Here's the second and final part to this. This story was one of my favorite to write.
Special shout-out to my amazing beta, Wonderstruckkk!
Enjoy!
Chloe peers down at her watch. The big arrow hasn't moved much since she's last looked at it a minute ago. With a sigh, she tries to focus on the task in front of her but ends up frowning at her algebra problem ten seconds in.
"Chloe," Aubrey mutters, glancing up from her law book with a pointed look. "The whole table is shaking."
Chloe gives her an apologetic smile and stamps her foot down on the ground to still her bouncing knee. "Sorry. I can't concentrate."
She's going on a date with Beca. Beca, the quiet girl she met two months ago and who has been on her mind ever since. The girl she kissed a week ago.
"You look like Christmas has just been forwarded one week," Aubrey says with a chuckle, just before she pulls a face, "It's kind of nauseating."
"Yeah, I'm just…" the words die on her tongue as she tries to pinpoint how to translate what she's feeling exactly ever since she kissed Beca; that warmth in her chest, that constant need to smile and that tingling in her belly. "…happy."
That kiss was better than what she'd imagined, and boy, had she spent a lot of time lately imagining it. It was gentle at first, leaving Beca time and space to pull away if she wanted to. It wasn't the kind of kiss that caused an eruption of fireworks behind her eyelids, but one that made something click into place within her. Almost like a puzzle she has so dearly wanted to find the solution to all these years, shifting its pieces on its own until it was complete.
"Well, it looks good on you." Aubrey states with a gentle smile, stirring Chloe from her daze. She blinks and reaches across the table to squeeze the blonde's hand.
"Thanks, Bree."
By 7, Chloe is a fidgeting mess; a mixture of excitement and nervousness. She's changed outfits three times, before deciding to settle for simple dark jeans, a white blouse and brown leather boots. There's a knock at the door at precisely seven-thirty, and Chloe knows, from the quietness of the knock and the time precision that it's Beca.
When she opens the door, she's quite taken aback by how cute the younger girl looks in one of her signature plaid shirts, leather jacket, dark blue jeans and black biker boots. Chloe notes that Beca's makeup is lighter than usual, and it makes her steel-blue eyes stand out.
"Hi," she greets warmly, pressing a quick kiss to Beca's cheek, the move making the brunette flush.
"H-hey," Beca clears her throat and hands Chloe a bouquet of flowers. "For you."
Chloe raises an eyebrow in surprise as she takes the lilies in her hands.
"Thank you. You didn't have to get me flowers, Beca."
Beca winces and Chloe winces, too, though for different reasons, she imagines. Maybe she shouldn't have said that, because it seems to have given Beca a confidence complex.
"Is it," Beca stops mid-sentence and closes her eyes briefly, "Is it too much?"
"No, no, that's not what I meant. I was just being polite, I love that you got me flowers. They're beautiful."
"Oh," Beca puffs out. "Okay, cool."
Chloe bites down on her lips to stifle a laugh and to keep herself from telling Beca how cute she thinks the shorter girl is. The gesture doesn't go unnoticed by Beca who shoves her lightly.
"Shut up."
"I didn't say anything!" Chloe counters, barking out a laugh.
Beca challenges her with a quirked eyebrow.
"I didn't!"
Beca rolls her eyes and waves her hand towards the door.
"Come on."
Chloe hurries to get the flowers in some water and grabs her coat, beanie and scarf. The air that greets them outside is cold enough to make her shudder, and wrap her coat tighter around her, but then Beca grabs her hand with her glove-covered one and the touch alone suffices to warm up her entire body.
To her surprise, they end up at an Italian restaurant ten minutes away from campus. Chloe loves this place; it's her favorite restaurant in Barden, and she is aware Beca knows that, too. She wonders if Beca is fine with being here, though. From the way she squeaks out her name to the waiter for the reservation, Chloe doubts it. But she lets it slide and follows Beca to their table. The place is quite crowded as it's a Friday night, and the chatter around them is very much present.
Beca seems to be handling it well, until the waiter comes around to take their order. Chloe gives hers; basil and tomato pasta with garlic bread and a glass of white wine. When she looks up to glance at Beca, she finds the brunette tapping her fingers on the clothed table, and arranging her fork and knife so that they are perfectly aligned.
"Beca?" she asks cautiously, tilting her head to try and seek her gaze. When she doesn't get any eye-contact, she glances up to the waiter. "Can you give us a minute, please?"
The man smiles kindly, "Of course."
She waits until he's out of earshot and leans across the table, stilling Beca's fingers before they can arrange the cutlery some more. Chloe taps on the back of Beca's hand to pull her attention to her, but Beca keeps avoiding her eyes.
"We don't have to stay," she hints gently, thumb grazing Beca's knuckles.
"It's-" Beca sighs, her other hand curling into a fist as she battles to get words out.
Chloe knows what she's going to say; that it's Chloe's favorite restaurant, hence why they should stay.
"It's just a restaurant," Chloe replies to the unspoken statement. "I just want you to be comfortable, and I can tell that you're not. It doesn't matter to me where this date takes place. I just want to spend time with you."
The disappointment etched in Beca's features makes Chloe's chest feel heavy.
"How about…" Beca's eyes finally meet hers hesitantly, "This place does take-away. How about we order something and go eat somewhere quieter?"
Beca manages a smile and a nod, and Chloe grins back.
She points at the menu, "Just tell me what you want, and I'll go order."
Once Beca has chosen, Chloe goes up to the counter to order their food and Beca insists on paying, not with her words, but by holding Chloe's flailing hands until she's managed to swipe her card in the device. Chloe huffs; the girl may be tiny, but she sure is strong.
"Alright, I'll pay next time, then," Chloe grumbles without really thinking about it, and her eyes widen slightly at her own presumption that there will be a next time.
Her racing heartbeat calms down when Beca kisses the apple of her cheek, as if to reassure her. Unsurprisingly, it works.
Fifteen minutes later, both girls walk back to campus, bags of food in hand, intending to eat their meal in Chloe's room, which is a tad bigger than Beca's and well, roommate-less.
"Oh, I have a better idea!" she exclaims, halfway to her dorm, and grabs Beca's hand to take her to the auditorium. It's where they first started hanging out after all, and one of the places where their relationship evolved.
She fishes out her key and opens the heavy door, letting Beca go in first. Chloe fetches a few cushions from the closet and arranges them on the floor next to the piano.
"Thank you," Beca says after they've sat down. "Here is better. And I'm sorry, I…I thought I could handle it."
"It's okay, Bec," Chloe replies with a wave of the hand, adding a wink for good measure before digging into the paper box containing her meal. "Bon appetit!"
Conversation flows once Beca has gotten her bearings back, and Chloe doesn't know why she was so nervous. She was Beca's friend before the date, and that makes conversing easier, as they have some knowledge about one another from the last three months. Still, it sounds like she has plenty more to learn about Beca.
"You want to move to LA?" Chloe asks, eyebrows raising in surprise.
Beca nods.
"My dad wants me to have an education first and join into the 'college life'," a sigh makes its way past her lips as she stabs a pasta with her fork. "He doesn't get it."
Chloe knows 'it' refers to Beca's inability to socialize.
"I'm sorry."
Beca shrugs, eyes falling to her finished meal.
"It's fine."
Chloe surges forward to grab Beca's hand and squeeze it.
"I hope you can make it out to LA. From what I heard on the flash drive, there's no doubt in my mind you'll be a hit out there."
"You…" Beca pauses, twisting her head to look at Chloe in awe. "You listened to it?"
Duh.
"Of course I did! Your stuff is amazing. I wish you would let more people hear it."
The brunette adverts her eyes.
"Maybe one day."
Chloe chews on the last of her food and drops her fork into the paper container on the floor, "So I've been practicing my piano lessons this week, wanna hear it?"
That pulls a smile out of Beca, and the brunette nods, already moving to her feet. She extends a hand toward Chloe and helps her up, perhaps with too much force, and Chloe ends up colliding into her body. Beca catches her swiftly by the hips, eyes on Chloe's before they flick downwards to her lips.
"Hi," she whispers, leaning up to press her lips to Chloe's in a soft kiss.
Chloe's surprised by it, and about to melt into Beca for another kiss, but the latter pulls away before she can, swiftly moving to the piano. Beca sits on the bench and raises an eyebrow at the redhead.
"Well? I'm waiting. Show me what you got."
She's being cocky about the way she left Chloe hanging, and Chloe narrows her eyes, even though at least a dozen butterflies are now flapping away in her belly and make it difficult to hide her giddiness upon witnessing Beca being so at ease.
"Oh, I will."
She sits next to Beca, allowing herself to shuffle closer than she's ever done before when they played together, and hears Beca's breathing hitch. Chloe plays a few notes to get acquainted with the still unfamiliar instrument, before starting the song Beca has been teaching her. It's not perfect, she confuses a few notes in the chorus, but manages to get to the end of it without too much trouble.
"Good job," Beca comments, bumping her shoulder against Chloe's. "You're a fast learner."
"Usually happens when you have a good teacher," she replies coyly, bumping Beca's shoulder right back. "Your turn."
Beca nods and flexes her fingers to warm them up.
Chloe is not prepared for what is to come. She's heard Beca play countless of times over the last three months, but this piece is different, almost as if it was written specifically for Beca from the way her hands and body language flow so easily with the notes pulled from the instrument. Beca's fingers move with such delicacy and fluidity that Chloe can't help but watch them dance over the keys, completely entranced by their flawless ballet.
"That was…"
It's rare for Chloe to be rendered speechless, but it seems to happen more frequently whenever Beca is around, simply because Chloe doesn't have enough words to describe Beca and her talent.
"Who is it from?"
There's hesitation in Beca's steel eyes when they glance up at Chloe.
"Me."
"You-" Chloe feels her eyes widen and her jaw slack. "You write music, too?"
Beca shrugs nonchalantly, as if the masterpiece Chloe's just heard was some kind of plain ballad.
"Sometimes."
"Is there anything you're not brilliant at?"
The rhetorical question has red rushing to meet Beca's cheeks and Chloe pulls her into a side hug, dropping a quick kiss on her head. Beca pulls away, twisting her upper body to face Chloe better. Chloe mirrors her just as Beca starts to play with her fingers.
"I really like you, Chlo," she starts, gaze struggling to focus on anything for more than a second. Eventually her dark-blue eyes meet Chloe's ocean ones, their intensity stilling Chloe's breathing for a beat. "It kind of scares me how much I like you."
Chloe finds her face falling a bit at the last statement.
"But the good kind of scary," Beca quickly adds, noticing the redhead's unease. "The kind that makes me want to do stuff I've never done before, like-like meet your friends or-or go out to dinner. At my own pace."
Chloe feels her heart burst with happiness. She tilts Beca's chin up and gives her a warm smile.
"I really like you, too. And the pace you set is fine with me. We don't have to rush into anything one of us doesn't feel ready for."
Beca nods, lifting Chloe's hand and flipping it to kiss her palm.
"That sounds good."
She lets go of her hand, but Chloe lets it rest against Beca's neck, tugging slightly to bring her forward so she can kiss her. It's nothing like their first kiss; it's a bit bolder and more passionate, and mostly led by Beca, who seems to have conquered her fear and gained another ounce of confidence as she traces her tongue along the seam of Chloe's bottom lip.
"You're really good at that," Chloe's words ghost over Beca's lips when they part. She opens her eyes after several seconds, a bit dazed and out of breath. Beca smiles, tongue darting out to wet her lips, and Chloe finds herself mesmerized by the action.
Chloe closes the gap between them once more, not able to resist the insatiable urge to kiss Beca again, and again, and again, until her lips are numb and her lungs burn from the lack of oxygen.
/
Chloe goes home to Florida over Christmas break, while Beca spends it at Barden. She does ask Beca if she wants to come spend Christmas with her family, but Beca flat out refuses, stating they have only been dating for three weeks and how she feels that it's too soon.
"I should go," Chloe announces, checking her watch.
She's spent the afternoon with Beca while waiting to fly out to Miami in a couple hours.
Beca lifts her head from where's it's been resting on Chloe's lap while she read a book.
"Oh, okay."
Chloe sits up, "Are you sure you don't want to come with? It's not too late and I know my parents would be happy to have you over."
"They know about me?" Beca asks quietly, head twisting to the left to look at Chloe.
"Well, yeah," Chloe states in a tone that translates the obviousness of her answer.
Chloe's mother has known about Beca since that first class.
"Thanks for asking, but I'll stay here. Maybe I can go over next break."
Chloe understands, she really does, but she can't help but feel disappointed. Ten days without Beca is just going to be really hard.
"Sounds like a good plan."
Beca sits up, too, and reaches for something in her bedside table, pulling out a manila envelope and handing it to Chloe.
"What's this?" she asks, flipping it over in her hands.
"It's a sort of Christmas present," Beca admits sheepishly, avoiding eye contact in embarrassment. "Don't open it until the 25th, alright?"
Chloe shakes her head at her girlfriend.
"You didn't have to get me anything."
Beca shrugs and sits back down, laying a hand on Chloe's knee.
"I just wanted to."
Chloe grins and leans closer.
"You know I won't be able to wait three full days before I open it, right?"
Beca rolls her eyes. "At least wait until you're on the plane."
Chloe pecks Beca's lips.
"I can't promise anything," she laughs softly, kissing her again. Beca cups her jaw, keeping her there a moment longer.
Chloe moans, sitting back on her knees. She sets the envelope down and wraps her arms around Beca's neck, pulling her impossibly closer.
"I really need to go, baby," she says breathlessly after several minutes of just kissing. She can't help it; kissing Beca's intoxicating and has become her favorite thing to do these days.
"Then go," Beca challenges her, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Not fair," Chloe whines, closing the gap between she and Beca once more. She feels high. "Okay, I'm going!"
Chloe bounces up and off the bed, ties her shoes and grabs the envelope, stealing one last kiss in the process.
"Have a good Christmas!"
Beca smiles and kisses her again.
"You too, Chloe."
Chloe's in the back of a taxi on her way to the airport, Beca's gift is screaming to be opened next to her. After trying to keep her burning fingertips away, Chloe knows it's already a lost battle, and she reaches across the middle seat to seize it.
She slides the sheet out and blinks; it's an A4 format sketch of she and Beca, the precision in the pencil strokes leaving little doubt about the identity of the subjects. Beca's sitting against a tree, eyes closed, running her fingers through Chloe's hair as she reads To Kill A Mockingbird, head resting in Beca's lap. Chloe remembers that day very clearly.
Her eyes run over every single detail, Beca's expression and hers and the nature surrounding them. She knew Beca drew. She has seen her do it lots of times whenever they went to their spot. She's just never realized how good she is. She flips the thick paper around to see a handwritten message.
Thank you for being you.
Merry Christmas, Chlo.
Beca xx
Blinking back the few tears that have gathered in her eyes, Chloe reaches for her cellphone and opens up their message thread.
Oh my gosh, you've just made me cry in the back of a cab. I love your gift. Thank you! xx
You couldn't even wait to get to the airport? You're worse than a child, Beale. Glad you like it, though. You're welcome.
Chloe is so ridiculously in love, it's not even funny.
/
Chloe's bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waits for Beca to open the door. It's stretching toward six p.m. in Georgia on December 31st and she's standing outside of Beca's dorm, having caught a flight earlier than planned.
Beca opens the door, clad in pajamas, her hair sitting on top of her head in a messy bun. Her mouth falls open in an 'o' shape, and Chloe wastes no time in tackling her in a hug.
"Hi," Beca lets out, own arms wrapping around Chloe once she's regained her balance. "What-"
"I caught a flight early," Chloe explains when she backs away.
The rest can wait a few seconds, because all she wants to do is to kiss her girlfriend for the first time in eight days. So she does, deeply and fully, drawing what sounds like a content sigh from the other girl.
"I wanted to spend New Year's with you."
It does occur to her, now, that Beca may have other plans, and that maybe she shouldn't have come to the conclusion so quick that Beca would be free or willing to spend New Year's with her.
"Unless you already have plans?" she asks cautiously, shoulders slumping lightly in prospect of being disappointed.
Beca squeezes her hips, chuckling at the redhead standing before her.
"No plans."
"Cool!" she exclaims, moving past Beca to walk into the room. "So I first thought we could do something outside, like with really good coats, but it doesn't look like the storm is about to stop. So that got scratched. I called Aubrey and asked her if we could maybe use her apartment to cook something and have dinner there, since she's staying with her folks in Atlanta."
When she's done, Beca is looking at her with slightly wide eyes and a funny expression on her face.
"Okay."
"Sorry, I'm just excited!" the redhead stops talking long enough to catch her breath. "Anyways, Aubrey said ok, just no sex in her bed. Or on the couch, for that matter. Her words, not mine."
Beca squeaks, and Chloe grins mischievously. The small brunette visibly swallows before she nods.
"Got it."
"You're so cute when you're embarrassed," Chloe comments with a giggle, and when Beca glares at her, she presses an apologetic kiss to her lips. "I got you something."
Beca remains silent as Chloe unzips her bag and pulls out a small square box, handing it to Beca with a sheepish smile. Beca opens it to reveal a silver treble clef necklace.
"I know you don't wear much jewelry, but I thought about your relationship to music and our relationship to music, you know, since we met in a music-related class. And you're basically one with music, so I thought it was fitting. I chose a bass clef because y'know, mixing and stuff," Chloe pauses when Beca looks at her blankly. "Is it lame? Oh my god, it's so lame."
"No," Beca says simply, eyes softening, leaning up to kiss the redhead softly, "I really like it. Thank you."
Wordlessly, she hands the necklace to Chloe and turns around, gathering her hair over one shoulder. Chloe takes both ends between her fingers and lifts it above Beca's head, before fastening it around her neck.
"There," she murmurs, tentatively leaning down to kiss Beca's bare collarbone. Beca leans back into her and she snakes her arms around her waist. "Merry belated Christmas, sweetie."
/
Chloe's hand has just skimmed beneath Beca's shirt, caressing the skin of her lower back, when a knock on the door springs them both apart. Chloe takes in Beca's appearance; glasses a bit askew, swollen lips and disheveled hair.
"Hang on," Chloe whispers with a giggle, beckoning Beca over to her. She rights Beca's glasses, pats down her hair and runs her thumb over Beca's bottom lip where her own lipstick has left a smudge. "All good."
Chloe remains on Beca's bed as the brunette moves to open the door.
"Hello, Beca," a male voice, belonging to a man around fifty, can be heard on the other side, and Chloe sees the visible side of Beca's face fall. The shorter woman moves aside, and Chloe straightens up, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about her state as Dr. Mitchell, her literature teacher waltzes into the room. He pauses when he sees her, surprise evident on his face. "Ms. Beale, I didn't expect seeing you here."
Chloe has never made the connection between Beca and Dr. Mitchell until now, and feels very stupid. From the way Beca's suddenly closed off on herself, gaze fastened on the floor, it's obvious that the man standing in front of her is Beca's father.
"Hello, Dr. Mitchell," she clears her throat and runs a hand through her hair, hoping its state doesn't scream 'you almost just walked in on your daughter and I having sex'. "Beca was just helping me with an acapella arrangement for the Bellas."
She figures the white lie is better than telling her teacher she's been dating his daughter for the last month and a half. She doesn't know how much he knows about his daughter's sexuality.
"Mmm," Dr. Mitchell hums and turns to his daughter. "So that's why you got a B on your paper in biology? Because you spend too much time helping an acapella group?"
His tone is dry and cold, and Chloe's heart aches for Beca as she stands there, eyes locked on the carpet. Chloe remembers how Beca was supposed to study for that test before Christmas break, but Chloe bribed her into drinking hot chocolate and watching Netflix instead. Beca was reluctant, and now Chloe understands why. Her father is the one pressuring her into getting excellent grades, and a B must not be enough for him.
"Answer me when I ask you a question, Beca."
Chloe's fists curl by her sides, nails digging into her palms.
"I'm sorry," Beca's voice is so small that Chloe's ears have to strain to make it out.
Dr. Mitchell spins around to face Chloe.
"Ms. Beale, I'd like to have a discussion with my daughter, if you could step out."
Leaving Beca alone is the last thing Chloe wants. But then again, she can't really stand up to a member of the faculty. Chloe nods, and moves to gather her stuff, but just as she walks past them, Beca grabs her elbow, stilling her. Chloe's eyes are full of questions when she glances at Beca, but finds her staring at her father defiantly.
"She stays."
Chloe turns back around and stands beside her girlfriend, surprised when Beca grabs her hand and links their fingers together. The exchange is not left unnoticed by Dr. Mitchell, who raises an eyebrow.
"Very well," he sighs, the muscle in his jaw jumping as he clenches his teeth. "I'm disappointed, Beca. First you reject a full scholarship to Yale because of your 'problem'."
Beca visibly finches at the use of air quotes.
"And now you get B's. What's next, you're gonna drop out?"
Chloe keeps telling herself that the man in front of her is one of her teachers, and she can't do much to make him shut up, even though she wants to so badly. The only thing she can do is squeeze Beca's hand to show her she is there. The person currently standing next to her is the polar opposite to the Beca that she's grown to love over the past month. She's straining to maintain eye-contact, and isn't being very receptive to the situation, as if her brain decided to check out from the real world.
"I expect you to do better. B's are not acceptable."
Chloe sets her jaw to prevent the words dying to get out of her clumsy mouth, but enough is enough. Just as Dr. Mitchell is about to step out, she spins on her heels.
"Are you maybe interested to know your daughter is doing much better on the social side?" she asks sharply, tone matching Dr. Mitchell's cold one. "Because when I met her, she wouldn't speak, at all, and now she's doing better every single day. But I guess what matters to you only are her grades, right?"
Dr. Mitchell's hand stills on the doorknob, and he looks back at Chloe.
"I don't think this is any of your business, Ms. Beale. I don't know who you are to my daughter, best friend, girlfriend or whatever, but this is between my daughter and I. I suggest you stay out of it."
He leaves before Chloe can utter another word, and the redhead is left fuming, staring at the now shut door. A sob coming from her right pulls her out of her turmoil of anger, and she cuts her eyes to Beca, who looks as if she's trying hard not to curl into a ball and cry. Chloe pulls her into a loose embrace, running her hands up and down her back and talks Beca through her panic attack.
"It's okay, Bec," she whispers into her ear when she runs out of subjects to talk about, pressing a soft kiss to any skin she can get to. "You're okay."
It takes long minutes for Beca to be able to go back to her comfort zone, where she can speak to Chloe without too much trouble.
"You shouldn't have stood up for me," Beca tells Chloe once they have moved back on her bed. "He's your teacher, this could have serious consequences on your grades."
"I don't care," Chloe shrugs, thumb running in a circle over Beca's wrist. "If you think I was about to let him bring you down without saying anything, you still have a lot to learn about me."
"I wish I could stand up to him," Beca murmurs hoarsely. "I wish I could speak my mind whenever he brings me down. The words are all there on my mind, but it's like there's a barrier from my brain to my mouth."
"You will, one day," Chloe assures her, chin resting on Beca's shoulder as she sits beside the brunette. "You've already made such a big improvement and I'm so, so proud of you."
"I love you," Beca's voice is clear and void of any hesitation. "I just…I love you."
Chloe wasn't expecting Beca to say it first, then again, she wasn't expecting Beca to be the one to ask her on a date a month ago, either. And while she has been dying to express her love for Beca, the last thing she wanted was to freak the younger girl out.
"I love you, too."
A heavy weight lifts itself from her chest as she closes the gap between herself and Beca, capturing her lips in a deep kiss, that is hopefully proof enough of all the love she holds inside of her for the brunette.
The kiss rapidly evolves into something that Chloe isn't sure she'll be able to tame. Her desire for Beca has steadily grown over the last few weeks, a low fire slowly consuming in the pit of her stomach. As Beca traces her tongue over her bottom lip, Chloe feels her control slip away from her reach.
"Beca," Chloe breathes out after long minutes of frantic kissing, setting her forehead against the brunette. Beca's hand has slipped underneath her blouse, and Chloe's fingers have managed to unbutton Beca's shirt, as if they were on auto-pilot. "I…"
She's afraid of doing something Beca isn't ready for, but god, does she want to take that next step.
"It's okay," Beca whispers, locking eyes with Chloe. "I want this; I want you."
Beca's voice is low and husky, in a way that Chloe has never heard before and it makes something snap within her, her eyes becoming heavily hooded as she gazes back at Beca. Pieces of clothing are shed one by one, the only sounds in the palpable atmosphere being those of slow kissing and labored breathing. They take their time, mapping out each other's bodies with intensified tenderness and precision.
Chloe has never experienced this before; she has been with a fair amount of people intimately, but never like this. Never has her desire to give pleasure to someone been so heightened as it is in this moment. She wants to give it all to Beca, not caring if she doesn't get anything in return.
Watching Beca come undone is the most beautiful and arousing scene she has ever witnessed. And Beca, well, she reciprocates in a way that leaves Chloe suspended in mid-air, as if on the edge of a cliff until she falls, fast and steady into Beca's arms with a cry.
/
From: Becs
Hi.
Chloe's phone lights up on her bed as she tries to finish her book. There's a snow storm raging outside and she's been cooked up in her room since lunch. She glances down and smiles, typing a quick reply,
Hey, you :)
Can I come over?
Chloe rolls her eyes good naturedly. She's told Beca countless times she doesn't have to ask to come over.
Of course! Door's open.
It's another seven minutes, approximately the time it takes to walk from Baker Hall to Chloe's dorm, before the door opens and Beca walks in. Chloe watches as she takes her shoes off, tucking them neatly next to her nightstand, takes off her coat to place it on her desk chair, before she wordlessly climbs into Chloe's bed.
Chloe chuckles when Beca molds herself into her side, one leg hooking over hers and right arm draping itself over her midsection. Chloe lets go of her book to hold it with one hand, nudging Beca lightly so she can free her arm and wrap it around the brunette's back. Beca sighs and rests her head against Chloe's chest.
"Hi," the redhead whispers, dropping a kiss into Beca's hair. Beca doesn't answer but kisses the bit of Chloe's skin sticking out from her zipped sweater, her own way of saying hello. "You okay?"
She feels Beca shrug against her side, but knows better than to ask her what's wrong; Beca always ends up telling her about it in her own time. She taps Chloe's open book and Chloe gets the message.
She reads out loud for the next half-hour, fingers trailing up and down Beca's spine, and gradually feels the tension leave Beca's body as it slumps against hers.
"Do you want to go out for a hot chocolate?" Chloe asks after a while, voice getting tired from reading out loud. Her nodes have been bothering her lately, making it difficult for her to talk over long stretches of time.
"Not really," Beca mumbles, toying with the hem of Chloe's shirt sticking out from her sweater by her hip. "Can we stay here?"
"Sure," Chloe replies. "Do you want to talk about what's bothering you? If you don't, that's fine, but I think it would help?"
"It's stupid." Beca admits, but the tone in her voice indicates that it's far from stupid. Her hand curls into a fist against Chloe's hip.
"I'll be the judge of that," Chloe says, prompting Beca into sitting up so they can face one another.
Beca sighs as she starts to fiddle with Chloe's fingers.
"There's this internship opening up at Barden radio station to handle the night shifts on weekends. The WBUJ."
Chloe squeezes Beca's fingers. "Yeah, I've heard of it."
"I emailed the guy, Luke, and he told me to stop by today, and I did but," Beca clenches her teeth repeatedly, her jaw muscle jumping back and forth. "He called me Becky, and I couldn't even correct him, yet alone tell him anything else about me, so I left."
An exasperated breath leaves her mouth.
"He-he must think I'm a freak."
"I'm sure he doesn't," Chloe says reassuringly, and Beca rolls her eyes, reaching up to wipe a tear from the corner of her eyes. "I know Luke and he's a super nice guy. Do you want me to go back with you?"
"No, Chloe."
There's a tint of frustration in Beca's voice as she breaks eye-contact to look at her lap.
"I can't have you hold my hand every time I want to go outside and have a freaking conversation with someone else. I just…" Beca pinches the bridge of her nose and blows out another long breath. "I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated and disappointed. I thought I was doing better."
"You are," Chloe insists, untangling her fingers from Beca's to cup her cheek. "You couldn't speak to me the way you are now two months ago. If that's not progress, then I don't know what is."
Beca gets the job two days later, and even though it's a struggle to leave for work on the weekends, Choe is glad she is able to make her mixes public and show all of Barden how talented she is.
/
When March and more bearable temperatures come around, Chloe and Beca go back to their spot up the hill almost every night, either to play music, read or, in Beca's case, draw.
"Quit moving," Beca says sternly, though her tone is not very believable as she's struggling not to smile.
"Sorry," Chloe whispers with a sheepish grin, angling her head to how it's supposed to be. Beca has been drawing a portrait of Chloe for the last half hour, and Chloe finds it difficult not to look at her; the way her tongue sticks out when she's focused is just adorable. "Are you almost done?"
She can't see it in the corner of her eyes, but she knows Beca is rolling her eyes at her child-like impatience.
"You asked me two minutes ago and I said no," she says with a chuckle, rubbing her pointer finger on the paper to smudge the lines. "I want it to be perfect so that it reflects the subject."
Chloe is now the one to roll her eyes, although her grin is about to split her goddamn face.
"Smooth."
She glances at Beca just in time to catch her winking and feels her heart thud against her chest.
"Hey, Bec?"
Beca hums, just as she always does when Chloe calls her while she's focused on something.
"You know I'm graduating at the end of this year, right?"
Beca's pencil movements still, and Chloe snaps out of her portrait mode to look at her girlfriend.
"I know."
"I applied to a few schools in Georgia and some out of state," she starts. "And I just got the answer yesterday that I'm accepted at Barden's vet school."
Beca's eyes light up, her face gradually regaining color.
"You are?"
"Yeah," Chloe says nonchalantly, a smile slipping across her face.
Beca drops her drawing book and all but tackles Chloe into a hug that nearly crushes her chest. Then, soft lips seek hers in a deep and slow kiss. They are both breathless when Beca pulls away, her hand finding Chloe's jaw,
"I'm so proud of you."
Chloe squeezes Beca's waist.
"Thanks, baby."
She takes a deep breath, and reaches to push a strand of Beca's hair away from her face.
"I was meaning to ask you," Chloe hesitates, the words catching in her throat as her brain struggles to take the leap. "If you would like to move in with me in August? I have to leave my dorm and plan on finding an apartment in the city, halfway between here and the vet school, which is thirty minutes away. I know we've only been together five months so I get that it might be too soon, and I understand if you're not ready for-"
Chloe's rant is cut off by a kiss that knocks the air out of her. She laughs against Beca's lips.
"I take that as a yes?"
"I want to live with you," Beca says, however Chloe senses there is a 'but' somewhere. "I'll have to ask my dad first, though; it's not like I can afford an apartment on my own."
"Of course," Chloe nods. "Do you want me to come with you?"
"No," Beca replies with rare certainty. "I have to try and do this on my own."
/
"There's a party tomorrow night, the girls and I are going," Chloe says from her spot on Beca's bed after having turned the subject over and over in her head before speaking up. "Do you want to come? They'd like to meet you."
Beca looks up from her computer, lowering her headphones until they hang around her neck. She spins her desk chair around, her fingers fiddling with the pen she's holding.
"I-I don't know, Chlo."
Chloe gives her a soft smile of encouragement and shuffles to the edge of the mattress until her bare feet touch the floor.
"Maybe it would be good for you. You only hang out with me, and I think it would be nice for you to know other people. The girls are so nice, I promise."
"Chloe," the muscle in Beca's jaw snaps as she inhales sharply through her clenched teeth. "They can be as nice as freaking Ghandi, it's not them the problem. I'm the problem. The fact that they are nice is not going to change anything to the fact that I can't speak."
"Bec,"
Beca cuts her off sharply, "Can you drop it?"
Chloe didn't expect Beca to react so strongly, and immediately regrets asking the question. She thought that the evolvement in their relationship would make Beca trust her enough to come to a party with her. But that seems to be much too tall of a mountain for Beca to climb, still.
"Baby, please calm down," Chloe closes her eyes briefly, trying to find the right words. "I didn't mean to upset you, I'm just trying to help out."
Beca's gaze is cold when she glances at Chloe.
"Throwing me into the lion's den isn't going to help."
"Okay, okay," Chloe takes a deep breath, moving to stand up and make her way to Beca's desk. "I think this is blowing out of proportion."
"What did you expect me to say?"
Beca's tone is harsh, its nails clawing at Chloe's heart.
"Yes, I'll come to the party? So I can stay glued to your side the entire time or on my own in a corner?" Tears gather in Beca's eyes as Chloe blinks several times to clear her vision, too. "I can barely speak to you when we're in public, for fuck's sake!"
Beca's voice wavers dangerously, and the break in her speech is enough to make the tears in Chloe's eyes topple over the rim of her eyelids and down her cheeks.
"I'm messed up."
The four words convey enough force to snap Chloe's heart into two. It's the most awful thing she could ever hear Beca say about herself, and feels guilty about being the trigger to it. She takes the few strides separating her from her girlfriend and swiftly moves into Beca's lap, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"Please don't say that." A sob rings out in the room and Chloe honestly doesn't know if it comes from her or from Beca. "You're not messed up, I forbid you to say that."
Chloe pulls away gently, swiping her thumbs over Beca's cheeks.
She leans in to kiss her forehead, "You're so talented," her nose, "And smart," both cheeks, "And beautiful," and her lips. "And I'm so in love with you."
Beca eventually returns the embrace, and buries her face in Chloe's neck, shuffling as close as physically possible to the redhead. They remain this way for quite some time, until Beca stops shaking.
"I'm sorry," Beca whispers after a while, absentmindedly playing with Chloe's thumb ring. "I didn't mean to lash out."
Chloe's hand is running up and down her spine in a soothing motion.
"It's okay. The party isn't important."
"I'll go," Beca's voice is hesitant after a minute of silence, and so are her eyes when she finally casts them up from their joined hands. "You're right. I should get out there."
Chloe smiles proudly. She cups Beca's face to get the brunette to look at her, "I understand if you're not ready. But I'll be there. When you decide to leave, we'll leave, 'k?"
Beca leans up to kiss Chloe and draws in a shaky breath.
"Okay."
When Saturday night comes around, Beca is such a fidgeting mess that Chloe seriously ponders if going to a party is a good idea after all. She's finishing getting ready and can hear Beca's fingers tap against her jean-clad thigh in a quick rhythm as she sits on the bed. Her other hand is toying with the necklace Chloe got her for Christmas.
Chloe turns off the bathroom lights and makes her way over to Beca.
"You-" Beca grimaces, throat bobbing up and down as she swallows. She closes her eyes and clenches her fists, unable to continue her sentence.
"Hey," Chloe's voice pulls Beca's attention to her. She kneels in front of the shorter woman and gently uncurls her fist to lace their fingers. "It's just me."
Beca's shoulders slump as she lets out a puff of breath, features relaxing. She smiles tentatively and reaches up to brush back a strand of Chloe's hair.
"You look nice."
"Thanks, babe. So do you," she says, eyeing Beca up and down with a wiggle of the eyebrows that makes Beca blush. "We don't have to go if you don't want to."
"No, I want to go," Beca replies, taking a deep breath. "I want to meet your friends."
"They'll love you!" Chloe gushes, standing back up and pulling Beca along with her. Beca can't help but grin sheepishly, quirking an eyebrow.
"What's not to like?"
And Chloe relaxes instantly. Beca using sarcasm is her way of showing she's okay.
There aren't many people when they get to the party, as it's fairly early, and only a handful of the Bellas are there: Aubrey, Stacie and Cynthia-Rose.
"Hey guys!" Chloe greets, coming to a stop in front of her group of friends and introducing Beca.
Beca waves at all of them and flushes when they say they heard so much about her, eyes flickering to Chloe who is literally beaming in response.
"Beer?" Chloe asks once presentations are taken care of.
Beca nods, and Chloe kisses her lightly before taking the direction of the kitchen. She comes back with two beers and watches in concern as Beca takes four huge swigs.
"Slow down there, buddy. You may be short, but I'm not carrying you back to your dorm."
"Sorry," Beca breathes out, face falling.
"I'm just teasing," she murmurs lightly. "I'll carry you pretty much anywhere if I need to. You're basically pocket sized anyway."
As the party draws to its peak, Chloe starts to relax. Beca doesn't talk much, but still participates in conversations with body language, and the Bellas are very patient with her. It's not until the mixing board is left vacant that she witnesses a real smile spread over Beca's lips and her features lighting up.
As soon as Beca starts to mix, the chatter slows down, each person in the room suddenly hypnotized by the sounds drifting from the speakers. Chloe feels pride settle in her chest watching Beca basically own it. She meets Aubrey's gaze a couple feet away and the blonde has an impressed look on her face. Chloe so badly wants to go over there, and tell her 'I told you so', that Beca is more than meets the eye.
When they get back to Chloe's room, Chloe is a bit tipsy and Beca is the one half carrying her to bed.
"Did you have a good time?" she asks, frowning slightly as Beca pulls her boot off while she sits on the mattress.
"For the third time in the last five minutes, yes," Beca says with warm eyes, struggling not to laugh at her girlfriend's inebriated state. "It was alright."
"Everybody looooooved you," Chloe gushes, running her hands over Beca's hair as she kneels before her to take her other shoe off. "Aubrey was pretty impressed with your mixing skills."
Beca simply smiles back, and leans up to peck Chloe's lips. She stands to help Chloe out of her jacket but Chloe takes the opportunity to wrap her arms around Beca's waist before she can, her chin pressing against Beca's abs as she strains her neck up to look at her.
"I love you, too. More than anyone else."
Beca cups her face, thumb running back and forth over the apple of her cheek as Chloe leans further into the touch.
"I know."
"Good," Chloe says with satisfaction, giving Beca a firm nod. "Now come and sleep with me."
She means actual sleeping, but her wording has Beca quirk an eyebrow, "You are awfully demanding when you're drunk."
"Yep," Chloe replies matter-of-factly, moving to kneel on the bed so she's level with Beca. She drapes her arms over Beca's shoulders, pressing her forehead against the brunette. "You love it."
Beca leans in to peck her lips, smirking.
"Can't say I don't."
/
The following week, just as Chloe is grabbing her stuff after her literature class, Dr. Mitchell calls her up to his desk, asking if they can talk. They haven't interacted at all since his visit to Beca's dorm a few weeks ago, and Chloe dreads the conversation that is to come.
Dr. Mitchell waits for the last person to leave the classroom and shuts the door behind them. He turns to Chloe, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.
"Look, I just wanted to apologize."
Chloe's eyebrows nearly reach her hairline in surprise.
"I got a visit from my daughter yesterday, and I truly saw how much her condition improved since the last time we really spoke, which was when she started college six months ago. I can see she's very happy, and I guess you have a lot to do with that, so I apologize for the way I spoke to you."
"Thank you," Chloe says, giving him a short smile in an attempt to hide her surprise. "As much as I appreciate it, I think the one you should be apologizing to is Beca. She's very insecure about what you think of her and gives her all to make you proud."
"Right," Dr. Mitchell nods, pursing his lips. "Do you think she would accept if I invited you both to dinner sometime next week?"
The fact that Beca's dad asks her this question tells a lot about their strained relationship.
Chloe nibbles on her bottom lip.
"I can't really speak for Beca. You'll have to ask her. I think it's a good idea, but it has to be the start of something sustainable. Beca doesn't trust easily, so with all due respect sir, if you give her hope of a normal relationship and don't follow up, she will be heartbroken."
"She wants that?" he asks, and Chloe notices his voice wavering ever so slightly. "She wants to spend time with me?"
"I think so. She's just not sure you do, though."
"Shit," Dr Mitchell lets out, rubbing his forehead. "I-I didn't know. I thought she was closed on the subject."
"It's never too late. She's forgiving, so if you prove yourself to her, she'll learn to trust you again."
"Thank you, Ms. Beale. I'll call her tonight."
"Try texting rather than calling," Chloe states, gathering her stuff up into her arms. "Talking on the phone gives her anxiety, she might not pick up."
Beca gets a text that evening, while she and Chloe are cooking dinner in the common room.
Chloe tries to hide her smile when Beca invites her to join her dad for dinner the following day.
/
They barely make it to Nationals. They are saved last minute because of a breech in the rules by another acapella group. Chloe should be relieved, but deep down she knows they won't win with their current setlist.
She needs to tell Aubrey about this, but the blonde beats her to it after practice, a month from the ICCA's.
"This-this isn't working," Aubrey stutters out, dropping her head into her hand. "We're not going to win with this."
Chloe puffs out a breath, glad that she doesn't have to tell Aubrey that herself.
"What are we going to do?!" Aubrey snaps, slamming her hand down onto the piano surface. "This is a disaster."
"I may have an idea, but I need to speak to someone first before I broach it to you."
After practice, Chloe joins Beca up the hill like they agreed during the day. Beca's drawing when she gets there, so Chloe plops down next to her and rests her head over Beca's shoulder. She watches the pencil outline the landscape Beca has chosen today, before she speaks,
"I need your help," she says, and it might not be the best opener, because Beca nearly drops the items she's holding and looks at Chloe with panic-filled eyes.
"Are you hurt?"
"No, no," she laughs lightly and leans in to kiss Beca in reassurance, that she is in fact, just fine. "The Bellas and I need your help. Aubrey's just realized that our current setlist won't work for Nationals. We need something fresh, something original. Like a mash-up! And I don't know anyone who blends songs better than you."
"Oh," Beca puffs out. She doesn't say anything for the next excruciating long minute, and Chloe is afraid she might refuse. "I'd need to hear you sing. All of you."
"Well, we have practice tomorrow night. Can you make it?"
Beca looks at her curiously.
"Will it just be you guys?"
"Yeah, of course."
"O-okay."
Beca makes them a killer set-list for the ICCA's that, if they pull it off, will have them win by a mile against the ten other contestants. Chloe asks Beca if she wants to come, but the brunette declines, stating something about too many people. Chloe doesn't have it in her to insist, even though she really wishes Beca would be there to watch them own it.
In Fat Amy's words, they crush it. Chloe's has never felt on such a high during and after a performance; she still feels giddy all over. When they get back backstage, they hug it out for several minutes, and Chloe really doesn't think it can get any better, until she feels someone tap on her shoulder and she spins around to find her girlfriend staring right back at her.
Beca lets out a quiet grunt when Chloe pulls her in for a bone crushing hug.
"What are you doing here?!"
"Surprise?" She manages with a small smile, eyes darting about before they set back on Chloe. "I-I watched from backstage."
"How did you even get here?" she asks, but doesn't really care. Beca is here, and she's about to win the ICCA's, and everything just feels...perfect. Beca still doesn't look very at ease, and it shows in her speaking flow, but Chloe is patient about it.
"Jesse…" she says lowly. "He snuck me in."
"Jesse, the Treble?"
"Y-yeah. We work together at the station. We're kind of friends."
Chloe doesn't know Jesse very well, but he seems sweet and the kind of person that is patient enough to let Beca go at her own pace.
"Does that mean I'll have to share you from now on?" Chloe asks with a quirked eyebrow, arms leaving Beca's waist to set her hands onto her own hips.
Beca isn't having any of it, and loops her arms through the space between Chloe's waist and her bent arms, wrapping themselves around her back.
"Maybe a little bit."
"I'm very happy you're here," Chloe whispers, catching Beca's lips in a quick kiss. Beca flushes and looks around them. "And I'm proud of you for being here."
"Thanks," Beca whispers, and Chloe's feels her fingers dance over the small of her back. "You were amazing, Chlo."
"Thanks, baby."
"Beca?" Chloe recognizes her best friend's voice behind her, and turns around as Beca lets her go, "I just wanted to thank you for your brilliant set. You truly gave the Bellas a new vibe."
Beca's blush is intensifying by the second.
"Welcome."
"Can I hug you?" Aubrey asks cautiously, and Chloe has to stifle a laugh when Beca's eyes widen ever so slightly. The brunette eventually nods, and Aubrey gives her the briefest of hugs.
"Thanks again!"
They win, and while Chloe wants to go out and celebrate with everyone, she also really wants to take Beca home so they can have their private celebration.
So that's exactly what she does.
