Chloe left her room to the smell of garlic bread filling the apartment.
She walked into the kitchen, a small sleepy smile on her face. Aubrey stood at the stove, stirring something in a steaming pot and Beca stood beside her, mixing a salad.
"Hey," she yawned as she walked in and they looked up.
"Hey, sleeping beauty." Aubrey joked as she turned the stove off and lifted the pot.
Chloe glanced at Beca who had returned her attention to the salad she was making. She looked okay, but Chloe didn't know for sure how she was feeling. She looked at Aubrey and gave a curious nod towards Beca. Aubrey poured the pasta noodles into the strainer in the sink and gave a small shrug, but smiled at her.
She was still curious but decided to drop it for now.
"Spaghetti smells amazing." She said as Beca stepped over to stir the lightly bubbling sauce.
"Beca has a secret ingredient she puts into her spaghetti sauce. She wouldn't let me see what it was, but it smells wonderful." Aubrey said as she walked back over with the noodles.
Beca looked up. "Promise you didn't peak? My Grams would kill me if she found out I let the secret slip."
Aubrey crossed her heat before raising her hands. "I swear, I saw nothing. But I can't wait to taste it."
"Me either! Is there anything I can help with?"
"Could you get the garlic bread out of the oven before Aubrey lets it burn?" Beca asked, and Aubrey gasped playfully.
Chloe laughed getting up to get the bread. She wasn't sure what had happened since they all went to bed but she was glad to see Beca joking and smiling with them.
It wasn't long before they were all sitting at the table to eat.
Aubrey looked over at Becas plate when they had finished dishing it the food and a frown appeared on her face.
"Beca, is that all you're going to eat? Aren't you hungry?"
She looked down at her plate, and shrugged. "I guess I'm not that hungry. If this doesn't fill me, I'll get more." She said picking up her fork.
Aubrey looked at Chloe who very subtlety told Aubrey to leave her alone with her eyes.
She pursed her lips, but let it go and picked up her own forked began to eat her dinner.
"Oh my god, Becs, this is amazing! What did you put in this sauce?!" Chloe exclaimed as she loaded up her fork for another bite.
Aubrey laughed and Beca gave her a playful warning glance.
"Okay, okay, I wont ask again. But seriously Beca, this is amazing. Thank your Grams for me."
She chuckled, taking a bite herself and Aubrey watched as her shoulders relaxed a little bit. She smiled softly, feeling as though Beca had mentioned making this particular dish for dinner, because she knew it would be a comfort.
They ate in silence, none of them really knowing what to say. Aubrey didn't want Beca to feel awkward or uncomfortable and was racking her brain in a silent, unknown panic trying to think of something to talk about when a cell phone began to ring.
Becas face was confused at first, then she recognized the ringtone and got up, grabbing her phone from the bag by the couch that they had dropped early that morning.
"Shit."She sighed, seeing who was calling.
"What's wrong?"
"Who is it?" Aubrey and Chloe asked in unison.
"It's Stacie, I forgot I asked the girls to go in for a Bellas rehearsal again this evening."She said as she watched the phone ring.
Aubrey could see the nerves make their way back into her body and her small shoulders tensed. She looked at them.
"I don't know what to do, What do I say?" She asked and Aubrey was out of her chair reaching for the phone before she even finished her sentence.
"I'll handle it, love, go sit back down and finish your dinner." She said, urging Beca toward the table.
Beca let Aubrey nudge her back to the table and walked back over to her seat, sitting down and instantly brought her thumb to her mouth to nervously chew at her nail.
"It's okay, Becs. she wont tell her anything, its your story to tell."
She nodded, though the lump of fear that she didn't quite understand hadn't left her throat.
A few minutes later, Aubrey returned and handed Beca her phone before she sat back down.
"Stacie is going to run rehearsal tonight. I told her you weren't feeling well, that it might be the flu and that you are here because you didn't want to be alone at your dorm. She hopes you feel better and said not to worry, she can handle the Bellas."
Beca nodded, still biting her nail and Aubrey sighed lightly before reaching up and gently pulling her hand away. "It's okay, Beca." She said.
"I'm sorry, I should have thought about someone possibly calling. Are you okay?" She asked, still holding onto her hand.
She looked down at their hands, and shook her head.
"I feel weird." She said.
"Do you want to lie down?" Chloe asked.
"No, I'm okay. I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry Beca. You're okay."
She let out a breath and nodded. "Thank you for talking to her. I don't know what happened. I just panicked I guess, I'm not ready for anyone else to know."
"Of course. And you don't have to tell anyone that you don't want to you know?"
"I they are my friends. If this is going to get in the way of the Bellas, or-"
"Beca, Don't worry about all that." Aubrey said. "Focus on yourself, okay? Don't rush yourself into anything until you are really and truly ready."
Beca looked up at her, and smiled lightly. "Thank you." She said, looking at Chloe. "Thank you both."
^xxx
It was late that night, nearly one am that they all began to feel tired again.
Chloe stood from where she sat on the couch beside Aubrey and stretched.
"I think I'm going to go to bed. Thank you again for that delicious dinner you guys." She said.
"You're welcome, Sleep well Chloe." Aubrey said.
"G'night, Chlo." Beca said and Aubrey looked over to see Beca yawn.
"Alright, you. Are you ready for bed too?" She asked and Beca nodded.
"Are you hurting?" She asked and Beca looked at her.
"A little."
"They gave you pain medication, you know?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I guess I should take it." She said and Aubrey helped her up and into the kitchen. Aubrey pulled the medicine out of the same bag Becas phone had been in and handed it to her.
"Take one capsule every four to six hours as needed for pain." she read before opening the cap.
"Ill get you some water."Aubrey said walking over to the fridge as beca poured the pills into her hand, before grabbing one and putting the rest back.
She set it down on the counter as Aubrey returned and handed her a water bottle.
"Thank you." She said as she tossed the pill into her mouth and washed it down with a few gulps of water.
"Good?" Aubrey asked. She nodded and looked toward the living room.
"Are you tired?" She asked and Aubrey nodded.
"I am actually, "
"You can take your bed back. I can sleep on the couch." She said. "I can go home tomorrow, i dont want to overstay my welcome."
"No that's okay, Beca, you need the bed. You're body needs to heal and the couch isn't going to help that. And, please don't feel like you are overstaying anything. You are welcome to stay for as long as you need. Okay?"
She nodded, looking down.
"I feel guilty, you sleeping on the couch in your own apartment, while I take your bed," she said.
Aubrey sighed and looked at her with the smallest smile. "Does it really bother you that much?"
Beca nodded.
"Beca, I promise I am okay on the couch." She said and Beca looked up at her, before glancing at he couch.
"Maybe, you can," she started and Aubrey looked at her curiously. "If you wanted, you could sleep in your bed, with me?" She asked so softly Aubrey almost missed it.
"I don't want you to feel like you have to share the bed Beca, I don't want you to be uncomfortable-"
"I- I would be more comfortable with you, than alone." She said, looking down, her cheeks tinged red.
Aubrey felt her stomach fill with butterflies. Beca was getting bashful, and she knew this wasn't easy for her.
"Beca," she said gently and used her finger to told Becas chin up to look at her.
"Do you want me to sleep in there with you? You don't have to be embarrassed to ask."
She nodded, keeping her chin up. "Will you? Please?" She asked and Aubrey smirked at her.
"Of course I will Beca. I'll do whatever you need me too." She said.
She ducked her head again and Aubrey chuckled. "Come on, lets get to bed."
Beca followed her into her bedroom and they silently got into the bed and got situated.
Aubrey reached over, turning the lamp off, and they were soon surrounded in darkness.
"Goodnight, Becs." She whispered and heard a small voice reply,
"Night Bree."
The older girl was almost asleep when the voice came again sometime later. "Bree?"
"Yeah?" She asked, her eyes heavy.
"Can you-uh-Will...will you hold me?"
Aubreys eyes snapped open and she hesitated for only a second. She could hear the vulnerability in Becas voice echoing in her ears, as if she hadn't barely whispered the request.
She waited only a second before rolling over and scooting up behind the smaller girl.
She didn't speak, as she pressed herself against the warm, body in front of her. She slipped her arm around her waist and gently pulled her back into her, trying to be careful, knowing she had various bruises on her body and didn't want to cause her any more pain than she was already in. She rested her over her shoulder and she could feel Beca trembling slightly. Her eyes closed again as Beca reach down, holding Aubreys arm against her stomach.
"Ive got you Beca. try to relax, you are safe with me."