"Anything else I can do to make you feel better?"
Unsurprisingly, the Bellas win Regionals, with the Treblemakers close behind in the rankings. This time around, Beca's not punching some grown man's face, and Jesse isn't calling her dad to come pick her up from the police station.
Instead, the two groups are celebrating at a pizzeria near campus. The newest Bella, Flo, has been talking about Argentinean folk tales for the majority of the meal, with all of the new Trebles and old Bellas listening in on the foreign exchange student's storytelling. Jesse's drumming his fingers on his girlfriend's leg nonchalantly, absorbed in Flo's version of Carau.
"Do you guys realize what's going on right now?" Chloe suddenly says, catching the group's attention rather quickly. "This is history in the making. Last year, I would've laughed if someone told me that the Bellas and Trebles were going to be intentionally sharing a table at Nick's Pizzeria."
And it's true. The two groups are civil with each other for the first time in Barden history.
"If it weren't for Jesse and Beca's little thing, we wouldn't be here," Fat Amy notes, waggling her eyebrows suggestively at the couple.
"C'mon guys, you can't give us all the credit," he grins, nudging Beca in the process.
"But can we give you credit for us losing tonight?" A new Treble, Blake, suggests at the end of the table with a challenging look on his face.
Jesse frowns. "I'm not a one-man band."
"You did pick out the songs."
"Yeah, but—"
"Nerds, listen up," Beca glares at the bumbling group of boys, commanding their attention immediately. "Jesse picked out amazing arrangements, and you guys did great. It's not yours, or Jesse's, fault that the Bellas are superior."
The girls nod in agreement while the boys glower at the tiny brunette. Their food comes, effectively shutting the table up.
Beca notices the change in Jesse's behavior. He's been silent all through the rest of dinner, and he's hardly responded to anyone. He's in his own little world, which was unusual to her more than anyone.
"Wanna walk back to campus?" She suggests at the end of the meal, just as group was getting on the bus. He hesitates, but agrees and flings the keys to the Treblemakers' bus to Benji.
They wait until the two buses drive away before they start heading back. Her hand slips through his as they make their way to campus.
"What's going on?" She asks, looking at him intensely.
He blinks down at her, taken aback by her question. "What if the guys are right?"
"They're not, you picked amazing songs—"
"Not that," he sighs, "I mean, what if I'm not fit to be the leader? Taking Bumper's place last year was so easy, but that was with a set of completely different boys. We all established a knighthood of some sort."
She sees that he's insecure and uncertain. It's a new side of him that she's never seen, and all she wants to do is make those feelings go away.
"Well, now you just have to bond with the new members. I lucked out with keeping all of the Bellas, minus Aubrey. You just need to re-establish your throne, king of a cappella." She muses. Her heart flutters when he finally shows her the dimples that she was hoping to see.
"King of a cappella?"
She grins. "Don't let your ego get the best of you, nerd."
He gives her a kiss on the cheek and wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her in closer as they finally reach campus. "I'll try not to."
"But really, no one can beat the Bellas. But, I think you're doing a great job with the Trebles. You have nothing to worry about. Except the Bellas."
"You're so competitive."
She shrugs. "I hope you believe me when I say that you're an amazing leader."
He sighs. "You're just saying that because you're trying to be a supportive girlfriend."
"Jesse."
They stop in the middle of the sidewalk. She's glaring at him with those intense cobalt eyes. He can't quite look her in the eye with her crossed arms and the scary, determined look on her face.
"Can you just listen to me? Stop worrying. You need to know that you're doing the best job possible whipping those new guys into shape, especially since it's only been a few months. You're terrific, and amazing, and talented. Seeing you so down about this... It's disheartening, you know? You got this." The fierceness in her voice seems to get a hold on him, because now he's actually looking at her.
She's not sure of what to make of an insecure Jesse. Normally an exuberant, actual puppy, upbeat and positive guy, seeing him so beat up about this really does upset her.
"Believe me." She says gently, unfolding her arms to wrap them around his waist. They kiss briefly, with her on her toes and his hand cupping her cheek.
"Thank you," he murmurs against her lips, feeling the small smile form on them.
"You're welcome," she pulls away, sliding a hand into his back pocket they continue their walk, now only a few yards away from the Bellas House. "Anything else I can do to make you feel better? Your ego must be pretty bruised, there," she jokes.
"Nah, it remains very much in-tact, but I'll take you up on that offer. How about a movie?"
"We can do that," she chews the bottom of her lip, "or we can do something better."
"What's better than movies?" He's genuinely dumbfounded, which makes her want to laugh and also slap him.
He's such a nerd.
"The girls went out to some frat party for the night, so the house is empty..."
"Great! So Amy's not gonna harass me over the whole house smelling like popcorn, again? Right on!" He makes a show of pumping his fist into the air, a victorious grin plastered on his face.
She groans. "Sex, Jesse. I'm talking about sex."
"Oh. Oh." With a devilish grin, he picks her up, bridal style, and sprints to the empty house, loving the way she was laughing breathlessly against his chest.
A/N- Get the balloons and party hats ready, because it's someone's birthday in the next chap :) As always, let me know what you thought of this chapter, either on here or on my Tumblr, becasjesse.