Beca broke her own record in the number of mixes she could make in a week. Not only that, but she was also attending courses regularly, even when professors didn't count attendance, managing WBUJ, had figured out the Bellas set for regionals and was humbly kicking ass as a captain.

She was busy and she usually fell asleep the moment she laid in bed, which was great because it meant she was rarely alone to her thoughts, her thoughts that somehow revolved around one issue, one person more accurately.

"Jesus," Beca mumbled once she went through the playlist she put together to play throughout the night before she left the radio station. "What is happening to me?" she groaned, throwing her head back.

The playlist was a compilation of songs she wouldn't be caught sober listening to—drunk, however, she'd jam to them, which was the reason behind the playlist's creation: she was shitfaced when she put it together. There was no other explanation.

She had no time to sit and load another playlist so BU night listeners were going to have to listen to music about the joys of falling/being in love.

Beca could seriously puke and not from her hangover—her hangovers were getting worse and the thought of sticking with a couple of drinks when she'd go out was starting to sound appealing and her wallet agreed with that thought—but from the songs she had picked because she knew what all of it meant. She knew she was falling hard and she had no idea how to hit the brakes. She thought that keeping busy and basically ghosting her feelings would work but it was clearly not an efficient method hence the nauseating playlist.

Inhaling deeply, she glanced at her phone when it chimed with a text then grabbed it from the table.

Fat Amy: 'Where are you?'

Beca: 'Still at the radio station.'

Fat Amy: 'Hurry up or you might not get to have some of your birthday cake.'

Beca rolled her eyes before typing back her reply. Beca: 'Eat it.' She didn't have a sweet tooth anyway.

Hearing a knock on the door, she tilted her head and found Pete the intern at the door.

"You're still here?" She was surprised he didn't leave the minute she told him he could which was right after he finished stacking the box of CDs she told him to stack.

"I should be asking you that but I'm glad you haven't left yet. I was counting on it." He paused. "I heard you talking on the phone earlier and thought I'd get you something," he shyly said.

Beca frowned when he stepped into the room holding a poorly wrapped present.

"Happy birthday," he mumbled. "Um, I didn't mean to eavesdrop," he added when Beca made no move to retrieve the present and sort of just looked at him blankly before she snapped out of the haze she was in and smiled at him.

"You didn't have to do this," she was saying as she stood up.

"I know. I wanted to." He stuffed his hands in his pockets after she accepted the present. "I actually saw this other day and thought of you," he told her while she unwrapped the gift. Beca noticed then how erect his breathing was and guessed he ran back to the station.

"Wow, Darth Vader travel mug," she really didn't mean to sound sarcastic but the last thing she expected was a mug with Darth Vader's head printed on it.

"You don't like it?" he worried. "I just thought because you have a Sith lightsaber tattooed on your finger you're a fan of the dark side," he explained, growing anxious. "And since you seem to always be drinking coffee you'd like it."

"No, no, I do like it. Thank you. It's very thoughtful." She did appreciate the gesture. Pete barely knew her and he went and got her a present after overhearing her on the phone with her grandmother, which was very sweet of him.

"Awesome," he smiled in relief. "Any plans for your birthday?" Pete asked to avoid an awkward silence while Beca gathered her stuff.

"No, not really. I might even call it an early night." Again, still hungover. She just wanted to cuddle up to her comforter and fall asleep watching some dumb reality show. Amy told her the girls made a cake so if it's edible she'd eat a slice before going to bed.

"Not a big partier?"

"No, I party." She shrugged on her jacket. "I just don't feel like going out and celebrating the day my mother pushed me out of her vagina this year." She put the mug he just gave her in her back bag.

"Fair enough," he said, stepping outside of the room when Beca wore her back bag ready to leave. "So, you're headed home now?"

"Yep."

"I can't convince you to go grab a drink with me?"

"Maybe some other time, Pete," she declined and was glad he didn't insist.

"Well, then I'll just walk you home I guess if you don't mind."

It was so unnecessary but she didn't mind.

The Bellas house was a good fifteen-minute walk from the radio station and her company was her music usually but Pete wasn't a bad one either.

"Thanks again for the mug," Beca was saying once they stopped in front of the Bellas' house.

"You're most welcome." She could feel his eyes on her as she looked for her keys inside her back bag.

"See you at the station, Pete," she smiled tightly at him and climbed a couple of steps of the porch.

Pete had been interning at the radio station for a couple of months and they never really talked for longer than a couple of minutes and it was mostly about what he had to do since she was the manager this year and it was just the two of them at the radio station. —When the school year first started, there were a couple more interns but they stopped showing up.

"Happy birthday!" Everyone collectively said the moment she unlocked the door.

She really had no idea her friends would throw her a surprise birthday party. It was very touching and overwhelming. She didn't know what to say so she said nothing afraid something sarcastic would slip and she'd ruin it.

The Bellas were hugging her seconds later and wishing her a happy birthday. It made her heart swell because she never had a group of friends like them before. At that moment she made a mental note to stay away from liquor in order to avoid making any sappy and embarrassing speeches. She loved them dearly but they didn't have to know that.

"Oh god," Beca was saying once the Bellas finally pulled away. "I can taste your perfumes." She grimaced.

"Who's your friend?" Stacie asked, looking behind Beca and seeing that Pete was awkwardly standing outside of their house.

"Pete. He's interning at the radio station," she informed Stacie before she invited him in.

Their social circle was mainly the other a cappella groups on campus and they all were there, Beca knew they were there just for the booze and not for her and was very curious to see what sort of presents they got for her. Who she didn't expect to find was her old man.

"Dad, hey," she greeted, walking up to him.

"Happy birthday, kiddo." He pulled her into a hug. "I can't believe you're twenty," he sighed. "Look at you all grown up."

"You should probably stop calling me kiddo then don't you think," she deadpanned and smiled hearing him chuckle.

"You could be forty and have kids of your own and I'll still call you kiddo." He pulled away, amused by the grimace she made. "I should probably let you go and mingle." He stuffed his hand into his pocket.

"You can stay if you want." Beca shrugged. She didn't mind him staying at all.

"I know, Becs. I just can't look the other way when I see underage drinking." He smiled tightly. "I came to give you your birthday present and head out." He pulled car keys from his pocket and held it her way. "Your mom, Sheila and I got this for you."

"Seriously?" She couldn't believe it that her parents and step-parent got her a car, it just seemed too good to be true.

"Yes, Beca, seriously." He nodded. "It's parked in our garage. You can come and take it whenever you want."

"Thanks, dad." She took the keys from him. "I should probably call mom and say thanks."

"She's expecting a call." He nodded. "And Sheila would love it if you came over for breakfast tomorrow."

"Okay, I'll come over." The step-monster wasn't so bad and Beca didn't find her very annoying anymore. She could see that the woman was just trying to have a relationship with her and felt like an idiot for being a dick to her. She was wrong to blame her for how bad her relationship with her father was: Sheila wasn't why Dr. Mitchell sent her to live her grandmother and rarely visited. Dr. Mitchell was to blame and she was learning to forgive him because she could tell he regretted how everything turned out.

She walked Dr. Mitchell to the door, unlocking the door she saw Jesse's car pull over.

"Huh, you still hang out with him?" Dr. Mitchell said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"We're just friends now, Dad," she mumbled awkwardly.

"Okay," he curtly said just as awkwardly. "Well, Becs, I'll see tomorrow." He leaned over and placed a peck on her forehead. "It's breakfast, not brunch, so try to show up before ten." His words earned an eye roll.

"Good evening, Dr. Mitchell. How's it going?" Jesse, who had just pulled his birthday present from the backseat of his car and shut the door with his hip, said.

"Quite well, Swanson," Dr. Mitchell replied. "Quite well." He unlocked his own car.

"Goodnight, professor." Jesse smiled at the man who just waved his hand as he opened the door and hopped into the car.

"Your dad doesn't like me," Jesse sighed. "Oh, well." He made his way to the Bellas' house. "Happy birthday, weirdo." He leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek.

"Thanks." She tried not to smile too hard and, like, keep it cool.

"That looks big." She eyed the present he was holding. "What did you get me, Swanson?"

"You'll see." He grinned and followed her into the house.

"Did you know about this?" Beca asked as Jesse set his gift to her on the table near the rest of the gift she received.

"That I did." He nodded. "I got caught in traffic on the way back from Jacksonville. I hope someone caught your face on camera. Bet your reaction's priceless."

"You drove all the way from Jacksonville to get here. What were you even doing in Jacksonville? Checking up on your parents' farm and working on your tan?" He did have a tan and it suited him. He also shaved and got a haircut. He looked so good. She hoped he didn't notice she was checking him out.

"My parents just got home from their cruise. Thought I'd be nice to spend some days with them."

"Why did you even come, dude?"

"What do you mean why did I come? I couldn't miss your birthday party."

"Yeah, but your parents who you haven't seen in a year just got come."

"Eh." He shrugged. "Now, come here." He pulled her into a tight hug and she could swear she melted into it. "Happy birthday."

"Not that I mind or anything but didn't we get over with this part at the door just now?" she mumbled.

"I mean, yes, technically, I did wish a happy birthday but we didn't hug so it didn't feel right." He squeezed her in his arms. "This, though, feels so right."

She broke the hug simply because she was enjoying it a little too much. Why did he have to feel so damn warm, cozy, and so muscly?

"Have you been lifting weight?" He always had a lean physique but what she felt was definitely a more toned body underneath the shirt he was wearing.

"For a while, yeah." He flexed his bicep and she had to swallow because the room was getting a little hot.

"I need to pee. I'll see you around."

"Okay. I'll just go say hi to Amy and grab a drink." She heard him say as she turned on her heels and gave him thumbs up without turning around.

"What is happening to me?" she mumbled as she eyed herself in the mirror once she got into the bathroom and closed the door. It couldn't be normal what she was experiencing, it just couldn't. She didn't just want to screw his brains out.

Up until recently, she didn't quite get the meaning of meaningless sex: isn't all sex sex whether it is with a loved one or someone you picked up at a bar?

The sex they had when she showed up drunk at his new place wasn't meaningless and she was craving it so bad. She wanted to have meaningful sex then cuddle with Jesse.

"Okay." She inhaled deeply. "It's okay. You just try not to think about him and you'll be good." Nope, saying it aloud didn't make her believe it. "And you won't drink. If you drink, you will be all over him and that's just pathetic and embarrassing. Besides your liver could use a break." She exhaled then took a couple of therapeutic breaths since she really didn't know what else to do.

"It's just a crush," she told herself. "No, it isn't," she backtracked in a whiny voice that she hadn't used since she was ten. "I need a drink—wait, no drinks… I'm so fucked," she sighed.

"Hey, bestie, there you are. Where have you been?"

"Around." She was actively avoiding him but she couldn't ignore him when they locked eyes.

"Amy was just telling me that you vetoed a bikini carwash," Jesse said as Beca sat down on the couch next to him and Fat Amy. "Why did you veto it? It's fun and it makes money."

"It also brings tons of creeps," she deadpanned. "And we're in November, you sure a carwash in a bikini is fun in freaking November?" She leaned forward and grabbed a couple of nachos from the plate that was on the coffee table to eat.

"So what? We can handle a bunch of perverts. As for the weather, we in Georgia how cold can it get down here," Fat Amy said in response.

"Actually campus security would do that for you," Jesse chimed in. "And, It snows down here."

"Yeah, but where the fun in that?" Fat Amy wondered. "As for the weather issue, we can just drink vodka or something."

"I didn't know there's supposed to be fun in beating people up, my bad," Jesse sarcastically said. "But good point there with the vodka for warmth."

"Oh, god, no," Beca mumbled under her breath when Cynthia Rose walked into the room holding a cake that was definitely not homemade, it looked professionally made—her guess was that they burned the cake they tried to make her then went and got one from a bakery, that if they did try to make one in the first place of course.

"What?" Jesse tilted his head to look at her.

"Nothing, I just hate this part," she told him and sat up when someone turned the lights off so the candles on the cake were the only source of illumination in the room.

He was going to ask for elaboration but he got it when everyone started singing the happy birthday song to Beca who just froze in her place with a grimace that was supposed to be a smile on her lips.

Jesse sang along and rubbed her back in an attempt to comfort her, only stopping to clap when she blew the candles.

Beca was so awkward it was adorable.

He didn't realize he was staring at her when she blew the candles until he saw the polaroid picture Benji took while Beca was blowing the candles later in the evening.

"These are all really good, Benji," Jesse said as he looked through the pictures Benji took throughout the night.

"Thanks," Benji beamed. "Beca took a lot of pictures on my birthday: I thought it would be nice if I did the same on her birthday."

He was so glad Benji caught the moment Beca walked through the door among other moments. "Aw, this is cute," he grinned finding a photo where Beca and Benji were making an X with their index fingers, displaying their tattoos, while trying to look mad at each other as if they were having a lightsaber battle.

"Yeah," Benji agreed. "It was Beca's idea."

"What was Beca's idea?" Beca peeked to look at the picture Jesse was holding. "Oh, that. Yep, that was my idea." She brought a forkful of cake to her mouth and sat on the arm of the couch.

"You really like your lightsaber tattoo," Jesse didn't see it coming but she seemed to dig it.

"I don't mind it. Besides, it's fun when strangers say space gibberish to me." She shrugged.

"It won't gibberish in a few days, though," Benji said.

"Wait, what? You're going to watch Starwars? I am shocked." Beca simply rolled her eyes in response.

"You can come watch it with us if you want," Benji invited.

"I would love nothing more than to watch Starwars with you two. When are you doing this?" He looked at them.

"This weekend," Benji told him. "Probably at the Bellas' house." He glanced at Beca who nodded her head.

"You know what? You should come over to my place. I have both original and prequel trilogies. Wanna do this chronically or respect the release dates. I vote release dates."

"Who said anything about trilogies?" Beca mumbled through a mouthful of cake. "We're just gonna watch the first one this weekend." She kicked off her combat boots—it was way past midnight on a weeknight, most of the guests had left.

"Come on, you can't be serious. You can't just watch A New Hope," he said in disbelief. "Benji, back me up, man."

"Can't force Beca to watch all six movies."

"No, of course not. That's not what I meant." He paused and rolled his eyes when Beca gave him a look of disbelief. "Well, then you watch A New Hope and if you really like it you watch Empire Strikes Back and if you like it you watch Return of the Jedi."

"Fine, nerd." She sighed. "Just don't cry." She slapped the back of his neck playfully and went back to eating her cake.

She looked up when Stacie stopped not too far from where she was sitting and cursed under her breath seeing that her teammate was scanning through radio stations on the stereo, silently praying Stacie didn't settle for 95.7 aka WBUJ.

"Oh, I love this song," Jesse said when he heard It Must Be Love by Madness and sang along when Stacie turned the volume up a few notches.

Beca considered changing her prayers to no one noticing it's WBUJ and that the music playing had a very obvious theme then figured why ever bother when praying didn't work out the first time around.

"When are you going to open your presents, Beca?" Stacie asked. "It's just us now you won't have to pretend you like it if you don't."

Beca noticed then that everyone left and it was just the Bellas plus Benji and Jesse.

"Well, just us-ish," Stacie corrected herself, glancing at Jesse and Benji.

"And I'm out," Jesse chuckled, getting up.

"So am I," Benji followed in tow.

"I am seriously offended you both think I'd pretend to like your presents if I don't really like 'em," Beca said and put the plate of cake on the coffee table before she started making her way to where they kept the presents she received, glancing behind her when Jesse, Benji, and Stacie followed her.

She really wanted to see what Jesse got her but resisted the urge, sitting down Indian style on the floor and picking presents randomly.

"Keeping it classy, Stacie," Beca deadpanned, flipping the book Stacie got for her entitled How to Bonk in Public around to check the back cover.

"Always," Stacie grinned.

"Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die Tour," Beca read out loud from one of the two concert tickets. "This is awesome, Benji," she exclaimed, seeing that The Colourist, Junior Prom, and Panic! At the Disco were going to perform at the event in Atlanta GA on February 7th. "I love these bands."

"I figured from the music you play at the radio station," he smiled relieved she liked his present.

"I'm familiar with Panic at the Disco," Jesse began to say. "Are the other two up and coming or have been living under a rock?"

"No, they've been around. They're just indie," Beca answered with a shrug.

"WBUJ's slogan is music for the independent mind, they'd only play indie music if they could," Stacie chimed in.

"Tonight seems to be an exception," Cynthia Rose said overhearing them before she turned the volume up, jamming to Nelly and Kelly Rowland's Dilemma.

"Eh, we took requests," Beca smoothly lied and was glad everyone seemed to buy it. "Dude, this must've cost you a shit ton of money," Beca said once she unwrapped the present Jesse got her to find the latest Native Instruments smart keyboard.

"Wanna try it out now?" Jesse asked, deciding to ignore her remark about the cost.

"Yes." She got up while Jesse picked the keyboard that was still in its box.

He followed her upstairs and to her room. "Put it on my bed until I figure out where to put it," she told him while she started her laptop.

She rapidly plugged the keyboard into her laptop and loudspeakers then rubbed her hands together. "Alright, what do I play?" she asked.

"What do you know how to play?" he asked back.

"Not to brag or anything but I can pick up the melody so if I know the song I can figure out the notes."

"You sound like you're bragging." He chuckled.

"Got a suggestion or not?"

"Okay…" he trailed off, thinking. "Can't Help Falling in Love," he suggested. "You know Elvis' song?" he added, frowning at the blank look she had on her face.

"Yeah, I can play Can't Help Falling in Love," she grumbled. "Just give me a second," let out a breath then hummed it quietly before she started playing it.

"God, this song sounds awesome on the piano," Jesse noted, taking a seat on the floor next to Beca who was on her knees by the bed with her hands on the keyboard.

'You have got to be fucking kidding me,' Beca internally groaned when Jesse started to sing the chorus once she got to it.

Why did he have to have amazing vocals that made her want to do dirty things to him more than anything else?

"I'm so jealous you can play by ear not just from memory," he stopped singing briefly to say.

"It's not that big of a deal when you regularly play the piano and, like, do it for fun." She shrugged, looking at him from the corner of her eyes when he got on his knees and tensed up when got too close.

"You play it really well but you're messing up a little here," he mumbled, resting his fingers on the keyboard to demonstrate.

She nodded and played what he just showed her correctly when he pulled his hand back.

"Damn, you're good," he mumbled and she couldn't help but smirk.

"Thanks." Beca tilted her head and instantly regretted it. The wise thing to do was to put some distance between them or just get the hell out of there to be safe and avoid the awkwardness that was bound to follow once she gave in and kissed him.

"This smart keyboard is really good. It sounds like an actual piano," Jesse noted.

"Uh huh," she absent-mindedly replied.

"Like, I thought about getting you a piano then thought you'd appreciate a keyboard you can hook to your laptop and make music with more," he told her, playing a random combination of notes.

"I love it," she mumbled, fixating on his lips as she slowly gravitated towards him.

"You have cake frosting on your cheek," he said, tilting his head, and snapping her out of her very indecent thoughts.

Beca pulled her head back, feeling like an idiot for what she almost did but thankfully did not do.

"We should probably go downstairs," she mumbled as she used the sleeve of her sweatshirt to clean her cheek.

"Yeah," he nodded and got up, giving her his hand that she took.

"Thanks again for the keyboard."

"I'm so glad you like it. I struggle with buying presents for people I care about. It's so stressful and hard to find something both useful and meaningful."

She was starting to loathe that word, meaningful.

"You missed it," he told her and reached to clean the cake frosting himself, glancing behind her to look at the clock on her nightstand. "Wow, it's getting really late," he realized.

"Do you have something important to wake up for tomorrow?" Beca asked as she tried not to focus on how his touch made her feel.

"No," he answered. "I don't want to overstay my welcome." He shrugged. "I'll see if Benji wants a ride and head out."

"That won't be necessary The Trebles are our neighbors," she informed, tilting her head to look at the door when she heard a knock.

"You guys need anything? Some snacks, a condom, let me know?" Stacie who was at the door said quoting Regina George's mother from Mean Girls.

Unlike Jesse who chuckled, Beca didn't get the reference. "It's from Mean Girls, Beca," he informed and she nodded her head, following him out of her bedroom.

Beca walked Jesse to the door and pathetically melted into the hug he gave her, wishing it could last longer. "Night, weirdo," he mumbled into her hair, squeezing her tightly then pulling away.

"Night," she echoed, holding onto the doorknob and watching him make his way to his car before she closed the door.

"Aren't you gonna finish opening up your presents?" Fat Amy asked when Beca took a seat on the couch and resumed eating her piece of cake.

"I'll open the rest tomorrow," Beca replied. She decided to eat her feelings and think about what she was going to do next since busing herself and ignoring her feelings didn't do much.

Feeling a gaze on her, she tilted her head and found Benji, who was helping the girls clean, looking at her. He put the garbage bag in which he was putting used plastic plates on the floor and sat down next to her.

Benji awkwardly patted her thigh, failing to find comforting words, and then threw his arm around her shoulder when she leaned into his side.

"You were right, Benji," she told him, referring back to when he told her he thought she was falling for Jesse and she denied it.

"I know," he mumbled.

"Why did you say you believe me then?" She lifted her head to look at him.

"Because you didn't want to believe I was right," he said in response, smiling apologetically at her.

She sighed and filled her mouth with cake, resting her head against his shoulder.

"What are you gonna do about it?" he asked.

"Nothing," she answered after swallowing the cake.

"You're not gonna tell him?" She could hear the confusion in his voice.

"Nope," she curtly replied. "Want some?" She held the fork up, tilting head just enough she could see him, then brought it to her mouth when he shook his head.

AN: An almost 5k chapter all about Beca and her new feelings. I hope it entertained you. Feedback is very welcomed. Thanks for reading, folks!