Title: Unhurried wait

Rating: T/M
Pairing: Aubrey/Chloe, Beca/Benji, Triple Treble friendship
Genre: AU-ish, Friendship, Romance
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me; I just like playing with them.
Notes: Written for me, myself & mine

Word Count: ~ 2,540

A/N: For AN go to chapter 1.

solid time break - xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

scene break - (*)(*)(*)(*)

Chapter 2

Barden - A week after the Activities fair (2nd week of September 2011)

"Beca, I really want us to start talking." Dr. Mitchell almost pleaded with the girl. Having caught her at the quad, he hoped to spend lunch with Beca. But after mere minutes they again lapsed in their usual pattern and now he felt as though Beca couldn't get away from him fast enough.

"Dave! Not now. I really need to go! I'm late for class!" She waved at her father, shooting him a tight-lipped smile and made her way to her next class, which was her last this Friday and wasn't starting for another 15 minutes. Not that her father needed to know that.

David Mitchell was nearing the 'desperate' mark on the totem of his relationship with his daughter. He hoped that after talking with Clara and gaining her agreement to convince Beca into coming to the university, his daughter would warm up to him. Seemed it was not going to be the case.

(*)(*)(*)(*)

One week into the first semester of their last undergrad year in Barden University Chloe and Aubrey decided it was the best time to go over the preliminary plan of the Bellas during the upcoming weekend.

On the warm Saturday afternoon they opened the dorm windows widely to let the Indian summer's wind rein free in the room. The sun was shining through the curtains, falling on the clattered table with Bellas paraphernalia. Chloe sat on the couch, pensively doodling on a piece of paper while Aubrey went to the kitchen to make another batch of coffee. With how much they were drinking the stuff, Chloe thought, both her and Bree better take a break from it for soon it won't help at all. Hearing Bree putter around with the coffee mugs, Chloe smiled, feeling relaxed and at home in their dorm room despite Aubrey's nerves and moments of Passive Agressiva attitude. Glancing on the table, the redhead caught site of the names she had written down during the Activities Fair. Some of the additional lines she wrote near each name called forth a memory.

"... and then there's… the Treblemakers." She stumbled a little finishing the run down about the groups but quickly cheered on "So, are you interested?" Chloe grinned looking expectantly at the short brunette girl. She could physically feel Bree's apprehension and begged the deities that their hopefully future teammate didn't blurt out something to set the blonde off.

"Oh, cool gig!" The girl grinned. "Frankly, I'm not much of a singer in public." Chloe noticed how the girl shrugged, as if uncertain. "I prefer to stay behind the turntables, if you know what I mean." Then she winked at Chloe.

"Here you go." Aubrey sat down on the couch and handed a second cup over to Chloe. "What are you thinking?" Bree smiled at Chloe. The redhead sipped her strong black coffee and let out a groan of appreciation.

"Thanks, this is heavenly." After taking another sip she answered the blonde. "Just remembering the girls we saw at the Fair. How many do you think will come?"

"From those 15 who came up to the booth," Bree hummed, drinking her own white coffee. "I think, half of them will show." She then leaned over the table and poked the stack of flyers. "And we will post these throughout the next couple of weeks, which should attract some more of the girls."

"Maybe. Anybody caught you eye?" Chloe arced her eyebrow, a small smile on he lips.

"Perhaps not at first." The smirk told the story for Bree. She went on then. "Stacie had that Bella look and Fat Amy seemed like quite the character." Both girls giggled remembering the boisterous and witty Australian.

"And both Marleen and Kathy were obnoxiously exuberant." Aubrey scoffed at Chloe's mention of those girls.

"Really, we can only hope that those two won't grace the Auditions with their presence."

"All of them were colourful." Chloe then smirked, leaning in Bree's space. "What did you think of Beca?"

"She's certainly going to be a handful." The blonde retorted.

"And what does that mean exactly?" Bree felt dizzy. After an unwelcome visit from Barb she was vibrating from nerves and even Chloe's soothing hand on small of her back wasn't helping. Much. And this girl just seemed as the last straw that would shake her.

"Wow, relax." Aubrey could tell that the alt-girl was taken aback with the fierceness of the Bellas leader's response. "I just meant that I prefer to make the beat than sing the words." At the girl's easy smile Bree felt herself calming down a little. "Beca Mitchell, aspiring DJ." Aubrey could see Chloe smile back at the alt-girl and she felt her own lips twitch.

"With the credentials she already has, we would be stupid not to accept her, Aubs."

"There are still the Auditions to be held." Aubrey ruffled through the flyers and start-of-the-year-papers, looking for their schedules again. "Moreover, you heard Beca mentioning that she's not sure she would come to them."

"Well, there's still time. Maybe, we will see her on campus somewhere." Chloe finished her coffee and went to rinse the cup. Returning to the couch she glanced at the piece of paper Aubrey was holding.

"So, have you made a decision about your courses?" The redhead softly asked. They brought up this question only twice during the summer as Aubrey had been still weighting the positives and negatives of such drastic turnabout.

"Yeah, I have, eventually." Bree clasped her hands and smiled self-deprecatingly. "Just a couple of weeks ago I had mailed over all of my new applications for the additional curriculum." Aubrey raised her head and was met with a blinding smile from her best friend.

"That's great, Aubrey!" Chloe scooted closer to the blonde and hugged her. Aubrey pulled Chloe even closer, clasping her own hands over her friend's shoulders. "It won't be that easy to pull the load." Aubrey murmured.

"We'll make it work. This is your dream we're talking about!" Chloe's happiness for her warmed Aubrey deeply. "And the Bellas are ours, so we can make of them whatever we wanna them to be." Chloe pulled away a little and searched Bree's eyes. "I know you didn't want to change anything with the set and everything, but…" Chloe took a deep breath. "I think, now that you've made one big choice there's now a place to make another."

Aubrey shuddered, both from Chloe's proximity and from her words.

"We will see." Leaning against the redhead, Aubrey whispered. "Thank you, Chloe. For being there for me."

"Always, Bree."

(*)(*)(*)(*)

Maybe going out of town all by herself to get an admittedly awesome but also quite heavy synthesizer wasn't the best of her ideas, Beca thought as she was grasping on the lapels of her new instrument as to not let it slip out. Moving briskly she looked around to locate the bus station. Readjusting her backpack and rummaging in the wallet to find a fee, Beca felt as her newly acquired possession has begun to slowly slip away.

Suddenly a hand shot out in front of her and right on time to catch a strap of the synthesizer cover. Beca looked up and saw a guy with curly dark blond hair, the eyes of the warmest green colour she had ever seen. He was right about her age and had a beautiful smile (though Beca doubted she would share that observation).

"Thanks! You've just saved me from a great disappointment." Beca felt as if she could say this without seeming too overzealous.

"Happy to help! I know how upsetting it can be to break the thing you've just managed to get you hands on." The guy smiled again. Beca freely smiled back, wondering at herself.

"Benjamin Applebaum. But everybody calls me Benji." He held out his hand in greeting, still holding the synthesizer in the other.

"Rebeca Mitchell, but Beca is preferable." Beca smirked in return at the boy's manner, accepting his greeting. Their hands fit each other seamlessly, and both felt an unexpected string of electricity as the fingertips slid up the palm, settling into a comfortable handshake. Beca shuddered a little as Benji's forefinger ran over her pulse point. Their eyes held contact.

"Hey, you're from Barden, right?" He suddenly asked. "Freshman, too? I think I've seen you at the Activities Fair!"

Benji wanted a chance to find the girl that had caught his eye at the first day of the arrival, but he didn't expect to meet her here.

He himself came to the BU two weeks prior to the start of the semester, to scoop up the area and to have a comfortable adjustment period. New places Benji welcomed, but new people – that kind of social experience wasn't the greatest thing he longed for. Everyone in his family – both of his parents and his older sister Lydia – were all having these kinds of issues. But he felt it was time to brave this world. Moreover his departure in the 'Real Life' and Dia getting a job in San Diego gave his parents the opportunity to embark on a long awaited East tour. So his early arrival was all the best for him.

Benji really didn't hold himself back and fully indulged his passion for everything Star Wars while decorating his side of the room.

At the day of the students' arrival Benji donned his magic cape as to get a feel of his fellow freshman. That went as good as he had predicted – not so good at all. Smoothing over his urge to punch his new roommate for Jesse's clear unappreciative remarks, Benji dragged them to the Activities Fair. After the disastrous interaction with the Treblemakers – Benji was a little too overexcited – he noticed her. For the second time.

"You were looking for an internship, right?"

The first time Benji admired Beca was while making his way to the Trebles' booth. He glimpsed the side of her face and a look in her eyes. A clear desire to get as far away from this place as humanly possible. But at the same time determination to stay, the reason for which Benji was intrigued to unveil.

"Right. At the radio station." Beca couldn't stop smiling. This... man. Beca honestly couldn't bring herself to call him a boy, even if he gave off such first impression. He was... mesmerizing. "I want to push through my own music."

"Wow. You compose?" Beca was a little thrown by the look of awe on Benji's face. Then his expression became sheepish. "Right. It's dumb of me not to get it with this great piece you're having here." He fiddled with the synthesizer strap, moving his fingers up and down.

"Nah, it's ok. Not like you can read minds." Beca quickly responded. "I wanna make it big someday." She abruptly stopped herself, again wondering what was so special about this man that made her disclose all of her inner musings and dreams to him just a few minutes after meeting.

"I myself am a huge admirer of any and all kinds of music." Benji picked up on Beca's sudden pause. "But what is really getting to me is a-Capella! Barden is virtually a capital of Atlanta's a-Capella world." He tried to curb in his enthusiasm as not to discourage the beginning of another smile Benji'd glimpsed on the brunette's face. "To be a member of The Barden Treblemakers is a dream of mine and has been one of the reasons I chose to go there."

"Yeah, I happened to hear all about the Barden's a-Capella life and rivalry. I bumped in on The Barden Bellas' booth on my first day." Beca was amused. "They are eager for recruits." The confusion was clear on Benji's face. "The girls gave me a run down on all the groups. And the ginger was very persuasive for me to come for the Auditions."

"Are you going to?" Benji was intrigued. Beca appeared as a girl who wasn't easily persuaded. But the tone of Beca's voice implied that this redheaded girl was able to interest her enough. Beca shrugged at the question.

"Hm, the auditions are not for another three weeks, so you have time to think." Benji shifted the strap of the instrument and Beca suddenly noticed that he was still holding it.

"Oh, Benji, sorry!" She extended her arms for him to hand over the synthesizer. "I didn't even..." Beca felt a blush coloring her cheeks. What, didn't even notice that he was still lugging your heavy 'keys? Beca frowned at her thoughts.

"No bother!" Benji hurried to dispel the shadows that fell on the musician's face with no rush to relinquish his hold on the instrument. "Hey, are you going back to campus already?" Benji decided to plunge in and be forward. "If you are, then I can give you a lift?" He searched the girl's face. "My car is just around that cafe."

"If you're sure..." At Beca's half-uttered phrase Benji started nodding affirmatively. "That would've been terrific, Benji." They grinned at each other, neither knowing the reason for such elation. Benji held out his hand again and Beca grasped it firmly.

"So, tell me, did they get back to you from the station?" He tugged her forward, making way across the street to his car.

"The manager said I should expect a call during a two week period." Beca noted. "It has only been a week, so I'm still waiting." She looked expectantly at Benji. "Have you applied for anything?"

They came to a stop near silver Nissan and Beca couldn't suppress her whimper. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me." Reverently hovering her hand over the hood of the NP300 Pickup Double Cab she shrieked "Great truck!" Benji patted the car body and grinned "It's a hand-me-down of sorts." Beca's desire to take the car for a spin was clear on her face and Benji winked at her. "Maybe, sometimes."

Then he went on, "I'm personally a huge fan of magic and all that goes with it." Benji leaned closer to whisper "also I love sci-fi and fantasy." Beca giggled at his silliness.

"In common courtesy, I must confess to occasionally liking them too." Beca also lowered her voice, grinning. The mood was perfect and the pair couldn't wait to see where this chance meeting would take them.

As they reached his car Benji opened the right rear door and carefully lowered the synthesizer on the back seat. "You can put your backpack on the other side." Beca nodded gratefully and went around the vehicle. After making sure that the bags were secured, both Beca and Benji got in, fastened the seatbelts and Benji started the car.

"So, as for the internships - unfortunately Barden doesn't have anything magic oriented, still I found one place!" Benji continued giving up on trying to understand the reason for a surprisingly easy conversation he was having with Beca. He was excited to share his finding which Benji hadn't yet had the opportunity to do with anybody.

"You wouldn't believe what you can swing by..." The car went into gear and its passengers set on the road to Barden University.