Title: I Belong With You, You Belong With Me
Author: heartsmash
Rating: M, for later chapters.
Disclaimer: I don't own these wonderful characters written by Kay Cannon and brought to life by Jason Moore.
Summary: Companion piece to "You're My Sweetheart." Jesse and Beca are apart for summer and this time around it's Beca's turn to meet the family. Named for another lyric from "Ho Hey" by The Lumineers
Chapter Eight
Jesse's mother cooked another amazing dinner, which Beca felt obligated to help clean up which had Liza fretting over.
When everything was cleaned up, Mr. Swanson and Jesse lit the fire pit in the backyard and the family sat around roasting marshmallows and making s'mores. Beca could only remember doing this once in her life and that was when her mother had forced her into joining Girl Scouts. That had lasted all of three months and had ended not long after her Camper badge in the fifth grade. Her troop leader had discussed her attitude with her mother and the activity soon dropped from her social calendar.
"I can't belive you are failing at making s'mores," Jesse said, helping her put the marshmallow on top of the chocolate, "Did The Sandlot teach you nothing else?"
"Girl who doesn't watch movies," Beca said pointing at herself, "Or did we forget?"
"You're killing me Smalls," Jesse said with a groan.
Christina giggled at the reference but Beca could only shrug which made Jesse drop his head into his hand in defeat.
"Add that to the list that we still need to conquer," he told her as he closed the graham sandwich.
"Check, number 816 added to the list," Beca replied teasingly. She had no idea how he expected her to keep track of the movies that she needed to watch.
"Cute, real cute," he responded and took a bite of her s'more before handing it to her. Beca mock glared at him before taking a bite of the s'more herself.
"You're lucky I like your germs," Beca said, her mouth full of the dessert.
Christina rolled her eyes at the couple before taking a seat on one of the lounge chairs with her own s'more, pulling out her cell phone.
Jesse and Beca took a seat on this little blanket that Mrs. Swanson had laid down on the grass. Although Beca knew that they were not one hundred percent fixed, they were on their way back to normalcy.
She still had a few choice words for Molly, which Beca knew was not going to dissipate any time soon. The conversation that Jesse seemed hell bent on having with his grandmother was what weighed more heavily on her mind but she didn't want it to ruin yet another day that she had with Jesse in Maryland. Before she knew it, the week would be over and she would be back home and back at her internship. Jesse also seemed to be enjoying his time away from the consulting internship. Another point that she hoped that he would bring up with his grandmother – that it was not always about what was wonderful and prominent, but what was comfortable and passion inducing.
As the fire died down and Jesse's parents started to clean up for the night, Beca felt emboldened.
"Mr. and Mrs. Swanson, would you mind if Jesse and I slept in the same room tonight?"
Christina and Jesse's mouths both hung open in shock, awaiting the answer from the two adults. If Beca hadn't been waiting on an answer it would have been a funny picture to capture. Instead of letting the two Swanson siblings distract her, she continued with her petition.
"And I promise that that is all that will happen. We can even leave the door open."
Liza looked at her husband who in turn shrugged his shoulders.
"Parker did a lot worse," Mr. Swanson told his wife and she nodded in agreement. Jesse coughed loudly at hearing that his parents had known all along what his older brother had been up to.
"I guess it would be fine," Mrs. Swanson responded to the two teenagers, "But door open as negotiated."
Beca nodded firmly in understanding and the three teenagers watched the two parents headed into the house. Christina immediately went over and yanked on Beca's hand.
"You have to teach me everything you know."
Beca smiled even though Jesse glared at his little sister and sputtered about her not needing to know anything like that.
"Shut up loser," Christina said sticking out her tongue.
"Lets go tough guy, time for bed," Beca told Jesse and corralled him to the house.
They said goodnight to Jesse's parents before heading into the guest room for her to grab clothes. Hoping to maintain the picture of decency, Beca changed in the bathroom. Since she had definitely surprised his parents with her request, as well as herself, Beca figured it was best to not push any more boundaries. Truthfully though, all she wanted to do was sleep next to Jesse. Jesse was sitting on his bed still dressed when she returned.
"I think I'm still in shock," he said to her and she couldn't help but smile.
"Isn't this what you were complaining about the other night? I think it's a big win. For the moment."
She stood in front of where he sat and put her hands on his shoulders.
"You're thinking way too much into this. Just enjoy what freedom we've been given...it's kind of like being back at Barden, Kimmy Jin free."
With a satisfied nod, he stripped off his jeans and got into bed. The door was open as promised but Beca couldn't be happier. Beca pulled her hair up into a messy bun and stretched before turning off the light.
"We could be quiet you know..." Jesse said to her as she got onto the bed and under the covers.
"Um, absolutely not. I played my best Vincent Laguardia Gambini negotiating a plea bargain. I'm not going to ruin your parents actually liking me by listening to your crazy ideas."
Jesse grinned like an idiot.
"What?" she asked defensively.
"You just made your first movie reference while in my childhood bedroom. I'm in heaven."
"Ugh, I should have known that you would have been caught onto that."
"My Cousin Vinny? Of course. Classic film!" Jesse said indignantly.
"When is not a classic film, nerd?" Beca said kissing his cheek and snuggled into the covers and his body heat.
There was a great deal of silence before he finally came up with an answer.
"White Chicks. That's when it's not a classic."
With a sigh, Beca said goodnight to the boy who had way too much knowledge about movies in his brain.
"I don't understand why you can't just get ready here."
It was way too early to be awake but Beca was operating on Shannon's schedule and that meant being ready to be picked up by 10 am. Jesse's parents had to go into their respective offices this morning to get some work done before the event that evening leaving the house eerily quiet.
"It was Shannon's idea. This big reveal of my dress. She thinks you're going to become a cartoon wolf, eyes popping out of your head and whistling," Beca told him as she threw some of her makeup into a bag to go over to Shannon and Parker's townhouse.
"Sounds tempting," Jesse says as he watched her sleepily. Lucky bastard was still in bed, doing absolutely nothing while she was already showered and dressed.
A car horn sounded outside signaling Shannon's arrival. Planting a kiss on his lips, Beca took off saying a quick goodbye to Christina who was half asleep over a bowl of Fruity Pebbles.
Shannon had wanted an entire spa day that Beca refused so the compromise was for manicures and pedicures. They walked in and picked colors - a light pink for Shannon and a deep purple, nearly black for Beca.
"You and my little brother-in-law all squared away now?" Shannon asked as the woman doing her nails removed the now chipping French manicure that had been on her hands.
"More or less. He understands why what happened with Molly was upsetting for me but I'm not sure he's one hundred percent sure how to feel about grandma-gate."
Shannon snickered at the newly nicknamed situation with the elder Mrs. Swanson.
"Well unfortunately, Grandma will be there tonight. But maybe your Shannon approved dress and makeup this evening will inspire a change of heart for her as well." Beca rolled her eyes, not believing that that would the case in the least. "Let's just hope everyone can mind their manners. It is kind of Christina's night."
The bell above the door tinkled musically and Shannon glanced toward the entrance to the nail salon.
"You've got to be kidding me," she muttered and Beca couldn't help but look in the same direction.
Apparently, Molly Adams had had the same idea of a morning manicures. She was giggling with some redhead that accompanied her.
Beca felt the annoyance with the blonde bubble up inside her.
"Beca, maybe you shouldn't," Shannon advised, automatically sensing what the brunette planned.
Beca couldn't listen to Shannon at the current moment. Whether or not Jesse wanted her to say something on his behalf was far away thought as Beca had enough to say for on behalf of their relationship to the blonde bimbo.
Pulling her hands from the water where they soaked, Beca wiped them on her jeans and approached Molly. The girl was still giggling about something with her friend when Beca tapped her on the shoulder. Molly's face dropped when she saw Beca in front of her, Shannon in the background.
"So I'm going to say this once and I'm glad you brought someone with you as a witness so it won't be confused. I know blondes have a hard time comprehending sometimes," Beca started before turning to Shannon, "No offense, but I think you're an exception."
"None taken," Shannon responded and smirked obviously enjoying the show.
Beca returned her focus to Molly. "Forget you know Jesse. He is ten times the person that you are and you don't deserve him, let alone to know him."
"Who do you think…" Molly started
"Oh Jesus, get off your Yale high horse, bitch. If I see you around him or I hear that you were, things are going to get particularly ugly for you."
She didn't know exactly what that plan entailed but Beca was sure that Amy could help her come up with something considering the girl had claimed to have wrestled dingoes and crocodiles simultaneously.
Molly swallowed and Beca could see the hint of tears in her eyes. The blonde didn't say anything else to Beca and instead yanked on her friend and pulled her from the nail salon. Beca pulled out her phone and tapped out a quick message to Jesse to let him know that she had spoken to Molly.
"Well that was a happy accident," Beca said, her hands replaced in the bowl of water.
"I would not want to be on your bad side," Shannon responded with a grin.
Beca stretched her neck. Although it had been very cathartic to finally put Molly in her place, she was seriously rethinking Shannon's idea about massages. She may need one before the event that night.
The ballroom of the hotel was decorated beautifully with vases of flowers and tasteful embellishments. Although Jesse normally hated coming to these things, for once he was actually excited. For one thing, he had a date, which had not been a common occurrence in the past. And for another, he was extremely excited to see Beca's dress. Shannon was an evil genius with keeping Beca from him because the excitement had built all day. The only thing that he had heard from her all day was that she had spoken to Molly and that had been it. Although he wondered what she had said, Jesse felt pretty awesome that his girlfriend had felt the need to defend his honor.
And now, he was waiting with other attendees as waiters and waitresses passed flutes of champagne and appetizers. Christina had found a few friends that she had made during her time in the hospital and his parents were waiting at the bar for drinks. The DJ had begun playing some trendy music, which he could do without but it was fine for the younger kids who wanted to dance and have fun.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his older brother and wife walking across the floor towards the table that the Swanson family had reserved. Shannon had gone for a simple black strapless dress and had made sure that Parker was in a complimentary suit. Jesse had opted for a tux, if only because Beca had made the James Bond comment the other morning at breakfast and he did not want to disappoint.
"Uh guys, I think you're missing someone," Jesse pointed out when he didn't see Beca.
Parker rolled his eyes and spun Jesse towards the steps that entered the ballroom. Beca stood nervously at the top of them wringing her hands.
If he could have made any sort of understandable sentence or noise, it would have been equivalent to the description that Beca had made earlier that morning. He knew that his mouth was hanging open unattractively and that he had this deer in headlights look going on but he could care less. He climbed the stairs slowly surveying Beca in the gown.
The pale colored dress contrasted nicely with her barely sun kissed skin, her hair swept up showing off her elegant neck. Gone were her ever-present spike earrings and simple crystal studs remained in their place. Instead of heavy makeup, a much lighter look was present.
"You look…wow," Jesse told Beca, who blushed a little at the compliment.
"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself…Mr. Bond," Beca teased gently.
Offering his arm, he walked her down the stairs and toward the table where his family sat. He could feel the stare of his grandmother from thirty feet away and now that Beca had been honest with him, he could see what she had told him.
"I'm going to go talk to her," Jesse told Beca and she went to stand with Shannon while he did so.
It didn't feel good to be confronting his grandmother like this and he knew that his parents were close enough that they could hear the entire exchange but Jesse didn't want secrets. He didn't want secret plans being made behind his back to remove the one bright spot that had occurred all summer. He didn't want blatant plans being made for his future when it was not what he wanted out life. Jesse loved his family and he loved his grandmother but he was his own person and it was about time that that had been made clear.
"Grandma, I need to speak with you."
"Of course Jesse," Regina said with a smile that he normally would have described as endearing but now he saw as more calculating.
"Beca overhead something that she shouldn't have the other day but she told me about it and I'd like to clear the air regarding any feelings that you have regarding my dating her."
The smile dropped from Regina's face and her body language became defensinve. But Jesse pressed on.
"I have no plans to break up with her any time soon, whether it be at your suggestion or my friends or Parker's. Beca makes me happy and she understands me. She knows that I want to score movies after I graduate, not work at some consulting firm where I sit at a desk all day doing and learning absolutely nothing."
Regina shook her perfectly coifed bob in disagreement. "Jesse, look at Parker and Shannon. They are the perfect couple. They could star in a Calvin Klein ad. Your girlfriend is the exact opposite with that eye makeup and those awful tattoos."
"What tattoos Grandma?" Shannon chimed, her head cocked to the side confusion.
Jesse looked at Beca and Shannon's statement was true. Her tattoos – namely the large cherry blossoms on her shoulder as well as the headphones and bow tattoos on her forearms were missing from her skin.
Regina sputtered a little bit.
"Looks are not everything but to me, Beca is beautiful."
Shannon was grinning like an idiot at her and she wanted nothing more than for the focus to not be on her. This was Christina's night and she didn't want to bring more any more tension to this evening as the conversation that had taken place had achieved enough of that already.
Walking to where Jesse stood, she took him by the hands and led him out onto the dance floor. Thankfully, the popular music had tapered off into something that the two of them could sway to. Beca's arms wound around his neck and Jesse's hands settled on her hips.
Settle down with me
Cover me up
Cuddle me in
Lie down with me
Hold me in your arms
"Ready to tell me where your tattoos went?"
"The miraculous works of Kat Von D," Beca told him, "It's this stupid concealer that Shannon talked me into."
"I miss them. Your tattoos are part of you," he mused.
Your heart's against my chest
Lips pressed to my neck
I've fallen for your eyes
But they don't know me yet
"Thank you for talking to your grandmother. I know it wasn't easy," Beca said looking up at him. Even in heels, she was shorter than him.
"I'm just glad that she knows how I feel about my future…and you. There's no mistaking it now."
Beca blushed lightly and ducked her head. She was completely unused to this feeling of someone other than her parents caring for her. It was strange yet intoxicating. She wasn't ready to tell him that she loved him and she didn't know when she would be ready. But in some small way, Beca knew that Jesse was worth it.
And the feeling I forget
I'm in love now
Kiss me like you wanna be loved
Wanna be loved
Wanna be loved
Jesse spun her and she laughed as they went from semi-coordinated to a total mess. Beca could see that his parents had also joined them on the dance floor and that Shannon and Parker were headed in the same direction.
"You want to get out of here?" Jesse questioned, his brown eyes gleaming with mischief.
Despite the trouble that she was sure that they were causing for themselves, Beca couldn't think of any other answer.
"Yes."
A/N: I apologize profusely for this incredibly long delay in getting this next chapter finished. I have had the worst writer's block when it comes to getting this finished and it probably has to do with the fact that I'm so jazzed about my next planned story. Thank you for reading and reviewing - you guys make my day!