Title: Let Me Catch My Breath Before You Steal It Once Again
Author: violentsweetperfect
Rating: M for #maturity
Pairing: Beca M & Chloe B

Chapter 9

"S-i-l-e-n-t." Chloe added to the board. She counted her score and put it on the score sheet.

"Cute." Beca said, smiling.

"What?" Chloe asked, looking up.

"C-u-t-e." Beca pointed at the word that she had placed on the board. "Six points!"

Chloe smiled at the brunette girl who seemed slightly amused by the last word she had placed, then her cellphone alarm went off. "Oh, shit. I have Philosophy in 20 minutes."

"Oh?" Beca let out a sound of disappointment. "I don't have any class until 4:15."

"Yeah, it almost slipped my mind." Chloe stood up, "Wanna finish this later?"

Beca nodded and stood up, walking closely behind the redhead.

"Don't cheat when I leave." Chloe said and smiled.

"I won't!" Beca exclaimed, "Never! I never cheat." She said toward Chloe who was reaching for the door.

Chloe shook her head, and in a fake English accent she replied, "Never is an awfully long time."

Chloe was sitting on a desk, writing furiously on her notebook when she felt two strong arms wrap around her neck. "Chlo, you bitch." She heard a familiar voice whispered to her ear.

"Hey, Bumper." Chloe replied without turning. "Thanks for today."

"Yeah, yeah." Bumper said, rolling his eyes. "You owe me one."

"So, what do you think of her?"

"She's gonna hate me." Bumper groaned.

"No she won't. She's probably already forgot about it.." Chloe said, looking at him. "So, is she?"

"Did she bring it up after and give you the 'I'm-okay-with-you-being-gay-just-don't-hit-on-me' speech?" he asked.

"Nope, didn't bring it up at all."

"Well, from what I have observed she's totally gay." Bumper answered, staring at her while shaking his head, "Which makes me wonder... is your gaydar broken or something?"

"I just want to make sure." Chloe said, "She- I just like her a lot. And I don't want to waste my time on a straight girl again."

"Yeah... but damn, she must think I'm a jerk."

"Nah, she finds you absolutely lovely." Chloe said, and he slapped her in the arm. "Ow, you bitch."

"You owe me a date." Bumper smiled, "with that cutie surfer guy!"

"Yeah, yeah." Chloe went back to writing into her notebook.

"He's sooo cute, especially when he's wearing his wetsuit!"

"You're mission wasn't so successful though." Chloe said, not looking up, "so no deal."

"I think it would've been easier if I had asked her out instead of you, see if she answers 'I'm gay' or something." Bumper looked up ceiling, "then we could've find out soooo sooo much." "Hey, you planned this." Chloe hit him in the head, "Wonder what she would say when she finds out you're gay."

Weeks had passed and Beca had been going through the same routine with her school, work, and dealing with her feelings toward Chloe. Traveling back and forth from Gainesville to Atlanta was taking a lot out of her.

But, she didn't know that Chloe liked her as well...

"Why don't you just ask her out?" Bumper asked Chloe as they walked away from the classroom.

"What if she says no?" Chloe asked, worry filled her voice.

"Then, you're better off at that point than waiting for her to make the first move and you find out she's not interested in you."

"What?" Chloe blinked, not catching a word Bumper just said.

"What?" Bumper reiterated.

"I... didn't understand what you just said." Chloe said, staring at Bumper.

"Nevermind." Bumper said, "Just ask her out."

"Fine." Chloe said.

"Ahh, what the hell!" Chloe exclaimed, walking out of her dorm room with a small fleece blanket, a pillow, and her favorite Care Bear toward the lounge. There, sitting by herself, she found Beca with her laptop on and a word document opened.

"Hey." Beca looked up, smiling. "Can't sleep?"

"Nah," Chloe said, sitting next to the brunette. "My roommate's having sex with her boyfriend again."

"Ouch, I know how that feels." Beca said.

"Stacie's getting freaky in your dorm?" Chloe asked, smiling.

"Something like that." Beca yawned, causing the redhead to yawn, too. Beca turned off her laptop and put it in her backpack.

"I guess I'll sleep here tonight." Chloe sighed.

"You can.. um... come over to my room and sleep there." Beca offered, deliberately avoiding any eye contact as she offered.

"Nah, I don't want to bother you."

"You do it every weekend, today won't be any different." Beca smiled reassuringly.

"You sure?"

"Yes," Beca stood up and offered her hand to Chloe. "Come on."

"What about Stacie and Jesse?"

"Frankly... I don't think her boyfriend has enough stamina to last long or for second round... he's probably knocked out now." Chloe let out a hearty laughed, and Beca chuckled too. "If anything, I'll just keep you company out here."

"Yeah, then we can pull an all-nighter!"

"Alright!" Beca agreed and started to walk to her room to check on her roommate.

As Chloe and Beca passed the redhead's dorm, they saw Chloe's roommate's boyfriend leaving the room, making Chloe groan, "I guess... I can sleep in there now."

"We can just ignore that and go as we planned... you know." Beca said.

"That's okay..." Chloe said, disappointed. Chloe stood in front of her dorm and pressed her combination at the door's keypad. "Thanks, anyway."

"Alright," Beca stood in front of her door with her backpack on her shoulder. Chloe kept the door open and stood there. "I guess I'll go then. Sweet dreams."

With her foot keeping the door open, Chloe leaned toward Beca and kissed her on the lips. She felt Beca hesitating a little so she pulled away.

"Good night." Chloe said before walking in her dorm quickly. When she closed the door she leaned back, hitting her head against it once. "What the hell did I just do?" She shook her head and walked to her bed.

Beca stood in front of the door, hey eyes and mouth opened wide. "How am I supposed to sleep now after that?"