As soon as Beca hung up the phone, all sense of "cool" was completely lost. Her heart raced as her mind reeled. She had just agreed to go on a date with Aubrey and Chloe. Beca had never even gone on a date with one woman (she was pretty sure that all the rolling around she had done with Chloe never quite exactly counted as a "date"), let alone two. What was she thinking? How was she ever going to be capable of this?

She didn't even know what a date between three people might look like. The concept was so foreign. How was this ever going to work?

Just before Beca began to properly panic, she, almost subconsciously, simplified the situation. A date was really just an opportunity for people to hang out, with the possibility of romance. And she did want to spend time with Chloe and Aubrey. They were her friends. Of course she wanted to see them. The second part, the romance part, well, they'd kind of already been there. It didn't make any of this a relationship; the date was really just more of an acknowledgement that Chloe and Aubrey liked Beca, and that Beca liked them. It was just an exploration of what that might mean for all three of them. It was an opportunity to see if it meant anything at all.

Beca took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She reminded herself that she didn't have to do anything she didn't want to, and she trusted that Chloe and Aubrey would be understanding of that. After all, however manipulative they may have been, they were always empathetic and considerate. They had pushed, but never too hard. Every time Beca started to feel uncomfortable, to feel like things had gone too far, they had backed off. Yes, they'd been a bit aggressive, but they were still always thoughtful and supportive. The time she had spent away from them made Beca realize that their pursuit of her hadn't been entirely selfish. They had seen how Beca had enjoyed herself, and wanted to help her to come to terms with that.

Aubrey and Chloe were her friends. There was nothing for Beca to be afraid of. They had rightly believed that Beca had liked the way she felt when she was with Chloe, and that she had valued the sexually charged chats she had with Aubrey. And that moment the three of them shared in the hotel room? Beca had loved that brief encounter. The good feeling had, of course, been fleeting, as her brain quickly got in the way, reminding her of what was "right" and "normal" and "socially acceptable" behavior – but the good feeling was still good, and Beca hadn't forgotten it.

It was going to be fine. As nerves and excitement swirled within her all week, those words became almost a mantra.

It was no surprise that the days that followed all dragged on painfully slowly. Beca was eager for Saturday night's dinner. The waiting was making her even more anxious. While she wanted to see Aubrey and Chloe again, she was perhaps equally (if not more so) ready for Sunday to come. Beca hoped that after the date had ended, she'd feel as though she could move forward, and lose at least some of the unease she'd acquired that night at the Lodge at Fallen Leaves.

Because Beca was, quite frankly, sick of it. She didn't want to feel uncomfortable anymore. She wanted to relax. She wanted to understand everything that was going on – and what it might mean – so that she could learn to simply accept her own feelings and quit worrying about them. She needed to stop judging herself so unfairly for all of her thoughts and resulting emotions. She needed to allow those things to flow freely, and stop trying to end them. And Beca thought that this date would go a long way in helping her come to terms with all of that.

Still, anxiety plagued her over the next several days, and when Saturday finally came, she thought it might consume her altogether. Anticipation made the clock tick slowly. Despite her knowledge that time always moved forward and never back, Beca felt genuinely unsure that dinner would ever come.

She spent an inordinate amount of time getting ready for the date, curling her hair so it fell just right, applying and reapplying her makeup until she was nearly satisfied with it. Beca dressed in black skinny jeans and black heeled boots adorned with silver studs, a sleeveless teal blouse dipping low on her chest. Swaying gently, she looked herself over in the full length mirror hanging from her closet door. She looked good, or, as she silently conceded, as good as she was ever going to, so she snatched her purse from the foot of her bed and headed downstairs.

Beca walked into the kitchen and noticed her father perched at the island, hunched over his laptop. He looked up at her as she entered.

"Wow. Going out?"

"Uh, yeah," she muttered as she grabbed her keys from the counter.

"Well, you look absolutely beautiful."

"Yeah, thanks."

Beca was already across the threshold when her father called out after her. "Whoever he is, he's a lucky guy!"

The unique mixture of amusement and mortification that Beca felt at the comment was truly that of which only an oblivious parent could produce. Beca wasn't entirely sure if she should laugh or curl up in a hole to die as she closed the front door behind her and walked to her car.

Beca's heart thumped in her chest as she approached Chloe and Aubrey's apartment. The complex was really nice. Green grass, beautiful trees, and flowers surrounded brick walkways. Beca had even noticed a community pool and basketball court as she drove into the area. She was certainly impressed, and maybe even a little jealous. While she was saving money by living with her father, Beca didn't really feel very comfortable there. She never had, but she had no concrete plans of getting out. She didn't know how she could, or where she'd go if she did. Beca hated the uncertainty.

But as she stood before Aubrey and Chloe's front door, Beca found herself more uncertain about something much more imminent. She took a deep breath in an attempt settle the twisting sensation in the pit of her stomach, then knocked.

In the brief moments that followed, Beca fantasized about running. She wasn't going to, but she couldn't help but picture it. She wondered if she would ever outgrow this, if she'd ever be able to keep herself from imagining all the self-destructive things she could be doing when faced with any of life's anxiety producing challenges.

Beca heard the sound of someone inside the apartment, then watched the knob twist and the door open to reveal a stunning Aubrey Posen in a light blue sundress with four white buttons down the chest.

Aubrey smiled. "It's so good to see you, Beca."

As she was pulled in for a hug, Beca's body stiffened. She was reminded of phone calls past. What was it about the way Aubrey said her name that sent shivers down her spine? It prompted the image of a vocalist hitting just the right pitch to make glass vibrate, then shatter. The way Aubrey said her name somehow effortlessly struck all the right chords to make Beca weak.

"It's good to see you, too, Bree." Beca hugged back, and over Aubrey's shoulder she noticed Chloe completely unable to contain her bubbly excitement as she practically danced in place. The deep purple shirt hanging from her shoulders flowed around her as her red curls bounced. She looked beautiful, as always, Beca thought.

As soon as Aubrey released her and took a step back, Chloe rushed into Beca's arms. She couldn't help but chuckle as she stumbled backward from the force of Chloe's embrace, holding her tightly in return.

"I've missed you!" Chloe's words were cheerful, yet lined with a sadness of time lost. Beca's eyes flashed between Aubrey and Chloe, both smiling brightly back at her. Beca felt missed. She could feel how much they cared about her, and how happy they were to see her. Her cheeks warmed as a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She blinked as she felt water forming in her eyes, and then immediately shook off the glowing feeling.

"Alright, alright," Beca said, drawing a line on this mushy stuff. "Where are we eating? I'm starving."

The trio was seated at a round table in the corner of an Italian restaurant. A single white candle sat at the center of the table and Beca watched as the candlelight danced across Aubrey and Chloe's faces. In the opposite corner of the room, a lone guitarist softly serenaded the diners.

The ambiance – the dim lighting, the gentle music – served to relax Beca. She felt comfortable casually chatting with her friends, almost forgetting that anything was different between them than it had been only months before. She eagerly soaked up the girls' stories, told some of her own, and laughed uninhibitedly when conversation called for it.

The meal was delicious, and the company exquisite. She couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable dinner. Bearing in mind just how nervous she had been all week, Beca surprised even herself with her uncharacteristic level of calm in the presence of these two women. Something about it just felt right, and so very normal. It wasn't what she had anticipated at all. She feared it would be awkward; that it would be weird, and that she would be feeling nothing but discomfort and apprehension. She never even considered that things might just click.

Beca picked up her glass, swirling her wine before taking a sip. "I swear to God. Couldn't make that shit up if I tried," she giggled. Aubrey and Chloe were mesmerized by her tale. She watched them watch her, warmth flourishing in the bottom of her stomach. Beca's cheeks tinged pink, and she silently wondered if it was the wine, or something else causing her skin to vibrate and her head to spin.

As she recognized the sensation, it felt as though Chloe and Aubrey did too, because there came a sudden silence that the night had not yet heard. Beca swallowed hard as she watched Chloe wet her lips, then inhale a breath as if she were about to say something, but Beca heard Aubrey's voice instead. She refocused her attention on the blonde woman before her.

"Beca, I—" Aubrey stopped herself, heaving a sigh as she looked down at the table. Chloe pressed a hand to the back of Aubrey's shoulder. Beca's eyes flickered to meet Chloe's, who forced a smile through a somber, apologetic expression. Aubrey collected herself and looked back at Beca, her eyes both a little sad and filled with concern. "I don't want to dwell on the past," she said diplomatically, "but I just… have to apologize again. I'm really, really sorry for the way this all played out. I'm sorry that I – that we," she corrected, "hurt you and made you feel like… like..."

Aubrey struggled to find the right words. Beca wasn't entirely sure she'd ever witnessed that before. It was agonizing to watch Aubrey flounder. Beca's heart ached and she realized that she didn't want any more of this. She didn't want further apology, or explanation. She didn't want any more pain.

Beca reached across the table, covering Aubrey's hand with her own. Aubrey's eyes held a glimmer of tears that Beca needed to stop. She appreciated the sentiment, the care Aubrey had for her, but this was simply no longer necessary. "It's okay, Bree."

"I'm sorry, too," came Chloe's quiet voice. Beca looked over to her, but her eyes were downcast.

Part of Beca was glad that this was still weighing on them, that they still felt the need to apologize to her for what they had done. It meant that they cared. It meant that they knew they were wrong. But, truly, Beca didn't want it to eat away at them any longer. She believed they understood. She believed they were sorry. She was ready to move on from this, and she wanted them to do the same.

"Guys, stop." Aubrey and Chloe looked toward Beca simultaneously. "Listen, I appreciate it. I really do, but I know you're sorry. I get that now."

The sound of a sniffle came from one of them, but Beca wasn't sure which. Both girls smiled. Aubrey's shoulders dropped while Chloe exhaled a loud breath of relief.

"Oh, that's good. That's really good," Chloe practically squealed.

"We were so afraid that you only wanted to see us so you could…" Aubrey paused thoughtfully. "Well, so you could tie up loose ends, or something."

Beca took comfort in the fact that Chloe and Aubrey had been just as nervous about this night as she had been, albeit for very different reasons. It made her feel, somehow, less crazy.

"Well, I guess I sort of did," Beca admitted and she watched as fear flashed across both of their faces. "But not in the way you thought," she quickly corrected. "I just want to finish this part of the story, close the chapter, and start the next one."

Beca spoke clearly and definitively, as though she had rehearsed that – and, well, she had, but she was still proud of herself for actually saying it nevertheless.

"And what happens in the next one?" Chloe's voice was sweet, and though the sparkle in her eyes was suggestive, the inquiry was sincere. Beca's mouth dropped open, but no words formed. She stared back at Chloe for a long moment as her heart began to race.

"I, uh," she muttered, scared, but miraculously didn't break eye contact. "I'm not sure," she said honestly, wincing a bit at the words.

"Look, Beca…" Aubrey said carefully. "I'm not sure we were clear the other night. This isn't just about sex." She whispered the last word. Beca appreciated the discretion. "We don't know what will happen," Aubrey continued, "or how this could work, or what it might look like any more than you do." She sounded just as afraid of the prospect as Beca felt. It made sense. Beca knew Aubrey struggled with life's unknowns just as much as she did.

"But," Chloe added, taking Aubrey's right hand between her own and look intently at Beca, "we want to take the chance."

Chloe smiled softly, and there was something deeply reassuring about it, but Beca's mind was still swimming. This was a lot to take in. She wasn't sure what exactly Chloe and Aubrey wanted from her when she left Copenhagen. It felt, to Beca, like they wanted something more out of this arrangement, but Beca didn't know that, and she had thought it unwise to make that assumption. So hearing it now still came as a bit of a shock.

Though not an altogether bad shock. In fact, as Beca quickly decided, it wasn't even bad at all. Her body tingled at this newly confirmed bit of information. Aubrey and Chloe cared about her. They cared about her, in a way that Beca was certain she cared about Chloe, and in a way she was slowly starting to suspect she cared about Aubrey.

And maybe it was the wine (okay, it was probably definitely the wine), but Beca didn't even spare a thought for what was potentially terrifying about that. Instead, her brain honed in on what was delightful about the admission, and chose – at this moment, anyway – to completely ignore all the things that were scary about it.

Beca felt herself blush as she looked down at the table, hands gripping tightly to the edges of her seat. She breathed an uncomfortable laugh, and stumbled over a few attempts at language before she once again found her bearings. "That's uh—that's… really nice to hear," she smiled.

The expression must have been infectious, Beca thought, as she watched dizzying grins spread wide across both Aubrey and Chloe's faces.

The girls had polished off a second bottle of wine before they finally decided to get an Uber to take them back home. When it arrived, the three of them came to the drunken conclusion that it made the most sense for all of them to pile into the back seat of the sedan. Something about no one wanting to be odd man out up front? It wasn't entirely clear to Beca.

Chloe and Aubrey insisted that since Beca was the smallest, she had to sit in the middle. It wasn't until they were settled and the car was moving that Beca fully realized that she was, once again, positioned between these two women. She felt a lump form in her throat as her body temperature seemed to rise more quickly than she thought was humanly possible. And then Chloe's hand was on her thigh, and Aubrey was threading their fingers together.

The image of an electric current traveling from Chloe, through Beca, and into Aubrey flashed before her. And despite however vague, unsexy, and strangely scientific that seemed, there was something about it that was deeply arousing to Beca, the connection they were all sharing in this moment.

Beca's eyes fluttered shut as she felt Chloe press a kiss to her bare shoulder. She gripped Aubrey's hand before opening her eyes to look down at Chloe's fingers gently stroking the inside of her lower thigh.

A terrified sort of excitement washed over Beca, and she turned her head, lips parted, to meet Chloe's gaze. She found the girl smiling something so adorable and so enticing that Beca was compelled to lean forward and capture Chloe's lips in a chaste kiss.

Chloe grunted as Beca pulled back, a sound that was somehow both indulgent and yet unsatisfied. Beca stared at the flushed skin of Chloe's face for a moment before crystal blue eyes met hers once more. The redhead was practically glowing, and the vision of her had Beca's heart thudding and insides tingling.

Her head began to swirl drunkenly and she pressed it into the back of the seat, shutting her eyes tightly. She kept her eyes closed for the remainder of the short ride, enjoying the continuing sensation of feather light touches and soft kisses on her exposed arms and face coming from the women on either side of her.

Time felt messy and moved strangely, but when Beca sensed the car stop and heard the distinct sound of the car doors unlocking, she opened her eyes. Fingers still locked, Aubrey helped pull her out of the car as Chloe exited on the opposite side. They thanked the driver and proceeded to walk toward the front door of Aubrey and Chloe's unit.

It was only as they were walking – the world still slightly spinning – that Beca realized the mistake that she had made. She hadn't really thought this through. She couldn't drive back home in her current state. It probably would have been in her better interest to have taken a separate Uber back home to her father's house from the restaurant, but she simply hadn't thought of it.

"I, uh… probably shouldn't drive…" Beca said.

"You definitely shouldn't drive," Chloe corrected, with a final skip to the door.

The three women stood a bit awkwardly for a moment, and Beca looked down at the hand that was still clutched in Aubrey's.

"Do you want to come inside?" asked Aubrey.

Her green eyes spoke volumes as Beca peered into them. She shouldn't have been as surprised by the invitation as she was, but she genuinely wasn't expecting this. And that made her feel sort of stupid as something clenched in her chest, her stomach flipping.

Beca felt hands on her shoulders from behind, thumbs pressing into the back of her neck as they squeezed. There was a tickling sensation against the skin of her arm as Chloe's hair brushed against it.

"You should come in." Chloe's breath was hot against her ear. Beca closed her eyes once more with a quiet groan, the world spinning just that much faster as heat pulsed through her. Chloe flicked her tongue against the shell of Beca's ear. "If you want to," she whispered.

A/N: Sorry? ;)