoid the drama that would inevitably ensue.
–x
Lilly Onakuramara liked fire, and drama, and fights, and war, and basically anything violent.
She wasn't a woman of action but of observation.
It was only natural that she would automatically be drawn to the dynamic of Aubrey Posen and Beca Mitchell. It was everything she liked.
The tension, the intensity, the hatred, the violence. It was great!
She would just watch. The secrets Lilly kept from the Bellas were numerous, because Lilly was a woman of observation, not gossip. She didn't start drama; she simply watched it. What people did in their free time behind closed doors was none of her business, including what happened the time she followed Aubrey to the shower after semifinals.
How Aubrey threw up multiple times in the toilet, muttering to herself about Beca as she glanced in the bathroom mirror. How she was sobbing because she knew she couldn't keep lying to herself anymore, but she couldn't say anything because of Jesse. How she undressed behind the curtain and turned on the water like she was taking a shower, but Lilly knew better—the sound of the running water wasn't enough to drown out Aubrey's moans.
Aubrey hid her feelings. To her, it was the only safe option.
"Beca."
Lilly would carry that secret to the grave.
–x
Cynthia Rose's sexuality did not define her as a person. Cynthia Rose's gambling problem didn't define her either.
Who was Cynthia Rose? She was a decent person. She kept to herself, made a point to stay out of drama, minded her own business.
But she saw the way Beca looked at Aubrey, saw the way Aubrey looked at Beca.
They could pretend to hate each other all they wanted, but it was obvious those aca-bitches had a thing for each other.
It was a weird, sick, and twisted attraction. There was lust of course, but there was also something deeper between them, something Cynthia Rose couldn't quite pinpoint.
When they weren't in rehearsals talking about music, the girls would have this back and forth banter, but it wasn't hateful; it was more of a game to see who could insult the other worse. They tried to make it hateful, but you knew it wasn't because one of the girls would end up in tears from laughter afterwards.
Then, there were the touches. They were never touchy feely, but Cynthia Rose couldn't help noticing the way Aubrey's fingers would brush Beca's when they would walk alongside each other. She couldn't help snapping pictures, even if she wasn't the best photographer. She had more pictures of the Posen/ Mitchell Hand Porn than she'd really care to admit, safe on her phone for when they finally admitted their feelings for each other.
Cynthia Rose tried to stay out of their business, but she couldn't help asking Beca about her sexuality. She took the reporter route over spring break in the radio station.
"Well, I mean does anyone know what they are?" She asked, looking anywhere but at Cynthia Rose.
"So you are into girls?" She pressed.
"Maybe? I don't know."
"What are you attracted to in a girl, Beca?"
"I…don't know…independence I guess. Strong will is attractive on anyone…why are you asking me all this?"
"No reason…is their any preference in appearance? Like height or…?"
"Blondes," Beca answered without hesitation. "Oh god. Forget I said that!"
Cynthia Rose made it a point to stay out of people's business, but Beca Mitchell and Aubrey Posen were a problem that needed fixing. As soon as possible.
–x
Jessica and Ashley were best friends.
But Jessica Jakle had always wanted more. She had fallen for Ashley the day they decided to audition for the Bellas together. They just got each other because they wanted nothing more than to stop being invisible. Granted they were still as invisible as Harry Potter under his cloak even after they joined, but they still had each other. They got each other better than anyone else did.
The same way, even though they didn't want to admit it, Aubrey and Beca got each other. They were both outsiders, misunderstood by most, and they both had daddy issues.
This was why Jessica could see that Aubrey and Beca were in love before anyone else did.
It was that deeper understanding, and that was not to be overlooked…because it brought Aubrey and Beca together. Whether they wanted to admit or not, they needed each other.
Like Jessica and Ashley needed each other.
And it showed when Beca quit the group.
Aubrey got hysterical. She went from a strict aca-captain to full on Aca-Nazi. She snapped at everyone. The rehearsals went from boot camp to concentration camp.
Funny how all the fighting stopped as soon as Beca awkwardly entered the room, except not really. Everyone knew why.
"I have been in love with Unicycle for the past four years now," was just the safe story Aubrey made up to keep from spilling her darkest secret.
That was evident as soon as Aubrey tossed Beca her beloved Pitch Pipe, the one no one was allowed to touch, not even Chloe.
Lesbihonest.
Then Aubrey had the Bellas sing Just the Way You Are which, Jessica had heard from Chloe, was Aubrey's personal lady jam.
"Whoop, there it is," as Amy would say.
Those two needed each other.
Jessica knew it.
–x
Ashley's mouth was hanging open on stage as she watched Beca lay one on Jesse Swanson.
"I know…You might want close your mouth, though," Jessica giggled, nudging her friend.
"This makes no sense."
"It does if you think about it… Aubrey is graduating. She chose to play it safe."
Ashley studied her friend she secretly loved and exhaled the breath she didn't know she was holding. Safe never made anyone happy. She knew that one firsthand.
–x
"You're physically flawless."
"Just because you are making me very sexually confused does not mean you're intimidating."
"Your sweat smells like cinnamon."
Three years later, Cynthia Rose never forgot her conversation with Beca, the one where the DJ admitted she liked blonde chicks.
Beca had a toner for their tall, blonde, and German adversary. Of course, Beca was Beca. She never did anything about it, just made her girl crush extremely apparent.
It looked as if Beca never got over Aubrey. Cynthia Rose was concerned that Beca would never take a risk and be happy.
She just played it safe.
–x
Beca was much happier, being with the Bellas and all, but she was just…lost. She had also developed what Chloe called a resting bitch face, and while Chloe found this funny, it was also alarming.
Beca was constantly skyping or texting Aubrey, and it was the only time Chloe would ever hear her laugh hard. She would lounge on the couch and laugh at her phone for sometimes hours at a time.
"What are you laughing at, Beca?"
The answer was always something about Aubrey. "Amy keeps sending her poop pictures to Posen with the caption, 'Welcome to the Lodge of Fallen Turds.' She's pissed. It's fucking hilarious."
That wasn't funny, and Chloe was concerned about her friend because all she seemed to do in her free time was laugh at her phone. She had stopped making mixes.
When Jesse went to L.A., Beca kept insisting she was fine, but Chloe knew it was a lie. She would hear Beca singing Just the Way You Are when she thought no one was listening.
Chloe, for the second time, had to intervene in her two best friends' relationship.
–x
Emily Junk had been warned about Beca and Aubrey's lesbian thing way before they even got to the Lodge of Fallen Leaves.
It was evident as soon as they got off the bus when Beca learned that they were there to see Aubrey.
Emily had never seen a smile that big on her captain's face as Beca ran straight for former captain. She flung herself at the blonde, throwing both arms around her. It was a wonder Aubrey didn't fall over. It wasn't surprising, though. They had been separated for so long; it must have been nice to see each other in person.
Aubrey was like a white Beyonce, and everyone knew Beca was obsessed with her music. That, Emily reckoned, might be part of the reason they were attracted to each other.
Beca was grumpy about her internship, but she was undeniably nice to Aubrey which was weird, because the other Bellas said that they liked to pretend they hated each other.
Until it was time to go.
Beca was sobbing. Yeah, badass Beca Mitchell was reduced to tears. "Don't worry. I'll be in Copenhagen for the Worlds," Aubrey had said.
"This isn't fair. You weirdos are reducing me to tears. Aubrey, I'm tired of being scared."
Because Beca really was tired of playing it safe. They all were. It just took the threat of the Worlds and graduation hanging over their heads to make them all realize it. Something had to give. She was about to tell Aubrey everything, but it all got stuck in her throat.
–x
Cynthia Rose couldn't keep the proud smirk off her face as she watched the Bellas lose their shit backstage after the Worlds. Everyone was shell-shocked.
Cynthia Rose was engaged.
Fat Amy admitted that she loved Bumper.
Stacie finally let everyone know she actually did have a brain and graduated with a degree in Biochem.
Chloe had finally graduated college.
Emily performed Flashlight in front of thousands of people.
Flo was taking her citizenship test as soon as they got back to the States.
Jessica and Ashley yelled, "I LOVE YOU JESSICA," at each other the moment the Bellas were crowned champions.
And Aubrey shoved Beca Mitchell against a wall. Her fingers were tangled in Aubrey's blonde hair, and her tongue was lodged down Aubrey's throat. "You bitch," Beca said with a smug grin, peering into those green eyes she loved so much. Aubrey just rolled her eyes, laughing and pulled her in for another kiss.
Finally.
The Barden Bellas didn't believe in the word safe anymore. Of course, they didn't believe in ladders either, but that was a different story.
FIN
AN: How did i do?