Chapter 14

Sourire

Keppel Park

Copenhagen, Denmark

A kiss.

It could mean a lot of things. It could make you feel a lot of things too, and generally the best ones at that. It's probably one of the most powerful acts of humanity brought out by a strong deep emotion or urge.

Chloe is wrapped in one at the moment and for some reason she has no idea how it happened. One minute Chloe was finally coming in terms to getting the closure she didn't know that she needed all this time and the next she is in Beca's arms being pulled in a lingering kiss that, to Chloe, is unbelievable enough to make her think that she possibly had a stroke and died. And if being dead means getting to live in another world where the sweetest dreams like this exist then being dead isn't that bad after all.

But the thing about death is, your heart stops beating and Chloe's heart certainly isn't dead. It's doing the exact opposite by beating hard like crazy as it never did before.

It did as Chloe reaches up to the fabric of Beca's shirt, her fingertips feeling for her sides, tracing upwards until she slides her palms on the DJ's lower back and digs her nails in to the soft clothing, holding on as if she'd lose her any second now. It did even when Beca pulls away for a short while before pressing forward again, this time with more passion and urgency. It did when Chloe meets her halfway, mind clouded with nothing but the woman she is with. It did even when they both broke apart for air, Chloe leaning her forehead against Beca's in an attempt to steady herself. Because if Beca were to let go of Chloe then she'd be on the floor, dizzy and weak in the legs.

"Becs," she breathes out, suddenly feeling nervous all of a sudden.

Was it another mistake?

But Beca brings a finger up on her lips to stop her from saying more as she meets Chloe's gaze.

"You confessed to me that night. Then I brought you under this tree and kissed you senseless in reply… That's what should have happened 4 years ago," Beca admits, her dark blues finding hers. "I'm sorry it took me this long, Chlo," she pauses, her lips quivering a bit and her eyes glassy as she finds the right words to say.

"I tried to do it, you know? Wait for you to come back. I listened to your favourite music, I stayed in your room, I looked at all our photos for a very long time, maybe hoping that it would hurt less but," a tear falls as Beca's grip on Chloe's hand tightens.

"That didn't work. I couldn't do it, I couldn't just wait. I'm used to people walking out of my life but not when it comes to you. I can't live without you. It's always been you, Chloe," Beca manages to say in between sobs as Chloe gently places her palm on the side of Beca's face, wiping her tears with her thumb. Beca leans in to her touch, her eyes closing instinctively and that was enough to make Chloe's heart swell, her own tears sliding down her cheek.

"I love you, so much. I love you, Chloe Beale," Beca says as she opens her eyes, placing a hand on top of Chloe's, pressing it closer to her cheek before her worried eyes searched hers. "Please tell me I'm not late," she immediately adds, fear evident in it. But it instantly vanishes as Chloe shakes her head before finding Beca's lips once more.

"You're just in time," she assures her as they part, a happy smile genuinely forming on her face as she hears Beca's relieved sigh.

"I love you too, so much, Beca Mitchell," Chloe whispers against Beca's lips. She rests her forehead against Beca's once again, closing her eyes to savour the moment.

"So, will you come home with me now?" Beca breathes out and Chloe's smile doesn't disappear, eyes still closed as she feels Beca's lips against hers once more.

"Of course,"

"And you'll marry me and live with me in our Santa Monica home, right?"

"Of cour— What?!"

Chloe's eyes pop open suddenly to a more anxious looking Beca. The poor DJ looking like she might bite on her nails in agitation any second now.

"Don't freak out, don't freak out, and don't answer just yet!" Beca mumbles, although she looked like the one freaking out at that moment. Her pale skin has gotten even paler which Chloe didn't even know to be possible.

Chloe, on the other hand, was still too stunned to even process anything, her mouth slightly hanging open as she looks back at Beca, searching for any sign that she could be just joking in her own sarcastic little way but the problem with knowing someone too well is that you'd sense immediately what's really going on and the truth was Beca looked too serious for this to be a joke. To be honest, Chloe wasn't even sure of what she heard.

Just then Beca stepped towards her, looking like she was about to hug her but it wasn't until Chloe feels her untie something at the back of her neck, attached to the headphones she then realized was still hanging around her neck. And when Beca withdraws her arms from around her Chloe's eyes land on a pair of beautiful rings dangling on a chain. As soon as Beca lifts it up to her she notices that the band was rose gold with a black diamond sitting at the center of little white diamonds.

"Oh my god," she exhales, feeling like something inside her chest will explode any minute.

"Yeah I know, it's not as romantic as how they do it in those cheesy movies you love a lot because you know how much I hate those—but I'm trying! I really am, and Aubrey wanted to have a violins and guitars playing at the back, and the fireworks but we didn't have time to put all that together since we need stupid permits to blast fireworks in this park," the brunette babbles away, her nerves clearly getting the best of her.

"Becs,"

"And Amy and the girls suggested I have confetti or rose petals rain down from above but we'd have to clean that mess and you know how hard that's going to be—and it's not because you're not worth all the hard work! You are so, so worth it, like totes worth it—"

"Beca!" Chloe almost yells out, holding Beca's arms in hopes of calming her down. It worked as Beca quickly went silent before looking back up at her again.

"Geez, did I just have a Posen moment?" she mumbles in disbelief while running a hand through her hair and it was so funny that Chloe couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah I think you did,"

"I'm sorry. I've been stuck with Aubrey for more than 24 hours and I'm not really good at this," Beca groans before inhaling deeply and exhaling, now looking more composed than earlier.

"But I am serious, about what I said," she starts.

"I know, it's too sudden but I feel like we've been together for so long. We've been living like a married couple for eight years, for crying out loud. And I have never been more sure of anything," she meets Chloe's eyes and gives her a hopeful smile.

"So what I'm trying to say is, I love you and I don't want to waste any more time being apart from you. So, will you be mine forever, Chloe?" Beca finally says in what feels like the biggest moment in their lives as she holds up the ring in front of her. The DJ looks at her in nervous anticipation as Chloe looks at the ring then back up at Beca.

The picture in front of her was something she had only imagined countless times. With almost eight years together as best of friends, going through every bump in the road side by side and reaching their way to the top. It all seemed like it happened just yesterday as she looks in to Beca's eyes, those very eyes she didn't expect to look at her the same way she does every time she forgets to remind herself that friendship is the only thing they'll ever be. Those short slip ups that she berates herself for making and struggles to cover them underneath any mundane thing she could think of. After the first time she professed her love to her best friend, when she thought that she felt a spark somewhere between that perfect first kiss only to have her heart stomped on. Chloe had then resigned to the reality that Beca would never love her in that kind of way. And just when it seemed that she could never love somebody else…

Tonight, finally after eight years of tears, pain and longing, Chloe's heart has now found its way back home.

She inhales deeply before finally finding the right words to say.

"I don't need fireworks. I don't need violins. I don't need rose petals or confetti. I don't need all the theatrics and the extravagance… you're all I need, Beca," she says, a smile growing in her lips making Beca's face light up, especially when she adds in a playful tone, "Besides, forever with you doesn't sound so bad,"

Beca's lips crash in to hers after she says this, the amount of happiness within them uncontainable with the way they burst in to laughter at the disbelief of what's going on and soon enough, a stunning ring is slipped on Chloe's finger, matching the one on Beca's who mutters that, 'I'll be going on a tour and the whole world better know that I'm marrying you,'

Taking off the headphones and opting to hold on to it instead, Chloe envelops Beca in a tight hug, another batch of tears threatening to spill yet again but Beca's words stop her from doing so.

"Can my last name be your last name? Not that I want to have yours, of course I'd love to but you're too gorgeous so if you become Chloe Mitchell then maybe everyone would stop trying to flirt with you,"

"In one condition," she grins before planting a soft kiss on Beca's shoulder.

"And what is that?" Beca asks, an eyebrow arched up as she looks at her expectantly.

"Stop scaring the living daylights out of me by just dropping down out of nowhere,"

"I can't promise that," Beca replies, biting her lip in an attempt to stop smiling like a fool. The act however just made Chloe want to kiss her senseless.

"Oh well then just knock or ring a bell,"

"I'll try then but you have to admit, it's also your fault why I've gotten good at sneaking up on people, I've learned that from you, you know," Beca states in a matter of fact tone.

This was, for Chloe, the very definition of perfect.

Although, it's unfortunately not totes perfect.

Click.

The sound of a camera shutter going off breaks the precious moment as they both freeze, knowing exactly what that sound meant. Slowly, Chloe's arms around Beca's neck loosen, sliding down to the brunette's arms. Beca does the same, her hold around Chloe's waist turning from loving to protective in a second. They part from each other a bit, turning their heads to the source of the sound, and of course it's one of those annoying photographers.

It was most probably Beca's infamous deadly glare that makes him look up from the camera, smiling sheepishly at them before raising his fist up in the air and yelling a, 'Congratulations!' at them. Conflictingly, Chloe opens her mouth yet thinks about it for a moment, unsure whether she should feel thankful or mad. She does notice Beca point a finger at the guy and just when she thinks that her fiancée—which Chloe still finds very unbelievable but very pleased at the same time—is just about to gain another police record for battery, Beca surprisingly does the opposite.

"Here's the deal, I won't press charges for invasion of privacy," she says, her soft side comment about learning the whole legal process from Aubrey after they've pretty much got bored on their 10 hour flight leaves Chloe with so many questions, mostly out of curiosity, starting with, how two individuals unlikely of agreeing on something even accomplished being in each other's company for more than 24 hours.

"One, as long as, you take really beautiful photos and send them to me or my gorgeous future wife over here," she says proudly while motioning over at Chloe "Before releasing it to the world. And two, when you do release them, you have to stress the words 'Beca 'effin Mitchell is engaged to be married to'—please, for the love of god, get the name right this time—'Chloe Beale' and then highlight how lucky I am to be hers—"and before Beca could even continue, Chloe's hand instantly clamps down her mouth as she shakes her head towards the photographer in disapproval at every idea.

"No, let's not do that," she says with a flustered smile on her lips only to have her hand pulled down by a smirking Beca who then playfully pulls her close to pose for the camera, ring finger up in the air with a devilishly seductive look that makes Chloe go crazy.

"Do it, do it, now! And don't forget to include our love tree," Beca orders, motioning behind them as Chloe bursts in to a fit of giggles, her head still shaking and a hand waving in objection. But then her hesitations drown entirely as Beca's lips captures hers again. Nothing mattered anymore after that. There could be an entire crowd in front of them and Chloe still wouldn't care. She's waited so long, dreamed for this moment and thought that only in dreams will she be ever to experience this kind of bliss.

Chloe could definitely get used to this.

If only there wasn't too much of the camera's flashing.

It's probably the noise of the clicking and more of that annoying flashes of light that brings Chloe's attention back to the photographer, only this time he wasn't the only one. Apparently, in addition to the fans holding up their phones, the intrusive media has multiplied as fast as ants do when sugar is involved.

Okay so maybe the part about the crowd watching still matters after all.

Thankfully, in some miraculously perfect timing, a bunch of security suddenly appears, shielding them both from all of the crazy media. In that moment of chaos, Chloe's hand finds Beca's and in seconds she is being pulled by the DJ to the direction away from the growing crowd. Chloe follows and in seconds she is running with Beca across the park but despite the situation getting out of hand, what with some of the paparazzi still chasing after them, Chloe finds herself with a huge smile on her face reflecting that of Beca's. One look at their intertwined hands, the identical rings on their fingers and that mischievous look on Beca's face is enough to assure her that no matter what happens, or how painful running in heels are, she'll be happy wherever they may end up tonight.

If Chloe were to be asked to look back one day, probably the last day of her life on earth, to remember the most beautiful memory she's ever had she'd simply answer, that one beautiful night in the city of Copenhagen as she runs like her life depended on it whilst holding the hand of the one she truly loves. And if she were to be asked, why she chose such memory then she'd say,

Because it was the night she finally gave her heart completely to the one person she wanted to spend rest of her life with.

"Over there," Beca says breathlessly, pulling Chloe to the opposite direction from where their car was parked. This makes her frown for a second since having a car would be an advantage to getting rid of their pursuers but then she trusts Beca and she knows Beca would never let her down.

However, her curiosity heightens once more as they run to the direction of a white Range Rover she hasn't seen before. But then as a man quickly opens the door of the vehicle for them Chloe already has an idea whose it would be. The white colour is already a dead giveaway actually since it's a favourite vehicle colour for a specific blonde who is so dear to Chloe's heart.

"Bree!" Chloe immediately exclaims in pure relief after she crashes inside the cushioned seat of the car. Beside her, Beca has already looked like she had just collapsed from over fatigue while grumbles about hating physical activity. Outside the car, the security team has now managed to keep the media from getting near the vehicle and with that they have enough space to speed off.

"Hey Chlo, just know that I'm never letting you get on a plane by yourself ever again," Aubrey says looking at her through the rear view mirror with a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes, something that also meant she's serious about it.

"And I told you this was a very bad idea," Aubrey sighs as she looks back at Beca from the front seat next to the driver. "Also, I hope you see why cardio is important, Beca," The DJ whose shoulder Chloe is tiredly leaning on as of the moment, doesn't even say a word as she nods, tired enough to agree to anything Aubrey is throwing at her.

But then with one look at Beca's exhausted but delighted face and Chloe's beaming smile, whatever lecture on why celebrities must avoid scandals at all cost Aubrey was starting about is cut short as the proud owner of Club Bellissimo knows nothing she says will even register in their high and dreamy state thus, she opts for something more simple.

"So?" she says, her tone urging them on confirming whatever there is to confirm.

The answer comes in the form of love struck smiles and two interlaced hands raising up in the air to show off the sparkling engagement rings.

"Good," she says, a smirk slowly forming on her lips before turning to the driver. "To the airport please," she says before grabbing her phone and typing away in some sort of chat box which is most probably the one where the rest of Club Bellisimo's Bellas including Emily are all actively on.

Behind her, Chloe's eyes slowly fall down to look at their intertwined hands, now resting on her lap and as Beca's head leans on top of hers only does everything sink in.

"Chlo?" Beca calls out softly enough for her to hear.

"Hm?" she hums, snuggling even closer to the brunette who plants a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"Don't ever leave me again,"

"Never again, Becs. I'll be right here,"

"Always?"

"Always,"

I'm back. Being on vacation is always heaven. Also Bechloe in our story is totes in heavenly bliss. One more chapter left. Thank you so much for being patient and for continuously reading CLUB BELLISSIMO.

Guest: As much as I would love to give Aubrey a love interest I don't think it's happening in this fic. She's such an interesting character and I love how strong and controlled her personality is but at the same time, deep down there are layers of vulnerability and softness in her. It'd be fun to create a backstory for her. That is if however, my brain finally cooperates and decides to make a spin-off fic for Club Bellissimo with Aubrey as the main character then that idea is definitely a go.

Bechloe Legacy: Yes that chapter is meant to make you laugh. That's what I was aiming for. Thank god.