A/N: Hello hello! Long time, no whatever!
It has been FOREVER, so thank you guys SO much for continuing to read this story. Every like and follow and comment means the absolute world to me and keeps me going.
With that being said, you guys deserve to take a sick day.
Beca rips open the Pop-Tart packaging at the snack table directly off of the set and wraps the two pastries in a paper towel before placing them in the microwave. Exactly fifteen seconds. No more, no less. When the microwave beeps, Beca pulls the door open and removes the Pop-Tarts, breaking each one into fourths. Only then does she take the time to enjoy them.
"You're very peculiar," she spins around from the table to find Jesse scrutinizing her, bemused smile in play. He moves closer and sets a cup of coffee down for her. "I know I probably don't make it as well as Chloe does for you, but they say it's the thought."
Beca smiles and almost rolls her eyes at him, but she thinks better of it since he's gone out of his way for her.
"Thanks, dude, that's really nice." She takes a sip of the coffee and makes a show of enjoying it, throwing her head back and gasping. Jesse chuckles and takes a sip from his own cup.
"Okay, okay. Whatever," he murmurs around the lip of the cup, and she smiles, popping a bite of Pop-Tart into her mouth and silently offering him some. He accepts, and they eat and drink around mild chit-chat for a few more minutes.
As they are about to walk back towards their set, Beca notices Gail hopping down from her Director's chair while talking on the phone with someone. Gail looks concernedly around her, and upon spotting Beca, she speaks into the phone and makes her way towards the brunette.
"Huh, this should be awesome," Beca says, glancing at Jesse and giving him a small smile before returning her gaze to Gail. Beca takes a sip of her coffee before Gail comes to stand in front of the pair, eyebrows knit together.
"No, really, we can do that on another day… I'm sure, Chloe, don't worry about it. We need you feeling one hundred percent, okay? … Yeah, she's right here, I'll give you to her." Gail hands her phone over to a very confused Beca who slowly raises it to her ear.
"Chloe? Hey, what's going on?" Beca asks, setting her coffee cup back down. She unconsciously moves away from Jesse and Gail with the notion that she'll be able to concentrate on her girlfriend better.
"Hey, Beca," Chloe responds, voice croaky and hoarse. She sniffles, and Beca can tell that her breathing is heavy and difficult. "Remember when I said my throat felt kind of scratchy yesterday?"
"Oh, Chloe. Baby, you sound terrible," Beca says, switching the phone to her other ear. Chloe coughs, further proving her point. "Tell me what you feel like."
"Um... My head feels like it's about to explode. There's like … a lot of pressure in … like all over my face, it feels like. My throat hurts so bad, Becs. It hurts to even talk, let alone eat or drink anything. It feels like cotton balls are in my ears? I don't know… My whole body feels weak and achy. My nose won't stop running either."
Her description is slow and nasally, sniffles scattered throughout her words. She tries to clear her throat before Beca answers.
"Geez, Beale," Beca murmurs, shaking her head slightly. She hates this. "You just woke up like this?"
"Flawless," Chloe replies. She tries to laugh, but it turns into a fit of coughs. Beca smiles sympathetically at her attempt and waits for her to calm back down. She sniffles again before speaking. "I really don't feel so good, Becs."
She sounds so small. Beca's stomach knots.
"Okay, baby, I'm - I'll be there soon, okay?" Beca turns around to see Gail and Jesse waiting, and she walks back towards them.
"Okay, love you," Chloe says around another cough.
"Go back to sleep or something. I love you." Beca hangs up the phone and hurriedly gives it back to Gail. "I need to go, is it okay if I go?"
"What good are you going to be to me if you're here worrying about her? Go. Take care of her," Gail says, patting Beca's arm. Beca smiles at her gratefully and grabs her coffee cup from the table.
"Keep us updated?" Jesse requests and Beca nods, thanking him again for the coffee before marching out of the studio.
Beca walks briskly down the aisles of the closest pharmacy she could find to their apartment, not bothering to remove her hood or sunglasses which probably just draws even more undesired attention to herself. Her eyes quickly scan every product on the shelves: cold and flu medications, antacids, antihistamines, painkillers, antiemetics, etc. She snatches some boxes of Alka-Seltzer, bottles of NyQuil (and DayQuil, because sure), a box of Mucinex, a bottle of cough syrup, some Benadryl, Vicks VapoRub, and more pain medications, even though she knows they have plenty at home, throwing them all into the blue shopping basket that's haphazardly dangling from her arm. She practically sprints to the checkout counter.
She knows that the teenager at the counter knows who she is because she keeps glancing up at her with too-wide, green eyes, and her hands shake as she bags all of the medications. She's honestly moving at a much slower pace than Beca is comfortable with at the moment, but the kid's kind of cute in her nervousness. Beca gives her a break.
"Will that be all for you?" Her voice shakes a little, and she doesn't quite meet Beca's eyes. Beca smiles easily at her and finally removes her sunglasses.
"Yeah, that's it for me," she says, grabbing the bag of medicine. She waits for a few more seconds, tapping her fingers on the counter. "What's your name?"
The girl visibly flushes, looking at the ground. Beca's smile turns into a grin.
"Um, Amber?" The girl says, tucking her light brown hair behind her ear.
"Well, 'Um, Amber?'" Beca teases gently, making Amber smile softly and look up at her. "Stay well, yeah?"
Amber smiles broadly, and Beca winks before turning and weaving through the aisles of the pharmacy towards the door.
Once inside the apartment, Beca sets the bag of medicine on the kitchen table and walks to the bedroom where she had left Chloe sound asleep this morning. Beca's call time had been at five a.m. so she had been up and gone before Chloe (whose call time was supposed to be at noon) so much as rolled over.
Beca can already hear regular but heavy, labored breaths before she even reaches the entrance, and she knows that Chloe must be asleep again. She walks through the doorway and pauses.
Chloe is curled up on Beca's side of the bed, pillows dispersed fitfully across the bed's span. Her head is resting just off of one and the bedding is pulled away from the corners, tucking Chloe in snugly. It looks like she's wrestled but won. Used tissues are scattered beside her on the covers and on the bedside table, and her old copy of The Great Gatsby is on the floor like its fallen off of the bed.
She has the stuffed lion that Ms. Mitchell gave her when she was ten wrapped in her arms, hand loosely clutching the animal's red mane. Her glasses sit lopsided on her face, and Beca knows that they're going to cut into her nose and make her sore there if she doesn't remove them soon.
She stares a little bit longer.
And pulls out her phone from her back pocket, taking a picture.
Beca moves closer to her and sets the Starbucks drink she picked up on the way on the bedside table, knocking some tissues out of the way with the cup as she does so. She kneels quietly beside Chloe and picks up her book, placing it on the table as well.
She looks back at Chloe, crossing her arms in front of her on the bed. Being this close, Beca sees a crease in between Chloe's eyebrows that isn't usually there when she sleeps.
Beca hates that crease.
She leans over and kisses Chloe's forehead softly before bringing her hands up to try smoothly removing Chloe's glasses. It proves to be a somewhat difficult task, however, because one side of Chloe's face is resting heavily against the mattress. Chloe stirs slightly, and Beca freezes mid-removal.
Chloe's hand detaches itself from the lion's mane and slowly finds the source of what has awaken her. Her hand comes to rest on top of Beca's which is still holding the temple of Chloe's glasses.
Chloe's eyes flutter open, and Beca watches them register everything. They're glassy and watery but she smiles up at Beca and squeezes her hand weakly before dropping it back down to the stuffed lion and Beca kind of just wants to hold her.
Beca slips Chloe's glasses back on correctly so she's able to see properly. Chloe smiles gratefully at her, and Beca sweeps some wayward strands of hair out of her face, letting her fingertips brush her temple.
"Hi," Beca greets softly, tracing her cheekbone with her thumb. Chloe's smile widens, and Beca's heart stammers. "What are you doing over here on this side?"
"Smells like you," Chloe says, her voice little more than a whisper with the combination of her sore throat and having just woken up.
"Whatever," Beca melts. Chloe kills her. "Like you can smell anything right now."
Chloe scrunches her red nose up at Beca, but the action quickly turns into a sneeze. Before she or Beca can brace themselves for anything, Beca feels herself being sprayed by the sheer force of it.
"I'm sor-"
"Oh, that is so gross. Okay," Beca says, snatching tissues from the box on the bedside table and giving a few to Chloe before using the rest to wipe her arms off. "Bless you."
Chloe smiles apologetically at her, and Beca smiles back. She stands up and reaches all around Chloe, carefully picking up all of her used tissues from the bed and the table. Moving to the bathroom, she tosses them into the garbage can and washes her hands, making sure to wash her arms as well.
A good ten minute scrubbing should do the trick.
"I heard something on the radio the other day about this drink at Starbucks called the Medicine Ball?" She says from her place at the sink, hoping Chloe hears her over the running water. "Had never heard of it but it's supposed to work wonders for this kind of sick stuff."
She turns the water off and dries her hands. When she walks out of the bathroom, Chloe is already sitting up and clutching the warm cup in both hands.
"It's like steamed lemonade and two types of tea - a minty one and like … peach, I think? And some honey and peppermint, too," Beca continues, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "Hope you like it?"
Chloe smiles so genuinely that it makes Beca want to scream. It's like Chloe doesn't believe that someone should get tea for her at Starbucks everyday of her life.
"Thank you, baby," she says, and Beca clenches her jaw because while she knows that her voice is raspy because she's sick, it makes her knees weak all the same.
"Of course, Red," Beca responds, kicking her shoes off of her feet. Chloe takes a sip of the tea, and her eyes instantly widen. The warm, citrus taste soothes her throat perfectly.
"Oh my God," she says, sniffling and taking another sip. Beca beams. "This is delicious, Becs."
"I'm glad, babe." Beca stands up from the bed and moves her shoes to the closet. Shedding her jacket, she takes a hanger down and places the jacket in the closet as well. "Do you want to try to take some medicine? Basically the entire pharmacy is at your disposal, m'lady."
"Did you pick up some Alka-Seltzer?" Chloe asks hopefully, coughing a little.
"Duh, I know how much you like to watch it fizz." Beca rolls her eyes and walks to her dresser to fish out some sweatpants. Chloe laughs lightly.
"It's the little joys in life, Becs," she says. Beca removes her jeans and slips into the sweats, aware of Chloe's eyes on her as she does so.
"Pervert," Beca throws over her shoulder.
Chloe smiles sweetly at her and sets her cup down.
"You're just so pretty," she says, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, and Beca blushes. The sickness is clearly making Chloe delusional.
Beca clears her throat. "I'm going to go get your medicine."
In the kitchen, Beca pulls a glass from the cabinet above the sink and fills it all the way with water. She opens the packet of Alka-Seltzer and almost drops the two tablets in before thinking better of it.
Chloe really does like to watch them fizz, so she takes the glass and the packet into the bedroom and sets the glass on the bedside table.
"Okay, ready?" Beca asks, raising her eyebrows, completely serious. Chloe looks confused, so Beca shakes the packet as way of explanation. Chloe smiles slowly as the realization dawns on her, and she shakes her head slightly.
"Ready," she says, not taking her eyes from Beca as she tilts the packet and drops the tablets into the glass. They start fizzing immediately, and Chloe watches with the rapt amazement of a child, eyes not leaving Beca's face once.
It's the little joys in life.
Beca is sitting up in the bed, letting the fingers of one hand card through the red curls in her lap while those of the other apply gentle pressure to Chloe's temple where Beca knows that she's experiencing some pain. Beca had eventually been able to convince Chloe to slide back to her side of the bed so she could lie down with her. It had taken minimal prodding.
Chloe sighs and burrows her head deeper into Beca's lap. Beca watches her close her eyes before she directs her own attention back to the movie that Chloe had chosen for them.
You've Got Mail.
Again.
"I love your hands."
Beca's eyes dart back to Chloe's face. Her eyes are still closed, but she's mouthing the words to the movie in perfect sync. She's phenomenal. Or insane.
"I'm sure you do," Beca responds suggestively, and Chloe smirks. She rolls over so that she's lying on her back, looking up at Beca. Her nose and cheeks are red and she's beautiful and Beca doesn't know when her breath is going to stop catching if it hasn't already.
She hopes never.
"I'm being serious," Chloe insists, eyes growing innocently wide as she smiles. Beca lets the hand that had been massaging her temple move to Chloe's hip, tapping a rhythm there. "They're the sweetest hands in the world."
Beca rolls her eyes but tries to hide the blush she knows is sweeping up her neck. Chloe chuckles, and she knows that she didn't succeed.
"Whatever, Beale," she says as she toys with the drawstring of Chloe's pajama pants. "Are you feeling hungry at all yet? It's getting later into the afternoon and you've only snacked on some things today."
Chloe considers the idea of eating and scrunches her face up, the thought of it not seeming all that appealing to her.
"I don't know, I feel like I don't really have much of an appetite for anything right now," she says, resting her hands on her belly. Her voice sounds stronger than it did earlier, but it still isn't its usual bright, clear tone. Beca runs her fingers over the back of Chloe's.
"Well, I think you should probably try to eat a little something. I don't want you unintentionally starving yourself," Beca says. After a beat, "Or intentionally!"
Chloe laughs, and a cough immediately follows. Beca winces at how painful it sounds. When it subsides, she clears her throat.
"You sound like your mother."
"Okay, OUCH," Beca says, raising her eyebrows at her. "Go wash your mouth out with soap."
Chloe smiles and pushes herself up weakly. She sits cross-legged facing Beca and plucks a tissue from the box perched on her own pillow. As she blows into it, Beca watches with a disgusted face.
"You should not be able to produce this much snot," she says, taking the tissue from her gingerly and tossing it beside her into the small garbage can that she brought out from the bathroom.
Chloe looks far too proud of herself.
"I think maybe I could try some soup?" Chloe suggests hesitantly, continuing their previous conversation. Beca directs her attention back to her and smiles.
"Yeah? You sure?" Beca asks, placing her hand on top of Chloe's. "Because the last thing I want to do is pressure you into doing something you aren't actually ready for."
Chloe rolls her eyes and ignores her. Beca's smile widens into a grin and she grabs the hand that she's covering. She pulls Chloe into her gently, getting her to lie against her chest. Chloe places her head on Beca's collarbone and nuzzles Beca's neck, breathing in what she can smell of her. Chloe snakes her arms around Beca's back and relaxes, letting all of her weight rest on the woman beneath her.
"Mmm," Chloe hums, letting her lips brush Beca's skin. Beca inhales deeply, running her hands up Chloe's back, over her shoulders, and back down again. "Never mind, I don't want any now."
Beca chuckles and brushes Chloe's hair out of her face.
"Chicken noodle?" She entices. Chloe moves her head slightly to look at Beca's face. "I mean, that sounds so good, right?"
Chloe looks at her for a few seconds longer before responding, relishing this side of Beca. She loves the contrast between the nurturing, caring, concerned lover that she knows and the cool, casual badass that everyone else only sees. Hiding behind that indifferent attitude is a heart three times too big that she constantly tries to convince the world she doesn't have.
She has never convinced Chloe.
So Chloe is the luckiest woman in the world.
Beca looks back at her after she hasn't said anything. Chloe memorizes her in this moment. The way her lips pull up at one corner. The way her deep blue eyes scan Chloe's face. The way her eyebrows draw together slightly. She wants to have memorized how sweetly and in what ways Beca loves her at all times.
"I want you to kiss me so badly right now," Chloe says. Her voice is gravelly again, and Beca swallows hard. Not thinking about her being sick, Beca begins to lean down towards her, more than willing to accommodate her.
Chloe, however, quickly turns her head into Beca's neck.
"No!" Her protest is muffled, and it vibrates against Beca's skin, threatening to kill her. "I'm sick!"
Beca lets her head roll back to fall against the headboard. She takes stock of the medicine bottles and tissue boxes surrounding them.
"Hadn't noticed."
After Chloe eats half of her bowl of chicken noodle soup, she feels gross after spending practically all day sick in bed and decides she wants a bath. Beca agrees that would be a good idea for her and suggests that the warm water might help some of the achiness she feels subside.
As Beca sits on the side of the jacuzzi bathtub, dropping a bath bomb into the water and making sure the temperature is right, she watches as Chloe, wrapped in a towel, concentrates on putting her hair up into a bun.
Her slender fingers gather her curls into a perfectly messy knot on top of her head and she twists the tie around it, holding it in place. Wisps of hair fall down onto her neck while others frame her face beautifully. Beca is entranced.
She shuts the water off, deeming the bathtub appropriately filled and stands up, making her way to where Chloe is standing in front of the mirror. She wraps her arms around Chloe's waist from behind and Chloe instinctively leans back against her.
"Jesus, Beale," Beca says, kissing the junction of Chloe's neck and shoulder. Chloe smiles and looks at Beca's face in the mirror.
"You gonna join me?" She asks, and Beca looks back at her.
"Sure, but no funny business," she smirks. "We're not gonna be doing anything dirty if I can't actually kiss you."
Chloe spins out of Beca's arms and drops her towel. Beca keeps her eyes on her face.
"Good thing we'll be getting clean, then," Chloe says, winking cheekily.
"Damn it," Beca says, slowly stripping out of her clothes as Chloe steps into the bath. She sits close to the faucet, leaving room for Beca to get in and sit behind her. Beca does so, taking care not to disrupt the water too much.
They relax back, and Chloe turns the jets on, letting her head fall against Beca's chest. The warm water feels good against her muscles and joints and she realizes quickly that she won't be awake long after this.
Beca seems to know this, and she smiles as Chloe sighs and closes her eyes, letting the water flow all around them. She presses a kiss to the side of Chloe's head before leaning her chin there. She lets her fingers trace the skin that's still exposed on Chloe's shoulder and arm.
Beca takes the washcloth from the side of the tub and dunks it in the water. Careful not to disturb Chloe, she reaches for the redhead's body wash in the corner of the tub and squirts some onto the cloth. After lathering it up, she gently massages it over Chloe's body.
She starts with her shoulders, then her arms, then her torso, moving down to her legs. Chloe smiles at how careful Beca is and at how much she's pampering her.
"I'll have to get sick more often," Chloe says, raising herself up slightly so Beca can wash her back. Beca chuckles quietly and leans forward, placing a sweet kiss on Chloe's shoulder blade. Chloe can feel her smile against her skin. Her throat constricts.
"Oh, totes," Beca agrees sarcastically, thinking this really isn't such a bad gig.
Clean and dressed for bed, Beca retrieves a new glass from the cabinet and fills it with water, sliding it to an expectant Chloe standing at the kitchen counter. Beca tears open the packet and hands it to the redhead.
"You can do the honors this time," she says, bowing slightly.
Placing a hand over her heart dramatically, she thanks Beca. Tilting the packet, she watches as the tablets drop into the glass and start to fizz. When they're completely finished, she downs the medication with minimal facial protest. She fills the glass with more water and drinks it.
"Okay, ready to go to bed?" She asks Beca who takes the glass and sets it in the sink.
"Uh," Beca says, turning around from the sink and walking back towards Chloe. "Not quite."
Chloe furrows her eyebrows at her, but Beca keeps walking towards her. When she reaches her, she wraps one arm around Chloe's waist and cups Chloe's cheek with the other hand, pressing her lips firmly to Chloe's.
Chloe is slightly taken aback at first, but she swiftly melts into the kiss, clutching at Beca's T-shirt softly. Beca's lips expertly move against hers, and Beca's tongue sweeps her bottom lip tenderly.
Beca gently breaks apart from her, and Chloe can't help but chase her lips. Beca grins, taking a deep breath.
"You could have tuberculosis for all I care," she says, kissing Chloe once more. "I hadn't done that in more than twenty-four hours, and I felt like I was going to scream."
Chloe exhales a laugh and leans her forehead against Beca's cheek.
"I hope you remember that when you wake up with a sore throat in the morning," she says, picking her head back up. Beca chuckles and leads them to the bedroom.
"You taste like mucus, by the way," Beca says, throwing back the comforter.
Chloe gasps and throws a pillow at her.
"You can find somewhere else to sleep tonight."
The next morning, Chloe's the one that has to make the run to Starbucks when Beca wakes up and can barely talk.
A/N: Thanks guys! I literally love you.
Hope you enjoyed it! Let me know your thoughts!