A/N This Chapter is dedicated to the Australian.
Chapter 8
"So, where do we go from here?" Beca said, untangling their hands, getting up from her seat and shouldering her laptop.
Chloe instantly missed the warmth - the connection between them. "Well I got Class, so… I guess I better get to that…" she smiled as she got up to join the brunette.
"Oh. So now you're the comedian? You know what I mean, Beale!" Beca said, playfully punching the laughing redhead in the shoulder. "I was being serious."
Chloe composed her face instantly, adopting a subdued, almost downcast expression but inside loving that Beca reacted to the jokiness. She smiled glibly. "I know. Sorry. I've made things awkward between us and I really don't like that. I'm glad we've talked."
"Yeah…me too." Beca sighed. "I want things to be like they were before."
Chloe's face fell, but Beca noticed. "No. No, I mean… I want us to be easy around each other again. I want you invading my personal space without invitation, like you always do. It's weird, but I've kinda always really liked that you do that." Chloe smiled and bit her lip nervously. "I want to hang out with you again, not feel I have to sneak off in a morning to avoid you –and Dude, do you know just how hard that was for me, not just emotionally but physically? I'm literally on intra-venus caffeine just to stay conscious!" Chloe laughed and Beca found she'd really really missed that sparkle.
The redhead had stood there silently, letting Beca do all the talking, but now smiled coyly. "I know it's only been a couple days, but I've missed this – us. I've missed my best friend. I mean Stacie is cool and all, and Jessica's been a –well - she's been an amazing shoulder to cry on, but they're not you."
They stood just looking at each other now, neither girl wanting to make the move to leave. Beca thought for a moment, cocking her head to one side as she smiled softly. She tentatively held her hand out and Chloe took it slowly, although she was burning inside to regain the contact with the girl she was so powerfully, but restrictively in love with. She knew now that she was going to have to dial down that toner and let Beca take the lead.
With a nod towards Anna, they left the café, Chloe's fingers lacing around Beca's, a vibrant smile creasing the redhead's beautiful face, and a sly embarrassed one adorning the brunette's.
Anna smiled to herself as she picked up her phone, flipping it to Stacie's contact and opened the message app. She glanced back through the window at the pair that had just left and then locked her phone again, slipping it into her pocket. She sighed. Now wasn't the time for gossip, even if it did look like good news. Let Stacie find out for herself…that's assuming it was what it looked like.
They stood outside the coffee shop, still holding hands. This was more than Chloe had hoped for - all those months craving the subtle intimate contact of interlaced fingers and now here they were – the brunette having taken the initiative. Beca led her to an Oak tree in the Quad and stopped. "I want us to be like we were before, but I think I might need to get used to …" Beca sighed, looked down at the floor and then back up at the gorgeous redhead (Yep. There was no denying it. This girl WAS gorgeous) "I might need to get used to… you know? Feelings?
Chloe squeezed her hand reassuringly, the shy brunette literally capturing her heart. "Sure Beca. Absolutely. I don't want…" Beca looked at her as she paused, a frown creasing her features. "I don't want to scare you off," the redhead continued.
Beca smiled to herself looking Chloe straight in the eyes. "I think. If you were going to scare me off…" She glanced down at the redhead's cleavage. "If you were going to scare me off, I'd have gone running when you ambushed me naked in the shower." Chloe's eyes lit up, remembering.
Suddenly Beca's phone chimed with her alarm tone. "Ah. Well, it seems I have to go to Class now too. So…I'll see you later, Chlo?" She let go of the redhead's hand and started to walk away.
"Yeah, definitely." Chloe sighed as the brunette started to walk away, already missing the warmth of her hand, the closeness they had just enjoyed. She'd kind of hoped for a goodbye kiss – well it was a big hope, or at least a semi-awkward hug.
"Take me out." Beca had stopped and turned, and was now facing the redhead.
"What?" Chloe was a little taken by surprise.
"Take me out," Beca repeated.
"You mean, like on a date?" Chloe's face started to light up.
Beca nodded and smiled. "Yeah. Let's spend some time together." And with that, she turned again, flipped her headphones onto her ears and walked off across Campus.
Chloe stood there, watching the brunette saunter away. She took her lower lip in her teeth and cocked her head slightly as she watched. "A date?" She thought to herself. "Well, that went better than expected."
"Eep!" she suddenly exclaimed (yes, she did actually just say 'eep'), remembering that she really did have Class and needed to run back to the Bella house to grab her stuff. "Why didn't I just bring it with me?" she thought to herself as she ran.
She burst through the Bella door, cannoning into Jessica and knocking the poor blonde flying. "Oh I'm sooo sorry. Are you OK?"
"Why is it always me?" the blonde said, picking herself up off the floor. "It's like I'm in some sort of slapstick comedy. I'm fine yes. What's the rush?" She grabbed Chloe's arms pulling the redhead to her, so that they were face to face. "Is it Beca?"
"No, Yes! I mean no, I'm late for class – I need to get my stuff!" She shook herself free and ran up the stairs, pausing at the turn and looking back down to the confused blonde. She grinned wildly. "We're going on a date!" and with that she shot off to her room.
"I thought you had class?" Jessica shouted after her.
"I do!" came the distant response.
"What was that? Flo said, coming out of the kitchen.
"That was Hurricane Chloe." Jessica replied, shaking her head with a smile as the redhead came hurtling back down the stairs with her folders and back out through the door.
"I once got swept away by Hurricane Jimena," Flo stated with wide eyes and a conspirational nod. "It's how I crossed the border into the United States." She left the confounded blonde girl puzzling over what she'd just said and Chloe's agitated but cheerful state.
"Well, she didn't come home crying. A date eh?" Jessica thought to herself, smiling and heading off to her room.
A/N2 I'm sorry it's so short. Still with me?
