Okay so I know this was supposed to just be a little one-shot but I recently had the inspiration to write up something to go along with the original one-shot. This is basically just a look into Chloe's mind on some of the things that happened towards the end of the movie and then to Beca's gesutre at the end of the first part I've written.
Disclaimer: I still do not own Pitch Perfect or the song used.
There was something about a near-death experience that really brought things into perspective. When Chloe Beale had agreed to come join the Bellas on the USO tour, she had never imagined this experience would involve being kidnapped and held hostage on a yacht by the father of one of her dear friends. Fat Amy had never mentioned her father was a psychopath, though Chloe supposed she couldn't blame the Australian for wanting to give the man a second chance. Unfortunately, that second chance had resulted in all of them almost dying…but accidents happened.
As she had sat there on the deck of that yacht, watching the clock count down to when Fergus would put an end to the majority of the Bellas, it had allowed for the redhead to really reflect on her life and the things she wouldn't be able to experience. Her main focus, naturally, had been around a certain snarky, little DJ that she had known for the past seven years. From the moment she had laid eyes on Beca Mitchell at the Activities Fair all those years ago, she had known there was something special about her. Aubrey had insisted it was just a result of her tendency to see the good in all people no matter what, but Chloe had known there was something especially wonderful about Beca. As she had shamelessly barged into the younger woman's shower and demolished all of the walls Beca seemed so insistent on using to keep the rest of the world out, this feeling had only grown stronger and stronger. By the time the ICCA finals had come around, Chloe had realized that her feelings for the brunette might have been stronger than she had initially realized. Unfortunately, her hopes and dreams were crushed in that moment after their performance when Beca had waltzed off the stage right into the waiting arms of Jesse Swanson.
Chloe would have been lying if she said it hadn't really hurt to watch Beca kiss Jesse that day. Ever the optimist, however, she had decided as long as Beca would remain in her life, even if it were just as a friend, then everything would be okay. There were millions of people in the world and she was certain her heart could find happiness with someone else. Despite this, for some strange reason, Chloe just found herself deliberately failing classes and being unable to graduate again year after year. She didn't want to let go of the Bellas and leave them behind, even if Aubrey had been able to do so…but maybe, just maybe, she also hadn't been able to give up on her feelings for Beca.
The next few years had flown by much too quickly for Chloe's liking and, before she knew it, Beca's senior year had arrived. There would be no point in her staying behind any longer. Beca and Jesse still appeared to be in love and she had accepted the fact that having Beca as her best friend would be the best thing she would ever get. She was ready to move on. Granted, it took getting into a fight with the small brunette and watching her almost die via bear trap for Chloe to realize it, but as the Bellas went on to win the Worlds, she had a sense that everything was going to be okay.
Even then, Chloe hadn't really known what the future was going to hold for her. She had graduated from Barden, yes, but she was no closer to knowing what she wanted out of the future than she had been as a college freshman. When Beca had approached her with the idea of moving to New York together, she had been shocked and elated beyond belief. She had thought for sure Beca would follow Jesse to California. Jesse was going into film school and, as far as being music producer went, Beca would have tons of opportunities in LA. Chloe had always assumed Beca would want to continue with her pursuit of ending up famous in LA, after all.
When Chloe had questioned it, Beca had simply claimed the idea had been Fat Amy's and that she had career opportunities in New York that felt right. Chloe didn't think twice about agreeing to it. It was just the little push she needed to let her feelings for Beca live on…because surely the fact she had chosen to stay with her instead of Jesse meant something, right? Within a few months after graduation, the three of them were sharing a small apartment in New York City. Chloe had jumped from odd job to odd job over the years in order to help Beca pay the rent (she didn't have the heart to kick Amy out, despite how often Beca tried to talk her into it) and had eventually ended up working part-time at a veterinary clinic. This had lead to Chloe realizing that becoming a vet was exactly what she wanted to do with her future. She loved animals, of course, and caring for them would be such a wonderful job. Why hadn't she figured that out sooner? It seemed so obvious now!
Of course, living in New York hadn't been all fun and games. No more than a year after graduation, Beca and Jesse decided to end their relationship. Things had been tense, Chloe had noticed, ever since Beca had decided to come to New York. The brunette blamed it on the long-distance and insisted they had just gradually lost that spark over the years. Unfortunately, it once again kept Chloe from being able to get over Beca Mitchell. It was an endless cycle that she just couldn't escape. Every time she was ready to convince herself to give up the feelings, something would happen to reignite that hope. It drove Aubrey absolutely insane, but Chloe didn't care. She couldn't help how she felt.
Flashback
"Chloe, when are you going to stop doing this to yourself?" Aubrey had asked when Chloe had called to tell her the news about Beca and Jesse.
"Bree, you just don't understand. I know it's silly to keep holding on to but I don't think the universe wants me to. That's why this keeps happening," Chloe had insisted.
"It's been five years, Chloe. If Beca felt the same way, something would have happened by now. It kills me to keep watching you go through these cycles of hope and heartbreak. When was the last time you even went on a date?" Aubrey had asked.
"I go on dates. Sometimes. There's just never that spark though so I never agree to a second date. It wouldn't be fair to lead the other person on," Chloe explained patiently.
"Isn't that what Beca is doing to you?" Aubrey shot back.
"Oh no, Beca wouldn't do that to me. She just doesn't realize-"
"Then tell her, Chloe," Aubrey said, cutting the redhead off. "Tell her how you feel. Then, one way or the other, this can finally end…"
Obviously Chloe had never listened to Aubrey's advice. She had wanted to tell Beca how she felt many times, but she also knew who Beca was better than anyone else. All Chloe could see was Beca reacting badly to her admitting her feelings and running away, never to look back again. The thought of a world without Beca Mitchell in her life was unbearable. So she had continued to suffer in silence. The friendship the two of them had was probably really weird to other people but it worked for Chloe. She could be happy this way, right?
All of this led back to the near-death experience, in which she had been sitting on the yacht mourning the fact that she could very well die without ever getting to tell Beca how she felt. Granted, when Beca went to clean her things out of the apartment she would stumble across her journals and definitely know then but it wouldn't matter because Chloe would be dead. How depressing was that?
Fortunately, she hadn't actually died but had been saved by none other than Beca herself – and Fat Amy, of course. She had been so excited when Beca had suddenly appeared on the yacht and had wanted nothing more than finally tell the DJ how she felt. Of course, then it had been one crazy thing after another and the next thing Chloe knew, Beca (well, technically Fat Amy) had been telling the Bellas that Beca had been chosen to perform with DJ Khaled and would be signing on with his record label. It had been another one of those heartbreaking moments for Chloe. There was no way she could tell Beca how she felt after that because Beca was the most amazing human on the planet and was finally going to be living her dreams and getting the recognition she deserved for all the talent she had. Chloe didn't have the heart to risk holding Beca back or, even worse, giving Beca that push to send her running without another look back. She had been so happy for her best friend, truly she was, but that didn't stop her from being a pitiful mess of sobs in the present moment.
She had just returned to her hotel room, insisting to the others that she just needed to rest before the show tonight. No one had protested it, of course, because most of the others had the same idea in mind – jumping off exploding yachts into cold water really took a lot out of a person. She had barely entered her hotel room before the tears had started to flow from her eyes and, within moments, she was on the floor in a mess of sobs.
It didn't take long for Aubrey to find her. With how well she knew Chloe, the redhead wouldn't have been surprised if she had known the exact moment when Chloe's heart had cracked – the way her smile, although genuine, just didn't quite reach her eyes. Chloe must not have gotten the door shut all the way because the next thing she knew Aubrey was on the floor next to her, wrapping her up in a comforting hug. She didn't say a word, she just held the redhead until there were no more tears left to shed.
"I was finally going to tell her Bree, really I was…I just-she's finally going to get to show the world how amazing she is. I can't stand in between that…and I can't lose her," Chloe finally said, her voice hoarse. "What if she were to run and not look back?" she asked.
Aubrey shook her head. "Maybe when we first met Beca that would have happened. The Beca we know now wouldn't do that – especially not to you," the blonde said confidently. It had taken her longest of all the Bellas to like Beca. She still disagreed with a lot of things the younger woman did – the way she seemed to always be hurting Chloe being the biggest issue…but she also knew that Beca wasn't even aware of what she was doing. She knew she would never intentionally hurt Chloe.
"I should have listened to you and done something sooner. Now it's too late," Chloe said, sadness in her tone.
Aubrey couldn't bring herself to rub it in Chloe's face. She honestly wanted to argue that it wasn't too late but, at the same time, she was tired of watching her friend go through this time and time again. If Chloe was ready to finally let this go, who was she to stop her? "Well, as my father always says, when one door closes…get the C4 and blast another one open," she offered.
Sad, blue eyes looked up at her for a long moment before a small smile slowly appeared on the redhead's face. "I always love hearing advice from your father. I'm sorry he wasn't able to make it out to see us while we were on tour. I know how important it was to you…" Chloe said.
Aubrey wanted to roll her eyes – more so in amusement than annoyance. Count on Chloe Beale to try and worry about someone else's problems and brush her own off to the side. "It is unfortunate but I suppose I'm used to it by now. That isn't important at the current moment," the blonde said gently.
"You're too good of a friend to me, Bree. What would I do without you?" Chloe asked, shaking her head. "I just don't know what to do but…I think maybe…maybe it's time to finally let go," she said, her voice choking up again. She clutched on to her friend tighter as she spoke those words, physically pained to even be saying them.
Honestly, it made Aubrey want to start crying too. She knew how much Chloe cared for Beca. Everyone did – except the woman in question, it would seem. She had told Chloe so many times she needed to let it go but she had never thought her friend would actually listen. Chloe had always been persistently stubborn when it came to situations like this. "If you're sure that's what you need to do… I'm not going to argue the fact that it might be the best thing for you," she said after a moment. She knew how hard this would be for Chloe to do. She had spent a long time pining after the hobbit.
"Everything is going to change now. What choice do I have? Like I said, I can't risk ruining Beca's future or scaring her away so she won't want to be part of my life any more. I'll be starting vet school in a few months anyway. I won't even have time to think about," Chloe told Aubrey, ever the optimist. It was clear that she didn't entirely believe her own words, but she always tried to look at things from the bright side. It always made things better…eventually.
Aubrey nodded her head slightly. She supposed that was a fair point and she really hoped that would be the case. "Maybe you just need to try putting yourself out there again. You've been so set on these feelings for Beca for so long…you should try focusing on someone else. I know there's a certain soldier who hasn't been able to keep his eyes off you this whole trip…" Aubrey suggested.
Chloe quirked an eyebrow, as if surprised by this news. "Who? Chicago?" she asked. The blonde simply nodded in response. "What? No! I mean, don't get me wrong he's really sweet and all but I don't think he's into me like that," the redhead said, finding the idea almost laughable. Were she not so sad, she might have actually laughed at the idea.
"Chloe, he's been flirting with you this whole trip. I would have assumed you had been flirting back but I also have to remember that this is you we are talking about and that's just who you are as a person. Still, you guys seemed to connect well and if that boy isn't into you then my father isn't General Posen," Aubrey insisted. Chicago was hardly able to keep his eyes off the redhead. She was pretty sure she had noticed Beca bristling over the fact a time or two as well but she kept that thought to herself.
Chloe was silent for a few moments, mulling the information over in her head. "I don't know, Bree. I mean, we do get along really well and everything but…I'm just not sure he's my type. Besides, I don't know if I could handle him always being gone and in danger. It probably wouldn't work out," she said. She was starting vet school soon. It wasn't like she could just up and move here to Europe while he was stationed overseas.
It was Aubrey's turn to look skeptical. "Not your type? Chloe, you've definitely dated guys like him in the past…and ones much worse – no offense," she pointed out. She had a feeling that anyone who wasn't short, dark, and broody probably wouldn't be "Chloe's type". If her friend was really serious about letting the DJ go, she needed a little push. "Maybe you should just give it a chance," she suggested.
The idea of being with anyone who wasn't Beca honestly made Chloe cringe a little…and that was kind of sad. She really hadn't been able to seriously date anyone since she had met the brunette all those years ago. She always found something wrong with them. She always made too many comparisons to Beca. Maybe she did need to just try putting herself out there and give Chicago a chance? "God, I'm so pathetic," she said, letting out a long sigh.
Aubrey put a comforting hand on the redhead's shoulder. "You're not pathetic, Chloe. You just…need to get your groove back. It might take some time, but you'll get there. I'll help you every step of the way if you need," she promised. She glanced over at the alarm clock sitting beside Chloe's bed, her eyes widening as she realized how late it was getting. "Look how late it is! You need to pull yourself together! We only have a few hours until the performance. Let's get you cleaned up and looking hot, then you're going to go out there and we are going to have a fun night celebrating," the blonde ordered, her tone switching from that of 'comforting best friend' to 'Bella's drill sergeant'.
Aubrey was right – it was time to get her groove back.
A few hours (and a few glasses of wine later), Chloe was in a much better mood and ready to go out and see Beca and DJ Khaled perform. She was dressed to impress in a black dress, leather jacket, and knee-high boots. She felt like it was on the verge of being overkill but Aubrey had insisted it would be perfect.
"He won't be able to keep his eyes off you dressed like that," Aubrey assured her friend, nodding in approval. "Now let's get going. Chicago said earlier that the Bellas would have front row seats!" she said, excited.
Chloe just rolled her eyes playfully, following after her best friend. She was trying to get on board with all of this, really she was. If she were to be honest with herself, however, she knew that Chicago wasn't the one she was really hoping to impress. If she kept in the mindset that he was, however, maybe it would eventually come true.
They made their way down to the lobby of the hotel where Chicago was waiting. Chloe had to admit; he did look rather handsome in his dress uniform. His eyes were on her the moment she entered the room and, for a second, it looked like they might pop right out of his head. She flashed him a bright smile in greeting. "You clean up nice," she greeted.
Chicago returned the grin. "And you look absolutely beautiful!" he complimented.
The rest of the Bellas trickled in a few minutes later and then they were all loading into the van and on their way to where the performance was set to take place. Beca was noticeably absent from the group – not that anyone was surprised, given the fact she'd probably been there getting ready to perform for a few hours now, but Chloe still noticed. She always noticed.
"Man, it's so cool that Beca is getting to do this! I mean, I would have liked it if all the Bellas had gotten picked but I'm happy for her!" Emily commented.
"Yeah at least it wasn't those Nevermoist bitches," Fat Amy agreed. "I would have been forever bitter if that had been the case. I might have even recruited my father to take care of them…" she said thoughtfully.
"I can't believe you would say that after everything that has happened in the past 24 hours!" Aubrey scolded.
"In my country, it would be perfectly acceptable to slit their throats in the middle of the night," Flo said cheerfully.
"Right…on that cheerful note, ladies, we have arrived!" Chicago announced as the van came to a stop.
Chloe took a deep breath. She wasn't going to let herself be sad tonight. It was the last night for all of them to celebrate together and who knows when they would get to do that again. She was going to go out there, have a blast, and maybe, just maybe, take some of Aubrey's advice to heart. Nothing was going to stop her…
As expected, Beca's performance had been one of the most amazing things Chloe had ever witnessed. Her best friend had looked magnificent coming out onto the stage and, even though Chloe was biased, listening to her sing was something that would have left anyone with a soul awestruck. There was no doubt in Chloe's mind about Beca being successful as she started this new chapter in her life. It wouldn't be long before the whole world knew her best friend's name. She really couldn't have been more proud – despite how sad she was also.
She had definitely been on the verge of tears when Beca had brought the rest of the Bellas on stage with her, giving them one last chance to perform together. Crystal blue eyes had met stormy grey ones several times during the performance and the two women seemed to be saying so much to each other without using any actual words. It was one of those moments where, even though the rest of the Bellas surrounded them and so many people were watching, it seemed like it was only the two of them. She tried to convey to Beca how she felt, but also that it was okay that they would be going their separate ways – that she was going to try and accept that this is how things would be. In a way, it felt like a goodbye to Chloe, even though she had no intention of letting the tiny DJ walk out of her life, no matter how famous she became.
At the end of the performance there was hugging and tears being shed all over. Chloe went to Beca first, of course, but the rest of the Bellas soon swarmed them. She tried to get back to Beca again, just to reiterate how proud of her she was, but they were being ushered off stage so DJ Khaled could come on to perform – plus the brunette was being whisked away by Theo. Chloe tried to tell herself she wasn't jealous or annoyed by that fact.
Chicago smiled as Chloe returned to her seat. "Beca was awesome, but I might be a little biased because I couldn't keep my eyes off the redhead in the black dress," he told her.
Chloe returned the smile. His words warmed her, really they did, but it wasn't quite the same as when Beca gave her compliments. Still, she had decided it was time to let go and she had to stick with that. Besides, there was nothing wrong with Chicago. He was perfect, more or less. "Funny, I felt the same about the hunky soldier in the first row. Do you think you could introduce me to him later?" she teased.
"Ouch. That was a right hook to my ego," Chicago said, placing a hand over his chest. "But hey, stick close to me and I can introduce you to anyone here you want," he said.
Their conversation was halted as the lights went low once again. Moments later, DJ Khaled was taking the stage. It was pretty awesome to have a front row seat for it all. It was probably one of the best concerts Chloe had ever attended, if she were to be honest. At one point, Chicago had slipped his arm around her shoulders. Chloe didn't mind, it was nice. She kept her eyes peeled for any sign of Beca, though her friend never did return.
No matter what, she just couldn't seem to keep her thoughts off of Beca. It got to the point where she was pretty sure she was going to go crazy. She had to do something to make this stop – anything. Suddenly, Chloe Beale decided to do what she did best: live life spontaneously. She grabbed Chicago's hand. "Come on, let's get out of here for a few minutes," she said, shooting him a wink.
The soldier followed her without any complaints, letting Chloe lead him to a private little corner away from everyone else. "Everything all right Chloe?" he asked curiously. He had come to realize that Chloe was someone who was prone to bursts of spontaneity. He found it to be rather endearing.
"Oh yeah, everything is great. There's just something I really needed to try," Chloe explained.
"What are you talking abou-"
Chicago didn't have the chance to say another word as Chloe had grabbed him by the tie and pulled him in for a kiss. Though surprised, it didn't take him long to respond, grabbing Chloe's waist and dipping her down to deepen the kiss.
His lips were warm and soft against hers. Chloe had probably kissed a lot of people in her lifetime. She would say Chicago made the top five, easily. He was a great kisser and kissing him did feel pretty good…but it wasn't amazing. It wasn't a perfect moment where she was able to just forget about all else. After a few minutes, the two finally broke apart – both oblivious to the fact that someone had seen them kissing.
"Wow. That was…wow. Really unexpected, but no complaints here," Chicago said, straightening his tie.
Chloe gave him a smile, a trace of sadness behind the gesture. "I figured I needed to do it at least one time before leave," she explained, shrugging her shoulders. She didn't want to tell him that one time was enough.
"Yeah…about that. You're amazing, Chloe, easily one of the most gorgeous and wonderful women I've ever had the pleasure of knowing but…" Chicago began, pausing for a moment as he tried to find the right words. "It's just, well, you're about to start vet school and I have no plans to give up this life any time soon. I'm not sure anything long-term would work out between us…" he explained, looking extremely apologetic. He had been thinking about the redhead a lot over the past couple of weeks. He had honestly wanted to give the two of them a shot – until she had broken the news to him that she was going to start vet school. Now he knew it wasn't practical. "I wouldn't want to stand in the way of your dreams," he explained.
When Chicago had first started to speak, Chloe had been worried he was about to confess his love to her. Needless to say, as he went on, she found herself feeling more and more relieved…which was probably the opposite of what she should be feeling. Thank god she wasn't going to have to hurt his feelings! He was such an amazing guy but she knew after kissing him that this wasn't what she wanted. Aubrey would be so disappointed. "You know…that's actually okay. I was thinking the same thing. Let's just enjoy what we've been able to have over these last few weeks and then go our separate ways. I mean, I hope we can stay in touch and be friends though," she told him sincerely. She would love to be friends with him; there was no doubt about that.
Chicago let out a sigh of relief. "Really? You're cool with that?" he asked, in which Chloe responded with a nod. "I was so afraid I was going to upset you because I would never want to do that…but I didn't want to lead you on either," he explained.
"I'm glad we're in agreement then. I was worried about the same thing," Chloe said with a laugh.
"We will definitely stay in touch though. I never knew acapella was something that could be cool but spending the last few weeks with you and the Bellas has been a blast. I mean, how often do I meet people who have been kidnapped by an international criminal? Not often," the soldier said, though he frowned a moment after saying that. Technically that was kind of his fault. He had been in charge of keeping an eye on them…
Chloe winced at that comment but decided to let it slide. "Awes. On that note, let's get back out there and party! " she said. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She was going to go out there, have fun, and not worry about anything – not even Beca. Just because things with Chicago weren't going to work out didn't mean she was doomed to be alone forever, right? She just needed to put herself out there. She could do that.
A little while later Chloe and Chicago were engaged in conversation with a group of soldiers that Chicago knew. Chloe had a few drinks with the Bellas and had managed to not think about Beca too much over the course of the evening – partly because she had yet to see any sign of the tiny DJ since she had ran off with Theo. Still, Chloe had been determined to have fun and not think about any of it and that was exactly what she had been doing.
"So Chloe, you said you just got accepted into veterinary school?" one of the soldiers asked the redhead.
Chloe's eyes lit up with excitement. "Yes! I'll be starting in just a couple of-"
"Chicago! I need your help!" Amy shouted, cutting Chloe off mid-sentence.
"Right now? I'm kind of in the middle-" Chicago began, only to be cut off as Amy grabbed him by the arm.
"You're supposed to be my bodyguard, aren't you?" Amy asked.
"Well yeah but-"
"No buts about it! I really need my body to be guarded. By you. Over here, away from everyone else," the Australian insisted, dragging him away before he could protest further.
"Amy!" Chloe protested. The Australian didn't even glance back her way. Whatever crazy scheme she was involved in now there was no stopping her. Chloe felt it was kind of rude to just drag Chicago away like that but she had learned there was no stopping Fat Amy when she was on a mission. She just hoped everything was okay. She was about to run off after them to make sure there wasn't another crisis going on when a voice rang out, stopping the redhead in her tracks.
"I won't let you down
I will not give you up
Gotta have some faith in the sound
It's the one good thing that I've got"
Seemingly out of nowhere, Beca Mitchell had appeared. The brunette was focused intently on Chloe. It was a look that sent a chill down her spine in the best way possible. Still, she was extremely confused as to what was going on.
"I got my ticket for the long way 'round
Two bottle 'a whiskey for the way
And I sure would like some sweet company
And I'm leaving tomorrow, what do you say?"
Beca had started to blend another song into the one she had performed earlier that night – a song that was all too familiar to Chloe. She still had no idea what was going on but Beca was slowly making her way across the room towards Chloe.
"All we have to do now
Is take these lies and make them true somehow
All we have to see
Is that I don't belong to you
And you don't belong to me yeah yeah"
Chloe felt emotions welling up inside her. The look on Beca's face was so intense with emotions that Chloe had wanted to see for so long now. Still, she couldn't get her hopes up. She had been trying so hard to not think about all of this and Beca was not helping her with that at the moment. She barely noticed the other Bellas stepping out into view.
"Freedom! (I won't let you down)
Freedom! (I will not give you up)
Freedom! (You're gonna miss me when I'm gone)
Freedom! (Have some faith in the sound)
Freedom! (It's the one good thing that I've got)
Freedom! (Oh you're gonna miss me when I'm gone)"
By the time Beca had hit the last note, she was standing right in front of Chloe. The redhead noticed that some time during this mesmerizing performance that tears had started to pour out of her eyes. Again. The brunette's performance earlier had set off Chloe's waterworks but this was even worse now. She was filled with hope once again and a part of her was telling her that this was a bad thing. She was just setting herself up to be crushed again.
"Beca, what's going on?" Chloe asked.
"Look, Chloe. I…saw you with Chicago tonight," Becca said.
Chloe felt her heart sink. That was definitely the last think she had wanted Beca to see…despite the fact that she knew she was fighting a losing battle. She shouldn't even care about that, but she did anyway. "It's not what you-" Chloe began, but Becca cut her off.
"Just…let me say what I need to say. If you want to be with him, that's fine. I get it…but you need to know something first," the brunette said. "Look, we've known each other for a long time now. You're the one person who has always been there for me; ready to demolish any wall I try to put up. It freaked me out at first, a lot, but then I just came to accept it as a fact of life. You're my best friend and you're important to me, really important. I just never realized how important until, well…all of this. I always feel 100 times happier whenever you enter a room. I can't believe I was oblivious to it all for so long. I guess what I'm really trying to say is…." Becca said, trailing off, suddenly at a loss for words.
As the brunette spoke, Chloe felt all of her fears and insecurities drifting away. This was it, the moment she had been dreaming about for years. She knew Beca Mitchell better than anyone else and she could tell that this was different – that the brunette had finally come to the realization that Chloe had been waiting for. As usual though, the younger woman was just having a hard time finding the right words.
She waited patiently for Beca to continue and was, instead, surprised when the brunette suddenly closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against hers. She was definitely taken by surprise by the gesture, considering the fact she had convinced herself this would never happen plus quite a few people surrounded them. Of course, special things like this seemed to have become a Beca Mitchell specialty over the years. It only took Chloe a few moments to recover from the shock and return the kiss. It was a moment she had dreamed of for years and none of her wildest dreams did it justice. Kissing Beca just felt…perfect. It was the only way Chloe could really describe it.
It was the chanting from the other Bellas (well, mainly Fat Amy) that finally broke the two apart. Chloe was left feeling a little breathless and dazed as if she couldn't quite believe any of this was real.
Beca, on the other hand, didn't look overly amused – though that was no fault of Chloe's. "Seriously Amy?" she asked the blonde, just a tad annoyed.
Chloe could care less about anyone else in the room. She was only focused on Beca. She almost wanted to ask someone to pinch her to make sure this was really happening. She hadn't had that much to drink, right? "Becs...are you trying to say what I think you're trying to say? Or am I just dreaming…again?" she managed, sounding uncharacteristically shy. She was almost afraid of the answer.
For a moment, the brunette didn't speak. A look flashed across her face that frightened Chloe. She knew that look – it was the look of a Beca who was about to take flight. The younger woman, however, surprised her. "What I'm trying to say is that I'm in love with you, Chloe…and I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it. I understand you probably don't feel the same way, what with Chicago and all but I just…. I had to let you know. Please don't let it ruin our friendship because I really don't know what I would do if you weren't in my life!" she said, speaking super fast. She started to ramble on about how she had been drinking and Amy had pushed her into doing this because apparently everyone had some giant bet going.
"Beca…" Chloe said, trying to get the brunette to stop talking and listen to her. "Becs!" she tried again. Becca kept talking. She forgot how fast the DJ could speak when she was nervous. It was adorable, really. Clearly there was only one way to shut her up. She leaned in to kiss Becca again, grinning as the brunette responded instantly to the kiss.
"Okay, seriously. Maybe you two should get a room. This really isn't the place for so much PDA…" Aubrey called out after a few moments.
The pair broke apart. Becca, who had been so confident at the beginning of it all, stared at Chloe like she was in a daze. Chloe felt like she was on cloud nine at the moment. "For the record, I'm in love with you too. I have been for years…if I'm being honest. I just didn't think you'd ever return the feelings. I thought maybe once you and Jesse broke up but…I finally decided I would rather have you as a friend than nothing at all. That's why I…kissed Chicago," Chloe admitted.
The DJ looked remorseful. "Chlo…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to put you through all of that I just…well… You know how oblivious I can be when it comes to feelings. I'm an idiot," she apologized.
"It doesn't matter. What matters is now…and the future. We have our whole lives to make up for the lost time. That is, if you can pencil me into your schedule, Superstar?" Chloe asked, smiling.
A smirk took over Becca's face. "I'll always have time for you, Chloe. There's no one else I'd rather have by my side through all of this. I know you'll be super busy with vet school but we can make it work, right?" she asked, sounding hopeful.
"As long as I can be your date when you win your first Grammy next year, I'm in," Chloe said, shooting her a wink.
"That's…pretty confident of you to suggest," Becca shot back, amused.
"Oh I'm pretty confident about all of this…and about you," Chloe replied.
"I want to kiss you again…but I'm afraid we're going to get attacked by adoring fans if we keep them waiting much longer," Becca said, briefly glancing over her shoulder towards the Bellas. Amy and Emily looked like they wanted to charge right at them. It was probably only the wrath of Aubrey that was keeping them frozen in place.
"I'm sure we'll have a lot of time for that later. We have a lot of talking we need to do…but for now, let's just enjoy the moment," Chloe suggested, reaching out to take Becca's hand.
"You're right. Tonight is the last night of the tour. Let's just enjoy the moment while we can," Becca agreed, pulling Chloe towards her for another kiss.
What had started out as one of the worst days of Chloe's life had quickly turned into the best. She had held onto her feelings for Beca so long that she didn't think she would ever be able to let them go…even though she had come to believe they would never be returned. As usual though, Beca Mitchell had surprised her. She didn't know what the future would bring. There were big changes happening for both of them, ones that had left her feeling a little terrified. Now she knew that everything would work out. With Beca by her side she felt unstoppable. Chloe Beale had finally got the girl…
Once again, please feel free to review and let me know what you think! I've enjoyed conversing with a few of you about the movie, it's been awesome! Also I've got a multi-chapter fic in the works for Bechloe. I don't expect to start posting it for quite some time - real life keeps me busy and I'd like to have most of written in advance so you guys don't have to wait a long time between updates, but one day it will make its way onto the site so keep your eyes open for that!