Chapter 26
A/N: Thanks for the awesome response to the last few chapters! I'm glad you guys love the Beale's, since I had the best time writing them. Also, this story just hit 200 Favs! Craziness! Gotta give a shoutout to all of you who make up that group, since it just blows my mind every time I think about it :-).
Currently Beta-less, so all mistakes are my own.
Beca pulled into a parking spot in front of the school, yawning widely as she turned her engine off. She was stunned at how quickly the year was flying by. It had seemed like only a few short weeks ago that she was picking Stacie up on the first day of school, and now suddenly it was the beginning of February. February ninth, to be exact, which she knew because it happened to be Sheila's birthday. Her dad had informed her earlier in the week that they'd be having a family dinner, and then not so subtly asked her if she could spend the night at Stacie's house. Beca had held a hand up stopping him, agreeing instantly without requiring any further details.
The last month or so had passed smoothly as she settled into a routine. She and Stacie had received their SAT scores and completed their college applications, knowing that the only thing left to do was wait. Beca assured Stacie that Stanford would have to be full of morons to not let her in, but her friend had been jittery for weeks after submitting all her paperwork before finally settling in to wait. Chloe was also extremely supportive, telling Stacie that she had an outstanding shot at being accepted to her dream school.
Chloe. Just the thought of her brought a smile to Beca's face. She never thought she'd be in a serious relationship, let alone fall in love, but Chloe made it surprisingly easy. Things were a little awkward at school, mainly because Beca was still extremely paranoid about someone finding out, but their relationship continued to grow as they found ways to spend more time together. This remained the case in spite of Beca's obsession with her new music software, not wanting a repeat of the merciless teasing from Stacie the last time she'd neglected her girlfriend for too long.
The morning classes passed by quickly, and in no time she was following Stacie outside. It was a warmer day for February, and they decided to spend their free period outside on the quad. Beca collapsed on the grass under their favorite tree, as Stacie sat down and leaned up against the trunk.
"You've been suspiciously tame in Posen's class lately. Are you sick?" Stacie asked curiously.
Beca shrugged, answering, "I'm fine. Great, even."
Stacie's eyebrows rose at her response. "Really? Because you've never made it more than a week without messing with her, and here we are going on three weeks and you haven't taken so much as a five-minute nap."
Beca sighed, sitting up and looking at her friend. "Chlo asked me to stop, so I stopped."
"Seriously? How whipped are you, Mitchell?" Stacie quipped, ducking as Beca swiped at her head.
"Shut up," Beca retorted, missing Stacie and giving up, leaning back on her elbows. "Here's how I see it. She's Chloe's friend. If this thing is for real, I'm going to have to be around her at some point, and it'd be a lot easier if she didn't totally hate me."
Stacie snickered and said, "I think that ship has long sailed."
Beca smirked, replying, "Yeah well, you should have seen how happy Chloe was when I agreed to quit messing with Posen. We were in bed for hours...totally worth it."
"Ah, now it makes sense," Stacie said, grinning at her friend. "I can't believe you guys dropped the L-bomb. That's crazy," she said shaking her head. "Still feeling it?"
Beca nodded, smiling as she thought of her girlfriend. "She's perfect, Stace. I never thought I could be this happy. It's almost like I'm waiting for something terrible to happen because things can't possibly be this good."
Stacie smiled, leaning over and hugging the shorter brunette tightly. "I'm really happy for you, Becs. You deserve to be happy, you know." She pulled back and asked, "How's the music stuff coming?"
"Really good. Awesome, actually. I've had two weekends in the studio, so there's three left. Luke, the producer and owner, is crazy talented. He's helped me so much, and only solidified my goal to get there some day. He did say that I'm an incredible songwriter, and that I should consider the path as an artist first. He even offered to produce my first single as soon as I graduate and can really put in the time."
A new voice broke into their conversation, causing both girls to look up.
"And you said yes right?" Nick asked, settling down on the grass to form a sort of triangle. "Mind if I join you? Not feeling Physics right now. That shit is impossible."
Stacie nodded, replying, "Yeah, of course. Grab some grass. And I can totally help you with Physics sometime if you want. That's kinda my thing."
Nick raised his eyebrows, asking, "Really? I mean, yeah, totally. I'd owe you one. I definitely need the help."
Beca laughed at Stacie's wounded expression, chiming in, "Nick, she's kind of a genius. You know that right? She could probably help you more than Frazier could."
Nick rolled his eyes, replying, "Yeah, like that's hard. I feel like anyone in the school could help more than Mr. Frazier."
"Nope, not me," Beca said, still laughing slightly. "Physics and I don't see eye to eye."
"Anyways, enough about stupid physics," Nick said, dodging Stacie's attempted flick at his ear. "Were you saying something about recording a single?"
Beca nodded, going a little quiet and looking down at her fingers.
Stacie broke in, saying, "Dude, you're going to have to get past this whole shy crap if you want to be a star."
"I never said anything about wanting to be a star," Beca shot back, frustrated. "I just want to make music."
Nick chimed in, "That kinda comes with the territory, though, if you do it well."
Beca groaned and laid back down on the grass, closing her eyes. "That's why I just want to produce or master. No one knows or cares about the one behind the scenes...they're just some faceless person that makes everything come together. It's perfect for me since I hate people."
It was Stacie's turn to roll her eyes, scoffing, "Please, you don't hate people. Stop being so dramatic. You loved performing at the choir concert, or even at karaoke night. The happiness was stamped across your normally scowly face."
Beca shot her a glare, before looking at Nick for confirmation. When he shrugged and nodded, she huffed and sat up. "Okay, fine, it was cool." she admitted, thinking back to the moments. "But I'm not the kind of person who's going to be okay with paparazzi following me around all the time and taking my picture. It'd drive me crazy."
Nick calmed the mood a little, joking, "Little full of yourself there, dontcha think? You don't even have a record deal or anything. I think you've got a ways to go before the paparazzi start stalking you."
Beca was close enough to swat his knee, feeling a bit of satisfaction at his yelp. "Weren't you just saying I should say yes to recording a single?"
Stacie grinned. "Becs, just don't forget about us little people when you get all famous."
Beca laughed, shaking her head. "If I turn into a total asshole you'd better come slap some sense back into me."
"With pleasure," Stacie said with a wink at Nick. "We would never let that happen, right?"
"'Course not," he affirmed. "But I will not slap you. Something tells me Stacie's had some practice in that department anyways."
Beca nodded, all three laughing again when Stacie just shrugged, not denying it. Nick got to his feet as students started funneling out of the Arts building, extending a hand to each of the girls and helping them up.
"Guess it's back to the grind," he said, sighing. "See you at lunch?"
Beca and Stacie nodded, watching him walk towards the gym before turning and heading for the High School.
As they were walking up the steps, Stacie asked casually, "He knows you're gay, right?"
Beca stopped, looking curiously at her best friend. "I think so. It hasn't come up or anything. Why do you ask?"
Stacie chuckled, taking the last few steps and opening the door, gesturing for Beca to enter first. "Because he's totally got a crush on you."
"No way," Beca scoffed, passing through the doorway and heading for the stairs. "Don't be ridiculous. If anything, he's got a crush on you, like every other guy in this school."
"Whatever you say, Becs," Stacie responded, following her up the stairs to the senior hallway.
The rest of the day passed without incident, and soon Beca found herself waiting impatiently for Stacie to finish talking to Chloe about their latest assignment so they could leave. She had a few hours before dinner, and Stacie had offered to help her with Calculus homework so she would be free to spend time with Chloe later.
"Becs, let's go," Stacie called from the front of the room.
Beca hopped off the table she'd been sitting on, shooting Chloe a wink. "I'll see you later," she said, grinning at Chloe's knowing smile.
She followed Stacie out of the room, making a quick stop at her locker to grab the rest of her homework and piled the books into her backpack. Within a few short minutes, they were pushing open the doors and stepping out into the bright sunlight.
As they crossed the parking lot, Stacie slowed, grabbing Beca's arm. "Becs, is Nick sitting on your car?"
Beca hadn't been paying attention at all, her gaze trained on her phone reading Chloe's latest text. At her words, she looked up to see the black-haired boy perched on the hood of her car, his earbuds securely in place. "Wonder what he wants," Beca murmured, sliding her phone into her back pocket.
"You mean besides death if he scratched your baby?" Stacie joked, as Beca's eyes narrowed at the thought.
Nick noticed them approaching and quickly hopped to his feet, removing the headphones and slipping them into his pocket. "Hey," he said, seemingly a little nervous. "Becs, can I talk to you for a second?"
Beca nodded, answering, "Yeah, of course. Is everything okay?"
He nodded, replying, "Yeah, of course. I just need to ask you something."
She shrugged, turning to Stacie. "I'll meet you at your house? Don't bail on me, I need your help with that Calc problem set."
Stacie winked at her. "No problem. See you in a few," she said, veering away toward her car.
Beca turned her attention back to Nick, watching him run his fingers nervously through his hair. "Dude, seriously, what's wrong? Is it your mom?"
He took a deep breath and shot her a smile, saying, "No, no, I mean it. Nothings wrong. I just...I've really liked getting to know you. Hard to believe we'd never really spoken before this year, right?"
Beca nodded, answering, "Yeah, I know what you mean. It's crazy how many kids in our class alone I've never had a real conversation with. Who knew we had so much in common?" she asked back, thinking how nice it'd been to talk to someone who knew what it was like to lose a parent.
"Exactly," Nick said, looking more confident. "So, I was wondering..." he trailed off, spinning around to pull a small box out of his backpack and handing it to her.
Beca recognized the logo of a local bakery, raising her eyebrows at him as he gestured for her to open it. She did, flipping the top up to see a small cookie cake with a single word posed as a question.
"Prom?" she asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.
"I'm not really close with too many girls here and I think we'd have a good time, so will you be my date to prom?" Nick asked, and she could hear the hope in his tone.
Unable to stop herself, Beca burst out laughing, a hand coming up to cover her mouth as she quickly saw his look of confusion. "I'm sorry," she gasped, taking a deep breath and fighting back the laughter.
"Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for," he joked hesitantly, still seemingly hoping for a positive outcome.
Beca shook her head, apologizing again. "I'm sorry, this is really sweet Nick. It's just...you know I'm gay, right?"
His eyes widened and he shook his head. "No...Shit, no I didn't."
Beca spoke again before thinking, saying, "And I'm kinda in a serious relationship." She immediately wished she could take it back at the way his face flooded with embarrassment.
"I'm really sorry, Becs, I had no idea. Just forget I asked, really," Nick said, hastily grabbing his backpack and throwing it over a shoulder.
"Nick, wait!" she called, an idea popping into her head. "I can't actually take my girlfriend to prom. If there's no one else you want to ask, and you don't think it'd be weird, we could go as friends?" she suggested. "I was planning on going stag," she admitted.
Nick looked at her thoughtfully and asked, "Are you sure your girlfriend can't go? I don't want to mess that up for you or anything."
"She definitely can't go. Uh, she's got a thing out of town that weekend," Beca reassured him. "I actually think we'd have a fun night, as friends," she reiterated, wanted to make sure he didn't get the wrong idea.
"Yeah, totally, I get it," Nick said, finally cracking a smile. "So since I don't want to go with anyone else, let me ask again," he said. "Beca, will you be my friend-date to prom so neither of us have to go stag?"
Beca laughed, nodding yes. "I accept. That sounds awesome. I can't believe you got me a cookie cake!" she said excitedly, breaking a piece off and popping it into her mouth. Offering him the box, she said, "I cannot eat this alone, especially since you're not exactly getting the date you imagined."
Nick gave her a friendly smile, stating, "Nah, it's cool. We haven't been friends that long, and I wouldn't do anything to mess that up. I'd be honored to be your totally platonic prom date, as long as you promise to actually dance and not be lame. Maybe you can help me with my flirting game?" he asked, snagging a piece of the cookie.
Beca laughed at him before shaking her head. "No way, dude. This was a great move! If I were into guys, this would have definitely won me over. And I can be persuaded to dance...especially after a few drinks of the punch that Fat Amy is sure to spike," she said with a wink.
"Awesome, can't wait," Nick said. "Well, I've gotta run. We've got time to coordinate with everyone else on the limo and stuff. See you later."
"Sounds good," Beca replied, giving him a little wave. Looking down at the rest of the cookie cake, she decided to save some for Stacie knowing that there was probably more cake in her future at Sheila's birthday dinner. Shit…Stacie. Beca groaned, knowing her friend was never going to let her hear the end of it after her correct prediction from earlier that morning. Sighing heavily, Beca got in her car and started it up, texting Stacie that she was on her way.
Beca slid behind the wheel of her car, flipping Stacie off through the windshield before backing out the driveway. There'd been a lot of teasing mixed in with a little Calculus, but Beca had survived and finished her homework. Stacie had of course been merciless, throwing out random 'I told you so's' and interspersing them with rhetorical phrases like, 'What's it like to be friends with a genius?' Beca took the teasing in stride though, recognizing that Stacie had nailed the situation squarely on the head, and let her have the win.
She pulled into the parking lot of their favorite Mexican restaurant, quickly finding a place to park. Beca had insisted upon meeting them there after her dad made it perfectly clear what was happening back at home afterwards, telling them she'd rather be blind than a third wheel on that car ride home. Grabbing the wrapped package from the backseat, she wove through the restaurant to find her parents sitting at their usual table.
"Happy Birthday, Stepmonster!" Beca said enthusiastically, giving her a quick hug and handing her the gift.
Sheila grinned at her, replying, "Aw, you shouldn't have."
Beca rolled her eyes, saying, "Yeah, yeah, just open it. Oh, hey dad."
Ben gave her a wounded look before turning his attention to his wife as she ripped off the newspaper wrappings. Beca never broke from tradition, and they always used newspaper for wrapping paper.
Sheila uncovered a box, opening it to hold up an apron. She laughed upon reading the front, turning it around to show Ben what it said.
"The last time I cooked hardly anyone got sick," he read out loud, chuckling as he finished. "How appropriate, Becs."
Beca grinned proudly and said, "I know, right? Dad said you were doing really well at the cooking classes, so I figured it was time to get you your very own apron."
Sheila looked touched, knowing that Beca and Ben treasured their aprons, and that serious cooking was happening when they put them on. "Does this mean I get to cook unsupervised?" she asked playfully.
Beca hesitated, seeing her dad do the same. "Don't be hasty, now," she quipped. "Baby steps, right dad?"
Ben refused to comment, giving his wife an encouraging smile despite her look of mock outrage.
Beca laughed, turning her attention to the waiter that came to take their orders.
Dinner was a fun, lighthearted affair, and Beca realized that soon nights like this wouldn't be so easily attainable. If she moved to LA, or somewhere else around the country pursuing a job at a record label, it might be months between family dinners. Thinking quietly to herself, she knew she wanted to make the most of these last few months with her parents. She knew she was lucky to have such a loving family, and that she would miss nights like this a lot.
Soon, Sheila was finishing off her second margarita of the evening, paired with the complimentary birthday churros from the restaurant. Ben hummed softly as he finished paying the bill, his other arm casually draped across the back of Sheila's chair. Beca decided it was time to leave, sensing her parents were ready to go.
"Okay, well I'm gonna head out," Beca said awkwardly, rising out of her chair.
Ben and Sheila rose too, both giving her a hug.
"Thanks for the apron, kid," Sheila whispered. "I love it."
Beca grinned, hugging her back. "I think it suits you," she replied happily. "Happy Birthday."
They parted ways outside of the restaurant, Beca climbing back into her car and driving to Chloe's apartment complex. She couldn't wait to spend a rare weeknight with her girlfriend, especially since she'd been in the recording studio for most of the past two weekends. Chloe was super supportive of her music, and was always eager to hear what progress she'd made.
After she parked, Beca glanced at a text from Chloe, letting her know the door was open whenever she arrived. "Sweet," Beca mumbled, exiting the car and following the short path to Chloe's door. It was indeed unlocked, and she stepped inside to find her girlfriend on the couch with a glass of wine, a bowl of popcorn, and an episode of Scandal playing on the television.
"Hey babe," Beca called out, hearing Chloe shush her immediately. The music coming from the show was intense, and Beca figured someone was about to die. She joined Chloe on the couch, her girlfriend immediately pressing close and clinging to her arm. Sure enough, less than two minutes later gunshots rang out and someone dropped to the ground, Chloe shrieking at the events.
"Holy shit, they shot Fitz!" she yelled, eyes wide in disbelief.
Beca looked blankly back at her, not understanding her girlfriend's obsession with the show. "Is that bad?" she asked tentatively.
Chloe shook her head, her voice sarcastic as she retorted, "I mean, only a little. He's just the President."
"Oh, okay," Beca said, understanding the gravity of it a little bit better. "Is he dead?"
"I don't know," Chloe responded nervously. "The episode just ended like that. Want to watch another with me?"
Beca pretended to think about it, before shaking her head no. "No, no I do not want to do that," she said, her voice slightly teasing.
Chloe sighed, a smile crossing her lips. "How did I manage to find a girlfriend who doesn't like Scandal?"
"How did I manage to find a girlfriend who loves shitty television?" Beca retorted, eyes widening at Chloe's finger an inch from her nose.
"Scandal is not shitty television. Shonda is a genius," she said, grinning slightly at Beca's nervous expression.
Beca pushed her hand away, scooting a little farther away from Chloe on the couch, grumbling, "Why don't you just date Shonda then?"
Chloe replied, "I would, but I think she's married. I know she has kids..."
Beca hummed curiously, whipping out her phone. A quick Google search confirmed that yes, Shonda has kids but was not, in fact, married. Chloe shook her head at Beca's antics, breaking into a smile.
Beca wasn't ready to let it go just yet though, as an idea popped into her head. "It's okay, go be with Shonda. I've got other options."
Chloe's eyes narrowed as she asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"
Beca chuckled as she said, "That means, that I got asked out to prom today. They went all out too, got me a cookie cake and everything. It was really sweet."
Chloe frowned, clearly not at all happy with the idea of someone hitting on her girlfriend. "You said no, right?"
Beca raised her eyebrows curiously. "Well I obviously can't go with you. You'd rather I go alone?"
"Uh, hell yes I'd rather you go alone that with another girl," Chloe snapped, her jealously getting the better of her. "Oh my God! You said yes, didn't you?"
"Woah, chill out," Beca quickly replied, realizing this was not going at all how she intended. "It's not a girl! It's a guy, and we're just going as friends." That didn't seem to help, as Chloe's eyes were still flashing furiously. "You know, you're really hot when you're jealous," Beca said, her voice dropping a little as she moved a little closer.
"Don't," Chloe said, crossing her arms over her chest, but Beca could tell her resolve was weakening.
"Babe, I'm sorry. I was only trying to rile you up a little, not piss you off. Let me tell you what happened," Beca offered, waiting until Chloe nodded and loosened up a little, uncrossing her arms.
Beca explained the whole story, relieved that by the end the smile was back on her girlfriend's face. She moved the rest of the way across the couch, sliding into Chloe's lap and leaning down to kiss her. "I'm sorry I upset you," she whispered, kissing her again. "But you are really fucking hot when you're jealous."
Chloe scratched her nails along Beca's sides under her shirt, admitting, "I don't like the idea of you with someone else. Someone who isn't me."
Beca leaned back, meeting her gaze. "That makes two of us, babe. I love you. I don't want anyone else, and I'd probably lose my shit if I saw someone flirting with you."
"Speaking of that..." Chloe's eyes flashed and a smirk formed on her lips.
Beca let out a low growl, connecting their lips in a fierce kiss, not letting Chloe finish her sentence. Moving her lips to Chloe's neck, she whispered, "You're mine."
Chloe gasped, "Now who's jealous, hmm?"
Beca ignored her, slipping her hands under Chloe's shirt to cover her breasts. She loved being in control, and the way Chloe arched into her touch gave her confidence, which only added to the surprise when Chloe flipped her over, finding herself on her back before she realized what was happening.
Chloe leaned down and quickly captured her lips, tugging impatiently at her shirt.
Beca pushed her back, sitting up a little to pull the shirt over her head. Tossing it to the floor, she didn't waste any time in helping Chloe remove her own top, her eyes instantly dropping to her girlfriend's bare chest.
Beca let her gaze roam over Chloe's naked torso, drinking in the sight of her girlfriend. "I love you…so much," she sighed, her fingers sliding up the redhead's toned thighs.
Chloe chuckled, replying, "Do you love me, or my breasts?"
Beca hummed for a moment, answering confidently, "Okay, you got me. I love your breasts….so much. The rest of you is okay."
"So romantic, Mitchell." Chloe's tone was sarcastic, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Beca slid her hands up Chloe's stomach to cup her breasts, smirking at the way the redhead sucked in a sharp breath. "I'm incredibly romantic," Beca retorted, letting her thumbs rub over Chloe's nipples.
Chloe's response was lost as she moaned at the touch, her hips grinding down against Beca's. She leaned down, starting a heated kiss that caused Beca's toes to curl, reminded of just how good Chloe was with her tongue.
"Bedroom," Chloe said breathlessly, tearing her lips away.
Beca allowed Chloe to drag her into the bedroom, shedding the rest of their clothes along the way. She was planning to continue what she started on the couch, but her girlfriend had other ideas.
Chloe pinned the brunette to the bed, her lips working their way up the inside of Beca's thighs until she was squirming with need.
"Chlo, don't tease," Beca panted, as Chloe avoided her most sensitive area.
Chloe ignored her though, kissing up her body to her lips and settled between her legs.
Beca slipped her hands into red hair as she kissed Chloe, her hips pushing up in search of friction.
"Don't be so impatient," Chloe murmured, using her own hips to force Beca back against the bed.
Beca flipped them over, straddling her girlfriend. "Don't tease," she countered, sliding her hand between Chloe's legs. She met Chloe's eyes, watching how her eyelashes fluttered when she pressed a finger inside wet heat.
There was so much she loved about Chloe, especially in this vulnerable state when they were intimate. She loved the way Chloe clung tightly to her, moaning curses hot against her neck. Beca loved how Chloe's legs would wrap tightly around her hips, pulling her closer. She loved that when Chloe was close, she would let out these sweet, high-pitched gasps that were pure music to her ears.
"Becs," Chloe moaned, her hips moving in rhythm with Beca's fingers.
Beca pressed her thumb to Chloe's clit, rubbing firmly. The switch was immediate, and Beca smirked as her girlfriend's pants turned breathy and short, knowing she was so close. Quickening her pace, Beca let her teeth scrape just below Chloe's ear, pushing her over the edge with a loud scream.
Beca placed soft kisses over Chloe's shoulder as she came down from her high, panting heavily. "I love you," she whispered into her girlfriend's neck, feeling Chloe's arms wrap around her.
"I love you too," Chloe responded, pulling the brunette tightly against her body.
After a few minutes, Chloe flipped them over, straddling Beca again, and gave her a predatory grin. "My turn."
A/N: Thanks for all the awesome reviews, and to those who are following this story anonymously. I know you're out there because that's what I do most of the time :-). I really do appreciate all the support!