A/N – So as promised, part three which makes the new title thirty now, right? (Nothing like killing a joke by using it more than twice.)

I feel like I've overhyped it and I'm totally going to shit on your high expectations for this. So, what you're about to read is the biggest pile of rubbish I have ever attempted to write. There, are your expectations lowered now? Phew, OK, good, read on…

A Ten Part Three

Beca placed the key in the lock as Chloe's legs tightened around her waist. She had her pinned up against the wall, too much flesh on display for the public place they were currently in. Neither of them were able to open the door just yet, both of their hands too busy with other things. After a few minutes, Chloe was eventually pushing off the concrete behind her and attempting to steer Beca threw the door and into her apartment.

Despite the lack of communication, both were able to understand each other perfectly. Beca was pulling the dress up over Chloe's head, whilst the older woman pushed the front door shut with her foot.

Although they hadn't really addressed much of Chloe's lingering departure back to Florida, it seemed they were both voicing their feelings through gentle touches and passionate kisses. Before either of them knew it, they found themselves enclosed in the familiarity of Beca's bed, bare skin pressed against skin, while hands lingered in different areas.

There was something much more intimate between them tonight.

Chloe's fingertips caressed Beca's lower back longer and Beca's lips tried to desperately taste every inch of Chloe's stomach. There was a deeper desire and stronger hunger than they had been previously and it made the sex less physical and more sensual.

Yeah, Beca was well aware this wasn't just fun anymore and the look in Chloe's eye made her think she felt the same.

Chloe was led on the bed, a thin bedsheet wrapped around her body and resting under her arms. Beca was sprawled out nearer the bottom on her side, as she softly traced a pattern over the ankle resting on her hip.

"I know we agreed not tonight, but technically it's already morning."

Beca's thumb stilled on the outline of the other woman's tattoo above her ankle before she let out a chuckle.

The brunette was surprised Chloe was able to resist broaching the topic sooner. She could see the little tell-tale signs she had picked up in the short time since they met. The redhead would worry her lip between her teeth or run a hand through her hair one too many times; Beca had noticed these details more so since they got back from the wedding reception a couple of hours ago.

Subconsciously, Beca had been paying closer attention to the woman who had spent the majority of the week in this very bed with her. A lot of hours were spent wishing their time would never end and now that it was slowly running out, Beca was taking everything in, willing all the little things that made Chloe so Chloe to memory.

"I knew it wouldn't take you long before you cracked" she sighed out with a smile.

The other woman good naturedly shook her head before shuffling closer.

"Would you mind if I stuck around longer?"

Chloe's voice was unusually quiet and nervous and it made every muscle in Beca's body tense. She never wanted Chloe to feel like that around her.

"No, of course not. I want nothing more…" she trailed off, focussing her attention on the hand that had found its way into hers.

"Why do I sense a 'but' coming?"

Beca smiled softly before sitting up, "Isn't it- you're still going to have to leave though."

The words were a mixture of a sigh and whisper. The truth of the matter was Beca wished Chloe didn't have to leave Atlanta at all; perhaps delaying the inevitable would only make it harder when they had to return back to their old lives, without each other.

"When I go back to Florida," Chloe paused as if in search of the right words, "Would you-would you still want us to be whatever we are now?"

Beca covered her face with her hands before blowing the air from her cheeks, "I don't know."

Chloe's face fell, until she smiled with the shake of her head. There was something in her eyes Beca couldn't quite describe, until the redhead was getting to her feet and heading out of the room; the brunette focussed on the trail of the bedsheet in silence as she disappeared.

After a few minutes, Chloe stepped back in wearing her bridesmaids dress and ran a hand through her hair, again.

"I'm going to sleep at Aubrey's" she announced, retrieving her shoes from the bedroom floor.

"I don't want you going back to an empty apartment at this time, Chlo" Beca replied, getting to her feet and nervously pulling at the hem of her t-shirt.

"I'll be fine."

Beca moved closer, gently pulling at Chloe's elbow before she could carry on walking away, "Chloe-"

She quickly shrugged out of the brunette's hold with a definite "No."

"Beca, I think we just need time apart to figure stuff out. We've pretty much been together every day from the night I arrived. Let's be rational here, OK?"

The shorter woman recoiled back, hugging her arms around her waist with a defeated nod. She watched Chloe leave, all the protests she should have said floating around her head without the means of an escape.

XXX

Beca woke up later that morning alone. It was strange opening her eyes and not feeling the warmth of Chloe beside her. She let out a sigh and rolled onto her back.

If it felt this lonely waking up in an empty bed now, how much would it hurt to wake up knowing Chloe wasn't just a mere ten-minute drive down the street?

Beca hadn't had a serious relationship since college. Shortly after her and Jesse decided to just be friends, she met Abby.

She was a psych major and Beca found herself drawn to the blonde girl in the library during a last minute study session late one night. It had started out as a friendship but quickly progressed into something much more and Beca fell in love, hard.

It lasted almost fourteen months and Beca caught herself wondering about where and what Abby was up to these days. They both reluctantly decided to break it off just before graduation; with Beca staying in Atlanta and Abby moving to New York it seemed to make sense. Their lives were just beginning (her Dad would argue with Beca's side of that though) and people change after college.

It took the brunette a while to get over her first love and Jesse tried his very best to convince her that's why she wasn't that keen on relationships now.

He might have been right.

Since meeting Chloe, Beca found herself imagining what that would like; to wake up and fall asleep with the redhead by her side and finally accept the love she so desperately felt for her.

Wait, love?

Beca sat up at that thought- she wasn't expecting that word to swirl around her mind this morning.

She ran through all the little details of the past seven days; the butterflies, the light-headedness, the tingling sensation in her limbs.

The hand holding; the cuddling; the late night conversations.

Wow, love is a pretty perfect description.

She reached for the phone currently on charge by the bed and tapped on Chloe's name. Beca touched the message icon, but immediately closed it and locked the device.

She got to her feet and began getting dressed; she had one thing to take care of before she talked to Chloe about this.

XXX

"Why?" Chloe asked, confused.

She was sat on Aubrey and Jesse's couch, following Beca's purposeful pace with her eyes.

She stopped pacing, returning a puzzled look of her own before sitting down beside the redhead.

"I have nothing keeping me here."

The reply was that simple for Beca – she was willing to uproot her life in the short space of time she had and follow Chloe straight to Florida without once looking back.

All the years Beca had listened to her Father's lectures and rants about securing a future and making something of herself all made sense, but he was always pushing her towards the wrong opportunity. It wasn't a job, nor was it a career. Her future was a person, but not just any person. No, the woman sat bewildered on the cushion beside her was everything Beca had ever needed to feel accomplished.

And now Chloe seemed to be having doubts.

"No, I mean why now? When I asked you that question earlier you said you didn't know. What's changed?" she asked, searching the other woman's eyes intently.

Beca took a deep breath.

"So this is going to sound crazy."

Chloe smiled and it was all the reassurance Beca needed to voice the words that had been swimming around her head all afternoon.

"I've never wanted to try at anything. Not a job, not a hobby, nothing. I've always been content just breezing through life without ever making any effort and so far, that's been enough."

The redhead nodded, urging Beca to continue.

"But since I met you, all of that has changed. I can't tell you why or the exact moment it happened but I want to try and I want to make an effort with you. I know it hasn't been long and maybe it's just lust or the situation we're in that's making me feel this way, but right now I am one hundred percent sure I'm in love you and I want to be where ever you are. Atlanta, Florida, the fucking moon, Chlo! You make me better and I want to be better, for you."

The silence wasn't a great sign, so Beca decided to keep talking.

"Apart from Aubrey and Jesse and the people at the store, I have no ties here. I can just up and leave to Florida with you tomorrow, but if you don't want that then I guess-"

"No!'

Chloe's hand was reaching for Beca's forearm.

"Can you just shut up for five seconds so I can process this" she laughed, moving closer to a nodding Beca.

Perhaps Beca's confession was too much. She hadn't really prepared much of a speech before she raced over here, but now she was thinking maybe quitting her job at the record store ten minutes ago might have been a little rash.

But for once, Beca was excited by the prospect of change.

The prospect of being able to call Chloe her girlfriend and not just a fun arrangement they made at her sister's wedding.

"What if I told you my job is hectic and my apartment is tiny?" the redhead asked worriedly. "Or if I told you Tampa is nothing like Miami and your pale skin wouldn't last a minute in the sun?"

"What if I told you I already quit my job?" Beca rushed out with a shy smile. "What if I told you I can buy a life supply of sunscreen?"

Chloe giggled, before turning to face Beca, their knees touching.

"There are a lot of if's about this, Becs" Chloe replied seriously, her eyes dragged down to the hands currently fidgeting in her lap.

"Do you love me?" the brunette asked, stilling the other woman's nervous twitches.

"Beca, you know it's not that simple" Chloe started, a strong sense of reasoning in her voice.

"Chloe…" she spoke sternly, the trace of a smile on her lips, "…answer the question."

"I love you."

Chloe trained her eyes on Beca, the look of honesty in them made Beca's heart tingle.

"So I'm coming to Tampa" she stated simply.

The redhead let out a giddy laugh, before breathing, "You're coming to Tampa" with a beaming smile.

Beca was surging forward and attaching her lips to Chloe's, her kiss sealing the promise of the words she had spoken from the minute she walked into the apartment.

Everything in that moment just felt right and Beca felt with every ounce of her being moving to be with Chloe was by far the biggest and greatest decision she had ever made.

XXX