CHAPTER 2

I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE GAMES MENTIONED IN THIS CHAPTER!

PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU CAN, GUYS :] I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT ISN'T, YOU KNOW?

It didn't take long for Beca to move in and fall into a comfortable routine with Chloe. Mondays through Wednesdays, when Beca had her regular afternoon shift at the station, she would get home before Chloe and prepare dinner. She knew how stressful the redhead's (two-job) work schedule was and always did what she could to ensure that Chloe could relax once she finally got home after 10 every night.

Sometimes Jesse would tag along after a shift, coming over to help Beca and play X-Box once chores were done. Chloe would walk in, bartending apron thrown over a bent arm, keys in one hand, and anyone could see, CLEARLY, that the woman was exhausted. She'd throw the keys into the dish on the side table by the door and shuffle into the living area where Beca would pause the game (Guitar Hero, Call Of Duty, Left 4 Dead, whatever), setting the controller down as she eyed the redhead with a sympathetic smile. Beca would move into the kitchen and fix Chloe a plate of whatever meal she'd prepared earlier. She would return to find Chloe sitting in the lazy-boy off to the side and Jesse flashing her the 'You are so whipped grin'. Ignoring Jesse, she'd set Chloe's heated dinner on the end table beside the recliner before resuming her virtual duel with Jesse.

Eventually Jesse would leave, pulling his tiny friend into a bone-crushing hug as he started towards the front door. Beca would clean up the mess she and Jesse made. Plopping down on to the couch again once she finished everything. Chloe would move to the couch. Pulling her feet up under her as she curled into Beca's side. Chloe would snuggle into Beca's side weakly. Her hand resting on Beca's thigh. Her head resting on Beca's shoulder. She'd always mumble, "You're the best, Bec," smiling into the smaller woman's neck.

Beca LOVED Mondays through Wednesdays…

In the back of their minds, both women knew they were treading the thin line between friends and something more. But Beca, being from a broken home, knew the pain cheating caused and would NEVER act on her feelings for Chloe. Ignoring how madly in love she was with the woman and how much she disliked Tom and the way he treated Chloe. The way he talked to her.

And as Beca felt morally obligated not to act on her feelings (which absolutely killed her), her friend had similar feelings. She'd been cheated on multiple times. Used… Hurt… Left wondering what she had done wrong or what she could have done better… And she refused to put anyone else through that pain. Even if it was just some guy she hooked up with once a week.

They still had exclusive titles of "Boyfriend" and "Girlfriend" and that had to count for something.

Even when Beca looked at Chloe like she was everything… Even when Beca treated her like she was everything… Even when Chloe would shuffle into the kitchen at 6am every morning before her first shift, to find her breakfast already made... Even when she melted at the softness of Beca's unmade face early in the morning and late at night…

Tom was hers and she was his. And both women (for their own reasons) chose to respect that.

And that's where Thursdays and Fridays came into play. Those were the days Beca worked late at the station. Those were the days she would come home to the ONLY music she'd ever come to hate.

The heavy beat (Chloe's headboard knocking against the wall…) The bass (Tom's low grunting… ) The soft vocals (Chloe's gasps and crooning moans…)

Beca HATED Thursdays and Fridays…

THREE WEEKS INTO LIVING ARRANGEMENT-

Beca swung open the door of the apartment after another late shift, already bracing for an obnoxious "duet" between Tom and Chloe. However, Beca was surprised to find the redhead in the living room, alone. She was curled up on the couch, watching TV. Beca approached her friend concerned, though obviously a bit relieved.

She plopped down beside the redhead and slung an arm over the back of the couch. Chloe almost immediately adjusted herself to lay across Beca's lap. Kicking her feet out to her side and propping up so she could still see the television.

"No, Tom?" Beca asked curiously. Hoping her friend couldn't hear the relief in her voice.

Chloe exhaled softly. Worn out from the argument she'd had with Tom earlier.

Things were starting to heat up between Tom and Chloe. Tom, being the "busy" man he is, tried to speed up the process. Ripping Chloe's pants off and shoving her back onto the bed as he undid the zipper of his khakis. He had a stressful day and though he was juggling a few women on the side, he seemed alone and insufficient. His coach chewed his head off for seeming a bit off his game in practice… his friends were always too busy to hang out… his grades were slipping…

He just needed a release.

He didn't realize he was hurting Chloe. If he was listening, he would've noticed that she was moaning in pain. That she was actually pushing him away at one point.

He just needed a release. And once he got it, he zipped up his trousers and started towards the front door.

But Chloe wasn't having it. She quickly pulled up her pants and rushed after Tom. Catching him by the wrist as he reached the living room. "Seriously?"

"What?" He turned to face her, a bit taken back by her harsh tone.

"Aren't you going to at least ask me how my day was? Aren't we going to at least sit down and enjoy each other's company?" Chloe whined. Feeling a lot less like a girlfriend and a lot more like a sex toy at the moment.

Tom scoffed. "Why? It's not like we do that any other week…"

"Tom…" Chloe grabbed his hand as she stared up into his dark eyes, hoping to get through to him, "I want more than this. We used to do more than… 'this'."

"Well, that was before. I'm not chasing anymore," Tom's lips pulled into a smug grin. Obviously, he found what he'd said to be amusing.

Chloe remained silent. She felt incredibly small in that moment. She said nothing else. She only watched as he opened the front door and rushed off down the corridor. Without so much as a glance back.

"Tom and I had a disagreement," Chloe confessed.

Beca heard how upset the redhead sounded and ran a hand through her hair comfortingly, "Do you… uh, do you want to talk about it?"

Chloe started to vent, but felt guilty once she remembered how much the brunettes disliked each other, "… maybe I shouldn't."

Beca was never good with letting people vent, and she was never a fan of Tom, but she didn't want Chloe to feel like she didn't care.

"I'm all ears, Chlo …but, you know, if you'd rather me just bring my left hook out of retirement, that works too," Chloe smiled at the brunettes attempt to cover up her moment of compassion. She sat up, turning to face her friend.

"You were saying something about a, how do you say 'wham-bam, thank you ma'am'?" Beca wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, eliciting another small smile from her friend.

"You're so sensitive." Chloe rolled her eyes before focusing on Beca's.

"I try. So what happened?" Beca pressed on, staring back into Chloe's baby blue eyes.

Chloe explained to Beca how she so felt used and unappreciated. And how Tom shrugged it off when she confronted him about it. She told Beca about how lonely she's felt lately. How she feels like she's been taken for granted. How she just misses having someone to hold her at night.

"I've got just the remedy for that," Beca spoke once Chloe had finished, "Come with me to the gig tomorrow night. It'll be fun."

"I don't know. I haven't been to a club in a while," Chloe's face scrunched adorably as she considered it, but wondered if it was a good idea.

"Don't give me that look," Beca teased. Shoving her friend lightly on the shoulder," Look,…you said it yourself. You haven't been in a while. That's all the more reason to go,"

"I don't know, Bec-"

Beca's face pulled into an effective pout.

"Fine," Chloe sighed, defeated. Blushing a bit at how adorable she found her friend in that moment. But it was short lived, because Beca immediately switched back into "Badass mode".

"I swear if you ever tell anyone I just did that. I will find your lost ginger soul and-"

"I won't tell a soul," Chloe giggled. Pretending to zip her lips and throw away the key.

Beca smiled at her friend lazily, before standing with a stretch and a yawn. Chloe watched longingly as her friend shuffled down the hallway towards her room. Chloe found herself wanting to sleep in the tiny brunette's arms. They'd cuddle multiple times during the school year, but for some reason Chloe couldn't bring herself to ask or initiate sleepovers.

She decided there was only one way to get what she wanted, "Hey, Bec?" She called out as the DJ opened the door to her bedroom. She stopped and turned to face the redhead with her eyebrows raised, as if to say "What's up?"

"Let's make a deal." The redhead smiled mischievously as she started towards her friend's bedroom.

Little did Beca know, this "deal" would consist of her holding Chloe through the night so Chloe would go to the club with her. But once she found out, she seemed to have no objections.