A/N: Ok so 200 followers is pretty damn awesome. A little while back I told myself I would do something special if I hit that, so here it is. I'm going to do one shots based off of prompts from all you lovely people, you can submit ideas via PM. Good idea? Bad idea? Want something else? Let me know! Songs used are "Just Give Me A Reason" by P!nk and Nate Ruess, and "Lie In The Sound" by Tresspassers William
Chloe walked up to Beca's dorm, coffee and bagels in hand. Step one of Stacie's plan was simple, she had to start with little things. She had to show Beca exactly how committed she was to her, to getting her back. So coffee and bagels was a good start. She had gotten Beca's favorite, black coffee and an everything bagel. Chloe took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Her face lit up as soon as Beca opened the door.
"Good morning!" Chloe felt all the air leave her lungs. Beca was standing there, clearly still half asleep, rubbing her eyes. She looked so adorable in that moment, Chloe could hardly handle it. All she wanted to do was wrap Beca up in her arms and never let her go.
"G'morning, Chlo." Beca yawned sleepily. She moved aside and let Chloe in.
"Wait, what are you doing here?" Beca's brain seemed to finally wake up and she looked at Chloe, still sleepy but now also confused. If she got any cuter, Chloe thought she might combust.
"I brought you coffee and a bagel!" Chloe held up her gifts before setting them down on Beca's desk, far from her mixing equipment of course.
"Oh…um, thanks." Beca crawled back into bed, sitting up next to her desk and pulling the covers up to her chin. She poked one arm out and reached for her coffee, humming her approval as she took the first sip.
"Don't you have class soon?" Chloe asked, still standing by Beca's desk. She didn't really know what to do, or if Beca would let her stay…she really wanted to stay.
"Mm-canceled." Beca yawned again, fighting to keep her eyes open.
"Oh, I didn't know that. Sorry, I'll let you get back to sleep. You seem really tired." Chloe picked up her coffee and turned towards the door. Beca had been up late mixing, Chloe knew that based on the cans of Redbull that were piled up in the trash can. That, and the fact that that was what Beca did every time one of her morning classes was canceled. Beca nodded and moved to lie down in bed. Chloe was sad to have to leave so soon, she really wanted to spend more time with Beca. She turned to make her way to the door when Beca stopped her.
"Chlo." Beca was holding the covers up, looking at Chloe through half lidded eyes. She blinked slowly a couple times, waiting for Chloe to make a decision. Chloe just smiled softly, walking back over to place her coffee on the desk and slip off her shoes. She carefully climbed into bed, lying down on her back next to Beca, who immediately latched onto her like a little koala. Chloe sighed contentedly and wrapped her arms around her little brunette, pulling her closer. She wanted to press a kiss to the top of Beca's head, the way she used to, but she wasn't sure what this meant and she didn't want to rush things. She was going to take whatever she could get, and she absolutely loved cuddling, so this was turning out to be a pretty damn great morning for her.
Beca nuzzled into Chloe's neck, breathing her in. She had missed the way Chloe smelled, just like vanilla and strawberries and a hint of coconut. She had also missed cuddling with the redhead, not that she would ever admit that to anyone. She wasn't exactly sure where they stood, but at that moment she didn't care. She knew she wasn't going to let Chloe waltz back into her life with just coffee and a bagel, but she also didn't want to fight her feelings for her anymore. She was getting tired of doing that. But she decided to figure it out later, instead letting the warmth of Chloe's body next to hers lull her back to sleep.
Beca woke up a few hours later, her body still fit tightly against Chloe's. She knew the redhead was still asleep by the even rise and fall of her chest. Beca sighed and closed her eyes again. She didn't want to get up and deal with reality. It was Monday; two days after Aubrey had kicked her out of the Bellas. Not that it mattered, since the Bellas were out of the running for the ICCAs anyway. She was grateful that her only class of the day had been canceled – it was a three-hour lecture and she wasn't sure she could have handled that today. She was still exhausted. Being up until 4 in the morning working on a mix hadn't really helped either, but she needed to lose herself for a while. Her body tensed up as her brain replayed the events of the last few weeks, and suddenly Chloe's arms didn't feel as safe as they had a few hours ago.
"I can hear you thinking, Becs." Chloe mumbled, not moving. Beca laughed awkwardly and sat up, running a hand through her hair and turning to look at Chloe over her shoulder. Chloe slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the sunlight that was peeking through Beca's blinds.
"Um, yeah." Beca said lamely, turning back to look at her hands in her lap. She didn't really know what to do, but right now she was just itching for the ginger to leave. She hated that it had come to this, that she didn't know how she felt about Chloe anymore. She knew that she loved her, but she just couldn't trust her like she used to. Not yet, anyway. Chloe sat up, sensing Beca's inner turmoil, and gently rubbed Beca's back with one hand.
"Hey, thanks for letting me stay. This was a really nice morning." Chloe smiled softly and kissed Beca's cheek before getting out of bed and slipping her shoes on. Beca visibly relaxed, which twisted Chloe's insides but she kept her smile firmly in place. She knew this wasn't going to be easy, and she wasn't about to push Beca to go faster than she was ready for. This had already been a way better morning than she could have ever dreamed.
"Thanks for the coffee and bagel." Beca smiled a little, making Chloe's smile stretch wider.
"Any time, Becs. I'll see you tomorrow morning." Chloe winked before grabbing her now cold coffee and walking out the door. As soon as it clicked shut, Beca flopped back onto the bed. So Chloe was serious about working her way back into Beca's life. That made her smile. And Chloe seemed okay with taking it slow, which was good. That was just about all Beca could handle right now. She still couldn't see herself taking Chloe back though, the thought of putting herself out there again…it scared her to no end. So she pushed that question to the back of her mind, choosing instead to just see what happens with the redhead. She got out of bed and made her way to the showers, her shift at the station was starting in a little over an hour.
Chloe had slept through her morning class, but getting to spend time with Beca was so worth it. Besides, it was just finals review and she was acing the class anyway. But the thought of finals made her realize that winter break was coming up…that would be three weeks where she didn't see Beca. Three weeks was a long time…they still had two to go before that happened though, so she decided to focus on the rest of the plan that Stacie had named "Operation Woo Mitchell." Coffee and breakfast each morning was part one, and basically a given. Part two was going to be a bit trickier. She knew Beca had had her eye on a new pair of headphones, a particularly expensive pair that she definitely couldn't afford herself. The problem, though, was finding a store that actually had the aforementioned headphones. And scrounging up the money. She didn't exactly have $300 lying around. She had managed to come up with $200 after scrapping the Christmas present she was going to get for herself and digging through her whole apartment for loose change and hidden cash. Her next plan of action was to ask her brothers to lend her the cash – which she knew they would. Hell, they would probably just give it to her. They were both doing very well for themselves, having gotten solid jobs out of college that paid well. And her family was always close in that they shared their money when one of them needed help. They knew how much Beca meant to her – she had been talking to them more and more about the little DJ since she had come out to them. They were just excited to meet the girl that had, in their words, "flipped" their sister.
It wasn't that she was trying to buy Beca's trust, she knew that would never work. It was about showing Beca that she was paying attention and willing to put the brunette and her happiness before her own. She knew the headphones would make Beca happy, so she was going to get them for her. Hell, if it were a $3 bag of Cheetos or a $3,000 laptop, Chloe would do whatever it took to make Beca happy. Ok, well maybe not the laptop, because there was no way in hell she could afford something that expensive. But that was beside the point. She decided to call her brothers later that afternoon and just order the headphones online. She had a few more parts of the plan that she wanted to execute before winter break as well, and those were going to take up enough time without searching high and low for headphones.
Part three was going to be surprising Beca at work with takeout from the restaurant where they had their first date. Chloe knew it was a little cheesy, but she knew deep down it was the kind of thing Beca secretly loved. She would have to wait a few more days to do that, though. She could tell Beca had freaked out a little when they had woken up together, so she didn't want to crowd the brunette. Even though that went against every fiber of her being. She was a naturally bubbly person who just didn't understand boundaries, so this whole respecting Beca's boundaries was incredibly hard for her. But if that was what it took to get her back, Chloe would do it. Chloe would do just about anything. She was committed to making this work. She and Stacie were still working on the rest of the plan. First they needed to know how Beca would respond. So far, so good. Chloe just hoped things continued this way.
Chloe had scheduled her nodes removal surgery for Christmas break, since the Bellas were out of the ICCA competition this year anyway. She hadn't told anyone yet – she knew Bree would just freak out for no reason and make her more nervous than she already was. And she didn't want Beca to feel like she had to be there for her. Of course she wanted Beca there – she was terrified – but she couldn't ask that of the tiny brunette yet. She knew it would put Beca in an awkward position, because Beca obviously still loved her but she wasn't comfortable with her yet. So Chloe opted to keep everything quiet for now.
Chloe was sitting in her favorite coffee shop on campus working on a paper a little while later when Stacie plopped down in the armchair across from her.
"Hey Stace, what's up?" Chloe asked as she removed her earbuds. She and Stacie were friends, of course, but they didn't really hangout one on one very often. She knew Stacie was a great person, and that there was a lot more to her than met the eye, but that was mostly from hearing Beca talk about her.
"Hey, Chloe." Stacie beamed, "I just thought you might like to know that Beca has the day shift today, and she's on the air!" Stacie waved her phone in front of Chloe's face showing the radio station's app on the screen.
"No way!" Chloe bounced in her seat. Beca's boss, Luke, had taken a liking to her and trusted her on air during the night shift sometimes, but a day shift was something new entirely. She felt a twinge of sadness that Beca had texted Stacie and not her, but she brushed that aside and pulled up the app on her phone.
"How long has she been on?" Chloe asked, not looking up from her phone.
"Actually, she hasn't started yet. She just texted me saying Luke wasn't feeling well and she was taking over his afternoon show!" Stacie had briefly spoken to Beca before her shift had started, so she knew about what had happened this morning. She also knew of Beca's propensity to express her feelings through music, so she thought Chloe should listen to the show. Especially because Beca was probably betting that Chloe wouldn't be listening at all. Chloe tuned into the station just in time to hear Beca's voice drifting through her headphones.
"Good afternoon, Barden! This is DJ B Mitch and we're going to have another afternoon of music for the feels. Call in with your favorites! You're listening to WBUJ, music for the independent mind." Chloe loved listening to Beca on the radio – it kind of made her feel like she was dating a celebrity. Except she wasn't dating her. Right. Chloe bit her lip in anticipation of what Beca was going to play – whatever it was, it would surely reflect how she felt about this morning. Chloe knew just as well as Stacie did that music was Beca's emotional outlet. The DJ had proved that just last week during her last show that Chloe had caught. So an insight into where Beca's head was at was more than welcome right now, and this was the best way for Chloe to get it. Although having Stacie sit right across from her was less than ideal. But Stacie was helping her get Beca back after all, so Chloe couldn't really leave. Or hide anything from her. But this morning had gone so well that Chloe was optimistic, these would be good songs, happy love songs – or at least, kind of happy love songs. So when "Same Old Love" started playing, she felt like she had been sucker punched in the gut.
"You know how much she loves Selena Gomez." Stacie smiled apologetically.
"Just wait for the next one, I'm sure it'll be better." She reassured, reaching out to pat Chloe's hand. Chloe forced a smile and patiently waited for the end of the song, trying to focus on her paper while it played out.
Right from the start
You were a thief
You stole my heart
And I your willing victim
I let you see the parts of me
That weren't all that pretty
And with every touch you fixed them
Now you've been talking in your sleep oh oh
Things you never say to me oh oh
Tell me that you've had enough
Of our love, our love
Chloe blew out a breath as "Just Give Me a Reason" started playing. That one was better. They weren't broken. That was the message she was going to take away from that. She was going to read into this one way more than "Same Old Love," because of course Beca meant this one more. It was like Stacie said, she just had a thing for Selena Gomez. Chloe knew that too. Selena Gomez was Beca's guilty pleasure – she loved the pop princess in spite of herself. Not very many people knew that, but Chloe did. The next few songs were like a rollercoaster – first there was Tove Lo's "Habits," so she missed Chloe? Maybe? That was good. Then came "50 Ways to Say Goodbye," by Train. Not good. But Beca brought her back up with a Dirty Dutch Visionaire remix of "Reason," by Nervo & Hook N Sling. Chloe felt like she was getting whiplash. It was like Beca couldn't make up her mind – did she want Chloe? Did she not? Chloe wasn't sure she should even be listening to the show, it seemed like Beca was trying to work out her feelings towards Chloe on-air. Her DJ name wasn't very cryptic, but you'd have to put a couple puzzle pieces together to know it was her. By the end of the show, Chloe was on the verge of tearing her hair out, because Beca had surely torn her heart out. Thank goodness the show was almost over.
"Alright guys, thanks for bearing with me on that emotional roller coaster," Ha. If Beca only knew. "Anyway, if you're still listening, here's the conclusion. This is DJ B Mitch signing off, you're listening to WBUJ, music for the independent mind." Huh, well that was a little cryptic. Conclusion? Chloe sat up a little straighter, gripping her phone tightly. Stacie had broken out her laptop and was trying to study and be there for Chloe as Beca unknowingly tugged on her heartstrings. Stacie's green eyes snapped up to Chloe's, both of them waiting with baited breath to see what Beca would play. Somehow they had both realized this was entirely directed at Chloe, that Beca was hoping she would hear this, even if Beca didn't know it herself. Now all that remained was to find out what Beca's conclusion was.
I love you more than I should
So much more than is good for me
More than is good
Chloe didn't know this song, so she just stared at Stacie to see her reaction. Apparently Stacie didn't know it either, and the next few lyrics didn't exactly give her a clue as to where Beca was going with this…
Oh, the timing is cruel
Oh, I need and don't want to need
More than I should
I am falling, say my name
And I'll lie in the sound
What is love but whatever
My heart needs a round
What did that mean? What was Beca saying? It reminded Chloe of one of Beca's favorite quotes – one that was just so Beca – "Music was my refuge, I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to the loneliness." It was a Maya Angelou quote, and Beca's next tattoo. Chloe almost couldn't take it – if this was Beca's way of breaking up with her for good, of telling her to get out of her life…
Oh, my sheet is so thin
So I say I can't sleep because
It's so very cold
But I know what I need
And if you were just near to me
Would you go?
Maybe Beca was asking her if she was going to leave again. Chloe had told her she wasn't going anywhere, but she knew it wasn't going to be that simple. Beca still didn't trust her.
I am falling, say my name
And I'll lie in the sound
What is love but whatever
My heart needs a round
I am falling, say my name
And I'll lie in the sound
What is love but whatever
My heart needs a round
And it needs you too much now
Chloe slumped back into her chair in relief. The last line was all she needed. Because it meant that Beca needed her. Stacie was smiling at her softly from across the table, having clearly reached the same conclusion. That made Chloe feel even better.
"That was an interesting hour." Stacie commented, leaning forward on the table.
"Ha," Chloe squeaked before clearing her throat – she had gotten a little choked up listening to the last song.
"She wasn't kidding when she said emotional roller coaster. But Stace…she still loves me, right? Because if I lost her…" Chloe's eyes started to fill with tears, suddenly not so sure of herself and what Beca meant by that last song.
"Yes, Chlo, she still loves you. She needs you, didn't you hear that last song? You know Beca, you know how much she hates relying on people. It's going to be hard for her to admit to you that she needs you, though. She probably convinced herself you weren't listening and that's why she played the songs she did. But that was the hard part, her admitting it to herself. Just follow my plan and don't tell her you heard the show today." Stacie's voice was full of confidence – she knew Beca well at this point and she was sure Beca had decided to take Chloe back. Chloe simply nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes before they could fall. Her smile slipped back onto her face and stayed there.
Beca sighed as she walked out of the studio. Luke had called out sick and asked her to pick up the afternoon show until he could get someone else to cover. She was really excited to get an afternoon show, and thought about playing some of her mixes, but settled on some tried and true popular stuff instead. Before she even knew it, she had assembled a playlist that had her heart going up and down like a yoyo. She wasn't sure how she felt about her morning with Chloe. Judging by the playlist that now sat in front of her, she was confused. On one hand, she didn't want to admit how much she missed the redhead. How much she needed her. On the other hand, that's exactly what she did. The songs bounced back and forth like a tennis match. She knew she probably shouldn't be doing this on air, but the only person who knew she had a shift was Stacie. Chloe most likely wasn't even listening. So Beca decided to let the set play through, spending her hour searching for a closing song. It wasn't so much a song as a decision. Beca wanted to figure out what she wanted from Chloe, where they were going. She wasn't just going to lead Chloe on if she couldn't find it in herself to trust the older girl again. And as much as she wanted to solve the puzzle that was her heart, she just couldn't. She knew she needed Chloe, but what did that mean? She had needed her father, he had left, and she had put herself back together. She found the perfect song and resigned herself to the fact that she wasn't going to make much more progress on her puzzle for the day.