A/N 1: There was a few loose ends in the previous chapter, so I thought I'd tie them up, even though no one asked or requested I do so, but this my fic god damn it and I'll do what I please.
Hawaii – Part 2
Chloe opened her eyes, feeling the linen sheets following her as she rolled over the cold side of the bed. The sun was shining through the curtains she had forgotten to close the night before, illuminating the smile on her face as she remembered her evening with Beca.
Throwing the sheets back, Chloe was out of her bed and off to shower. She made a quick pit stop at her suitcase on her way, causing her heart to drop. Looking in the bag; full with more dirty clothes than clean ones was the only thing she needed to remind herself that today was her last in Hawaii. Suddenly her morning turned bittersweet.
XXX
The orange glow of the bonfire was getting closer; Beca's thumb occasionally rubbing her wrist and the sea lapping on the shore.
Chloe was getting lost in the moment; lost in Hawaii; and lost in Beca.
"Why are you being quiet? It's weird and unnatural."
The sound of the voice made Chloe pull her eyes away from the ocean and on to a smirking Beca.
"I guess I'm just reflecting on Hawaii" she smiled.
"Right" Beca sighed, stopping mid-step and turning to the redhead "Tomorrow is your last day, right?"
Chloe held her gaze for a moment, trying to ignore the fluttering in her chest; it was nice to know Beca had remembered.
"Yeah, back to Atlanta" she replied, a sad smile on her face.
Beca was walking again, gently tugging Chloe's hand to do the same.
"Best not to think about it" she mumbled quietly but still loud enough for Chloe to hear. The voices and music of the beach party engulfed them quickly and their moment passed.
The night was relaxed and simple, but Chloe couldn't deny the constant butterflies in her stomach for the majority of the evening. The way Beca's hand would find its way onto her thigh mid conversation or how she ensured she was comfortable sitting on the sand by handing her more blankets.
Chloe was getting lost, again.
At the end of the night Beca offered to walk the redhead back to the hotel; much like she had done the first night they met but this time Chloe was sober, which she was thankful for. She noticed things she probably wouldn't have before; things that caused more flutters in her chest.
When they arrived in the hotel lobby, Beca and her conversation quietened and a visible sense of nervousness came over her. She opened her mouth to speak, but Chloe had already started to talk.
"Do you want to come up?"
The question was laced with shyness and fear. Chloe knew what she was asking and the look in Beca's eye made her think she did too. There was a pause; long enough for Chloe to begin second guessing herself, before...
"Yeah."
Beca scratched the back of her neck with a wonky smile on her face.
It made Chloe feel relaxed.
"Good."
She wished she didn't say it, but she did because it was good. The entire time Chloe had spent with Beca she felt at ease; like she could be herself and not have to worry about judgement or being liked. She made Chloe feel comfortable and happy – perhaps that was the missing ingredient between her and Tom and the reason she never fell in love with him, but she tried not to think anything of that.
Once they reached Chloe's door, the redhead was swiping her key card and pushing it open.
"Wait" Beca was still standing in the corridor, her hand on Chloe's elbow.
"I don't know if this is a good idea" she breathed out, a hint of something Chloe couldn't quite put her finger on in her voice.
"Um, OK?"
The redhead was looking at the woman in front of her and searching her eyes, trying to understand what she was saying. Her words and the hand sliding down her am and interlocking their fingers were saying two completely different things right now.
"I just don't want to- I think I should go."
Chloe was pulling her hand away now, trying to hide the hurt her eyes.
"OK" she sighed with a forced smile.
Beca was reaching for her hand again, but the taller woman was pulling it away.
"I want to" Beca whispered, looking at her feet. "I just think if we do this we'll make tomorrow twice as hard."
Her voice was still quiet, but she looked up to Chloe and offered her a small smile. The look in her eyes seemed to say "I don't want you to leave" and she tried her hardest to communicate that same statement in return.
Beca's smile stretched by a fraction, before she was leaning in and placing a soft kiss to Chloe's cheek.
"See you at the bar tomorrow?" she asked pulling away, rubbing a thumb over her wrist. Chloe isn't sure why that movement had such an effect on her, but it made her melt.
"See you tomorrow" Chloe mumbled, watching the brunette walk further down the hallway and out of sight.
XXX
Chloe made her way to the bar earlier than usual; she decided she was going to make the most of today rather than dwelling on the pending departure she wasn't prepared for.
"Hey, you're early. Did you come to apologise for your drunken behaviour again?"
The natural humour in Beca's voice instantly put a smile on Chloe's face. The return flight had been at the back of her mind this morning and she and Beca's interaction of the night before at the front. The redhead was worried she'd ruined something before it even had the chance to begin. The feelings she had for Beca had been overwhelming from the moment they met, but now over a week into knowing the brunette, Chloe felt a desire she wasn't quite sure how to address.
A desire she eventually did address; the night before. Beca's initial reaction caused Chloe's heart to sink, the hurt of being rejected settling in the form of tears at the bottom of her eyes. She didn't want their last day to be spoiled, but it seemed much like last night, Beca had the ability to put her at ease with very little words.
"Just shut up and make my drink" Chloe scolded playfully and pulled herself onto her usual bar stool.
"Someone's eager" Beca smirked, "I'm going to make you an orange juice because it's ten in the morning..." she reminded, pouring the orange liquid into a glass, "...and I'm almost certain you haven't eaten anything yet!" She placed it in front of the redhead.
Chloe paused and looked at Beca; like, really looked at her. It was the little things that made Chloe like the other woman more and more – walking her home drunk was the first but ensuring she wasn't drinking alcohol before eating probably wouldn't be the last.
Beca quirked an eyebrow, causing Chloe to snap out of her thoughts with a guilty smile and a faint blush on her cheeks; she prayed Beca wouldn't question her about it.
"Speaking off; I have ten minutes left of my shift and then I'm taking you out for the day."
"Becs, you just opened up" she laughed, unsure if this was a really bad timed joke - god, she really hoped it wasn't.
"I know. I've sorted it out with Nick – if I opened this morning, he'd work my shift for the rest of the day. C'mon, you honestly didn't think we were going to spend your last day in Hawaii at the bar you've visited every day since you got here?!" Beca asked, resting her hands on the bar surface.
The grin on her face was distracting and Chloe really wanted to shoot back some sort of sarcastic retort, but her mind drew a blank. Thankfully, a man strolled in with an apron and demanded Beca make him a drink before he started her shift.
XXX
The pair enjoyed an early lunch in a small cafe that was "on the way to where we're heading." Despite numerous questions and a small amount of almost begging, Chloe was yet to find out where in fact they were going.
"Look, it won't be a surprise if I tell you" Beca said plainly, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel in beat with the music on the radio.
Chloe turned her attention back to her window, taking in the dusty road and the trees surrounding them. Occasionally, the trees would fall away and the sea would come into view; the huge blue body of water - calm and quiet – visible over the ever ending cliff they seemed to be climbing up.
"Well can you at least tell me if we're almost there?" she reasoned, flicking through the radio stations on the truck's stereo.
Beca smirked, "You really are a child at heart, aren't you?" she teased.
"Maybe I just get excited easily."
"What, like last night?"
Chloe immediately stopped tuning the radio and sat upright in her seat, eyes cast back on her window. Her smile faltered slightly before it eventually disappeared. She didn't know what to say to that; it was unexpected and judging by Beca's tone it was supposed to be a joke. Chloe liked all of Beca's jokes, but she wasn't sure she liked that one.
The brunette was adjusting the volume of the music, turning it all the way down and placing her hand on Chloe's knee.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
Chloe let out a sigh, followed by a small smile, "It's OK, I know you didn't mean anything by it."
Beca was slowing down now and turning into a make shift lay by. She turned the engine off with the turn of her key and shifted in her seat so she was facing the redhead beside her.
"Do you want to talk about it? I feel like maybe we should" she asked shyly, pulling at the ripped hole in her shorts.
"I'm sorry; I just got carried away with everything. The beach, the party, you! I just wasn't thinking straight."
Chloe knew that was the truth; she did get carried away, but she's more than certain she was thinking straight the duration of the evening. It wasn't a total lie, but she couldn't push away the twinge of guilt in her stomach once she finished her sentence.
"You were" Beca mumbled, resting a hand on the wheel.
Chloe's look of confusion made the brunette speak again.
"You were thinking straight. I feel like I was too, right up until I left and walked away"
"Beca, I d-"
"Nope, we are not doing this now; just nope" Beca interrupted turning the engine over and pulling back onto the road.
"I have our day planned and this talk was supposed to happen later; after the hike and picnic; we are not doing this right now" she announced with finality, changing gears and putting her foot further down on the gas.
Chloe smiled. She could feel the sincerity in Beca's voice when she apologised and in her almost confession. The redhead had spent a lot of time wondering if Beca liked her back; despite the night before being an almost mixed signal, she feels after that small conversation, perhaps her thoughts have been confirmed. Hearing the words hike and picnic also made Chloe think Beca had gone out of her way to plan something, causing that all too familiar feeling in her chest to erupt whenever it came to Beca.
"Wait, a hike and picnic?" Chloe asked.
"Well at least now you have a clue" Beca grinned.
"Wait, road up a big hill, hiking, picnic; is there some sort of water where we're going?" she asked excitedly, throwing herself around in the seat to face Beca properly, a beaming smile on her face.
The brunette shrugged nonchalantly, "Maybe."
"Are we going to Monoa Falls?"
"Damn it, Beale!" she yelled, giving the older woman's shoulder a light shove.
Chloe giggled, frantically clapping her hands together. "I've always wanted to go!" she exclaimed.
The corner of Beca's mouth twitched upwards, keeping her eyes on the road she muttered a quiet "I know" causing Chloe's head to snap round.
"You know?" she questioned, puzzled.
"Yeah, you told me all about how much you wanted to see the waterfall the first night we met – not that you remember much of it that is" Beca teased, giving her a knowing look.
"Oh" was all Chloe could manage. At first she thought it was coincidence, but now she knew it wasn't, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering even more and the urge to kiss Beca the strongest it had ever been.
This was no longer just a day out; this was a date.
XXX
Once they parked the car, Beca was leading Chloe through a trail in the forest, the sounds of birds and insects filling her ears and the nice cool breeze blowing through her hair. The path was a little muddy, rendering her beach sandals a bad choice of footwear, giving her a good excuse to hold Beca's hand the entire walk – it was nice.
The moment they reached the two hundred feet vertical drop of water, Chloe's breath hitched at the pure beauty of it. The way the sun glistened through the trees and reflected off the water fascinated her. Beca's hand was still in hers and she couldn't help but squeeze it; hoping Beca understood how much she appreciated her day out (date?) so far.
After a few minutes of standing there, more tourists began to gather, making their once quiet and personal moment now loud and busy.
"Come on, I've got a better spot" with that, Beca was pulling on Chloe's hand and leading her further away from the water and deeper into the forest.
"You know this place was used to film Jurassic Park and Lost?" Beca asked, placing her hand on the small of Chloe's back as she helped her up over the trunk of a collapsed tree.
"No, I didn't" Chloe replied, trying to focus more on Beca's words and less on her hands.
"Yeah, so be on the lookout for that giant tyrannosaurus" Beca mumbled, steadying Chloe on her hips.
After a short period of walking, the two women were standing in front of a blanket, with a picnic basket resting on it. The spot was secluded from the trail and once Chloe looked up she realised there was a clearing in the trees up above, allowing a stream of light to encircle the blanket.
"Ta-dah" Beca whispered with a smile.
"Beca this is- wow."
"Don't thank me yet, someone might have stumbled upon it before us and eaten the food" she joked.
Chloe stepped over and took a seat, watching as Beca checked the picnic basket. "Alright, all set. I've got some wine – I was going to make you your usual cocktail, but Nick came early for all the stuff."
"So, that's why you opened up the bar?" Chloe asked with a smirk.
"Yeah, I have to work all four of his shifts next week in return though" she deadpanned, unscrewing the cap off the bottle.
"You didn't have to do that."
"Yeah, well I wanted to."
Chloe couldn't seem to shift the deep appreciation she was feeling right now and unsure of what to do with it. If she was being honest with herself, the redhead wanted to see how Beca's lips felt on her own, but instead she settled on a hug. Their position made it awkward and impractical, but Chloe still felt Beca's arm snake around her waist in return; she swiftly pulled away, unable to predict her actions if she didn't.
The pair fell into easy conversation – as always – and Chloe felt like Beca was opening up more. The slight guard she had felt when they conversed at the bar was slowly disarming and answers to Chloe's questioned were less generally and more detailed. This coupled with Beca gently playing with her fingers on the blanket was enough to make Chloe wish she never had to leave Hawaii; never had to leave Beca.
The time seemed to pass ten times as quickly as it did sat at the bar and it wasn't until Beca commented on it that the day was almost over, the last of the dim evening light disappearing rather quickly. Chloe felt a sinking feeling; disappointed they had to leave. She reluctantly got to her feet and began clearing away the picnic and grabbing the basket.
"Woah, hold on, the date isn't over yet" Beca warned, settling her hand on Chloe's that was holding the picnic basket.
The confirmation of the word date caused Chloe's heart to stop, in fact she almost let go of the handle; Beca's affirmation catching her off guard. The younger woman began walking down the trail they had ventured up a few hours before, turning to signal Chloe to follow.
XXX
By the time they both got back to the waterfall it was dark and completely free of tourists.
"Should we be hanging around here in the dark?" Chloe asked, her eyes scanning the area.
"We're fine. We just need some light to deter wild life" Beca assured, sparking her lighter and lighting the stick candles that were planted around the waterfall.
"Did Nick put these here as well?" Chloe asked.
Beca laughed, noting Chloe's smirk in the candle light, "Would it earn me extra brownie points?" she asked, snapping the top of the lighter closed.
"Maybe" Chloe shrugged, attempting to hide her smile.
"Well, too bad. They have night tours up here a couple of times a week, so I'm afraid these candles were conveniently already here."
Beca motioned for Chloe to sit on one of the rocks and began removing her shoes in order to dip her feet in the water. The redhead watched, before doing the same, quickly dipping her feet into the cool water, letting it clean away the mud in between her toes; she seriously regretted wearing her sandals.
A comfortable silence fell over them for a few minutes, the sound of the water calming Chloe's mind.
"We should talk about last night now" Beca whispered.
"OK" Chloe smiled.
"I'm sorry I was a jerk" Beca sighed.
"You weren't."
"I should have stayed in the lobby."
Chloe wasn't sure what to say to that. It seemed over the last twenty four hours, Beca had been giving her some serious mixed signals and she wasn't sure how to respond.
"I think we both knew what you were asking when you invited me to your room" she continued, kicking her feet lightly in the water, "I wanted to go through with it but I just had this voice in my head telling me it was a bad idea. I didn't want to be a one night stand to you."
Chloe knitted her eyebrows together and reached for Beca's arm, "You'd never be a one night stand to me, Beca. I'm not really sure what it is, but I've had these feelings for you that I'm certain I've never had for anyone else" her voice was a little shaky towards the end. She hadn't anticipated admitting that, but it was something in the other woman's eyes that seemed to draw it out of her.
"I feel them too."
Beca locked her eyes on Chloe's before looking away and returning with a mischievous smile.
"Do you want to go for a swim?" she asked, head bobbing towards the water.
"But there is a danger sign?" she replied.
"Yeah for a landslide that happened more than ten years ago. C'mon, Beale, where's your adventure gone?" she encouraged, a smirk settling on her lips.
Chloe grinned, quickly standing up on the rock and pulling her top over her head. She rested her hands on the button of her shorts and noticed where Beca's eyes were.
"Hey, are you going to get undressed or just watch me all night?" Chloe challenged.
"I mean I wouldn't object to watching you..." Beca retorted, sliding off the rock and into the water, "...but I actually didn't mean skinny dipping."
Chloe stilled her movements, the once smug smile disappearing being replaced with embarrassment.
"Please, continue" Beca smiled, walking backwards further into the water, her eyes never leaving the figure in front of her.
"Perv" Chloe whispered, attempting to keep her blush from becoming too visible.
She made her own way into the water, clad in shorts and her bra and followed Beca, feeling the cold of the water reaching her waist.
Beca let out an amused chuckle, completely unprepared for the wave of water Chloe pushed onto her face. The redhead couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles; the surprised look accompanied by the quick wipe of her eyes making it difficult to stop. In return there was a splash of water colliding unexpectedly with the her face and silencing her amusement.
Chloe was striving closer to Beca, moving nearer at a rapid speed and eventually reaching her with another accidental splash; the slope of the rocks underwater catching her off guard and causing her to fall straight into the brunette.
They both fumbled for a few seconds, regaining their balance. Chloe was painfully aware of the hands that were on her hips; hands that were positioned firmly, showing no signs of moving anytime soon. Both women maintained eye contact and Beca's eyes flickered to her lips when Chloe subconsciously placed her hands on the smaller woman's shoulders.
The distance between them was closing and Beca gently placed a hand on Chloe's cheek, the sound of the slight splash in the water no longer audible and the redhead anticipated the feel of Beca's lips. The movement was slow; causing Chloe to let out an inaudible moan as Beca's lips gently touched hers.
Chloe pulled away quickly and removed her arms. The ripples in the water similar to the ripples of fleeting desire in her heart.
"I can't" she whispered to a confused Beca.
"I'm sorry, I just-" she stopped herself, trying to get a handle on her emotions. The unshed tears were stinging her eyes and her throat growing dry, unable to finish her sentence without letting them go. Thoughts of Tom and her life in Atlanta resurfacing, forcing the guilt she had been trying to forget.
It wasn't guilt for her 'boyfriend' at home, but guilt for the woman in front of her. A strong and crippling amount of it coursing through her veins, how could she have led someone as sincere as Beca on without once thinking of the consequences?
"You can't? Can't what?" Beca asked unsure, maintaining the new distance between them.
"Is there a landslide I don't know about?" she asked, pointing to the top of the waterfall, a forced smile on her face - Beca's signature smirk loosing its confidence and warmth.
"A boyfriend. There is a boyfriend you don't know about."
Chloe's voice was quiet and scared. She kept her eyes trained on the visible rocks in the water, unable to muster the courage to look at Beca, until Beca was moving closer.
"I don't understand. You were the one that asked me upstairs last night. The one that came to the bar every day of her holiday. The one that never told me she had a fucking boyfriend."
Beca's words were rushed and frantic; the last sentence bitter and angry, causing a tear to slip down Chloe's cheek.
"It wasn't like that, I promise" she choked out.
Beca was walking past Chloe and throwing herself down defeated on the rock they were previously sat on. Chloe felt more tears fall as Beca lifted her knees in order to stand up, but instead brought them to her chest and cast her eyes on Chloe.
"I should go" she stated flatly. "Drive you back to the hotel and forget about you."
Chloe was making her way over, and sitting next to her, ensuring to keep a healthy distance between them.
"I'm sorry" Chloe whispered, wiping her tears away. "I should have told you, I'm so sorry."
"So this boyfriend is in Atlanta?"
The word boyfriend was spat bitterly.
"Yeah, but he- I'm not really with him."
"Chloe, just give me a straight answer. You owe me that at least, right?" she asked, a trace of hurt in her voice.
"I don't love him. I've never been in love with him. I've felt more for you here than I ever have for him."
Her words were true and honest; she hoped the sincerity was heard.
"Yeah, but you're in a relationship-"
"He cheated on me!" Chloe interrupted, turning to face the brunette beside her.
"And this with me was your revenge, was it? A way to get him back?" Beca challenged with the shake of her head.
"No, no, I left him. I booked this holiday to get away from everything and I left Tom and our relationship for good."
"So is he your boyfriend or not, Chloe because you're telling me one thing and then another."
"I have yet to tell him" she mumbled, looking down at the water. "He doesn't know we're over yet, but we are. We have been long before I saw him kissing someone else on his lunch break."
Beca's expression softened. Her hand reached over to Chloe's shoulders and she shuffled closer, pulling the redhead into her side.
"So you were single the moment you got here, this Tom guy just doesn't know it yet?"
Chloe let out a deep breath and leaned into Beca's touch "Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me that before we did this? On the first night, the second night, last night? Why couldn't you just have been open with me from the start?"
Beca's voice was desperate and pleading.
"I wanted to get away. I got lost in you."
Chloe was pulling away from the embrace, instantly feeling the coldness. Beca held out her hand and pulled the redhead to her feet in silence.
"Come on; let's get back to the car."
Even though Beca was mad or disappointed or both, Chloe noticed how the brunette still picked up her shoes and placed them in front of her feet, making it easier for her to slip them on.
XXX
The car ride back to the hotel was silent - no conversation shared, just the towel led out on the car seats. Beca turned off the engine and stepped onto the hotel car park, making her way to the passenger side to open Chloe's door.
When they were both out of the car, Chloe was pulling Beca closer, gripping at her still wet t-shirt and guiding the shorter woman's hands around her waist. It was a desperate attempt for affection, but Chloe knew this was the end; she just wanted to feel close to her one last time before she flew home the next morning, never to see her again.
After a couple of moments, the redhead no longer needed to hold Beca's hands in place, as they squeezed her hips tightly and pulled her closer to her body. Chloe could feel the hot breath on her neck, and hear the words "we could have been something special" whispered in her ear.
Eventually they pulled away and Beca seemed to make a split decision, as she put her mouth on Chloe's. Her lips were soft and attentive and the kiss was rushed, but passionate. The redhead couldn't help but shudder once she felt the familiar feeling of a thumb circling her wrist, or stop the sharp intake of breath as she was unexpectedly pushed against the car door.
Chloe gave in. She finally let the desire for Beca wash over her and allowed her mind to be cleared of everything other than the moment between them; no flight, no Tom, no Hawaii, nothing; just Beca's lips and tongue colliding with her own. The kiss was better than Chloe could have ever imagined and even though the events leading up to it wasn't what she wanted, she was thankful for it.
Because maybe if it hadn't been, the kiss would have been less hungry and wistful.
After an unknown amount of the time, the two pulled away and Beca's grip became even tighter around her waist.
"I don't want you to go" she whispered over Chloe's lips, their foreheads resting together.
"You don't deserve the way I've treated you."
"But I still want you."
Early the next morning, Chloe boarded her plane to Atlanta, replaying her last moments with Beca over and over again. It was because of Beca she felt a strong need to go back home and tell Tom the truth and end their year long relationship.
"Don't be a stranger."
Beca's words were running through her mind.
"I can't not see you again."
Chloe settled into her aisle seat on the plane with a smile. Beca had unknowingly helped Chloe find her way again, but it was something more than that; Beca had showed Chloe what love felt like. That thought alone made her smile, because she was coming back to Hawaii as soon as she could, she was no longer flying home now, she was just leaving.
XXX
A/N 2 – My previous author's note may or may not have been a little too aggressive...?
A/N 3 – Not every story can have a fairytale ending.