"Do you miss living in the District?" Beca asked Aubrey from the backseat of the blonde's vehicle as the three women pulled into the driveway of Jesse and Aubrey's newly purchased home, located in northern Virginia just outside of DC.
Aubrey shrugged from the driver's seat as she put the car in park, taking her keys out of the vehicle's ignition. "Sometimes, yes. We're renting out a small studio in DC in case I get caught up at work late into the night and don't feel like driving home, and the commute is longer now, but we're happy here." Aubrey, after briefly working for a private law firm, decided the formulation of federal policy was her true calling, and currently worked on the Hill, taking various meeting for the Member of Congress she worked for and aiding in the formulation of various pieces of legislation.
After grabbing their bags from the trunk of the car, Beca and Chloe followed Aubrey as she led them inside the two-story home and up the staircase to guest bedroom where they would be staying for the weekend. As the blonde opened the door immediately to the right of the landing, Chloe could see her best friend's brow furrowing as a sleeping Jesse was revealed to them, sprawled out face-down on the queen-sized bed.
"Jesse" Aubrey said quietly, audibly clearing her throat as Chloe and Beca filled into the room. "Jesse, wake up," she repeated, shaking him slightly by the shoulder with no result. Moments later, a slam of the bedroom door closing bolted him awake, sending Jesse flailing into the air, taking even Aubrey by surprise. Chloe and Aubrey turned around slowly behind them, seeing that Beca was standing in close proximity to the now closed door.
"The wind" Beca offered sheepishly, smirking slightly as Jesse sat up from the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, his face lighting up as he saw the three women standing before him.
"Someone had to test out the mattress for them" Jesse said to Aubrey, kissing his fiancé on the cheek before hugging Beca and Chloe.
Aubrey frowned as she placed one of the suitcases on the bed. "We did, Jesse, in our apartment every single night for over a year!"
"You might want to consider better phrasing, Bree" Chloe pointed out quietly as Beca suppressed a laugh.
"I am not sleeping in a bed you two had sex in" Beca said definitively, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Well I had to use a shower you two repeatedly had sex in, we all have our crosses to bear, Beca!" Aubrey snapped back, raising three pairs of eyebrows in the room as she took a deep breath to calm herself.
"That escalated rather quickly" Jesse said, moments after silence had fallen over the room. "Who wants a drink?"
"It's ten o'clock in the morning, Jesse."
"Clearly I meant to say breakfast then" Jesse corrected himself, "When were you going to get the wine?" he asked Aubrey.
"Not until this afternoon, I have a ton of cleaning to get done around the house" Aubrey replied as the four moved out of the guest room and downstairs into the kitchen.
"The house looks spotless, babe."
"And you have to give your very best friends a tour of the house" Chloe pointed out as they stood around the kitchen island.
"Yeah, why didn't we get a tour of the house yet, Posen" Beca added in mock offense, popping a grape in her mouth from the bowl resting on the counter, "You're not being a very good host, we should have just stayed in a hotel this weekend."
Aubrey breathed in deeply as she stared the brunette down who was trying her best not to laugh over the entire ordeal. "Have I said how much I've missed the two of you?"
That evening, family and close friends of the bride and groom to-be gathered together in the couple's home for the official celebration of their engagement that had occurred months ago. The night was running smoothly, as friends were reunited and new friendships formed among the guests of the party.
"Do you have any idea what Beca is going to say?" Aubrey asked Chloe as handed her a glass of champagne, the two standing together in the backyard, watching conversations form and guests mingle with one another underneath the hundreds of hanging lights adorned along the porch and trees.
"Nope" Chloe said simply, downing the gin and tonic in her other hand, placing it on an empty table. The two women along with the rest of the party guests turned their attention moments later to the sound of metal clinking against glass, finding Beca standing at the top of the back porch, ready to begin her toast to the couple.
"The saying goes if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" Beca began as soon as the remaining chatter in the backyard had died down, "So this will clearly be a very short speech since I should be using this time to talk about Jesse."
Chloe looked down at her feet, shaking her head to herself as the rest of the party guests broke into polite laughter. She saw Beca turn to look at Jesse, smiling fondly at her best friend before she continued on.
"I was lucky enough to witness the beginning of Jesse and Aubrey's relationship when we all interned together in college, and I have to say there's something special about Washington DC that just brings people together" Beca paused, turning her attention to Chloe for a moment as she smiled at her girlfriend. "Whether it's because DC just attracts those that have a love for the analysis of politics and the electoral college or because fate wanted these two-who lived across the country from one another before finding their way here if I may add-well, I'd like to think it's the latter."
"I wish you all the happiness in the world, and I couldn't think of anyone more perfect for one another than these two" Beca gestured to Jesse on her left and Aubrey further to her right as she raised her glass up. "To Aubrey and Jesse!"
"That was beautiful" Aubrey whispered to Beca as she pulled the brunette into a hug after the speech, Jesse clasping his hand on her back as she stood next to him as Chloe made her way to the place where Beca stood moments ago.
"At this point, Aubrey and I have been in each other's lives more than we haven't; I knew from the day I jumped in front of her and assaulted our letter opener-wielding English teacher that we would be best friends… but I didn't expect us to be sisters." Chloe paused to turn to Aubrey, a tear silently falling down her cheek as she laughed at the memory. "We always said whoever the other married would essentially be getting a two-for-one deal out of the entire thing, and I guess all I can say is that I'm sure Jesse is relieved that we live numerous time zones away from each other" Chloe added, the guests laughing as Jesse nodded in agreement for good measure.
"Anyway, I couldn't be happier for these two than I already am, and I'm sure we are all looking forward to the wedding festivities that are ahead of us. I'm also very aware of the fact that I'm the only thing separating everyone from the delicious desserts inside the house, so if you'll raise your glasses one more time, to Aubrey and Jesse!" Chloe raised her glass as the rest of the guest toasted once again to the couple, who embraced one another before directing the guests into the house for the next portion of the night.
"Who knew my girlfriend had a way with words" Chloe murmured into Beca's ear as she slid her arms low around the brunette's waist as they remained standing outside while the other guests filed into the house.
"If I remember correctly, I'm pretty sure my way with words is the reason we're together" Beca replied with a smirk, tucking a loose strand of Chloe's hair behind her ear.
"Well clearly it's not because of your looks."
"Obviously" Beca agreed dryly, grinning as her hands went around Chloe's neck as she pulled her into a deep kiss. After breaking apart moments later, they noticed Jesse and Aubrey looking over at them meters away.
"I was going to steal you away so one of my college buddies could talk to you about the new label you're working for, but I think I'm just going to throw up in the bathroom instead" Jesse began, hands in his pockets as he feigned reentry into the house.
Beca rolled her eyes at Jesse's antics, untangling herself from her girlfriend as the two went into the house together. Aubrey walked towards Chloe, arms folded across her chest as she approached her best friend.
"Have you told her yet?"
Chloe shook her head, sitting down on one of the empty chairs. "I didn't think I'd actually get the fellowship; there had to be dozens of applicants."
"Hundreds, actually" Aubrey corrected, sitting across from the redhead. Almost a year ago, the federal government had passed increased funding for public health research; Chloe having background in the subject, had submitted an application for these newly created fellowships based on the work she had done for her master's thesis. While Beca had been aware that this was done and unwaveringly supported anything Chloe would do, Chloe had not yet revealed the news that her research was selected to receive such funding… or the reminder that the acceptance of it would involve Chloe splitting her time between Atlanta and DC throughout the course of the program.
"I could turn it down" Chloe mused, looking at her best friend as she tried to decipher the blonde's expression.
"Chloe Alexandra Beale" Aubrey began, "You are taking this fellowship. I've never seen you more passionate on something you were working on than when you were working on that thesis a few years back. You and Beca have the long distance thing down pat; if anyone can do it, it's you two."
Chloe nodded, knowing that Aubrey was right. "I'll talk to her about it tomorrow" the redhead promised, getting up from her chair. "Right now I'm dying to try that brownie cheesecake."
Aubrey smiled, also getting out of her seat as she linked her arm with Chloe's, the two walking inside the house together. After getting their selection of desserts, the two women found their significant others engaged in conversation with a friend of Jesse's.
"… Aubrey wanted Beca to be one of her bridesmaids, but I wouldn't have it. Eventually we had to rock, paper, scissor her-"
"Is that a euphemism?" Chloe asked playfully, causing Jesse to blush as she cut into the conversation.
Jesse laughed at the redhead's remark, "I didn't want to be the one to break it to you, Beale but…"
"What Jesse meant to say is Beca is very dear to the both of us" Aubrey interjected, even surprising herself by what had come out of her mouth. Even Beca couldn't deny it; years of being the other's roommate had led to becoming closer friends despite their differences.
"You okay?" Beca asked Chloe, noticing that the redhead was biting her lower lip, something she often did when she was preoccupied.
Chloe looked down at her girlfriend, snapping out of her own thoughts. "Couldn't be better" she assured her with a smile.
A/N: Just a really quick note- for those of you following that are on tumblr, yes I am still posting my fic updates there, but I'm not quite sure why they may not be showing up in the tags. I know that I can see my posts in the tags when I'm on my computer, but not when I'm on my phone. Anyway, I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, everyone's support of this story means a lot to me and I appreciate it immensely. Until next time!
