As her fellow classmates rose to their feet and began gathering their belongings, Chloe snapped out of her trance. She'd been peering down at her cuticles, indolently picking at minor imperfections around her freshly-polished manicure when the movement around her forced her gaze upward. It took her a few fleeting moments to realize her professor had dismissed the class early for the day.
"Miss Beale?" her English lit professor called out to the nearly-empty classroom as Chloe dropped her book in her tote bag. "I couldn't help but notice that you've been quieter in class lately. Has something been on your mind?"
Chloe swallowed. It's not like she could tell her professor that this was her third time taking the course and she could pass it in her sleep. How could she possibly begin to communicate that she was purposely falling behind in classes so she could stay at Barden University and never have to leave the Bellas? More importantly, how could she convey that she'd read Jane Eyre four times and, instead, spent the duration of the class fantasizing about Beca Mitchell? About those dark-rimmed blue eyes that fluttered shut when Chloe kissed her. About the muffled sounds she made when she were between the sheets at crazy hours of the evening because they didn't want to be caught by the other Bellas. They hadn't defined what it was they'd been doing. Neither had really put much thought into it. It's not like Chloe had actual feelings for someone else, right? No. It couldn't be that.
"I'm so sorry," she flashed her best apologetic smile. "I'll try to participate a bit more next week. I've just been busy with Bella rehearsals – my head's in the clouds," she half-lied.
"I will be looking forward to your active participation. I don't want to have to fail you this semester. Now, go enjoy the day!"
Chloe flashed another soft, appreciative smile, her white teeth gleaming. She pulled her bag up over her shoulder and shuffled toward the door. When she peered at her watch and realized the time, she could practically feel her feet propelling her back to the Bellas house in record time.
Unlocking the door, she was greeted to a new sound. Silence. It was a rarity that the house was vacant. But as she ascended the stairs, she smirked. The bathroom door was closed at the top of the landing and, behind it, she could hear an all-too-familiar sound. One that she'd recognize anywhere. The shower water was running and Beca was singing. When Chloe realized she was singing Titanium, her eyes lit up and she felt warmth bubbling inside her chest.
Opening and closing the bathroom door as quietly as possible, she quickly stripped down and slid the shower curtain open slowly with a proud grin on her face.
"You can sing!" She shouted, doing her best to mimic the exact words she'd exclaimed out to Beca over a year ago the first time she'd found herself staring at this exact sight.
Beca jumped and turned around, her heart racing from both the sudden startle and the sight of a very naked Chloe in front of her and taking a step closer to her as she stepped inside the shower.
"Jesus!" Beca practically screamed as she pressed her hand to her heart. Instinctively, she did her best to cover herself up. She and Chloe had seen each other naked on a handful of occasions now, but something about Chloe's confidence always intimidated her and made her feel shyer than she'd cared to admit. "Chloe, what are you doing?"
Chloe shrugged innocently with a smile. "I was feeling nostalgic."
"That's great." Her tone was flat, unamused as she rolled her eyes. "Get out."
"I'm not leaving until you sing," Chloe crossed her arms just below her breasts. Beca couldn't help the way her gaze dropped to catch the sight of her chest. When she felt her lips tugging upward, she snapped her gaze back up the meet Chloe's ocean eyes, unblinking.
"Dude, you realize we share a house with a handful of very nosy girls? We can't do this here."
"Sure we can," Chloe brushed her worries aside, neglecting to mention that nobody was home. She rolled her shoulders back as she took two steps closer and tilted her head under the stream of warm water.
"Someone is going to catch us," Beca insisted, tucking herself into the corner involuntarily. Chloe ignored her and stepped back only a few inches and then turned to face Beca as the water dripped down over her shoulders.
"So, do you think we should harmonize first? You know, for old times sake?" She winked, and then continued. "Or should I just get to the good part?" Her gaze fell unashamedly, drinking in the sight of Beca's curves as she bit at her bottom lip. "Because I'm totally down for either option."
"Chloe, when we said let's be discreet, this isn't exactly what I had in mind, you know?"
"Sooo skip the harmonizing? Got it." Chloe nodded and Beca sighed, realizing she wasn't going to leave. She knew better than that. The growing ache in her core was battling the racing thoughts in her head telling her what a bad idea this was.
"What if someone hears us? You're not exactly qui—"
Beca didn't have a chance to finish her sentence before she felt the impact of the cold tile crashing against her back. A choked whimper escaped her throat and vibrated into Chloe's mouth. With their lips pressed together, Chloe deepened the kiss and used one hand to pin Beca's hip harder up against the wall.
Peppering kisses across her jaw until she reached Beca's ear, Chloe smirked. "What, you don't think you can be quiet for me?"
Beca couldn't answer. She could barely think. The heat coursed through her body and settled between her thighs as she felt Chloe's knee nudge her legs apart. Instead, she just nodded once with a soft moan.
"Ah ah," Chloe shook her head and pressed one finger to Beca's lips. "Not a peep," she teased, tracing her finger over the outline of Beca's lower lip. She had no intention of allowing her to remain quiet, though. She unashamedly knew what she wanted, and she selfishly loved the way Beca sounded when Chloe was teasing and toying and fucking her. Sure, she could have assured Beca that it was fine because nobody was home. But why ruin half of her fun?
"You're the worst," Beca muttered. She tried to roll her eyes, but when she felt a wet hand brush over the sensitive skin around her nipple, her breath hitched. For someone who was always so adamant on remaining strong-willed, she never could muster the ability to keep her resolve when it came to Chloe Beale.
"The worst?" Chloe whispered the words back to her so that the warmth of her breath tickled Beca's neck. "That's odd, your body seems to be telling me you think otherwise." She smiled as she rolled Beca's nipple between her thumb and index finger and dragged her fingertips down Beca's taut stomach. Their lips melted together again just before Chloe's taunting fingertips reached the hilt of her pelvic bone. Beca's stomach muscles fluttered and she sunk her fingertips into Chloe's shoulder blade instinctively.
"Fine," Beca half-groaned in defeat, feeling her resolve set ablaze. "But are you really going to spend our limited time in here teasing me?" Beca smirked against Chloe's mouth only to be greeted with fingertips brushing through the length of her cunt.
"I think that's probably the closest you'll ever get to saying please," Chloe let out a soft laugh as she relished in the gasps slipping past Beca's parted lips. Pushing two fingers deep inside of her, they both moaned in tandem. "God, you're so wet."
Chloe used her free hand to drag her fingernails up Beca's waist all the way up to her chest. With just her index finger, she traced the outline of Beca's collarbones before leaning her mouth down to press kisses along her neck. Beca's legs trembled slightly and Chloe caught a glimpse of the way she was biting down hard on her lip to stay quiet.
Eager to hear her moan properly, Chloe pushed a third finger inside of her with ease and curled her fingers upward, moving at a leisurely pace that she knew was pure torment.
"Chloe," Beca dragged out her name through gritted teeth.
"You're being so quiet. Who knew you were so good at following orders?" Chloe knew this would egg Beca on, and she couldn't resist the way her lips curled up into a smirk.
Beca huffed – a new fire igniting inside of her. Chloe squealed when she felt two wet palms gripping at her waist. Before she realized what was happening, she felt Beca turning them and pushing her hard up against the cold tile.
"Ohh, didn't knew you had it in you." Chloe kept her demeanor strong but let her eyes flutter shut as soon as she felt the gentle touch of Beca's fingertips sweeping wet hair off of her neck.
"You're just lucky we have to be quiet because I know exactly how to make you scream." Beca's shoulders rolled back as pride swelled in her chest. When Chloe didn't reply with a witty remark, Beca leaned in to kiss her again as she sought out her clit with ease. As much as Chloe wanted to feel Beca coming undone for her, she would be a fool if she dared to move right now. The sensation of the cold tile against her back and Beca's fingers teasing her clit were already nearly enough to send her over the edge.
"Fuck me," Chloe practically commanded, lifting her leg to wrap it up around Beca's waist and draw her impossibly closer.
Happy to oblige, Beca's fingers were greeted with the wetness she was quickly becoming addicted to. Accompanying the wetness were the sounds she'd spent a year dreaming about.
"Are you trying to get caught?" Beca eased up on her pace but Chloe gripped her wrist, shaking her head.
"N– Nobody's home," Chloe echoed between moans that were escalating as her hips lifted to take Beca deeper.
"What the hell," Beca huffed, picking up her pace now and leaning in to kiss Chloe's neck. "Why didn't you tell me that?"
But Chloe didn't answer. She couldn't have, even if she'd tried. Her hips bucked up once more as she felt her legs grow shaky underneath her. When her orgasm hit, she clung to Beca for dear life.
"You really are the worst," Beca laughed and tugged them both under the stream of water before kissing her again. Chloe smiled, breathlessly, and pushed her back up against the wall, knowing she needed what she came here for.
"So you say," Chloe smiled as she sought out the warmth that greeted her fingers. She pushed back into Beca's cunt and began fucking her again. Not bothering to hold back now, Chloe drank in every moan and whimper that escaped Beca's kiss-swollen lips.
When they heard the click of the bathroom door's handle, they both froze. Instinctively, Chloe reached up and pressed her hand over Beca's mouth.
Eyes wide, Beca glared at Chloe with a look that she could easily read. A mix of panic and frustration washed over them both. But instead of stopping, Chloe just smirked and shifted her fingers slowly deep inside of Beca.
Beca couldn't say a word, but Chloe knew exactly what she was thinking just from that wide-eyed look that had now progressed into eyes that were fighting to flutter shut. She could hear a snarky Beca in the back of her mind saying, 'Hello, what the hell, dude? Why aren't you stopping?' But when she corkscrewed her wrist and Beca let a soft murmur slip past Chloe's fingers that were splayed over her mouth, they both froze. Beca's eyes snapped open.
Inching away, Chloe peeked her head out from behind the shower curtain and spotted Amy with her toothbrush dangling casually out of her mouth.
"Amy, what the hell? Trying to shower in peace here."
"Oh, don't let me spoil all your fun." Amy's words came out jumbled before she leaned over and spit out her toothpaste in the sink. "Besides, I thought you were Beca. I thought I spotted her at home just a little while—"
Chloe rushed to cut her off with an excuse. "I saw Beca heading out to grab groceries when I got home."
"Oh, damn. I need to text her and remind her to pick up a new bag of those blue Doritos. I finished the last of hers yesterday." Amy's voice faded away in the distance as she walked off and made her way down the stairs.
Releasing the tight clasp over Beca's mouth, Chloe shrugged.
"Sorry, I didn't think anyone was home."
"This is exactly why I said this was a bad idea. What if Amy knows now?" Beca groaned and threw her head back.
Chloe couldn't help but laugh.
"Please, it's Amy. There's no way she knows." She wondered to herself for a moment of what would happen if someone did find out? Would that really be so bad? A few weeks ago, she would have said yes. But now? Part of her didn't hate the idea of anyone knowing she wanted to spend all of her free time with Beca.
"Fine, then you can be the one to explain it to them when they—"
Shutting her up with a hard kiss that made Beca quickly forget why she was even worried, Chloe raked her hands down Beca's back. "You talk too much. And I'm not finished with you yet."
Beca didn't bother to protest. Not when her body ached, desperately, for Chloe's touch. With her back against the cold wall and Chloe's fingers buried deep inside of her again, she let her head fall backward until it collided softly with the tile. Her orgasm felt like it had been waiting to wash over her for decades, and she came with her hips thrashing against Chloe's hand and her fingers lost in tangles of wet hair.
Blinking her eyes open, Beca smiled at Chloe for a moment and then quickly forced her face to frown again. "I hate you," she declared.
"Of course you do," Chloe brought her fingers to her lips and licked them clean, wishing she'd had more time so she could get a proper taste. But she was too busy watching Beca huffing and puffing as she reached for her towel and dried off.
Chloe laughed and shrugged as she turned off the water and watched Beca peek her head out of the bathroom door before tiptoeing down the hall in a frenzy. Stepping out of the shower, Chloe took her time brushing out her hair and getting dressed.
Jessica was the last to sit down at the table for dinner and by that point, Beca and Chloe still hadn't made direct eye contact. Every time Chloe peered over at Beca, she looked away and Chloe did her best to swallow the laughter building in her chest. It wasn't that she didn't take Beca seriously, but rather that she found it entertaining just how hard she was trying to make it seem like nothing was going on between them.
It felt like at least ten minutes had passed and Chloe fell into a trance, her brain raking back and forth at why Beca was so adamant on them staying hidden. Sure, it made sense at first. But would it really be so bad?
When Chloe finally heard someone call her name, she froze and slightly lifted her gaze, blinking. "Hm?" She realized everyone was staring at her. "Sorry, what did you say?"
Beca rubbed at the back of her neck. "I asked you if you could pass the bowl of ziti."
Chloe shook her head to snap out of it, but realized Emily had already managed to reach for the bowl and pass it down in Beca's direction.
"Okay, what the hell is going on here?" Cynthia Rose asked with a forkful of pasta hovering inches from her mouth. "Since when are ya'll so quiet?"
"Hey, Bec. Did you get me those Doritos, by the way?" Amy's voice was nonchalant, but Beca detected a hint of amusement.
"Um, no." She swallowed to hide her stutter. "Actually, they were sold out."
"Right. Okay," Amy shrugged and reached for another piece of garlic bread. "So, Chloe. Did you get up to anything fun today?"
Chloe didn't feel all the eyes on her until it was too late. She had zoned out again—her mind wandering back to the thought of when she'd be alone with Beca again next—and she didn't realize that her gaze was fixed on Beca as she was lost in thought.
"Oh my god," Stacey called out. "You two totally did it, didn't you?"
Beca felt her jaw tighten. "No," she answered a little too quickly, too defensively. "What are you talking about?"
"Please. I know sexual tension when I see it," Stacey said with a simple hair toss.
"Yeah, I heard them in the shower earlier," Amy said with a casual nod.
"Thank you, Amy," Beca muttered as her gaze fell to Chloe across the table. Chloe just pressed her lips together and shrugged.
"Well, it's about damn time!" Emily declared, speaking on behalf of all the other girls in the room.