A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed/favourite/followed – I do apologise I didn't get to reply to my wonderful reviewers for last chapter, I'm a bit caught up in uni at the moment. But I deeply appreciate them. The New York stay is very short and confined to this chapter because the bulk of what's going to happen next is going to happen at Jesse's house.

Rating: T

Characters: Beca/Jesse, the rest of the Pitch Perfect cast plus some other characters.

Warnings: Mature situations referenced and swearing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pitch Perfect or the songs used in this fic in any way. I'm just playing with them.


Hurricanes Chapter 12 – An exhausting day


It was exactly 2.47am the morning after arriving in New York.

How did Beca know that?

Because she was awake and glowering at the clock in Chloe's living area, watching as it ticked over to 2.48am. She couldn't sleep and was restless, and decided that rather than interrupting Jesse's sleep, she'd make herself some cocoa. Only Chloe didn't have cocoa – which was weird, considering Chloe had such a sweet tooth, but anyway – so Beca had been stuck with chamomile tea.

As she sipped the hot liquid, her petite form eased back into the plush cushioning of the couch and wondered when things were ever going to be normal for her again.

She was in deep thought for a while, enough so that when a soft voice asked, "Can't sleep?" she jolted, looking back to see Chloe standing at the entrance to the hallway.

"Obviously," Beca replied. She checked the clock and rolled her eyes. 3.13 and she still didn't feel like sleeping.

Chloe smiled at Beca's sarcasm and joined her on the couch. "It's okay. Some nights I can't sleep too. I get worried about things and one second I'm in bed trying to sleep, the next I'm watching True Blood or looking up music reviews."

"What are you worried over?" asked Beca.

The redhead shrugged. "Well, not so much tonight – although I am concerned for you Beca – but other times I wonder if breaking up with my ex Brendan was the right thing, or whether the journalism internship I've got with the Times is going to work out, if I made the right decision. You know, normal stuff to do with being on my own in the big city and making my own choices. My parents only live about 2 hours away, but still," she explained. She wiggled back, giving her friend a reassuring smile. "So, I'm here for you. I've been told I'm a good listener."

"Also a really nosy one too," Beca quipped, referring to the infamous shower incident.

They chuckled and as it tapered off into silence, Beca's gaze dropped to her tea like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. A ribbon of guilt twisted around her insides. She had been rude to Chloe upon arrival after she had graciously agreed to share her apartment for a few days, had barely spoken to either of her friends, and yet, here was Chloe, willing to talk and offer a supportive ear. "I don't mean to be even grumpier than usual," she offered as explanation.

Chloe cottoned on quick and embraced her friend briefly. "I can deal with it. I think you at your grumpiest can't match Aubrey at her most controlling," she joked, getting the brunette to chuckle once more. "Whatever it is you're going through, just, talk, you know? If not to me then-"

"Jesse knows."

"While that's great," the redhead said enthusiastically, "Jesse isn't the only shoulder to lean on. And sometimes you might want a girl perspective on things. Just someone, because when I saw you yesterday, it was like you were carrying an army pack of issues."

Beca thought about this and whispered, "You are the Bella I trust the most with deep shit. Amy's cool, so is Stacie and the rest of the girls, but I'm not sure about what they'd do about my crap. The thing is, I don't want to talk about it again when I'm trying to put it out of my mind for now."

Chloe nodded. "I understand completely." She patted Beca's leg and rose, heading back into her bedroom and leaving Beca to her melancholy thoughts.


Beca woke to the sound of popping bacon, the distinctive aroma of it making waking up so much more pleasant.

Blinking to clear her eyes of sleep, she noticed someone had at some point draped a blanket over her where she had fallen asleep on the couch somewhere around a quarter to four that morning.

"Good morning sleeping beauty," Jesse's warm voice murmured above her as he leaned over the back of the couch. "Did I hog the covers?"

"No, dork," Beca replied, rolling her eyes. "That's not why I left the bed. Can't you see the couch is obviously more comfortable?"

"Oh, ulterior motives, eh?" Jesse teased, waggling his eyebrows.

Beca was going to shoot back with something no doubt pithy and witty when Chloe cut across her, squealing, "Aw, that's adorable. Flirting when you wake up!"

"You call this flirting?" the brunette muttered, flinging the blanket off her and getting up (completely missing Jesse's admiring eyes taking in her shorts and tight tank top). "And it's not adorable."

"So you say," sing-songed Chloe.

Jesse rolled his eyes in tandem in Beca. He didn't really feel like being squealed at this whole trip, no matter how cool Chloe was. He was faring better than his girlfriend, but he was still pretty upset by the recent events and didn't want to do anything too frivolous.

Unfortunately for Jesse, frivolity was on the agenda from the get go.

Chloe took them out shopping, and while she was looking at stilettos, Beca and Jesse snuck off to a music shop five stores down from Macy's. Chloe found them, unimpressed, and then directed them to a nearby art gallery, where Beca stayed ostensibly outside – Jesse and Chloe had gotten to talking about the art and it was all gobbledegook to her. At lunch, the tiny brunette surprised the other two (and the owner of the cafe) by wolfing down a triple-decker burger the size of her head. Jesse had chuckled while Chloe looked mildly disgusted while she ate her own (much smaller) chicken burger. Just when the couple thought they'd have an hour to relax, the redhead grabbed their hands, tugging them behind her (and ignoring odd looks from passerby) and down laneways and alleyways full of people of all types – buskers, homeless, old people, families – until they reached an alley filled with music and laughter.

It was an unofficial dancing group who practiced out in the open so the general public could watch. Chloe mentioned that she came to watch the group perform once a week. From there, they worked their way through a flea market selling vintage clothing and home wares and up to Broadway, where Chloe had a contact in one of the theatre box office's who had saved her tickets to the sold out re-release of Spring Awakening the next night. It was in stunned disbelief that Beca and Jesse were dragged down three more shopping arcades before they arrived at a casual, but very chic cocktail bar, where Chloe enjoyed a mega cosmopolitan while the underage couple sipped ale and mocktails. One last stop before dinner was going into Central Park, where Chloe insisted that she take pictures of Beca and Jesse near statues, near the lake, pulling silly poses and such. While tired, the pair did it willingly. While Beca grimaced when they looked over the photos, Jesse pulled Chloe aside later and asked if she could email them to his phone when they got back to the apartment – these were the first couple pictures he ever had and immediately treasured them.

Exhausted, the trio went to dinner at Chloe's favourite Italian restaurant, where they fuelled their bodies with foccacia, squid ink pappardelle and osso bucco. They made the decision to stay and wait until their stomach's had cleared for dessert at Jesse's request. He had seen a serving of cannoli and lemon gelato he didn't want to pass up.

In the interim, the soft Italian guitar music emanating from speakers somewhere in the dining area bracketed the easy style of conversation, so that although they were tired, they were in good spirits – even Beca couldn't stay sour with the wonderful day she had.

When a certain chatty redhead left the table to use the bathroom, Beca leaned over and rested her head against Jesse's shoulder and breathed in deeply. The rumble of his chuckle vibrated close to her ear. He understood. She didn't need words to convey how she was feeling. It was a beautiful kind of numbness to be so totally distracted from the past tension.

Upon her return, Chloe flagged down a waiter for dessert. She shot Beca and Jesse a smug look at their position, with Beca leaning against him, but said nothing when the couple challenged her with glares daring her to tease.

Dessert came, stuffing them full, Jesse moaning with every bite of gelato he took.

Later, after returning to Chloe's apartment, Beca and Jesse laid on the guest bed after changing into their PJ's, stuffed, satisfied, and too tired to move.

"Wow."

"Yeah, wow. Chloe's a machine."

"More like a caffeine fuelled monster. Did you see how many coffees she had today?" Beca pointed out, groaning as she turned on her side to face Jesse.

"No." Jesse tilted his head towards her. "I don't think I want to know. That girl cray-cray," he said in a faux girly voice.

"Shut up weirdo, you sound so retarded like that."

Jesse challenged her with a smirk. "What are you going to do? Pillow fight me?"

"Don't tempt me. I'm too worn out by today," sighed Beca.

"Good thing too, considering I'm the Swanson pillow fight champion."

Beca scoffed. "You? Please."

"I am!" protested Jesse, "I've beaten Hallie and Casey too many times to count. I could be, like, the champion of Raleigh for you know." He pulled a face, getting her to smile. It was moments like this, just the two of them and teasing each other, that Beca found the most solidarity with him. Although her muscles screamed in complaint, sore as they were, she pulled herself up and slid over, straddling him. Those gorgeous dark eyes widened in surprise and his breath hitched.

"Any particular reason you've decided to squish my stomach?" he questioned.

"It looked comfy." Her eyes sparkled deviously and Jesse got the gist.

"Oh. Just cos my abs aren't carved out of granite like a certain asshole station manager they're squishy," Jesse said drolly.

Beca just smiled at him, so relieved they were coming out of this okay and leaned down, pressing her lips against his. He returned it eagerly, letting Beca take the reins. It was soft, comforting, more than anything.

Until his body started to react to the sensations the kiss was producing, and he pulled away, groaning.

"What's wrong?" she asked, confused, and shifted back to see his face better and realised just what Jesse was mortified about, if the look on his face was any indication. Honestly, she was flattered. She giggled and sat back further against him, twinges of anticipation radiating from the pit of her stomach and up her body when she felt heat radiating from a certain part of his anatomy. "Oh, what is this? A flashlight in your pants?" she teased.

"No, that is definitely not a flashlight," said Jesse, taking her hand and kissing the palm slowly. He did it to try and control the urge to try and put his seduction plans (as nerdy and as hopeful they were) into action. He wanted her, all of her, but she wasn't ready. He knew. He wasn't even ready yet. He had his own insecurities in that area without complicating it with desire that was ahead of itself.

But still.

She was so warm, so gorgeous by the lamplight…

"Beca," Jesse murmured, his eyes shining with vulnerability. Oh, if she knew the power she had over him – he really was pathetic, so far gone on Beca.

"Hmm?"

"Any way I can get out of this without making myself look like a fool?" he asked. When she shot him a look, he smirked and continued, "Well, less of a fool?"

"I don't think it's foolish," Beca replied, tracing the outline of his lips. "It's only natural. I'd be more worried if I didn't feel anything."

They laughed and Beca slipped off his body, laying next to him and sighing in contentment.

Really, the perks of having a boyfriend that smelled good and always seemed to be unnaturally warm was endless.

"Oh my, Miss Mitchell, are you cuddling?"

Except when said boyfriend was a meddling smart alec.

"This isn't cuddling," Beca admonished, burrowing further into his side with a hidden smirk.

A poke to her side and his warm voice. "I think it is. I mean, I know I'm irresistible, but I'm thinking your parents should have called you 'leech' as a child."

"You're warm. I need warmth to sleep. I'm just using you," she pointed out.

"You're snuggling into me," Jesse said, grinning.

"Shut up."

"No way! You're a cuddler! That's adorable." Jesse wrapped an arm around her shoulders and chuckled when small fingers danced up and down his ribs to tickle him, and then gave him a light punch. While his slight problem was making his boxers tight, it was bearable for the contact Beca was giving him.

"Weirdo, if you don't keep this to yourself I'll take that DVD collection of yours and burn all of Justin Beiber and One Direction over the movies," Beca threatened.

Jesse wisely decided to stop that line of teasing. Instead he murmured, "Have a good sleep. I have a feeling we're going to need it for whatever torture Chloe has waiting for us tomorrow."

Beca's aggravated half groan/half snicker was the last thing he heard before succumbing to his own exhaustion.


A/N: I hope you enjoyed this one! Like with last chapter, I don't think I'll be able to reply to reviews, so in advance: THANK YOU, THE REVIEW WAS AWESOME!

In next chapter, North Carolina/Meet the Parents prt2.