A/N: So for this one, we're just going to pretend that Jesse didn't happen!
Merry Christmas!
The first two years at the Bella's house, Chloe practically had to drag Beca down the stairs to help decorate the Christmas tree.
The DJ had to be bribed with copious amounts of alcohol in order for her to participate in the Bella's annual tradition of campus caroling.
And if you even so much as made a joke about mistletoe, she would give you a glare that would send you into the new year.
So when Chloe came home from Thanksgiving break to find a Christmas sweater wearing Beca toting boxes of Christmas ornaments and lights down from the attic; she was shocked to say the least.
"Bec?"
"Yeah?" The DJ grunted, setting a box labeled 'X-mas Candles' at Chloe's feet.
"What - what are you doing?"
"Getting the Christmas stuff ready for when all the girls get back tonight, what's it look like I'm doing?"
She picked a strand of tinsel out of Beca's brown locks.
"Ummm, I see that, but why?"
Beca swatted her hand away.
"Because . . . ." Blue eyes looked up at her expectantly. "We always decorate the house on the day everybody gets back? And then we watch Christmas movies and get wasted on eggnog. Come on, if I remember correctly, you were a driving force behind this tradition."
"And if I remember correctly, I usually have to drag you away from your mixing board kicking and screaming to get you to participate."
"Yeah well, I figured I would save you the trouble this year; consider it your early christmas present." the DJ jogged around Chloe and swatted her on the ass before making her way up the stairs. "Come on, Red- there's a ugly christmas sweater with your name on it and a bunch more boxes to go!" She disappeared around the corner and Chloe was left to contemplate the recent turn of events.
Oh well; if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!
It turns out, there were quite a few more boxes of decorations than either of them remembered; so by the time the other Bellas arrived, sweaters had been shed for tank tops and the egg nog had been broken out a little early.
She wasn't going to complain though, if grumpy Beca was cute, excited Beca was downright adorable. She half expected this new side of her co-captain to shrivel up once the others arrived, but if anything it only intensified as the night of decorating wore on. Surprisingly enough, the brunette even volunteered to be the one hoisted between Stacie and Emily to put the star on top of the tree.
As they all laughed at the antics of Jim Carrey as the Grinch later that night, she found her mind (and her eyes), wandering in the direction of the DJ beside her. Why was Beca so cheery all of the sudden? She hated Christmas. Well, okay, maybe not hate; but she sure griped a lot about commercialism and how nothing was really merry about telling kids some old guy is going to sneak into their house at night.
She didn't know how long she had been staring before Beca turned and dark blue eyes met her own brighter ones. Her lips pulled back in a half grimace, embarrassed to be caught staring; but Beca only smiled and snuggled closer under the blankets.
Cheery Beca that openly liked cuddling?
Very weird indeed.
It was two weeks later when she finally confronted Beca. Two weeks filled with cookies and carols and eggnog. Two weeks where everything was green and red and gold and silver and blue. Two weeks where Beca wore a bona-fide Santa hat to rehearsals. Two weeks before the rest of the Bellas ambushed her, begging her to find out was going on.
And that's how she found herself here, creeping up the stairs to the third floor, wondering how the hell she was supposed to broach the subject with her best friend.
"Hey Bec? You just seem really happy lately and like really into the Christmas spirit; and well, we're all kind of worried about you because usually the holidays turn you into a grump-ass."
Ummm, no.
She wounded the corner of the stairs to find Beca at her desk in full on mixing mode. As soon as she caught sight of Chloe though, she pulled off her headphones and motioned the older girl over.
"Hey, Red! What's up?"
She could feel her eyes narrow as she raised a hip to lean on the desk.
"You seem . . . cheery." She observed.
Beca shrugged.
"Just making christmas mixes!"
She glanced at the screen to see 'Baby It's Cold Outside' and 'Merry Christmas Baby' pulled up side by side.
"Yeah. . . . about that."
"Peppermint stick?" Beca interrupted, holding up a jar full of the red and white candy.
"Ummm, sure; yeah thanks." She took one of the sticks and crunched off the end.
"So," Beca slurped around the candy hanging out the corner of her mouth. "What's up, Beale?"
"Well, I - the girls . . . and I were just . . . concerned about your recent ummmmm, christmas spirit."
"What, can't a girl be jolly without everyone freaking out?"
"No! I wasn't saying-! I mean we're happy that you're happy, Becs- it's just usually you're kind of -"
"A grinch?"
"I mean I wasn't going to say it, but yeah. Just checking to make sure you're doing okay."
Beca turned her chair to the side, and for a moment Chloe was afraid that she had crossed the ever-moving line of "how far can I push Beca before I push her away", until the DJ turned back to her flash drive extended in one hand.
"Before I forget, these are the Christmas mixes I'm already done with."
Chloe took it gratefully.
"Thanks, you know I love Christmas music."
"I do." she watched as Beca nibbled the peppermint stick thoughtfully before continuing. "And you should know that I haven't always been a grinch. I used to love Christmas, it was the best."
"Really?" She asked, only it came out slurred thanks to the candy her mouth.
Beca's eyes took on a wistful look.
"Christmas was the best. The whole month of December mom and dad would put aside whatever petty argument they had been fighting about and go all out for Christmas. The tree, the lights, the annual Mitchell Christmas party. . . no fighting, no underhanded comments - it was perfect. The day after Christmas, that was a different story, but from the day before Thanksgiving all the way up to Christmas day things were perfect. It was almost like we were a normal family."
She paused and Chloe let her have the moment.
"But then, after the divorce, Christmas . . . sucked." Beca's laugh was humorless. "There was always the talk of 'who's Beca going to spend Christmas with this year' - like I wasn't event there. Like I wasn't a kid who just wanted her family to be together on Christmas, like I was nothing more than a bargaining chip in their petty war." She watched as lips tugged upward to reveal perfect white teeth.
"And then my first year at Barden I was just angry - about being here instead of LA, at Aubrey, everything - that I didn't want to enjoy Christmas. Once we moved into the house, all of you guys would talk about how you all couldn't wait to go home to your families for the holidays and I just felt left out. And if you haven't learned by now, I'm one of those people that would rather seclude myself than feel left out." Beca shrugged.
"And I always forced you to come down and celebrate." she finished guiltily.
"No! No! That's not-! You always made me feel better, Chlo. I wasn't saying that."
She smiled, relieved. "Well, what's different this year?"
"You said you're staying in town this year because your parents are going on a cruise, and I thought I would stay here and celebrate with you. And you love Christmas, so why not go all out?"
"You're doing all this for me?"
"Well, that and Christmas is only fun and magical if you have something worth wishing for. . . maybe I've got something worth wishing for this Christmas."
Chloe raised her eyebrows expectantly.
"Are you going to tell me what it is?"
"Eventually, but right now you should go tell the girls that they don't need to worry about me, I'm fine. Just happy to be spending Christmas with my best friend."
"Ditto, Becs."
Fat Amy's voice calling up the stairs interrupted any semblance of a moment they might have been having.
"I thought I was your best friend, short stack?!"
Beca leaned around the railing, winking a Chloe before shouting down the stairs.
"Chloe's my American best friend, Amy - you're my international best friend."
Chloe spent Christmas Eve creating a gigantic gingerbread house. The rest of the Bellas had left for their respective home towns, or in Amy's case - Bumper's home town; and Beca was at the studio; so she had the day to herself. It was a masterpiece, really; complete with a little gingerbread family and gumdrop Christmas lights. She was quite impressed with it herself, and the project took up most of her day. By the time she finished cleaning the kitchen and showering up, night had fallen and she was considering what to do for dinner when the front door slammed open.
"Ho, ho, ho!" Beca's voice rang out.
"Hey, watch who you call 'ho', ho!"
Beca dropped a bag of takeout on the counter and pulled off her scarf before moving to the ginger bread house.
"Holy gingerbread, Batman! This is amazing!"
Chloe dropped a quick curtsy.
"Thank you, thank you! Is that Chinese food I smell?"
"But of course! What goes better with cheesy Christmas movies than delicious lo mein?"
"Umm, lemon chicken and fried rice?"
Beca rolled her eyes.
"It's at the bottom of the bag staying toasty. I would never subject you to the horrors of lo mein."
Before she could even think, she was bending down to plant a kiss on Beca's cheek.
"Thanks, Bec. You're the best."
The DJ froze for a stuttered second, blush rising on her cheeks.
"No prob, not like I could let you starve."
Chloe woke up the next morning in a confused haze, blinking the sleep from her eyes. She took a moment to remember the night before and grinned. She and Beca had spent the night cuddled up on the couch, making fun of ridiculous Christmas movies. Apparently, they had fallen asleep at some point, and she could feel Beca's feet tucked in warmly beside her.
It was still dark outside, and the only light was coming from the Christmas tree, the multi-colored bulbs casting a cheery glow across the takeout containers scattered across the coffee table.
"Becs! Becs!" She jiggled the younger girl's legs to wake her. "It's Christmas!"
The DJ grunted, reaching for her iPhone.
"It's also . . . five o'clock in the morning."
"Doesn't matter! It's still Christmas! So it's time to open presents!"
"Seriously, Chlo?"
"Becs . . . . " She turned on her best pout. "Please?"
Beca sighed, throwing back the covers.
"Fine, but I'm brushing my teeth first. I can still taste last night's Chinese food."
"Good idea! besides, I need a fresh palate for egg nog."
"Egg nog, really?"
"You can't open presents without egg nog, Bec."
"Whatever you say, Red."
She brushed her teeth and washed her face, before practically running back down the stairs, tossing the takeout containers in the trash and pouring up some (alcohol free) egg nog. No sooner had she sat down than Beca was sliding across the floor to the tree, skidding to a stop beside Chloe. She was fully decked out in a santa hat, red nose and fuzzy snowman socks; and Chloe grinned.
"You are seriously going all out this year huh?"
"Hell yeah, I have to see if Santa brought me what I wanted."
"You still haven't told me what you were wishing for!"
Beca waved a finger.
"Nope, can't tell you or it won't come true!"
"I don't think that counts for Christmas, Becs."
"Uhh, who died and made you Santa? This isn't the Santa Clause!"
"Fine, fine, don't tell me. Now open a present!"
They opened the presents from their parents first, taking plenty of pictures to send to the families.
Next Beca opened the present from Chloe, oohing and aahing over the concert tickets.
"I assume the second ticket is for you?"
"I mean you could always take your international best friend, but I don't think she loves The Weeknd as much as me."
"I'm pretty sure she would try to flash him her boobs or something, so trust me, I'm taking you!"
"Awes! I was hoping you might say that!"
The younger pulled a small present into her lap.
"Here's your present, I hope you like it!"
Beca handed her the beautifully wrapped package, and she opened the box to reveal a certificate for art lessons.
"Seriously?" She squealed. "How did you?"
"Please, you've been talking about wanting to learn how to draw since I first met you!"
"Thanks, Bec; you're the best!"
The DJ shrugged before reaching behind the tree.
"There's one more little thing actually. . ."
She seemed nervous as she passed the small package over. Chloe pulled the paper off to reveal a sprig of mistletoe and she stared at Beca confusedly.
"What . . .?"
"You have to hold it up at the light."
Beca demonstrated with one hand above her head and Chloe followed suit, staring up at the small branch.
"I don't see-"
She was cut off by Beca's lips on her own.
Oh.
Oh.
That little sneak -
Any coherent thought was scattered from her brain as Beca's cold fingers curled on her cheeks; and she sighed into the kiss, hands reaching up to wrap around the DJ's waist.
Only she forgot, exactly, what position they were in and they tumbled backwards to the floor.
"Well," Beca said as they pulled apart laughing. "That went better than expected."
"I'll say."
She flipped them so that she was propped up over the younger girl.
"How long have you felt this way?"
"I dunno, sometime around you barging naked into my shower?"
Chloe giggled.
"Was this your Christmas wish?"
Beca looked down to where there bodies were pressed together.
"I mean my wish just went as far as the kiss, but this is . . . good, this is good!"
Chloe laughed again before lowering herself to brush their lips together.
"Merry Christmas, Bec."
"Merry Christmas, Chlo."