You'd think the atmosphere in a cavernous, crumbling, abandoned pool would be less than desirable, but the afternoon with Beca, coupled with the adrenaline of competition starting to flow through his veins, meant he was charged up and ready to win this.

Not to mention that he was using every opportunity to flirt with Beca across the swim lanes, mouthing silent threats to her. Her apathy was adorable; he could not help remembering how easily she had latched on to his arm earlier in the day. How she casually dropped the topic of a girlfriend into their conversation. He hoped the growing comfort level between them would lead to even more time spent together.

But right now, he so could not wait to belt out some great lyrics in the sweet spot that Benji had pointed out earlier; he would totally use this opportunity to show her just what he was thinking. Since the Trebles had Justin fanboying hard at their doorstep at all hours of the day, they were pretty prepared for the various topics and he knew many of them revolved around hormones.

Speaking of hormones, the absolute ambiance in the pool was one of getting funky. Everyone was drinking, flirting, talking smack and having a good time. The more attractive members of the Bellas were all decked out; it was hard not to stare directly at Stacie's assets. Jesse was trying to be a gentleman, but he WAS 18. His gaze kept getting pulled back to her ample bosom like it had a tractor beam installed instead of high beams. Yes, the pheromones were flying.

He kept glancing across the pool at her. Resuming her slouch in the shadows, Beca had just handed a bottle back to Cynthia Rose after taking a rather large swig. Arms crossed and knee cocked, her body language absolutely declared that she wanted to be anywhere else but here; everything except her eyes, ever-attentive and observant of those around her, the corner of her mouth sometimes ticking up at whatever insights or humor her brain was finding in the entire situation. He wanted to draw her close to him so they could whisper together, his mouth hot against her ear as he pointed out the utter hilarity that was Bumper, the hijinx of the High Notes…and she would purse her lips and exhale a restrained laugh through her nose, turning in his arms to bless him with those glittering eyes…his hands would fall to her lower back, drawing her even tighter to him…

Donald nudged him back to reality from his daydream. Right, pay attention. He could feel his competitive spirit flaring up with each passing moment, with each last reminder from Bumper. He loved performance and singing, but he also loved to win. After the vocal alarm to begin, each performance just escalated his need not only to show Beca how he could score on stage, but to be the best while doing it.

He came out enthusiastic into an overzealous and short-lived performance on Mickey, but that's ok – Beca appeared to be amused. He could work with that.

Then, Aubrey, of all people, taunted Bumper with what her momma gave her (yeah, he looked. He's 18 – like, obligated to check out moving girl parts), and Stacie and CR blasted out a hot performance on a hot topic (AGAIN, how can you NOT look?) when Donald pulled the Trebles into the obvious "Let's Talk about Sex." Jesse laughed to himself as he caught Beca's rolling eyes at the chorus, and was reminded of her adamant declaration at their first meeting that he please not say the word 'lovers' ever again in reference to them. She was staying in the back, but he could see an amused smirk growing on her face at his obvious focus on her while he performed.

Stacie, he had to hand it to her, retaliated on Donald's sweet spot with a slow jam, and then Jesse finally found an opening that suited his classic rock ballad preferences. Can't go wrong with Foreigner.

And I guess it's just the woman in you
That brings out the man in me

And he points at Beca, like the great Bambino calling his shot.

Then, he sees it – her amused smirk alters slightly. It morphs into one of those, "oh please (but I'm secretly charmed)" faces. He is holding her eye, and he feels invincible, like a young Billy Joel. Like a big shot. She is smiling and then –

She is running. Toward him.

Before he can even comprehend what is happening, Beca is in his face. And she is rapping.

Not only is she boldly blurting rhymes with a speed and alacrity of a pro, she is shining. Her eyes are alight. She is sure, and confident, and blazingly gorgeous.

As he is swept off center stage by her, (gladly) and he falls back in shock, it's not just at what is happening in that moment. But it is in the realization that she wasn't just amused a second ago. She was feeling all the things he was feeling: the escalating competition and the want to win, the knowledge that SHE was better, and the buzz of performing.

As many ways as she seemed his opposite in her attitude and her approach, in that moment, he got a glimpse that underneath, they were more alike than she'd ever willingly admit. Jesse found it ironic that they were standing in the deep end of the pool, because he for sure was in deep for this girl, and all the things he was discovering about her that dragged him into this apparently bottomless infatuation.

Probably against a major Treble by-law, he encourages her when she starts to die off due to lack of support from the Bellas. Crickets are chirping, the crowd is silent, but the shaky grin she throws him says she's all in, because she is not about to drop the ball when a competition is at stake.

Shawty, get down, good lord…

Jesse's heart thrills. He wants to hear that voice all day, every day. He wants it on his voicemail. He wants it in his ear when he wakes up, and while he watches movies, and across the table from him when he eats. He wants it directed up at him under an umbrella in the rain. He wants it behind a stack of records, and snuggled up on his shoulder sharing headphones to an iPod sitting in a second-class seat to wherever they're going to. His brain starts to implode in on itself as it imagines the many iterations of the voice and all he wants it to say, over a lifetime.

Holy. Shit.

He comes back to himself with a sharp inhale, rejoining the conscious moment by the sound of Bellas harmonizing under Beca's direction. She was drawing them in like a conductor, and then, when confident they had it under control, turning around to face him. With a smirk to rival his own best smirkiness. And a head bob-sultry eye combo that he would probably be taking to bed with him that night, if only in his imagination.

He glanced at his teammates and noticed many jaws were on tile as the AUDIENCE began to join in. No one was even thinking of challenging, or looking for an opening, because Beca and the Bellas had the situation handily under control. They were schooling the Trebles, and everyone was LOVING it. Of course, it was your standard underdog moment, so Jesse was loving it too. If the crowd swarmed the pool and lifted Beca on to their shoulders, it would be the ultimate ending.

And yet…

Moments after, Justin was announcing their win based on a technicality and the Trebles were pushing him to run a group victory lap around the pool, high fiving any and all takers and picking up victory beers on the way. After the adrenaline wore off, Jesse looked down into the pool to see a dejected group of Bellas dispersing toward the shallow end, Aubrey charging ahead, and Beca trickling toward the back.

He cupped his hands around his mouth to yell her name, but at that moment, a hand clapped down on his shoulder.

"Don't," Benji said. "Aubrey just ripped her a new one. Don't make it harder on her."

Jessed turned to face him, confused. "Harder? What she did was unreal! I need to tell her how aca-awesome she is," he said.

"If you do that, like this, the wrath of Aubrey on her you will bring," Benji said.

"Wha-why would that matter? And did you just phrase that in Yoda-syntax?"

Benji ignored him, looking down on the girls as they dribbled out of the natatorium and back to campus proper. His face grew pensive, and he spoke in a quiet hush.

"Ever since the dawn of the oath, when a Treble takes a Bella, she is a Bella no more," he whispered, his breath puffing in the frigid night air.

"What the what are you talking about, man? What oath?"

Benji seemed to come back to himself. "Wait, you don't know about the oath?"

And that night, on the way back to their dorm room, Benji gave Jesse the condensed version of the intricate history between the Bellas and the Trebles, along with the frightening consequences that came along with being "Trebleboned."

As he lay in bed that evening, still amped from not just the win but all the revelations of the evening, Jesse had to believe that there was something there, something stronger than vocal-cord ripping wolves. Something real and amazing, if only he could convince Beca to take a chance on him. On them. Something in that head bob told him there was a chance that she would.

And he fell asleep with ABBA rolling through his head.

This seems to be a thing, where people list songs and other references at the end here…so in case you didn't see them…

Billy Joel – Big Shot

Joss Stone – Nothing Better Than

Yoda

ABBA – Take A Chance On Me

Thanks to all who are reading and reviewing! It warms the cockles of my stone-cold heart :-)