Thirty minutes later, a cab drops them off on Tybee Island, just across the street from the beach.
"Surprise," Chloe whispers, smiling at Beca. "You had mentioned several times about how you still hadn't been to the beach, so..."
"You're amazing." Beca smiles and makes the decision to actually let her guard down for the first time since Chloe arrived. She wraps her arms around the taller girl and pulls her close, her face buried in the crook of Chloe's neck. Red hair tickles the tip of her nose and she inhales deeply - a hint of lavender perfume and Beca's own shampoo, which causes a familiar twisting in her gut - and she is completely intoxicated.
Chloe pulls back, pressing a kiss to Beca's cheek. "Here," she says, handing her the messenger bag off her shoulder. "I went back and got your camera."
"Chloe..." Beca smiles impossibly wider and shakes her head slightly in disbelief, blown away by how well Chloe just seems to just know her in such a short time.
-xxx-
Their walk along the beach is mostly in silence, simply enjoying each other's company. It's a bit windy, so when Beca isn't busy taking pictures, she's drawn into Chloe's side, Chloe's arm around her waist to keep her warm. When they stop for a moment at a bench on the pier, Beca goes click happy, taking what could easily be considered an obsessive amount of pictures of Chloe. Normally she would care that she's coming across like a crazy person, but right now the lighting is an indescribable kind of astounding and the way it plays across Chloe's skin and hair makes it look like she's actually glowing.
After one shot - Chloe's head tilted back ever so slightly as she faces the sun, copper tresses blowing across her face - Beca stops to review the pictures, hoping she camera managed to accurately reproduce what she was seeing through the lens. She audibly gasps at the last shot; the framing, the lighting, the wind - it's all come together for one of those one-in-a-million pictures that many photographers would die to take. She knows she's good - she got into SCAD on her high school portfolio - but she's rarely blown away by her own work like this.
"What?" Chloe asks, when she realizes Beca is still just gaping at the screen. She turns and cranes her neck, trying to catch a glimpse.
"Nothing," Beca says, a blush hinting at her cheeks as she moves to slide the camera in her bag.
"Something." Chloe presses into Beca's side, fingers grazing her hip. "Can I see?"
Beca, knowing it's a useless fight, scrolls back to the shot and hands over her camera. "You're... actually amazing, Chlo," she admits
Chloe smiles, admiring the shot. "I think it has a lot to do with the photographer. Does this thing have a timer?" Chloe asks and Beca nods. "I want one of us together."
"Go stand over there," Beca says, pointing further down the pier. "I want to make sure we're both in the shot." She places the camera on a flat spot on the railing, focuses on where Chloe is standing, and sets the timer.
"Here," Chloe says, holding her arms out as Beca approaches, wrapping her in a tight hug.
Beca hears the faint sound of the shutter and reluctantly steps out of the embrace. "One more," she says, going to set the timer again. She quickly resumes her place in front of Chloe and turns to look at her, Chloe dipping her head down just as she tilts her own chin upward. Their lips are a fraction of an inch from each other when Beca turns slightly, Chloe's lips pressing a soft kiss to her cheek as the camera goes off.
Beca can feel her heart thudding in her chest as she curses herself for almost kissing Chloe again, but she doesn't move right away except to turn in Chloe's arms. They stay locked in the intimate embrace, Beca's eyes closed and her head resting against Chloe's shoulder as she tries to regroup.
"Bec," Chloe whispers, but Beca is already moving away to grab the camera.
She's not entirely sure what came over her, but she knows that being so close to Chloe does things to her that she just can't explain. Things she doesn't want to explain.
"Beca," Chloe tries again, reaching out to touch her arm as she sits down on the bench. "Can I..."
"I'd rather not," Beca says, trying to keep her voice neutral, but knowing that she's failing miserably. She can feel the tears stinging behind her eyes and she turns away before they can fall.
Chloe sits down just behind her and places a hand on her lower back, chin resting on her shoulder. "I was just going to ask if I could take you to dinner."
Beca breathes in deeply, allowing her tears to subside as she pushes all of the thoughts clouding her head away. "Yeah," she says, a genuine smile on her face as she turns and looks at Chloe. "I'd like that."
-xxx-
It's late when they finally get back from the beach, but Chloe and Beca are both on some sort of euphoric high, so they stay up talking and listening to Jesse's records. Beca sits on her bed, legs draped over Chloe's, watching her as she uploads their pictures to Facebook. It's a sort of quiet Beca's not used to - something she only experiences with Chloe - and it's equal parts unnerving and calming. Beca studies her expressions, focusing on the way Chloe worries her bottom lip between her teeth, eyebrows knit in concentration, and she twists away to grab her camera off the nightstand.
"What?" Chloe asks, looking up after Beca's taken a few pictures.
"You're cute when you concentrate," Beca tells her, nudging Chloe's arm with her foot.
Chloe smiles and tickles the bottom of her foot, causing Beca to shriek with laughter. "Oooh, ticklish?"
Beca just pouts and Chloe laughs before turning back to the computer. She appears to linger on one picture, expression softening as she leans back into the pillows ever so slightly.
"What?"
Chloe turns the laptop toward Beca, showing her the picture. It's of Beca laying on the sand, facing the camera and squinting behind her aviators, hand up to block a little more sun. Chloe had taken it blindly when they were lying on the beach blanket, listening to the waves.
"You're stunning," Chloe says quietly, and Beca's cheeks flush an unnatural shade of red.
Beca's usually better at taking compliments, or at least at playing them down with a sarcastic quip, but it seems like whenever they come from Chloe, she turns into a shy, blushing mess. "I think that has a lot to do with the photographer," she finally manages.
"Hey ladies!" Jesse calls as she walks in, DVD, Twizzlers, and popcorn in hand. He takes note of Beca and Chloe's position and winks at Beca. "Who's ready for a midnight matinee?"
Chloe laughs and pushes her laptop to the side, squirming her legs out from underneath Beca's and helping her up. Beca rolls her eyes - she still doesn't get the movie thing - but allows herself to be dragged into the living room anyway. She knows that, despite the couch that could easily seat four, Chloe's going to sink into Beca's side for the entirety of the film, and she figures that's about the best distraction she can get.
-xxx-
The night before Chloe leaves is a quiet one. Jesse "has something to do" - the goofy grin he gives Beca is the key to Beca knowing he's just trying to play matchmaker - so she and Chloe snuggle up on the couch and watch old reruns of Friends, because Chloe was kind of appalled that Beca had no knowledge of the show. Beca is quiet most of the night, because even though Jesse is constantly teasing her, her back misses her bed instead of the floor, and there are all these conflicting feelings she can't seem to sort out, she likes having Chloe there. She's going to miss it.
Halfway through the third episode, as Chloe's fingers start slowly massaging her scalp, Beca feels eyelids start to get heavy. "Mmmm... you are the best," she breathes out, snuggling closer, and she feels more than hears Chloe's chuckle.
"If I'd have known this was all it took to turn you into a pile of mush, I might have tried it sooner."
"You found my kryptonite," Beca says, stifling a yawn and attempting to focus on the TV again.
-xxx-
The next morning, after they drop Chloe off at the airport, Beca comes home, climbs in bed, and doesn't let herself think about why she's not changing the sheets.
Or about why she's got her cell phone gripped in her hand, waiting for text.
Or...
Actually, there's a lot she doesn't let herself think about when it comes to Chloe.
-xxx-
Communication gets easier after that. They text and iChat and Facetime, mostly without any awkward tension, unless Jesse's teased her a bit too long that day or she's feeling particularly introspective. Chloe, seemingly accepting it as Beca being Beca, brushes it off, and they carry about business as usual.
Two weeks after Chloe leaves, Beca is holed up in her dorm room, studying, when she gets a text.
hey you. what are you up to?
Beca smiles, accepting the text as an excuse to take a break.
studying. call you when i finish this chapter?
sounds good to me
Patience, Beca discovers, is still not one of her greatest virtues, especially when it comes to something she really wants (and she really wants this break; wants to talk to Chloe.) She tries her hardest to focus on the task at hand, but impatience gets the best of her and she grabs her phone, calling Chloe back.
"Anxious much?" Beca asks when Chloe answers on the first ring.
Chloe laughs. "Hello to you too. What are you studying for?"
"Everything. Finals week."
"Finals?" Chloe questions. "Aren't those usually at the beginning of December?"
"SCAD has a really weird schedule," she explains. "Finals are right before Thanksgiving and then we don't start up again until after the New Year."
"Damn, you guys got it lucky."
"Says the girl not even going to college," Beca reminds her, falling back onto the bed.
"Touche. Anyway... I was calling to see if you had plans for New Year's."
"Mmmm not that I know of," Beca says, flipping through her calendar to double check. "I don't go back to Portland until Monday before Christmas, 'cause Jesse and I are playing some shows before then. And I need to by tickets for that, so thank you for reminding me. But there are no plans for New Year's."
"You wanna come here?" Chloe asks. "The guys are going to Vegas for New Year's, and I don't want to have to spend it alone."
"No one else wants to spend it with you?" Beca teases, secretly thrilled at the prospect.
"No one here is my favorite. You are."
"Awww, I'm flattered," Beca jokes, trying to cover up for the intense way her heart clenched at Chloe's words.
"Seriously," Chloe says. "I miss you. I had fun there and now I want to show you around my city. I promise we'll have tons of fun. Please?"
Beca can practically hear the puppy dog expression she knows Chloe has on, so she says yes and laughs as Chloe giggles with excitement. They discuss plans and places Beca wants to see and Chloe wants to show her while Beca looks up flights. She finds out she can save almost a hundred dollars by coming in on the 28th, and she has to weigh out the options less time at home and more time with Chloe, or a little extra time with Luke and her mom. She feels a little bad when she lets Chloe win out.
They're on the phone for nearly an hour before Beca hangs up so she can get back to studying. It's a worthless attempt, though, because she is buzzing with the excitement - and subsequent nerves - of going to see Chloe in a little over a month.