A/N: if you haven't already I recommend you watch/listen to The One (acoustic) by Kodaline on YouTube before/during/after reading this chapter :)
Epilogue XX - The One
Chloe stepped out of the door of the apartment she shared with Beca, locking it behind her, letting out a long sigh while she shrugged her favourite denim jacket on. As she began making her way to the stairwell that would take her out of the apartment block she glanced at her watch. Flip. She'd promised Beca she'd meet her at 9pm. It was now 8.55pm. There was no way she was going to be on time.
She would have been early had Alba not decided to wee on the welcome mat just as she was about to leave the apartment. It had taken her twenty minutes to treat the carpet with 'dog wee stain remover' – an action she and Beca had become pros at over the weeks they had had their Labrador puppy – and Chloe had reluctantly sent Alba to her crate, feeling like the bad-guy when the puppy looked up at her sadly from her position in the kitchen. Chloe had made sure she'd locked the baby-gate properly then dashed out of the apartment.
Chloe skipped down the final step and out into the mild late-September breeze that drifted lazily between the trees that clung to their brown leaves, anticipating the fall. The redhead glanced left to check she wasn't about to bump into anyone, then took an immediate right and made her way down the street. She hoped Beca wouldn't mind her arriving late. The chances were the brunette would merely grin at her, rolling her eyes as she patiently sat at their table in The Rubix Bar. But it still didn't make Chloe feel any less guilty for keeping her waiting.
The woman looked down the street and noticed ahead of her three men, chatting and laughing together. Her blue eyes immediately honed in on the acoustic guitar that one of them held and her heart skipped a beat. She always admired musicians who could play an instrument, and that was one of the things she loved about living in the neighbourhood that they did. It wasn't unusual for groups of friends to be jamming together with guitars as she walked past them when taking Alba for a walk in the evenings.
The pace she walked at meant that Chloe approached the men quite quickly and as she did one of the men counted "two three four" before singing while they walked: "Tell me, tell me that you want me and I'll be yours completely, for better or for worse."
Chloe smiled slightly, admiring how good his voice was for someone who looked to be a complete nobody. "I know, we'll have our disagreements, be fighting for no reason, I wouldn't change it for the world."
If she hadn't been on the drag Chloe would've stopped to talk to the young men to find out if they had a record deal, and if they didn't then she would get them to contact Beca. Especially now the man with the guitar had begun lightly playing chords to accompany the man singing. She was a sucker for a guitar. "Cos I knew, the first time that I met you, I was never gonna let you, let you slip away."
Chloe began to overtake the men, one of which had stepped aside for her as he accompanied the lead singer in harmonising with some of the lyrics. "And I still remember feeling nervous trying to find the words to get you here today."
She glanced down at her phone that was in her hand. The bar was fortunately only five minutes down the road. She would probably make it only a couple of minutes late. Beca would understand. But suddenly Chloe slowed her pace almost to a stop as she heard the next line of the song that the men were singing. Lyrics that she recognised. "Cos you make my heart feel like it's summer, when the rain is falling down."
The redhead continued to slowly walk, but turned to look over her shoulder. Those were the words Beca had written for her on a small piece of paper and left for her in her bag when they had returned from their European Tour last summer. The small piece of paper that she'd put in her purse several months ago and looked at whenever she thought about Beca or missed her, because those words on that paper had been written specially for her by her girlfriend. The men matched her pace in walking, smiling at her as they continued to sing: "You make my whole world feel so right when it's wrong. That's how I know you are the one. That's how I know you are the one."
Chloe's heart jumped into her throat and she turned back to the street ahead of her. Suddenly a woman who had been sat on the steps that led up to an apartment block stood up with a violin, and began playing a short sweet melody that complimented the song the men behind her were singing. The redhead could feel tears beginning to prick her eyes. These musicians were becoming no accident and she had a feeling her girlfriend had something to do with this.
She turned the corner, the violinist and the three young men following her as she began walking at a reasonable pace again. Her heart began to race as she saw a vintage piano on the sidewalk, and a woman began playing it while the lead singer continued on to the next verse of his song: "Life, it's easy to get scared of, but with you I am prepared for what is yet to come."
Chloe walked past the pianist, and noticed two more violinists and a cellist sat on the steps of another apartment block further up, all of whom joined in on the song as the redhead and the men behind her walked past them: "Cos our two hearts will make it easy, joining up the pieces, together making one."
Chloe could feel her palms getting sweaty as the chorus chimed in again behind her, all the more powerful now there were strings accompanying it: "Cos you make my heart feel like it's summer, when the rain is falling down."
She began approaching the corner which she would need to turn right at to lead her up to the final part of her journey. "You make my whole world feel so right when it's wrong, that's how I know you are the one. That's how I know you are the one."
Chloe turned the corner and swallowed loudly as she saw another vintage piano up ahead on the left, with a pianist who began playing as the song continued. Up ahead on the right were more violinists and two cellists, who joined the pianist in playing: "When we are together you make me feel like my mind is free and my dreams are reachable."
Chloe recognised those lyrics too, and by this point a tear had fallen from her eyes as she made the steady walk along the alleyway towards the bar that stood at the end: "And know I never ever believed in love but believed one day that you would come along." Chloe passed the pianist who was beaming at her: "And free-eee me."
She walked past the string musicians, and could hear the men behind her still following at her pace as they sang: "Cos you make my heart feel like it's summer, when the rain is falling down." Chloe was now making her way up to the front of the bar. It didn't look open from the outside. "And you make my whole world feel so right when it's wrong, that's how I know you are the one."
She took a deep breath and reached out to open the door of the bar: "That's how I know you are the one."
Chloe pulled the door open: "That's how I know you are the one."
And stepped inside the building: "That's how I know you are the one."
Chloe heard the sound of a piano being played from inside the bar, having no recollection of there ever being one in the building before now. And as she walked through, she didn't recognise the bar. All of the tables but their own had been cleared out of the room, a piano stood on the stage in the corner, and everywhere was lit by fairy lights and a few lit lampshades. And there, stood in the middle of the empty room, was Beca. The woman was grinning nervously at her, biting her bottom lip. Chloe walked up to her tentatively, a curious smile on her face, tears rolling freely down her cheeks. She knew what this was all about, but she couldn't believe it until Beca confirmed it.
"What's all this?" she choked out in nervous anticipation as she came to a stop in front of her girlfriend.
"You wanted it to be memorable." Beca said simply with a shrug and a soft smile. Chloe watched as Beca pulled out a small box and the redhead was certain her heart was going to burst out of her chest it was racing so hard in excitement and surprise.
"Chloe, it's exactly seven years today - in fact probably seven years to the minute - that you barged into my shower at Barden and forced me to audition for the Bella's. And…well... if you'd told me seven years ago that that crazy, smiley, eager, beautiful red head would one day be the woman that I would fall in love with. Build a life with. Get a dog with." Chloe let a happy giggle slip from her mouth that was damp from the tears that had been falling down her cheeks. "Well I would've never believed you... But here we are."
Chloe let another happy giggle slip out and Beca continued, "And…its crazy because I know how different I've become over the years that I've known you…different for the better. You've made me a better person, but at the same time you've never expected me to change. And that's something I've always loved about you. You've always accepted me for who I am, and have opened me up into a better person. And…um…you just make me really happy. Happier than anything. So I guess what I'm trying to ask is…will you marry me?"
Chloe, fit to burst at how romantic this all was, blurted out a happy "yes!" beyond the tears that were falling from her eyes and threw her arms around Beca's neck. The brunette let out an "oof" at the motion, and a small thud sounded around the quiet room as the engagement box fell to the ground.
"Shit!" Beca cursed sharply under her breath, "Shit, shit, shiiit!" and Chloe brought a hand to her mouth as she watched Beca panic, the petite woman scrambling around the floor, peering through the poor lighting for the little black box. Chloe, still in some level of shock about all that had happened over the past 5 minutes, remained stationary. She was engaged. They were engaged! Beca Mitchell had asked her to marry her! They'd spoken about it earlier in the year, moments before Fat Amy had announced it in The Bella's Whatsapp group, but even though Beca had agreed she would be the one to propose, Chloe hadn't thought that her girlfriend would ever go through with it.
Beca was awkward about things like this, but boy had she pulled it out of the bag. This had been entirely unexpected. In fact, Chloe had been just as surprised that Beca had remembered the date that she had barged into her in the showers at Barden. Back when they'd been strangers. When they hadn't known each other's names or personalities or social situations or family backgrounds or hopes and dreams or ambitions or favourite anythings.
But back then Chloe had known one thing. She'd known, from the moment she'd seen that slight soft tug of a smile that had appeared in the corner of Beca's mouth once they'd sung 'Titanium' together for the first time, that she'd begun to fall hard for the gruffy alt-girl. That fate had brought them together in the form of that short sweet duet in the most unconventional of locations. That she believed if she was patient and kind and supportive and persistent for long enough then they would spend the rest of their lives together.
Chloe heard Beca let out an exasperated exhale of breath as the brunette clasped her hands over something and stood up straight, turning back to her.
"Sorry" Chloe said sweetly with a slight giggle but Beca simply shook her head.
"I should know you well enough by now to know that you'd end up nudging this out of my hands." the brunette said sarcastically, a smile still on her face. Because seven years ago, in that shower, just before they sang, Chloe had been so animated with her hands while she spoke that she'd nudged a bottle of shower gel out of Beca's hands, much to the petite woman's horror.
"You wouldn't have me any other way" Chloe giggled with a wink.
"True. Weirdo." Beca said as she opened the small box and took Chloe's left hand so the redhead would hold it out between them. Chloe let out a small squeal as the brunette pulled the engagement ring out of the box, and placed it on her engagement finger.
Chloe had tried several of her own rings on that finger, imagining what it might be like to wear an engagement ring, but they had felt nothing like this. The platinum band felt soft and comfortable against her skin, the blue sapphire neither too big nor too small as it sat upon the band, surrounded by a small cluster of diamonds. Chloe couldn't tear her eyes from it as she held it closer to her face to inspect it, then hold it away at arms length, beaming brightly, loving the way it looked on her hand.
"Um…do you like it?" She heard her girlfriend ask nervously. No, her fiancée!
"Beca I love it!" Chloe gushed as she turned to Beca, "It's perfect! And so, so beautiful!"
"Just like you then" Beca said uncharacteristically smoothly, grinning as Chloe brought her hand quickly to her eyes to show her brief embarrassment by the compliment before bringing both her hands down to her sides. Beca took her left hand, admiring her long slender fingers. Chloe had always hated her fingers. She always thought they looked like witches fingers, nobbly and gross. But for some reason Beca seemed to love them, and she told her that frequently, "I thought it looked good in the store but it looks a million times better on your finger."
"It must have cost you so much!" Chloe said, following Beca's glance down to her hand as the petite woman glossed her thumb lightly over the surface of the ring.
Beca merely shrugged with a soft smile, "It cost what it cost." Chloe knew her fiancée was good with money. She budgeted well so they could save hard, could afford nice things, and so Chloe could use her spare time to volunteer at the local theatre instead of having to get a second job. She also knew that if Beca bought something, it was the best, regardless of the price. And that was how she knew that this piece of jewellery was likely to be the most expensive gift she had ever been given, and possibly the most expensive gift she would ever be given. "As soon as I saw it I knew it was the one for you."
Chloe felt her heart skip a beat as she saw Beca look from the ring up to her eyes and the redhead suddenly realised she hadn't kissed her yet. So Chloe stepped closer to her fiancée and dipped her face towards the petite brunette, whispering "It's perfect!" again, before closing the gap between them and kissing Beca hard on the lips.
Yay Beca!
I've had this chapter planned and mostly written since I mentioned about 20 chapters ago that I was going to do epilogues.
Literally all the epilogues before this chapter were made to lead to this moment so I really hope you enjoyed it (and understood it? I struggle to follow 'lyric fics' sometimes..)
Skyeze.10 - Glad you liked the convo haha! It was fun to write :)
Yvette23 - Dude thank you so much! Hope the quick update has been with the two day wait!
FranciumJoker - Oh hey there stranger! Thanks for the review, hehe hope the update was quick enough for ya ;)
As always gang, reviews and comments always appreciated.
I'm working hard to keep this fic going as I know as soon as I lose momentum I may slow down my writing and your reviews REALLY help spur me on so thank you!
xx