Weird/Love

Beca was becoming more and more regretful as the car neared the house. An unnerving feeling in the pit of her stomach had been present since setting off, but now it was more prominent and causing her heart beat to spike.

The minute Chloe asked her to stay the weekend at her parent's house; Beca didn't have to even think before replying with a resounding no. Visiting stranger's houses wasn't something Beca thought she would ever be asked and for a whole weekend? No thanks.

Chloe was dressed in her pyjamas, sleep still in her eyes and wondering lazily around the Bella house kitchen. Beca noted that the flannel hanging on her shoulders was in fact hers, but seeing Chloe wearing it made her think perhaps she should keep it.

But that would be weird, because that's Beca's favourite shirt and she's certain that until that moment she had never wanted to part with it. Chloe was stirring her morning coffee, stood with one foot resting on the other, her face vacant and eyes fixed on the window.

Beca's not sure why, but she wanted to stand up from the breakfast bar stool she was currently residing on and place a kiss on her cheek, just like Chloe would do to her. Beca's pretty sure if she did it, things would get weird, so instead she brought her attention back to her cereal and tried to stop thinking about the woman in front of her; so far, it wasn't going well.

"S'up, pitches."

Fat Amy strolled into the room, after an overly heavy pat to Beca's back (seriously, her hair dipped in her bowl) and a wink at Chloe, the Australian headed straight for the fridge and proceeded to drink the orange juice straight from the carton, again.

"You know, you really should use a glass when drinking communal juice" Beca reminded, her tone sounding almost bitter.

"Chloe, make your girlfriend more cheery..."

"I'm not-"

"Yeah, Beca, we know what you're going to say, we just don't believe it."

Beca shot Chloe an exasperated look that said "please help me", but the redhead just shrugged and smiled into her coffee mug.

"Alright, I'll let you two say good morning... intimately" Fat Amy winked at no one in particular and walked out of the kitchen in the same fashion she entered. Seriously, Beca does not want any more milk in her hair.

Chloe broke the silence, leaning on the counter and dipping a spoon into Beca's bowl. Taking a spoonful of cereal and bringing it to her mouth, she softly prodded Beca's arm with it.

"So, what are you doing this weekend?" the redhead asked, upbeat and smiley.

"You mean apart from eating my breakfast far, far away from you?"

Beca attempted to defend her food by bashing the intruding spoon with her own, Chloe merely laughed and continued to help herself to the contents of the dish.

"Nothing, I guess I was just going to stay in and work on the set list" she shrugged.

"Great, how about you work on the set list, with me, at my house this weekend?"

"You mean your house as in your parent's house?"

"Yeah."

"Erm, no" Beca immediately answered, noting the change of Chloe's demeanour; perhaps that was a little crass.

"I mean, erm no thank you?" she questioned.

Chloe gave her a pointed stare before standing up straight – it was like she was waiting for Beca to say something else, but the brunette wasn't sure what. Rather than speaking, she opted for rinsing her bowl at the sink and got to her feet.

"Why is me asking you over to my house a bad idea?"

From her tone, Beca could tell how Chloe genuinely thought asking her was nothing but a good idea. Beca shook her head slightly.

"I didn't say it was a bad idea, I just- I don't get asked to people's houses, Chlo. It's just weird, that's all."

There it is again, that word that she keeps using whenever Beca thinks about their interactions – weird. Because kisses on cheeks and spontaneous handholding is weird; sharing each other's breakfast and contemplating kissing your best friend on the cheek is weird.

"Well, why don't you spend the weekend with me and then it won't be weird?"

"I don't know."

Wait, I don't know?

Beca does know, well should know, that a weekend in stranger's house is never on the cards. The possibility of sharing a bathroom with people she doesn't know and sleeping in an unfamiliar bed for a maximum of three nights is less than likely. Beca says no to any requests like this one.

Why is it now, when Chloe asks, it's an "I don't know"?

"Becs, please? My Mom and Dad want to meet you; you're my best friend of two years and they haven't even spoken to you."

"Yeah, because I'm really uninteresting and I wouldn't know what to say" she deadpanned turning to face Chloe with her back resting on the edge of the sink.

Big mistake.

Chloe's arms were snaking around her sides and boxing her in. She was moving closer and Beca could smell the coffee on her breath and feel it lightly linger on her skin. She tried to ignore the way her eyes instinctively trailed to her lips and she really tried to forget the sensation of Chloe's fingers running a pattern on her forearm.

"Please?" she repeated, drawing out the word, with puppy dog eyes and a clearly forced sad expression on her face.

So, here she is, sat in the passenger seat of a now stationary car, eyes roaming a rather large house and her mind urging every muscle in her body to just get up and run.

Chloe's hand on her knee brought her out of her thoughts and Beca pulled her eyes from the window and onto the hand still on her leg.

"It's going to be fine."

And just like, all of Beca's negatives thoughts and feelings on the matter seemed to just evaporate into nothingness and when Chloe stepped out of the car, Beca followed, suddenly feeling soothed and at ease. A quick tug at bags from the trunk and they were walking up the steps, and Chloe's hand had somehow found its way in Beca's.

XXX

Beca tried not to think about why Chloe's words were always so calming and reassuring for her; she tried to forget how right it felt, walking into Chloe's family home for the first time with their hands intertwined and she really tried not to think how it all felt like Chloe was bringing her home to meet the parents in a much less platonic way than it was arranged.

Meeting Chloe's parents wasn't at all how Beca had imagined. It wasn't nerve racking or awkward, but instead more like a familiar feeling of coming home; which was weird.

It was no secret Beca's home life had been a struggle. Living in a rough neighbourhood, with a depressed Mother wasn't exactly how kids played house these days, but that's what Beca knows. Her Dad's absence when growing up didn't affect her too much though; as a matter of fact, living with just her Mom was probably the reason walking into Chloe's house didn't feel as foreign as it perhaps should.

Sure, it was much bigger than her house back in the city, but it still had the same homely feeling and somehow Chloe and her parents made Beca feel a lot more than just welcomed. She wasn't sure if it was the way they spoke, or what they said, but from the moment Chloe had said things were fine, Beca felt like they were.

XXX

It was a weekend full of beach activities, trips to local museums, board games after dinners and wine by the fire pit. Beca cannot recall a time she felt uncomfortable; even when Chloe's Mom and Dad quizzed her about her career plans after college.

It was the last and final night of the weekend, and Chloe was led next to her, donning sleep shorts, a tank and Beca's same flannel in Chloe's bedroom. The N'Sync posters and the wall art were very high school, but Beca couldn't help but grow to like the space.

Everything was just so, Chloe. From the fairy lights hung around the vanity and the photo collage of her high school years hanging on the wall above the bed made Beca feel safe; like being here, in this room, sharing a bed with her best friend was where she was suppose to be all along – which was weird, because this room is painted bright pink from top to bottom and she's pretty sure in any other circumstance, it would give her a headache.

"Have you had fun?"

There was movement beside her and Chloe was turning onto her side, resting her hand under her cheek.

"Yeah, it's been fun."

There was a hum in response and Beca couldn't quite pull her eyes away from the small content smile sitting comfortably on her best friend's face.

"The pink wasn't too much?" Chloe joked, the signs of a smirk on her lips.

The brunette turned to face her, mirroring her position, "Well, it did take some adjusting, but I think my eyes have gotten use to it now."

There was a silence, as they both just looked at each other, smiles on their faces.

"I like your life here."

Beca's not sure why she said those words out loud, but she did and now there is no way they can be taken back. Chloe quirked an eyebrow and waited for her to continue.

"I mean, your parents, your house, the friends on your wall..." she hoisted a thumb to point at the wall behind them "...I feel like coming here has somehow made me see why you are the way you are, you know?"

"And how am I?" she asked, not so subtly hiding the curiosity in her voice.

"You're amazing, Chlo. I've always known you are, but I guess coming here has finally made me see it."

They didn't exchange any more words after that. Chloe just smiled, before Beca immediately turned to lay on her back in order to reduce some of the intensity in their stares. The redhead simply mumbled quiet thanks and snuggled her head closer to Beca's shoulder.

A short ten minutes later and her breathing had evened out, the faint sounds of Chloe's familiar snores sounding in her ear. Beca led awake for a while after that, just staring at the pink ceiling until the crisp early morning light shone through the curtains.

She was battling the urge to place an arm around Chloe's shoulder and pull her closer, as well as trying to piece together what she had meant before. By the time Beca's eyes had started to grow heavy, she felt like she finally knew what everything meant.

The need to keep Chloe close and the calmness she radiated wasn't weird at all; in fact wanting Chloe to keep her flannel, kiss her on the cheek, visit her parents at the weekend more often, spontaneous hand holding, or wrapping an arm around her shoulder when she slept wasn't weird at all.

The right word was never weird; it was always love. She loves Chloe, and doing those things is a way of showing that love, giving that affection is what she would love to do.

In fact, Beca doesn't just love Chloe; she is in love with her.

Beca swiftly moved her arm from by her side and over Chloe's shoulder – she didn't even need to pull her closer, Chloe moved towards her, a soft hum leaving her lips as she relaxed into the embrace.

It was then Beca let her eyes close, and everything she had been trying not to think about was a constant chant in her head.

It's not weird to love Chloe Beale, because how could she not?

XXX