2012

One takeaway Stacie had from that first night at the Bella House was that while Aubrey was not a stranger to same-sex attraction, she had not yet fulfilled the whole range of activities involved in college experimentation. And, surprisingly to Stacie, none of the activities she had indulged in had involved Chloe, despite their evident closeness and Chloe's lack of inhibitions.

It was one of the reasons Stacie hadn't pushed for more that night, because despite her own lack of restraint sexually, she understood that there were still some things that deserved more than just a quick round in the middle of the night while their friends got drunk on the floor below.

She figured, she had one shot at this, and who was going to say no to graduation sex, really?

(Or just sex, full stop.)

And, admittedly, the part of her that was a hunter kind of thrilled at the possibility of being Aubrey's ultimate college experiment.

She hadn't planned a sexual encounter as meticulously as she had Aubrey's graduation night, and really, in hindsight, she really should have stopped to ask herself why.

But just in case Aubrey said no to sex, Stacie reasoned that she could afford at least two pay-per-view movies and breakfast; or if Aubrey said no in general, hotel bookings could be canceled, or there were other graduates who could step in as consolation.

But Aubrey, completely sober, had observed Stacie the moment the freshman had entered the hotel ballroom, slowly ran her gaze down the taller girl's form, and when they crossed the distance from each other, had left no doubt in Stacie's mind that the hotel room was going to be used.

It would be easy to describe that stolen moment as sex, no strings, the simple release of a year's worth of attraction.

And it was. "Stolen". In the way that they went about it in secret, taken surreptitiously and outside of anyone's knowledge. None of their friends knew, or probably would ever know, that after Aubrey officially stopped being a Barden University student and Barden Bellas captain, she threw caution and responsibility out the window and allowed herself a few hours to just be with Stacie.

Because who knew when they could have this again, when they would be able to have a moment like this, without worrying about what happened after.

Because nothing had changed: Aubrey was still leaving. And Stacie was still reluctant to be tied down to a relationship, especially one where one half of the relationship wouldn't even be in the same state.

But every touch, every kiss, every glance that were meant to excise their desire only served to do the opposite, what was supposed to sate only made them want more, and in the end, when their lust burned itself out to faint embers, they had carved out places for themselves in each other against their will and knowledge.

It was a moment. Pushing further what they had started that night at the Barden Bellas house, now that they no longer needed to be discreet or worry about what happens after. Because they both knew what was going to happen, once they left the room, and they had resigned themselves to it, in a way others would not have been so willing to accept.

But Aubrey was pragmatic, and Stacie was realistic, and they both knew that any relationship they started at that point, beyond that hotel room, could only end in disaster.

They were reluctant to leave the bed the morning after Aubrey's graduation day, and maybe as a preemptive strike against labeling the encounter as a one-night stand, ended up staying an extra night, splitting the final bill on Monday morning.

Aubrey, who had brought her car to the hotel, drove them back to campus, the Barden University campus noticeably less crowded that Monday, after exams and graduation, most of its student population having left the day after exams; and even Chloe, who had stayed just long enough to attend the graduation ceremony, had left the very afternoon of that Saturday. The quiet campus made the two women feel like the little bubble they had created in that hotel room extended for a little while longer.

Stacie had already moved most of her things to the Barden Bellas' house, but the things she was bringing home were still in her freshman dorm room, and if she was surprised Aubrey followed her up to her old room, she didn't express it. She sat down on her bed, her roommate already left for the summer, as evidenced by the bare shelves of the other side of the room. She looked at Aubrey, who lingered by the door. "When are you leaving?"

Aubrey smiled wryly. "Two hours ago. But I'm driving, so..."

Stacie chuckled softly. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Aubrey shook her head. "You?"

"Train ticket's for four."

In just over an hour. If they had stayed at the hotel past check out time, they would have missed it. Which meant Stacie had put in a contingency plan to her original plan of just one night. Aubrey glanced at the packed bags, and nodded. "Do you want me to drive you?"

Stacie shook her head. "That's... no."

"Too cliché?" Aubrey guessed.

"I like you here, like this." Stacie nodded. She stood up and went to her bags, rummaging through a backpack and pulling out a box. She approached Aubrey. "I got you something. A graduation present, I guess."

"You didn't have to."

"I know." Stacie had to smile. "Let's say it was Plan B if you didn't like my original idea of a graduation gift."

Aubrey gave her a wry look.

"I didn't have time to wrap it, though." Stacie continued, handing the box over.

Aubrey opened the plain brown box and extracted... "A metronome?" She looked up questioningly at Stacie.

Stacie nodded. "I know there are apps for that, or whatever, but I thought you might like it, being, you know-"

"Obsessive/Compulsive?" Aubrey filled in.

"I was going to say 'regimented'." Stacie replied.

"Sure you were." Aubrey said, amused.

Stacie stuck her tongue out at the blonde. "My point is, you could use this either to help with your stress and anxiety, or as a really cool paperweight."

Aubrey looked down at the wooden metronome, at the dark wood finish of the case, and unlatched the cover, glancing over the mechanism. Aubrey bit her lip as she considered the thoughtfulness that went into picking such a gift, knowing how much grief she had put the Bellas through, including Stacie, given the level of stress she had put on herself over the course of the year. And here Stacie was, giving her something she thought would help. She put the cover back and returned the metronome inside its box, and she looked up to smile softly at Stacie. "Thank you."

"I know, it doesn't exactly scream 'happy graduation', but-"

Aubrey shook her head, cutting her off. "No. It's perfect. Thank you, really."

Stacie watched her, trying to gauge the sincerity of her response. "You like it? Really?"

Aubrey nodded. "I love it."

Stacie's smile was beatific, and it took Aubrey's breath away to witness it. To realize she had made Stacie smile that way.

Aubrey cleared her throat, and glanced away. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you to the station?"

"I already had a cab scheduled."

"Oh. OK." Aubrey had to admit, Stacie's resourcefulness was a remarkable surprise, given her tendency towards flighty behavior around the Bellas.

Stacie was about to offer to call off the cab, since it was the second time Aubrey had offered and she wanted to take Aubrey up on the offer, but her phone beeped that very moment, and it was from the cab company confirming a taxi had been deployed to pick her up.

"For the record, though, I liked the original graduation gift better." Aubrey noted suddenly.

Stacie grinned, and laughed softly. "Me too."

Aubrey hefted the box in her hands, her face pulled in a thoughtful frown. "But between this and the room... that must have cost you."

"Don't think about it." Stacie shook her head. "Worth every penny."

"Stacie."

"Shhh." Stacie shook her head again. "It's rude to talk about money so soon after sex. Show some manners."

"But-"

"You're worth every cent, Aubrey."

They both paused as the implications of the statement sank in.

Aubrey's frown deepened. "That sounds..."

Stacie also frowned. "A little too sleazy, right? I realized it after I said it. I didn't mean to make you sound like a prostitute, I swear."

A shadow passed behind Aubrey's eyes, making her hesitate, before she tentatively started, "I know we said – we agreed – that we can't start anything, not now, not when…" She sighed. "I wish circumstances were different."

"But they're not." Stacie reminded.

Aubrey nodded. "I don't want you to think this is in any way a reflection on you, or how I think of you, or that last night was just—"

"Aubrey." Stacie cut in, gently, stemming the flow of words that she wasn't sure she was ready to hear. "We talked pretty extensively about what the past two nights were. I think we're all talked out on that point. I know it wasn't just sex, or it wasn't just you having one last gay-until-graduation romp. And you know it wasn't just me trying to nail my Bella captain. We're clear on that… or I thought we were." Stacie slowly smiled, trying to ease the tension of the conversation. "Or is this your really convoluted way of telling me just how hot you think I am?"

Aubrey exhaled loudly, accepting the redirect for what it was. "Then I guess I'll just say that you're really hot, but I wish you'd clue other people in that you're not just a pretty face."

Stacie grinned. "You think I'm pretty?"

Aubrey gave her a look of gentle rebuke, reprimanding her for making light of a serious statement.

"Okay." Stacie met her gaze, looking at Aubrey meaningfully. "But only if you agree to stop trying to be some machine that gets everything right all the time."

"I don't-"

Stacie gave her a knowing look.

Aubrey sighed in defeat. "Fine."

"I mean it, Aubrey. Cut yourself some slack."

Aubrey nodded.

"Good." Stacie glanced at her phone again, and gestured towards her bags. "Now help me bring those to the taxi downstairs."

"Oh, is that how it is?" Aubrey asked in good humor, placing the metronome on the shelf beside her.

"Hey, you're the one who brought up how much the room and your present cost." Stacie reminded.

Aubrey rolled her eyes, and moved towards the bags. Stacie caught her arm first, and brought her back into a tight hug. Surprised, Aubrey could only lift her arms and return the embrace. They stood there quietly, holding each other tightly, refusing to be the first to relinquish the contact.

Aubrey was infinitely glad that Stacie was wearing flats while her own high heels made her a few inches taller, which made their embrace easier to manage, because she was not eager to let Stacie go just yet. "Hey, it's okay. You're okay. We're okay."

"I'm going to miss you." Stacie confessed into the crux where Aubrey's neck met her shoulder.

Aubrey's chuckle was a little choked up. "I'll miss you too, Stacie."

"Let's go back to the hotel." Stacie said, only half-jokingly.

"Yes." Aubrey agreed, but only tightened her arms around Stacie. "We should go, before your cab leaves."

"Yeah." Stacie nodded, but didn't let Aubrey go, either.

After one last squeeze, Aubrey reluctantly let go of the taller girl, and stepped towards the bags again. They worked in silence, an almost oppressive silence that hung between them as they gathered Stacie's bags and brought them downstairs to the waiting cab. After stowing everything in the trunk, they stood together by the car, awkward, both of them ignoring the bored and exasperated look on the cab driver's face.

"I guess..." Aubrey fidgeted with the metronome box in her hands, and exhaled. She smiled at Stacie. "Don't be a stranger, Stacie."

"You either." Stacie returned. "Have a good summer?"

Aubrey gave her a wry look.

Stacie smiled weakly, before she hesitated, and cleared her throat. "I just…" She sighed. "Thank you."

"For?" Aubrey asked curiously.

"Last…" Stacie paused, and then smiled faintly. "I'm gonna say 'last night' but really, everything."

Aubrey returned her smile with a weak one of her own. "Me too. I'm… happy we had… this." She paused, unsure. "I'm glad we became friends." Still not quite what she wanted to say. She sighed in defeat, realizing she actually had no idea what she really wanted to say. She looked up at Stacie. "I wish we had more time."

Stacie forced a smile, because, yes, she knew the feeling. "Me too."

Aubrey smiled grimly, and took a step back. "You should go, or you could miss your train."

Stacie nodded, but then she looked down, before looking back up at Aubrey. "Aubrey? I'll get it, you know, if you… I mean, I don't expect weekly phone calls or anything, you'll be busy and I do better in person," Stacie saw Aubrey start to protest, but she shook her head adamantly. "Don't do that, don't argue because we both know I'm right. We never really did long conversations before we started, you know, making out. But, uh, if you... you know, someone else? Meet, or… more? Find a way to not have me know, for a little while."

Aubrey wanted to protest, the objection ready and willing, but she couldn't say anything for certain, and she had no idea what the future held in store for her, or for either of them. She relented, resigned, because if nothing else, she could be honest with Stacie. "You too."

Stacie nodded.

"I can't promise anything," Aubrey started, then grimaced at the fact that she was already making excuses for herself. "I mean, I'll try to call."

"You don't have to."

"I know." Aubrey exhaled, and smiled weakly. "But I'll try, OK? You're not getting rid of me so easily."

Stacie smiled back, biting her lip to keep from blurting out what she was sure would be something stupid, and only nodded.

"Have a good life, Stacie." Aubrey said softly. "Be safe."

Stacie frowned at the parting words, and her frown deepened as she watched Aubrey turn towards her car. She forced joviality into her voice as she called out, "Hey, Aubrey."

Aubrey turned back questioningly.

"Aren't you even gonna kiss me goodbye?" Stacie asked, teasingly, giving her a grin.

Aubrey laughed softly, and with a few short strides, had herself pressed against Stacie, sharing a deep kiss that said more than words ever could.

.

A/N: Shh, yes, I know. There will be no explicit smut here, just heavily implied.

And I'm sure you have questions: patience. (You can ask them, though. Go right on ahead.)

But I'm feeling a little down right now, so please try to be kind when reviewing.