I can't believe we are at Chapter 20, it's been such an amazing honour to write for you guys, and receive all the feedback you have based on this fic!
Keep the support up!
Chapter 20
Beca couldn't sleep that night. She tried, but the nights' events had kept her up, she had been staring at the ceiling for hours her mind racing, eventually, she carefully lifted Chloe's arm that had found itself positioned over her lower torso. She grabbed a maroon Harvard hoodie that Stacie had given to her as a joke, claiming it was the closest she'd ever get to the place, and she had to agree, academics were never her thing. She slowly walked down the stairs and her eyes widened at how clean the place was, everyone had cleared out and all the decorations had been taken down. She kept walking until she reached the door of the studio, it wasn't as advanced as the one she had back in LA but it was good enough that she could work on tracks for people if she was down here. She'd had some lyrics in her head for a while and she really wanted to get them down, she walked over to the piano she had in there and ran her fingers over the ivory keys they dipped slightly as they fell over the ridges between each one. She took her place on the plush seat and enjoyed the familiarity that came with it, the security of being in a place she could call 'home'. Music had always been her home, the place she felt safe and could always return to when everything else failed. Music gave her sense of confidence, a place where she could be herself and express what words couldn't, a place where the outside didn't matter, only the lyrics and the beat.
She rested her fingers on the keys and softly pushed down on the correct chords creating a beautiful yet simple melody.
Skinny Love - Birdy
Come on skinny love just last the year
Pour a little salt we were never here
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer
Beca felt so much emotion running through her as she sung the lyrics, any song she'd written had had a meaning and this one was no exception. She'd gone through a lot of hardship in her life, so much pain, and loss and this was her outlet, her escape because to her putting words on a page and singing them was a lot easier than saying them, a crazy logic, sure - but it worked.
I tell my love to wreck it all
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Right in the moment this order's tall
I told you to be patient
I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced
I told you to be kind
In the morning I'll be with you
But it will be a different "kind"
I'll be holding all the tickets
And you'll be owning all the fines
Come on skinny love what happened here
Suckle on the hope in lite brassiere
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
Sullen load is full; so slow on the split
She didn't know what to feel as she sung, anger, hurt, happiness relief? It was all a blur, a mass of emotions, her chest hurt, it was heavy, and tears were threatening to fall but she reigned them back in.
I told you to be patient
I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced
I told you to be kind
Now all your love is wasted?
Then who the hell was I?
Now I'm breaking at the britches
And at the end of all your lines
Who will love you?
Who will fight?
Who will fall far behind?
Come on skinny love
My, my, my, my, my, my, my, my
She had been singing with such power and beauty, locked away in her own world she didn't notice a redhead leaning in the frame of the door, hair tousled, she was wearing one of Beca's plaid shirts, only two of the buttons up. She had a smile on her face, admiring the brunette as she'd been playing. She'd woken up to an empty bed and had feared the worst, but as she became more awake she could hear the faint sound of a piano being played an angelic and pure voice singing along, she followed the sound and as she reached downstairs the voice became more distinct, she knew it was Beca's and that intrigued her, she hadn't heard Beca's voice properly before, it had been featured on a few of the songs she'd produced but she'd never released a full song.
She stood in the door frame and listened as Beca seemed to be putting all her emotions into the words she sang, it was a beautiful sight seeing her raw and vulnerable, it seemed too important to interrupt so she just stood there and watched, and she did have to admit Beca did look incredibly attractive when she was singing, more than she normally did. Chloe listened to the lyrics of the song and wondered who it was about, it was clear that something had happened in her past, and that everything she was feeling was being poured out into the words that were coming out of her mouth.
"Hey," Chloe said softly once Beca had finished. Beca turned around and Chloe saw the tear tracks that were evident on the brunette's face - rawness and vulnerability - it was a different side of the girl that Chloe hadn't seen before, the usual confident, sarcastic and funny girl had been pushed aside. Beca must have seen the concern on Chloe's face and frantically wiped the tears away, forcing a smile, she waved Chloe over to her. She opened up her arms and Chloe sat down on Beca's lap pulling her in for a hug, resting her chin on the smaller girl's head, as she buried her face into the redhead's neck, clutching at the neck of her shirt and pressing herself impossibly closer.
"Hey," Beca whispered after a while, removing her head from Chloe's neck, looking at her eyes, they had always calmed her, something about the ocean-lik blue, that never failed to draw her in, sort of like the ocean itself, the further you go, the harder it is to get back out, the current becomes stronger until you get stuck, that's how she felt with Chloe, the closer and closer she got with her the harder it was to pull away, but Beca found herself only swimming further out to sea, and she didn't care.
"That was a beautiful song," Chloe complimented, she was given a smile in response. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, they were just relaxing in each other's company.
"It was about someone in my past," Beca confessed, but before Chloe could say anything Beca spoke up again.
"Her name was Olivia, she was very pretty. I met her in a club, I had been spinning that night and had just finished my set. I bought her a drink and we hit it off right away, we shared similar interests in music and other things, unlike the other girls I'd take home at the end of the night, she felt...different. Like she understood me. I got her number and then we texted back and forth for a few weeks until Stacie convinced me to ask her out. I was my normal awkward self but the date went really well...too well. I was too blind to see it, but she became everything I wanted until my work began to pick up, I had to work long hours, sometimes all night. It was stressful for me and as soon as I returned home, she would always be pissed at me, even though I'd let her know I'd be working. I thought she understood, this had been my dream, for so long and it was finally coming true. We'd always be in an argument, her claiming I never paid her any attention even when I made every effort to make time. I'd get home from work, plan a date and we'd be good as new then as soon as I was back at work it would all start up again. I wanted it to work, but I couldn't do it, it was too hard, there wasn't any love anymore if there even was any. So we broke up, she blamed the whole thing on me of course. I began drinking, partying, my life became a mess. Then Stacie and Jesse had had enough they slapped the shit out of me, told me to grow the fuck up and sort my life out. I had a business to run by that point it was just taking off, so I put all of my energy into that, and it worked. But, I'm in a better place now, and I'm grateful for everything that has gotten me to this point," Beca finished.
Chloe didn't say anything, she just leant down and gave Beca a sweet kiss on the cheek, then wrapped her arms around her neck, Beca put her's around the redhead's waist. How long they stayed like that neither of them knew, but neither of them cared.
What felt like hours later, Beca asked Chloe if she wanted anything to eat.
"Is this you offering to cook, Mitchell?" Chloe teased.
"No. This is me attempting cook, but I will have you know, I have become a master of blueberry pancakes," Beca said proudly, a wide grin plastered on her face.
"Hmm," Chloe said sceptically, she wasn't completely confident in the brunette's abilities to use a frying pan without burning something or getting it stuck to the ceiling - yes the ceiling.
"Hey!" Beca said swatting Chloe in the arm. "I'm going to prove you so wrong!" Beca said determinedly.
"Right," Chloe said nodding her head with a smile.
"I'm going to make you the best pancakes you've ever had before," Beca stated.
"Is that so?" Chloe questioned amused at the girl's confidence.
"Yep! So off you get, while I go and work my Mitchell Magic," Beca said tapping Chloe's leg, which was still on top of Beca's, she hopped off and let Beca go into the kitchen and prepare her 'the best pancakes she'd ever had before'.
Around half an hour later and only limited complaints from the brunette on how, "why can't we get takeout", "this is ridiculous, I give up," and "Chloe! It won't come off the pan! Help!" They were sitting on one of the islands cutlery clattering against the plates as they finished up the meal that was only partially burned but apart from Chloe had to admit they weren't too bad, she was definitely impressed by the brunette considering making a salad seemed to be a stretch a few weeks ago.
"Hmm," Beca said after she'd finished, a grimace forming on her face. "Yeah, maybe not the best pancakes in the world," she admitted sheepishly.
"Maybe not.."Chloe said with a laugh, "We'll work on them though," she promised to put her hand on the brunette's slumped shoulders.
"So what do you want to do today?" Beca asked, perking up.
"Don't you have any plans today?" Chloe asked, checking through her phone.
"Nope, I cleared it so we can do something," Beca said with a smile. Chloe looked at her confused. "I still have my ways, Beale," she said with a smirk.
Chloe shook her head with a laugh, resting it on her hand, thinking about what she wanted to do, "Do you maybe want to go and see my family, you've all they've been talking about over the phone,"
Beca raised her eyebrows. "Whatever you said to my Dad and brother clearly made an impact, they love you already," she said with a smile.
"I just talked to them about my cars, Alex said he saw the keys and was wondering if they were all mine, then your Dad joined in and we all ended up discussing them," she said thinking back to her talk with them, they had both been so easy-going and easy to talk to, like Chloe. Beca wondered if it was the Beale gene that made them all that way or they were all just naturally great people.
"Well, whatever you said worked," Chloe confirmed, Beca looked at her and there was only honestly behind her eyes.
"Erm, actually could we maybe talk?" Beca asked suddenly.
"Sure," Chloe said, having a feeling about what she wanted to talk about.
They moved into the living room and both sat on the sofa, "So.." Beca began.
"Last night," Chloe continued.
"I didn't regret it," they both said at the same time, a smile creeping onto both their faces.
"So do you..umm..want to do this, you know..like properly?"Beca asked nervously.
Chloe thought it was really cute how nervous the brunette was, but honestly, she was so scared, she knew Beca was undeniably different from Tom, yet the fear of being in a relationship was still there. Beca must have sensed the hesitation from Chloe because she began spitballing.
"Oh my gosh, I knew it was too fast, what was I thinking. Look, erm don't worry about it, forget I said-"Beca was cut off by the redhead's lips on hers. She sighed into the kiss, moving her hands to pull Chloe into her lap, so the redhead was straddling her.
"Yes," Chloe said between kisses.
"Yes," Beca repeated.
"Yes," Chloe repeated, Beca attached her lips to the girl in front of her again, gripping her hips and pulling them impossibly close.
After a few minutes, they both pulled away, both sporting swollen lips and large grins.
"Can we wait?" Beca asked, a blush rising to her cheeks.
"Wait?" Chloe questioned confused.
"To have sex I mean, I just want it to be special, and I don't want to rush anything," Beca admitted, looking down at the floor embarrassed.
Chloe hooked her finger under Beca's chin and pulled it up, "Of course we can wait," Chloe said giving her sweet and simple kiss. Beca smiled lovingly up at her.
"Now come on, we need to get to my parent's house, I don't think Alex is working today either," Chloe mentioned.
"Alright then," Beca said.
"Now Mitchell let's move, we don't have all day," Chloe said rising up from Beca's lap, and pulling on her arm, trying to get her up but Beca sunk all her weight down and sat smugly watching the redhead attempt to lift her.
"Becs!" Chloe exclaimed, with a laugh.
"Nope," Beca said adamantly, she found it funny how she could easily annoy the girl.
"I will leave you here," Chloe threatened.
"It's my house," Beca stated with a smile, still not rising from the sofa.
"Beca!" Chloe whined.
"Okay, okay fine, I'll go get dressed," she said in defeat. Her being replied with a wide grin from Chloe.
"It's been 5 minutes and I already feel whipped," Beca muttered quietly.
"What was that?" Chloe asked from up the stairs - how had she head that?!
"Nothing," Beca replied innocently. She was happy, she had her girl, her music, everything was right, she just had to go and meet to parents - again, and a scary older brother who'd properly threaten her if she ever hurt his baby sister.
She thought about what she'd say, would it change anything between them, does she have to make another good impression? The first one was hard enough! What if they hated her now? Oh my god, this was all just too much to handle. But a shout removed her from her thoughts.
"Mitchell! Let's move!" Was called from upstairs.
"Yes dear," Beca replied with a laugh.
Maybe it wouldn't be that bad - right?
Thoughts? What will happen at Chloe's parent's house, will all go well? Please review and let me know what you think!