Chapter Twelve

Demons

"It's time for Dare," Amy said as she brought a couple of bottles of tequila into the living room.

But Beca wasn't looking at Amy at all. She was instead looking at the woman she loved, who was carrying the cups, limes, and salt. The alcohol from Beca's drinks at the bar was long gone from her system, but her need for Chloe burned even more than before. If it weren't for the bet, Beca would already have Chloe naked on the bed. As far as she was concerned the bet was still on, and she wasn't about to lose. Because of her determination, the only thing Beca could do was to stare at her goddess of a girlfriend.

Everyone was in the living room of their apartment, which apparently became the de facto meeting place for the group over the summer. Beca didn't mind it at all; she liked having her bed near in case she had to pass out. It only happened to her once in New York, but when it did she was very thankful she wasn't at risk of waking up on a stranger's floor – or worse.

Chloe set her items on the coffee table and sat next to Beca. She immediately began moving her fingers across Beca's thigh, who realized it was going to be a longer night than she thought. The more drinks Chloe had in her, the more touchy she became, and most of the time Beca didn't think Chloe knew how she was affecting her girlfriend. Her fingers played lightly on Beca's lower thigh, exactly the same way Chloe did when she drove the car.

Normally it was just an innocent touch, but with the drinks, the bet, and the relief from the emotional rollercoaster they rode earlier, Beca was incredibly turned on. When Chloe turned and smiled at her, tightening her grip ever so slightly, Beca wanted to kiss her love senseless. If Chloe kept up her motions, Beca was surely going to lose the bet. Still, she knew she needed to at least try to be strong, even if the reward of Chloe's possible win was just as good as if Beca won. It was a matter of principle to be the one to win the bet.

"Who's first?" Amy asked, looking around the room. "If no one volunteers, I get to choose. It won't be pretty."

"How do you expect us to volunteer after that?" Beca asked, hoping the evening wasn't going to devolve into something disastrous, like unhooking a bra with her teeth. Amy never mentioned anything of the sort in the past, but Beca wouldn't put it past her friend to dare someone to do it, no matter how embarrassing it might be.

"I'll go easy on the volunteer."

Denise had her hand up first, and Amy pointed to her. "Touch your tongue to your nose. If you can't do it…"

Amy stopped when Denise easily slipped out her tongue and touched her nose. "Is that good?"

"Damn, Cynthia Rose. You're one lucky lady," Stacie said.

Cynthia Rose took Denise's hand. "You don't know the half of it."

Denise cleared her throat. "Okay, I get to choose, right?"

Amy nodded, and Denise looked around the room. "Stacie."

Stacie looked up from her nails. "Yeah?"

"Go commando for the rest of the night."

A slow smile spread across the tall woman's face. "Already am."

Beca raised her eyebrows. She knew she shouldn't be surprised Stacie wasn't wearing underwear, but Beca never really thought about it as something to do on a regular basis. It made her feel like a bit of a prude until she remembered her and Chloe's adventures in their own love life.

"It's your turn, Beca," Stacie said.

Beca dreaded the next words out of Stacie's mouth. "Choose a player, and I mean any player, and tell them what you would do if they were your slave for an hour. That player can accept or reject your offer."

"Of course she's going to pick Chloe," Cynthia Rose said.

"Nah, that's way too obvious and embarrassing," Amy remarked at the same time.

Beca was at once turned on by the thought of Chloe being at her beck and call – not because she would do anything involving making Chloe give up complete control – but Beca dreaded telling everyone what she would do. When Chloe shrugged after Beca turned to her, she made her decision, and she hoped she wouldn't regret it.

"Chloe," Beca began.

"I knew it!" Cynthia Rose exclaimed as she took a shot.

"Wait, we have to drink before we hear this," Jessica said.

"Agreed." Amy poured the liquor, and everyone took a shot. "Anyone for another?"

With the exception of Chloe and Beca, everyone drank another shot. Beca noticed with clarity that Chloe's hand was still and resting on her inner thigh. Beca wanted desperately for that hand to move up, but she wasn't about to drag Chloe into their bedroom. It didn't matter how much she dreaded the dare she was going to have to complete or the bet they had, Beca simply wanted to be able to have some restraint. It wasn't an easy thing to do, to say the least.

"We're ready. Go for it like a dingo attacks its prey," Amy said.

"Lovely image," Beca said with a nervous laugh.

"Hurry up, we're dying here," Stacie said, leaning forward in her seat.

"Okay. Chloe, I'm sorry beforehand it this embarrasses you," Beca said apologetically. "I'd have you win me one of those little trolls from playing skeeball." She was rewarded with a big grin from her love, who understood the full meaning behind the request.

"Wait, what?" Amy said. "That's not fun at all. Come up with something good."

"Pervs," Beca said, rolling her eyes, knowing exactly what Amy wanted her to say. "I'm choosing a different slave then."

"No way. You have to do Chloe," Cynthia Rose said.

"Oh, she is," Amy replied.

It was a struggle to keep from grinning when a new idea came to Beca, but she managed to still look serious and more than a little nervous. She was going to have as much fun with the dare as she could.

"I need another shot first," she said as she took a deep breath. After pouring some tequila, Beca swallowing it in one gulp and set the glass on the table.

She looked at Chloe and kissed the cheek facing away from the group. "Trust me," she whispered.

"Always," Chloe whispered back.

"Love you," Beca said before returning to her place.

"When school starts, we'll make me breakfast in bed and spend way too much time feeding each other. Then you'll go out to coffee with me – the kind you like, not the crap from the coffeepot. And last, we'll take a shower long enough to use all the hot water. That should take up about an hour, don't you think?" Beca said, holding Chloe's gaze.

Sly smiles spread across both her and Chloe's faces, and Beca was quite proud of herself. "I accept," Chloe said quickly.

"That was even worse than the first one. You two have no idea how to play," Amy said with a drunken grin. "Drink."

Chloe leaned over to Beca. "I knew you wouldn't say anything," she whispered.

"Not for the world. They shouldn't hear my fantasies." Beca said, shivering a little at the feel of Chloe's warm breath on her neck.

Chloe moved her head away and grinned. "We'll save that talk for another time, Mitchell."

"See me? This is me having no problem with what you just said," Beca responded wickedly.

Chloe being who she was, she didn't even bat an eye at the statement. "Good," she said with a light kiss.

"Choose your player, Beca," Ashley said after clearing her throat.

"Amy. Ready?"

"Give me everything you have, Tiny Girl."

Beca shook her head. "I'm not Daredevil anymore?"

"Your other alias is Tiny Girl. Get on with it," Amy said, deadly serious.

"Make out with something from the refrigerator for ninety seconds. Our choice."

"Easy peasy."

"Cynthia Rose? You get to choose," Beca said, making a show of holding out her hand to indicate her friend could go into the kitchen.

Cynthia Rose took a long time, but finally she grabbed something and brought it out. Beca's eyes widened at the sight of the fruit with spines covering the red-orange skin.

"What the hell is that?" Stacie asked.

"A rambuten," Chloe said.

"I didn't know this was in our fridge. You want me to kiss this?"

"You can take the backup dare, but I wouldn't suggest it." In truth Beca had no backup dare, but she had a feeling Amy was going to go through with the original one.

"Start the timer," Amy said, bringing her lips to the fruit.

Ninety seconds was a long time when watching a friend make out with a piece of fruit – as Beca was uncomfortably discovering – but it was an interesting sight to behold. Amy gave the task her all, even slipping the spines some tongue. Beca wasn't sure it was a good idea because spines could hurt, but she stayed silent regarding her concerns. By the time Amy gave one last kiss to the rambuten, everyone clapped as Amy thankfully threw the fruit in the trash. There was something gross about eating something Amy just made out with.

Amy bowed. "And that is how you have tongue sex with a fruit. I don't know who I should choose," she said, pointing her finger at each woman. Finally she settled on one person. "Chloe."

"Give me a good one," Chloe said, and Beca could see the confidence in her girlfriend.

"Eat a tablespoon of cinnamon."

"Ha!" Beca shouted as she jumped up. "Karma's a bitch!"

"We missed somethin'," Cynthia Rose said.

Beca calmed down, but her smile didn't fade. "She dared me to do the same thing in California. It was awful."

"Chloe, do you want the backup?" Amy asked.

Beca stared with wicked glee at her girlfriend. "Feel my pain. Go ahead."

Chloe grinned and shook her head, standing up in front of Beca. "Only because you asked. And just so you know," she said as she leaned in, "you were going to get so lucky tonight."

"Damn it," Beca cursed, trying to stop feeling like a puddle on the floor. Chloe was surely going to be the death of her. Beca shook her head. If she wasn't going to get lucky, as Chloe put it, she was sure as hell going to witness her girlfriend's attempted ingestion of a spice.

"We've got the water ready, just in case," Stacie said, putting a glass in front of Chloe.

With a short nod, Chloe put the spoon in her mouth, and clouds of cinnamon began coming out. She looked like she was gagging for a second before completely bypassing the glass of water and heading for the sink. Just as Beca did only a few months before, Chloe turned the water on full force and washed the cinnamon from her mouth. Beca moved through her friends and grabbed a paper towel.

Seeing Chloe go through what she went through during their game in California didn't make Beca feel any sense of retribution, not that she felt there was any to be had. She simply thought it would be funny, but it was far from it. Beca felt guilty for being so excited about it.

When Chloe shut off the water and stood straight, Beca gently wiped the leftover spice and water droplets from her girlfriend's face. "It does kind of suck."

Chloe smiled kindly. "Now I know why you were angry at me for laughing. And now that's the worst thing I've put in my mouth."

"Including peanut butter and tomato?" Beca said, still wiping a bit that had fallen onto Chloe's chest.

"At least the sandwich made it to my stomach."

"You should change your shirt," Beca said apologetically when she realized just how wet Chloe's shirt was. Looking to their friends, Beca tried to smile before turning back to her love. "We'll see you in there."

"No worries. I'm pretty sure we can find trouble without you two," Amy said as they left.

Beca waved without looking away from Chloe. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's part of the game," Chloe said good-naturedly.

"Does that mean I might get lucky?" Beca asked with a hopeful smile, her guilt fading away in the face of Chloe's apparent ease.

"Not a chance. But I'll let you cuddle with me."

Beca glanced back, seeing their friends picking up the game without them. "I am kind of tired."

Chloe cupped Beca's face in her hands and brought their lips together in a slow, deep kiss. "Thank you for cleaning me up."

"Any excuse to touch your chest," Beca said with a laugh as she pulled Chloe to their room. "If you want to get ready, now's the time to do it."

"What about you?"

"I'll be in there in a second," Beca said as she reached for the phone. "I still haven't told Matt that we made it to Georgia. He wasn't expecting a text until tomorrow, but I don't want to forget."

Chloe put her hands on her hips, but Beca was relieved to see a smile on her face. "Since when are you and Matty text buddies?"

Closing the small distance between them, Beca caressed Chloe's cheek with the back of her hand. "Since you introduced us. He's been telling me every single embarrassing story you haven't told me yet," Beca said with a devilish gleam in her eye.

"It's a good thing he doesn't know them all then," Chloe said. Though the grin remained on her lips, Chloe's eyes saddened almost imperceptibly.

Chloe wasn't melancholy often, and whenever she was it was with good reason. Though no one else would notice the change, Beca knew Chloe better than anyone. There was something bothering her love.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Chloe said, lightly kissing Beca before going to the bathroom.

It didn't bother Beca if Chloe still had stories left to tell. It instead excited her to know she was still discovering the woman she loved so dearly. Even so, Chloe's sadness weighed on her, and Beca wasn't sure why something that might only be her imagination would worry her. Matt wasn't the issue, and Beca knew it. That part of the conversation was a joke. Chloe's look wasn't.

She decided to ask Chloe again, and without thinking, she went to the bathroom. As she reached the door, Chloe walked out. From the look on her face, Beca could see she was upset, but she knew the hallway wasn't the place to talk about it. The many women in the next room were reason enough.

"I'll be there soon," Beca said as they passed, lightly brushing her fingers across Chloe's hand.

Chloe offered a small smile. "I'll be waiting."

Beca went into the bathroom, where she began her nightly routine. Everything she did was quick and brainless, which left plenty of room in her brain for other thoughts.

There was a lot to think about, not the least of which being a girlfriend who, after having a good night, was suddenly and unexpectedly upset over something Beca couldn't fathom. Hopefully they would be able to talk before they slept, since Beca never slept well when she unresolved issues with people she cared about. She figured she didn't sleep for weeks while her parents were divorcing. Still, Chloe being upset was something Beca could help solve. That at least gave her hope.

What didn't give her hope, and Beca wasn't sure how her mind ended up on the particular path, was her father. The further she thought on the subject, she found he fit into her current situation better than she expected. He was someone whom she should be able to talk to in a time of need; someone who acted as a support when Beca felt like she was falling. Beca was determined for Chloe to never feel adrift. It simply wasn't something she could fathom, so she firmly decided to give whatever her love needed.

Again her thoughts stretched to her father. Beca was fearful the dinner she was supposed to have with her father would burst the bubble she and Chloe were in. Being back in Georgia was difficult enough, but the Bellas helped. Beca knew her father would be the exact opposite. Though Chloe would be at dinner as well, Beca spent plenty of time dreading the evening. It wasn't easy to get her father to agree to have Chloe there, but Beca was adamant about it.

Beca was glad Chloe wasn't intimidated by him. It seemed to be something Chloe never felt. The woman was downright fearless when it came to a lot of things in her life, and that made Beca love her all the more. Dealing with Beca's father didn't faze Chloe at all. In fact, she seemed to be looking forward to it.

When she was done brushing her teeth, Beca went back into their room. She was surprised to see Chloe laying in a fetal position and facing away from the door, which was completely unheard of for her. The covers were pulled over her body, but Beca was still able to see the bedclothes Chloe still wore. It was another thing Beca worried about; since being together, neither one of them slept with clothes on.

"Chloe?" Beca asked as she shut the door behind her and walked to the bed. "Are you okay?"

Chloe looked over her shoulder. "Not really," she said, holding her hand out behind her.

The question didn't even have to be voiced. Beca lifted the covers – pajamas still on, curled behind Chloe, and pulled her close. With a kiss to Chloe's shoulder, Beca rested her cheek on her love's back. "What's wrong?"

There weren't many times when Chloe wasn't completely open about her feelings with Beca, and they were all towards the beginning of their relationship. Chloe's reticence to voice what was bothering her disturbed Beca greatly. However, Beca trusted Chloe to voice her worries. It would be the only way Beca could help her.

Beca waited patiently, finding faith in the strong love and connection between them. Chloe would talk, but only when she was ready to. If past experience were any indication, Beca wouldn't have to wait long. She just needed to not prod her to speak any more than she already did. Anything more would cause Chloe to withdraw, and Beca couldn't bear to see that in her love.

After what felt like an eternity, Chloe sighed. "It's silly."

"If you're upset about it, it isn't silly."

"What happened at the bar tonight…" Chloe said, trailing off and not continuing.

Beca thought back through the night, and there was only one thing she could think of. "You mean about our talk outside the bar?" she asked, hoping she wasn't right.

Chloe didn't say anything, she just nodded her head.

"Was it the way I reacted?"

Again Beca waited. It would kill her if anything she said or did hurt Chloe. Something obviously had, and it was affecting her deeply.

"It's about Tom," Chloe said quietly. "Well, not him exactly. It's about everything I used to do to hide from anything that might hurt."

Chloe fell back into silence, and Beca was about to gently ask her to continue, but she didn't have to.

"Being in California made all of it seem so far away, but when I was telling that story tonight I realized I wasn't a very good person then," Chloe said Sadly. "Then you were upset, and I couldn't avoid that part of me anymore. The part that slept with every guy she was even a little attracted to. Even Aubrey joked I had a rotating door to my bedroom."

Beca made a mental note to kill Aubrey at the next opportunity, but she didn't voice it.

"You were and are a good person," Beca said adamantly. "The best person I've ever met, but you were running away from some really serious shit. Denial sucks, especially when we stop denying our pain and face what we did to not face it, even if we didn't do anything wrong – and you did nothing wrong. You had a lot of pain from losing your mom, even though you hid it incredibly well. Until you opened up to me, I thought you were a carefree woman who wasn't afraid to live life the way she wanted to. I respected you even then."

Beca moved closer to Chloe without turning her over. Somehow Beca knew her love wasn't ready to face even her yet. Even so, Beca herself wanted contact with Chloe. When Chloe didn't pull away, Beca placed another gentle kiss on her shoulder.

"Then I fell in love with you exactly as you were, which was perfect as is. I meant what I said earlier; I don't care what the rumors were. I never did. Being close to you is the only thing I care about. You light up my world and have since the day I met you. You always will.

"It doesn't matter what other people think of you. As long as you know who you are, they can go screw themselves. All the important people care about you for who you are. There's a whole pack of women in the other room who care deeply about you, and that's very real."

The evening breeze from the open window blew over them, and Chloe's hair tickled Beca's nose. Beca made no move to tuck it out of the way; her arm was around Chloe's waist and wasn't leaving there until Chloe asked her to remove it.

"The day in the shower did upset me for a while, but you know why now. At the same time I was glad it happened. If it hadn't, we wouldn't be here now, and we wouldn't be planning a life together. Think about the present, and what we have. Are you afraid of losing me? Is that it?"

"Of course I am! I haven't stood by my convictions; I've denied them. I was always taught to live life to the fullest, and to love as much as I can. I didn't do that at all. It makes me less of a person," Chloe said as she tried to move away.

"Chloe, please look at me," Beca said, relieved when her love turned over.

Though her eyes were sadder than Beca could remember seeing and wet with tears, Beca marveled at their beauty. She gently wiped the wetness from Chloe's face and kissed her softly before speaking.

"You haven't failed your convictions. You were going through a lot, and you didn't have anyone to lean on. And I don't count Aubrey. As great as she is for you, you've never let her in completely. She never understood exactly what you were doing and why. But you are not less of a person."

"You don't see the way some people in this town look at me. Like I'm a sure thing for a good time. Like I'm a slut," Chloe said, pain tearing through her voice.

"No," Beca said forcefully. "You were never a slut. You are magical, beautiful, kind, and honestly, the loveliest person in my world. I know you would never hurt me if you could help it. You don't have it in you.

"You've told me before to trust in us. I'm asking you to do that now. Trust me when I tell you you're wonderful and deserve every ounce of love you can get and then some. You were never a slut," Beca said again. "Never, and I'll beat the crap out of anyone who even breathes anything like that."

"Really?" Chloe asked with a small smile.

"Hey, I may be tiny, but I pack a punch. You've seen it."

Chloe let out a laugh. "And you almost knocked that guy out after Regionals."

"I'm not condoning violence, but I will do what I can to protect you from life's shit. My love for you isn't ever going to go away." Beca held up her hand, showing Chloe the ring. "See this? This is forever. I'm not leaving your side."

"You heard the rumors last year though."

"Chloe, I never cared. I care about you, and who you really are. I know what it's like to be judged. Hell, Aubrey did enough of it to last a lifetime. Her judging me still hurts, I won't lie to you about that, but you make me feel so loved that those judgments don't matter anymore.

"You are part of me, and you have every part of my heart," Beca finished quietly.

"You have mine, too. I don't know why I can't stop thinking about this stuff since I told that story tonight. All I see is how I might hurt you."

"Chlo, you'll probably accidentally hurt me at some point in our lives. I'll probably do the same thing to you, too. That's what life is. Do you honestly think you'll go out and do something deliberate?"

"I guess it's a pretty stupid expectation," Chloe said with a small smile.

"It is, and it's coming from the smartest person I know. Just live this life we've built and love what we have. Stop living in the past, because it doesn't matter. It's just you," Beca said, putting her hand to Chloe's heart and Chloe's over her own, "and me. Together we can face the world and all its shit."

"There's a lot of shit out there," Chloe said. After a deep breath, she continued. "Thank you for facing it with me."

Beca closed the space between them and lovingly kissed Chloe. "You never have to thank me for that. I'm pretty sure it comes with the whole 'loving you with all my heart' package, which is something I could never give up. You make me better in so many ways just by being who you are."

Chloe's tears began anew, and Beca worried she was upset again. "It's okay," Chloe said, smiling a little. "These are good tears."

Beca gently wiped the dampness streaking Chloe's cheeks. "I love you," she whispered.

"Always," Chloe said as she kissed Beca's palm.

Beca rested her head on Chloe's chest, needing the closeness of hearing her steady heartbeat.

Beca held her head against Chloe's chest just over her heart, and she knew what Beca was doing. "My heart's still there," she said with a small smile.

Placing a small kiss on Chloe's chest, Beca gave a small laugh. "I just like hearing it beat. It reminds me you're real."

With a kiss to Beca's hair, Chloe linked their hands together. "I'm very real, and I'll stay this way as long as you want me to."

"So, always?"

"Always," Chloe said, feeling warmth spread through her body.

They stayed in the embrace, and Chloe was content with having Beca in her arms. There was nothing more to it than that. While her ever-present desire was there, Chloe didn't feel it overtake her. The embrace was more healing than anything.

"If you have to sleep," Beca said quietly, "then sleep. I'll be here tomorrow."

Chloe kissed Beca's forehead. "I know that now." She brought Beca in for a slow kiss that set her aflame.

She tugged at Beca's tank top and quickly pulled it over her head before throwing it across the room. It still awed her to know Beca loved her so deeply, and she wanted badly to show her. Before she could kiss Beca again, her own shirt was removed by Beca's skilled hands.

Normally they would be in the throes of passion by then, but Chloe wanted to go slowly. Beca seemed to understand her need because even after they removed the rest of their clothing, Beca only gazed at Chloe's eyes as she gently stroked her cheek.

"Turn over," Beca said softly. "Trust me."

Chloe turned over and felt Beca straddle her hips. She leaned over until her lips were grazing Chloe's ear. "Just relax and let me love you," she whispered.

Beca's hands moved slowly and softly along Chloe's back at first. Soon those small, strong hands began kneading deeper into Chloe's tense muscles, and she let out a soft moan of pleasure. As Beca worked out the knots in Chloe's shoulders, she felt completely loved and cherished. She could feel Beca's wet center on the small of her back, and the sensation ignited something else within her, but Chloe kept her desire under control and let Beca take care of her.

Soon Beca's touch became more sensual as her hands began to move across Chloe's ribs, brushing across the sides of her breasts ever so slightly. Chloe arched up in search of more contact, and with every circle of motion, Beca's touch became firmer and longer.

"Beca…" Chloe started, unable to get anything more out.

"Sh. Enjoy this," Beca whispered without slowing her movements.

Chloe easily did as requested. Her breathing quickly became ragged, and when Beca finally brushed her hands along the sides of her breasts again, Chloe wanted to turn over show her love exactly how much she was loved and desired. Beca, on the other hand, had other ideas. She leaned back down and pressed her lips along Chloe's neck.

"You are so incredible, Chlo," she said softly into Chloe's ear. "I can't stop thinking about how lucky I am that you love me. You've made my life, me, so much better just by being in it, and the fact that I get to be the one you trust makes me feel so honored. You complete a part of me I never thought was missing."

Chloe felt a tear fall from her eye, and Beca swiftly caught it with her tongue. "No more crying. You are loved. That's the best thing in the world."

Beca lifted herself up and allowed Chloe to turn over, and she surprised by the enormous amount of adoration she saw in Beca's eyes. Chloe reached up and trailed her fingers lightly down Beca's cheek and to her chest, stopping over her heart.

"It's yours. Always," Beca said softly while placing her own hand over Chloe's.

A wide smile grew across Chloe's lips as she brought Beca's hand to her own chest. As she looked into blue eyes holding nothing but love, Chloe knew with every fiber of her being she was where she was always meant to be. She was born to love and be loved by Beca.

"It never belonged to anyone else but you," she said before tugging Beca down to lay on top of her.

With Beca's weight on her, Chloe felt her craving for her love rage to life. With her fingers in Beca's long hair, Chloe pulled Beca to her and kissed her passionately, putting all her love into the touch, and she felt that love returned as Beca shifted to entwine their legs.

It was a feeling she always wanted to have in her life; the feeling of complete and utter unconditional adoration. Chloe knew Beca would love her no matter what; she didn't question it. Not after Beca was able to pull her out of her sadness. Not after everything that happened between them during the course of their relationship. Beca's words finally sunk in: Chloe was loved for everything she was.

The same held true for Chloe's feelings for Beca. They never wavered, even when Chloe wasn't sure they would ever be more than friends. Beca was her entire heart, and she would always be. Beca was so much more than a girlfriend to Chloe; she was the one she was meant to be with for the rest of her life.

The thought fueled both her love and passion as she moved her hands to Beca's breasts, flicking her fingers across the hardened nipples. As she did, Beca moaned into her mouth before pulling away a bit.

"This is about you for now. Please?" Beca asked.

Chloe couldn't help but smile and nod, her heart swelling even more. Beca kissed her again, her tongue dancing across Chloe's, and when she felt Beca's hands on her breasts, Chloe deepened the kiss even further as she arched into the touch.

Soon though, Beca began kissing her way down Chloe's neck, and she tilted her head back to give Beca more access. She found Chloe's pulse point easily and sucked gently at it, eliciting a moan from Chloe before travelling ever downwards until she reached Chloe's breast.

Beca slowly circled Chloe's nipple with her tongue, and Chloe reached up to hold Beca's head to her. Without her asking, Beca began sucking at her before taking the nipple into her teeth and grazing them across the hardened bud.

She allowed Beca to move to her other breast, and Chloe lost herself in the feeling of Beca's lips and the wetness coating her thigh. Chloe wanted nothing more than to give back to Beca, but she knew this time was just as much for Beca as it was for her.

Eventually Beca left her breasts and began kissing Chloe's stomach, leaving tingles in her wake. Chloe needed to look at Beca though. She had to know she wasn't dreaming, so she lifted her love's head up. Beca understood and made her way slowly back up Chloe's body until they were face-to-face again.

"I want to see you," Chloe said quietly.

Beca smiled and leaned down again to capture Chloe's lips again. Beca shifted and settled between Chloe's legs. Leisurely tracing her fingers down Chloe's sides, Beca took one of Chloe's hands in her own while the other moved between them, finding Chloe's center quickly.

When Beca brushed her clit, Chloe bucked her hips, but that was nothing compared to the feeling when Beca's fingers were rubbing gentle circles around the little bundle of nerves while not quite touching it. Chloe was about to break their kiss and beg Beca to go faster when she felt Beca's fingers drag across her slit and settle at her entrance.

Beca pulled back a bit and looked into Chloe's eyes, and the desire she saw reflected back in Beca's face nearly sent her over the edge as Beca's fingers slid into her. They kept eye contact as Beca moved inside her, and Chloe tried desperately to take more of Beca into her with each thrust. Finally Chloe couldn't stop herself from latching her lips to Beca's, and it seemed to complete the electrical current flowing between them, pushing Chloe over the edge. Her orgasm spread through her like wildfire, and by the time the raging heat within her cooled, Beca was gently stroking her face.

When Chloe felt Beca's fingers leave her, she felt a shudder go through her. "I don't have any words," she said after drawing a ragged breath.

Beca smiled as she licked Chloe's essence from her fingers. "I already know."

Chloe kissed her deeply, cherishing the mingling of tastes in Beca's mouth. "I know you do," she said when they broke the kiss.

Beca moved down to rest her head on Chloe's heart again. "There are only two things in this world that can make me fall asleep quickly."

"And what are they?" Chloe asked curiously.

"Listening to you hum any kind of song and the sound of your heartbeat. They both make me feel safer than anything else ever has," Beca whispered as she trailed her fingers across Chloe's chest.

"Should I hum then?"

"Mm, no. Your heartbeat is enough."

"But you didn't –"

"You were all that mattered tonight. You needed this," Beca said sleepily. "Besides, what makes you think I didn't before?"

"You did?" Chloe asked, shocked she didn't notice it.

Beca looked up at her. "Seeing you lose yourself like that…it's pretty powerful for me."

Chloe grinned in the knowledge that the moment was as meaningful to Beca as it was to her. She wasn't surprised, but it was nice to have confirmation after her night of insecurity. "Me too. I love you with everything I am, and nothing will ever change that."

"Even if I grow horns or something weird?"

As intense as their conversation was, Chloe was relieved Beca was taking them away from it by joking around. It helped ease any remaining tension in her chest. No matter how Chloe felt about her past, she could always remember what they just shared. Beca not only soothed her soul, she kept Chloe laughing. She valued that so much in their relationship, and in Beca herself.

"Horns aren't weird?" Chloe asked, grinning widely.

"Maybe a little, but two extra legs and a tail are even stranger."

At that, Chloe laughed heartily. "I suppose that's a good point, but there would be some freaking out at just the horns. I'd still love you, though," she said, contentedly. Things were right in her world again. She felt secure in Beca's arms.

Beca yawned. "Sorry."

Chloe nudged Beca's head back down and smiled. "Sleep now, and know that I love you more than anything in this world."

Chloe held Beca a little tighter, smiling a bit as she felt Beca's breathing quickly even out. Only after she knew Beca was asleep did Chloe herself give in and drift off.