~B~

At the knock on her door Beca jumped. She was really glad that Kimmy Jin was out with her friends so no one was around to hear the small 'eep' that accompanied the jump. Or to see how, earlier, she'd paced the room, talking herself both in and out of cancelling the whole thing. It only got worse as the hour grew late.

She took a deep breath and, after one more look at her outfit, opened the door. She was met with brilliant blue eyes smiling mischievously into her own. Beca looked down and saw the silk pillowcase dangling from one long fingered hand.

"Oh. You were serious about that." Beca swallowed. "I'd… uh… kind of started to think I had the day wrong. Or maybe you'd chang…" She let herself trail off.

Chloe nodded solemnly. "Bella business is always serious." But then the grin broke free. "Sorry about that, but you're stuck with us. This year it's just Aubrey and I and you guys are a bit spread out." She shook the pillowcase. "I personally saved the best for last. You ready?"

"Nnnnooo?" Beca drew it out, trying to prepare as the cloth came up and over her head.

She felt Chloe step closer. "Don't worry." The voice was soft in her ear, the breath warming the cloth against her face. "I've got you." A hand slid down into her left and linked their fingers together. "Trust me." The grip tightened comfortingly.

Beca took as deep a breath as she could without pulling the cloth into her mouth and nodded. "Alright."

'No, seriously. What the fuck is going on with me right now. When did I become the person who's OK with being led blindly to some secret location? This is how fucking murders happen, Beca! '

Beca let herself be guided from her room, hearing the door shut behind them. Even though she knew this hallway well enough at this point, she still expected to trip at every step. So much so that she actually tripped over her own feet. The strong grip on her hand kept her upright as another hand wrapped around her elbow until she was stable.

"You alright?" Chloe's voice was still right next to her ear and even softer. The fingers squeezed her own.

"Yep." Beca nodded blindly. "Just wait till you see me on the stairs."

Chloe started them forward again and Beca heard her hum thoughtfully. "Alright, new plan." She pulled the pillowcase from over Beca's head as they came to another stop. "We'll just head over and put this back on before we get to the van." She leaned in again, her lips touching Beca's ear this time. "Just keep it our secret. Aubrey's a stickler for the traditions."

Beca was pretty sure she was flushed and hoped she could pass it off as the result of having a bag over her head and not the fact that her arm was basically pressed between Chloe's breasts. She also realized she was clenching the hand in her own and forced herself to relax.

"Deal." But she didn't unwind their fingers now that she could see. She didn't worry about why. Again. "Van? You didn't say anything about a van." She threw a quick look to her left. "This is starting to sound more and more sketch and I might be rethinking my life decisions right now."

Chloe tugged her hand, her smile gentle as Beca followed her. They reached the stairs and started down. "You didn't think we were going to try to herd a group of blindfolded girls across campus, did you? It's not like we could gather you a few at a time and expect you to sit quietly, hoods on, while we got the rest."

Beca thought for a minute, picturing herself in that scenario. "You're right. I'd have bolted," she said finally, nodding.

"That's also why you're the last." Beca froze as Chloe's lips brushed her ear again, this time without a cloth barrier. This felt way too intimate to be happening in a kidnapping. "No time to run." Chloe smiled at her and swung their hands as they walked the last few feet to the door.

~C~

Chloe knew she should be more serious about this, it really was important to follow the traditions, but she couldn't help but try and put Beca at ease. The rest knew what they were in for when they auditioned. Beca was different, agreeing only after being cornered while naked in the shower.

She held her hand and pulled her toward the parking lot, knowing they had a few more minutes before she had to put the hood back on. Chloe could almost pretend they were out on a date, holding hands under the stars. She sighed at her own thoughts.

'Just… hold your horses. Despite the fact that she's holding your hand right now – and, okay, checked you out in the shower – you don't even know if she's into women. Picturing dates is very much jumping the gun.'

Of course, finding that out would be the fun part. She smiled to herself as she remembered how Beca had jumped the first Chloe spoke softly into her ear. But only that first time.

'Aubrey is going to murder you' was the sobering thought she had as they approached the last line of trees between them and the parking lot. She just wasn't sure if she meant for letting Beca walk unhooded, or because of her growing attraction.

"Alright. Hood time." She smiled apologetically as she turned to Beca and lifted the hood up and over her head.

"It's alright. It's not forever." Beca's eyes widened just before they disappeared behind fabric. "I mean, it's not, right? I'll never have to do this again, right?" She paused. "Chloe?" Her hand reached forward, hesitantly.

Chloe bit her lip, hearing her name come from Beca's lips for the first time. It sounded nice and sent an unexpected flutter of nerves through her stomach. She slipped her hand back into Beca's and it already felt natural. 'Like home.' "I'm here, Beca." She also liked the way Beca's name felt on her tongue. "Let's go, the path is clear until we get to the van. Just follow my lead."

"Not much choice." And while the tone was sarcastic, the fingers firmed between hers. Trusting. "After you."

Chloe's laugh trailed behind them as they reached the lot and the van waiting for them, the nervous chatter of their initiates floating out of the open door.

She guided Beca up and in. "There's a step and then a seat right in front of you." She guided Beca's hand to the seat, watching to be sure she stepped high enough, and put a steadying hand on Beca's hip. Once she was in and settled, Chloe slid the door closed and hopped in the passenger seat.

Aubrey's eyebrow quirked at her once, but she kept her mouth shut and started the van, driving the long way around to their auditorium. At this time of night, no one was going to care if they were parked in the loading zone, so Aubrey pulled in sideways, giving them a straight shot to the door.

Between the two of them, they managed to get the girls out of the van and into a cluster before herding them inside. Chloe was really glad they didn't try to do this all across campus, someone would have fallen and gotten injured. She still wasn't sure how they got them in the doors and in line without blood being spilled.

Chloe bit back her grin as Beca's hood was removed and she recoiled, letting out a small "ugh" until she figured out what was next to her was only candles. But she couldn't hold it back once she offered the goblet of "blood of the sisters" and Beca stared at it.

"Dude, no!" Beca looked horrified as she looked between Chloe and Aubrey.

Chloe whispered, "Don't worry. It's Boones Farm." She then winked and offered it to Beca again, nodding encouragingly as she took a sip this time.

Once they'd all had the symbolic drink, she and Aubrey stood up front to recite the oath. Chloe knew she should be looking at all the girls who were becoming her sisters, but her eyes were focused on the figure to her left.

'You've got it bad, girl. Aubrey is literally going to kill you if you don't focus.'

Aubrey was halfway through the 'traditional' Bella oath before Chloe was able to look at the rest of the girls. Though, honestly, she felt the whole Treble/vocal cords/wolves part was probably an Alice addition, when she thought about it.

Once Aubrey turned on the lights, Chloe looked happily at the women milling in front of her.

"We did it." She murmured as she leaned into Aubrey.

Aubrey watched Fat Amy go for the goblet and drink from it. "Did we?" Her tone was far from convinced.

While the rest of the girls put out all the candles and stored them away, Aubrey moved the van so it wasn't towed in the morning. Once the auditorium was spotless and ready for the first rehearsal – already scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, afternoon – Aubrey led her charges to the outdoor theater for the initiation party.

The girls all funneled down the aisle to the tables and coolers of alcohol and Chloe heard someone in a Treble jacket start calling Beca's name as he walked up the seats. She tried to ignore it, telling herself not to listen but she couldn't help it. They were all still too close together and she found herself rolling her eyes.

"You're one of those a cappella girls, I'm one of those a cappella boys and we're gonna have aca-children. It's inevitable."

Beca's tone was dry. "You're really drunk right now."

Then Chloe was finally in the middle of the mass of people in front of her, all talking and singing, and, most importantly, blocking Beca's and the Treble's voices. She poured herself three shots of the nearest bottle in quick succession, needing the buzz it would bring. Briefly she regretted not eating today, but figured that could only help the alcohol hit faster.

She wasn't sure how long she mingled with her fellow a-ca people, but when she turned around, she noticed the Treble boy was turning away. Before Chloe realized she was moving she was already trotting up the aisle as she heard him say he was going to get Beca a drink.

'Damnit. I should have brought her one.'

~B~

Beca watched Jesse turn around and climb back down the seats, instead of just going down the aisle, but then she saw why. Chloe was headed her way with a look of determination. She bounced into the space Jesse had just left and grabbed Beca's hands.

"Hi!"

As Chloe tugged them together, Beca froze. "Oh!" She let out some sort of sound of surprise, quite against her will. She'd also deny it if anyone asked her about it.

'Oh my god, is she's going to kiss me?' Beca spent a small moment of eternity wondering what it was going to feel like and trying to remember if she brushed her teeth before being 'kidnapped.'

But Chloe just gripped around her wrists and tugged them forward. Beca tried very hard not to think about the fact that her hands were basically in front of Chloe's junk. She could also be imagining it, but it felt like one of her knuckles ran across fabric before she settled back, trying not to remember what Chloe looked like under them.

"I am so glad that I met you." Chloe's eyes dropped to her lips as she pulled Beca closer.

'Holy fuck sheis gonna kiss me!' Beca's heart began to beat faster in anticipation.

She tried not to be disappointed when Chloe just rested their foreheads together, though her eyes remained on Beca's lips. "I think that we're gonna be really fast friends." And she looked up with the most heart wrenchingly honest look in her eyes as her breath warmed Beca's mouth.

Unexpectedly, Beca could feel the slow stirring of desire pooling low in her stomach. But being this close to Chloe's eyes, not to mention mouth, was doing things to her libido that it probably shouldn't in public. And sober. Or with a newly appointed 'sister' Bella, she supposed as an afterthought. Her discomfort at her new surroundings - still not sure the true reason she'd agreed to join this group – helped keep things at a low burn. But… she was beginning to want. It made her both heady and uncomfortable.

'I could just lean forward. I don't think she'd mind, with the way she's staring at my lips."

Beca felt herself grinning, that loose cannon portion of her brain taking over. "Yeah?" She tilted her head as Chloe repeated a firm "Yeah" immediately.

"Well you saw me naked, so…" As her mouth twisted in a smirk, she winked again and this time Beca knew she'd done it wrong. All her winks felt like blinks where one eye closed and the other mostly closed. Maybe she'd have Chloe teach her. It seemed like a valuable skill to have if they were going to keep hanging out.

Quite against her will, her eyes dropped down to Chloe's lips and Beca was briefly thankful that she didn't have any alcohol in her. She was fairly positive that she'd have said 'fuck it' and leaned forward just to see what they tasted like. That quick peck on the cheek after auditions had made her wonder for the past week. She'd actually been wondering about a lot of new things lately.

They just stood there, the party going on around them, as their gazes darted between eyes and mouth before Chloe exhaled and let go of Beca's wrists. "Alright." She moved her hands up to Beca's shoulders and dragged them down to her elbows, shaking them slightly. Her body bowed toward Beca as her head leaned back a bit. "I'm gonna go get a drink." Her hands dropped back down to Beca's wrists before finally falling away.

Beca could only watch as Chloe turned around, her arms hanging at her sides where Chloe dropped them.

"This ginger needs her jiggle juice." She looked over her shoulder, directly into Beca's eyes, both hands going over her head as she started to shake her hips.

Beca felt her body temperature rise, unable to stop her eyes from skimming down from Chloe's face -'Shit, is she biting her lip right now?'- and becoming glued to the motion in front of her. She was only able to look away when Chloe's right hand came down and slapped her own hip, the sound breaking Beca out of her spell.

No woman should be able to wiggle her ass like that and then turn to complete innocence with a "See you later" called over her shoulder.

'Dude. She just stared you down. And shook her ass. Which you stared at. And you didn't kiss her. Way to go.'

Beca was so confused that she wasn't sure if she was talking to Chloe, or herself, as she called after her. "Make good choices." Her eyes darted around to see who else might have witnessed that interaction. Or maybe an escape route.

She started looking for Jesse, wondering where the hell her drink was, but before she decided to go in search of her own alcohol, Mary Elise came by to chat. Beca used the moment to try and cool herself down while she made small talk. Which she was terrible at. It consisted of mostly nods, and 'mmhmm's' from time to time.

She tried not to notice as Chloe started to dance with… 'Is that the guy from the shower? Ugh.' Beca was almost grateful when Jesse finally showed up and Mary Elise left with a random 'Be careful'. Except he started yelling "We are the Kings of Campus!" It made her feel embarrassed and she looked around to see who might have noticed. She obviously wasn't drunk enough for this. Any of it. Especially not the way her mind kept returning to a certain redhead naked in her shower.

As she sipped her drink, her eyes fell on Amy, straddling the aisle and dancing. She smiled at the Australian's confidence, and honestly her leg strength, before looking past her and saw Chloe kissing Shower Guy, her right arm around his back and fingers gripping at his sweater.

Beca downed her drink in one gulp, wanting… no, needing to burn away the sudden jealousy that flared up within her.

Beca didn't do jealousy. She didn't get attached. She didn't make friends, despite what her dad wanted. She moved through people who were only an obstacle to her goal. LA was her goal. She just had to see this through to the end and then she was gone.

'Not that there's anything for me to be jealous of, for fucks sake.' Chloe wasn't hers, there was no claim she could make otherwise. Not even if she had been entertaining the idea of something more.

'Which I fucking wasn't.' She thought, resolutely ignoring the fact that she knew she was probably lying to herself.

But she kept her eyes averted as she went down the aisle to get more alcohol. She had a feeling this would be a long night.

She never once thought to question why she didn't just leave.

~C~

When Chloe turned away from Tom a minute later, her eyes scanned the seats above her, looking for Beca. She hadn't meant to get distracted by him, especially after telling him that their mutual showers were over. And she felt she owed him, them, a proper goodbye kiss, though maybe it lasted longer than it would have if she were sober.

Her heart fell a little bit when she couldn't find Beca in the crowd, which was ridiculous just for not seeing someone. Someone she'd known such a short time, no less. Chloe told herself that she just wanted to make sure that Beca was having a good time, and hadn't gone home early.

She drifted slowly down the aisle, balance only a little wobbly after the shots she'd had earlier. She snaked her way through the crowd, greeting old friends and new with the same enthusiasm, until she was back at the alcohol. She poured herself another shot and downed it, already anticipating the next.

"Set me up."

Chloe turned at the already familiar voice at her shoulder and saw Beca standing there, lowering a shot glass from her lips. "Beca!" Chloe grinned with delight. "I thought you left!"

Ignoring the glass in Beca's hand, she poured a shot into her own and handed it to Beca. When Beca traded the full shot for her empty, Chloe filled it up for herself and clinked their glasses together before shooting it back. She told herself she was just getting the last drop when her tongue came out and traced the rim. It's definitely not because that's the side Beca's lips touched. That'd be weird. Right? She resolved to stop worrying about such things for at least tonight.

Beca nodded and held up her glass again and Chloe repeated the ritual. Filling the glass in her hand and trading it with Beca, who eyed her strangely. But she willingly swapped, her eyes never leaving Chloe's. After a third such round was gone, Chloe filled her glass once more time for Beca. But this time when they traded, she didn't pour one for herself. She had to fight the urge to lick the glass anyway.

Beca's eyebrow cocked. "Too much for you?" She looked like she wasn't aware that her body was moving in time to the music, bringing her closer. Her eyes sparkled in the light as she threw the last shot back, the most relaxed that Chloe had seen her so far.

Chloe felt her balance tip a bit forward as she shook her head. "I'm about four… no... six… ahead of you. Any more and I'll end up curled on a bench until Aubrey gets me home." She muttered "again" under her breath and Beca smiled.

She watched as her own arm reached out and she tangled her fingers with Beca's, who squeezed back. She turned and tugged lightly. "C'mon, let's dance." After a brief moment of resistance she felt Beca follow.

"What about… uh.. I never got his name. Shower Guy." There was a pause. "Aren't you guys here… together?"

Chloe couldn't piece together the tone, her people sense sometimes went a little wonky with alcohol, but she thought it sounded too carefully uninterested. "Oh, Tom? No." She found them an empty place in the midst of the Bellas. "He and I were just… friendly." She turned to face Beca, starting to move her body to the music. "Though not anymore." Chloe closed her eyes to feel the beat and ran her hands through her hair. "But I may have gotten too carried away with my goodbye kiss tonight." She frowned and opened her eyes when she felt Beca go still next to her. "What?"

Beca was watching her, eyes flickering over Chloe's face before she smiled, open and free. "Nothing." She began to dance with Chloe about the same time as the rest of the Bellas figured out they were there and circled around them.

Chloe spent the rest of the night laughing and dancing with each of her new sisters. And maybe trading stolen glances with one in particular. Maybe she let her hands linger a bit more than she did with the rest. Maybe she tried to get closer than she should. Beca didn't seem to mind and as the night wore on, Chloe was pretty sure those touches were being returned.

It made her warmer than the alcohol, and dangerously close to throwing off the last of her self-control as the tension built up in her body, making her movements languid and teasing. She completely ignored Aubrey's disapproving looks when she finally noticed them, but she did try and keep a semblance of distance between herself and Beca even though the urge to pull their hips flush was almost overwhelming.

As the party began to wind down, she and Aubrey led most of their recruits to the Bella house. Even though all freshman technically had to stay in the dorms their first year, the huge house was fully furnished though all rooms (save for the seniors) were undecorated. But they had made sure the beds were made in preparation of tonight.

After the girls wandered through the house exploring, dropping off one by one as they passed a bed and could no longer stay on their feet, Aubrey and Chloe paused by the figure passed out face first on the sectional in the living room, coat flung over one armrest.

Chloe pushed Aubrey back toward the stairs. "I got it. You go to sleep." She kept pushing until the other woman walked away, one blonde eyebrow rising in a look that somehow eloquently said 'I better not come down here in the morning and find you guys naked on the couch.' Chloe just smiled and made shooing motions, waiting until she was sure Aubrey wasn't going to come back downstairs.

She knelt and pulled Beca's boots off her, setting them beside the sofa. Pulling a thick blanket from the back she covered Beca gently. She shuffled up to Beca's face, ostensibly to brush strands of hair out of the way, until she let her hand stroke the soft skin of her cheek.

She sighed softly and leaned forward, pressing a gentle, lingering kiss to Beca's temple. "Goodnight, Becs."

Reluctantly she rose to her feet and pushed her way upstairs to her room, every bit of her wanting to curl up between the sleeping woman and the couch for the rest of the night.

She could wait. Needed to be sure. Though, really, after tonight, she knew this was definitely more.

They had time.

~B~

Beca lifted her head and groaned. Maybe those shots hadn't been the smartest idea ever. She rolled her tongue through her mouth, trying to find any moisture that hadn't already drooled onto the couch. 'Gross.' Or maybe it'd been the "Aussie Surprise" that Fat Amy had made towards the end of the night. She was pretty sure she was dying right now.

It took several attempts but she finally managed to roll on her back, only then realizing that she was fully clothed and not in her dorm room. Though, yay for not being naked. She felt both relieved and disappointed about that as blue eyes passed through her mind. Beca spent a moment thinking of last night, and despite all the alcohol, she remembered dancing with Chloe. All the small touches the rest of the evening that had added to the heady haze she'd been in. She'd been unable to keep her hands to herself, letting her fingers tighten on Chloe's hips whenever they'd been dancing together. Or drift down an arm. Across Chloe's back. It'd been… nice. Maybe even a bit more than just nice.

Beca huffed out a breath and sat up, slowly, and looked around the living room. While the sun was up, there was no sign of the other girls yet. Beca flipped the blanket off and stood, stretching out the kinks a night on the couch had given her.

After pulling on boots she didn't remember taking off, she padded into the kitchen, relieved when she saw the coffee maker sitting on the counter. After a couple moments of study and searching the nearby cabinets, she started a pot. Waiting while it brewed, she all but collapsed onto one of the stools lining the center counter and rested her head on the wood.

"Beca. I didn't expect to see anyone up yet." Aubrey's too bright voice preceded her presence in the kitchen.

Beca lifted her head. "Morning, Aubrey. I hope you don't mind but I started some coffee and I think it just finished." She started to stand but Aubrey waved her back to her seat. Beca thought Aubrey looked more relaxed and decided it was because she was in her own kitchen, her own environment. Beca was also relieved she didn't feel any of the stress she was already starting to associate with Aubrey's presence.

Aubrey moved past her and reached into one of the cabinets and took several mugs out, setting them on the counter. "Not at all, means I can get started on breakfast." She filled two of the mugs and set one of them in front of Beca as well as a small container of various kinds of sugar that looked as if they'd been lifted from the cafeteria. "Though, if you wouldn't mind keeping an eye on it, I get the feeling we'll go through it quickly."

Beca nodded. "Sure." She tried a smile though she wasn't sure how well it fit on her face. She still thought Aubrey was too uptight, but she was determined to give it her best shot. "And thanks." She held up the mug and brought it gratefully to her lips. The first sip of coffee was sacred and she enjoyed it for a minute as she watched Aubrey get various things out of cabinets and fridge. "Is there… Uh… Anything I can help with?" She met Aubrey's eyes as the blonde turned around. "Though, I must admit my cooking skills are… lacking."

"No, but… thank you. It's just pancakes." Aubrey's smile looked like it didn't fit her either. But hey, they were trying. Beca considered it progress.

"Good morning!" The cheery voice burst into the quiet room and Beca winced as her head throbbed, rubbing her temple lightly. Chloe bounced into the room, looking freshly showered and bright eyed as ever. She came over and set a bottle of ibuprofen on the counter. "I think this will come in handy."

Beca reached for the bottle immediately. "I think I love you." As the room went still around her, she looked up. "What?" Aubrey had gone a bit wide eyed, one hand raised, batter dripping off the spoon she held, whereas Chloe's eyes sparkled and her lips had started to twitch. Beca played her last statement over mentally and shrugged. "I'm a sucker for pain relief." She popped off the top and spilled several into her hand, drinking them down with her coffee.

Looking up into blue eyes, Beca smiled gratefully. "Thanks." She tried to ignore the flutter in her stomach as Chloe returned her smile and ran her hand down Beca's arm until it rested on her wrist.

"Anytime." The sincerity in Chloe's voice plucked at something in Beca, and the small squeeze of soft fingers lingered long after Chloe had turned away to help with breakfast.

As Chloe and Aubrey took over the center island, Beca carried her mug to the back dining table and tried to stay out of the way. The other two chatted, drawing Beca in when she let them, as they started making enough food to feed an army.

Beca also tried not to stare; she was not the kind of person who was a creeper. But she couldn't keep her eyes from trailing back, even when Chloe caught her at it. She didn't allow herself to think about why she hadn't left yet. 'It's pancakes. Who leaves when offered a free meal?'

Drawn by the scent of pancakes, bacon and coffee, the rest of the girls made their way down over the next half hour, Beca refilling the coffee pot as needed. They were subdued as they came in, yawning and in various stages of hangover, but the coffee and pain killers helped until breakfast was ready.

As her thudding headache finally eased, Beca allowed herself to be pulled into the conversations around her. She was so engrossed in a conversation with Cynthia Rose, that she was startled when Chloe set down a plate full of pancakes and bacon in front of each of them. Beca looked up and mouthed "thank you" even as Chloe was turning back to the kitchen proper, getting a bright smile in return.

After putting on enough butter and syrup to drown her pancakes, Beca took the first bite and immediately groaned louder than she intended. Flushing, she looked up. "Aubrey, these are amazing." She saw a small smile hovering around Aubrey's lips as Cynthia Rose enthusiastically agreed.

"Thanks, Beca." Aubrey's smile was a little less pained and more genuine.

Beca noticed that Chloe was still looking over at her, lower lip firmly between her teeth. Beca couldn't decipher the look on Chloe's face, but it made the flutter in her stomach worse. Determined to worry about it later, she turned back to her plate, not wanting anything to get cold. 'I'm sure Chloe could warm you up.' She blinked, fork halfway to her mouth. 'I mean… it… the food… Jesus. Am I still drunk or something?'

After Beca devoured her breakfast, she took her plate to the sink, along with anyone else's who was finished. She started another pot brewing as Aubrey and Chloe were finally sitting down to eat. Most of the girls had wandered into the living room to continue talking at this point, so Beca thought she'd start washing the dishes.

She'd just filled the sink and was reaching for the dish soap when a voice behind her stopped her. "I got this. You kept us in coffee all morning." Beca turned around and looked up at a smiling Stacie who made a little 'shoo' gesture. Shrugging, Beca put up her hands and stepped back, heading into the living room.

Beca settled on one end of the couch, her full belly making her feel slow and sleepy again. She was content to let the conversation flow around her this time, as the rest of the group talking about the party the night before and enthusing about their first rehearsal later that day.

She wondered why she was still here now that breakfast was over. Beca was not the kind of person who hung out the morning after. Any time she didn't make it back to her own bed after the few high school parties she attended, she was always the first one out the door the next morning. She never stuck around long enough to see anyone else, much less have an entire breakfast. But every time she thought of leaving, an equally strong desire to stay rose up, keeping her on the couch in the Bella house.

Then she heard a laugh float out of the kitchen, already able to recognize it as Chloe, and felt the flutter move up from her stomach and around her heart. 'Oh." Beca couldn't hide it from herself anymore. 'I'm staying for her. To just be near her. What kind of sappy bullshit is that?'

Beca was not that girl. Any dating she did in high school was more because she fooled herself into thinking it would help her fit in. That she needed to fit in in the first place. And even that had stopped at the start of her senior year after her last girlfriend had told her she was emotionally unavailable. Which was fair, Beca thought in hindsight. She always held herself back from anyone in her life, be it friends or a potential partner. There was no chance of being hurt that way. But that moment had been the last layer to the walls she had been building ever since her dad left. She didn't need anything or anyone as long as she had her music.

Except.

Getting to know Chloe had, so far, been effortless. Chloe had been nothing but nice to Beca, especially while trying to keep her from getting spooked during Hood Night. But Beca putting herself in this type of social interaction just because she wanted to be around Chloe? That was new territory that went beyond her father's demands.

It made her nervous. Yet she stayed.

After the activities fair, she had never really denied her attraction to Chloe, the woman was absolutely gorgeous. And thanks to the impromptu shower invasion, Beca knew what the entire package looked like. Which was something her brain had liked to bring up while she was lying in bed this past week, though she always forced the thoughts away by mixing difficult songs in her head. The images were too… vivid… and Beca was not the type of girl to seek relief while thinking of someone she just met, much less while her roommate slept on the other side of the room. Even asleep, and just on the cusp of light snoring, Beca could feel Kimmy Jin judging her silently.

As thoughts of the shower sent a wave of heat through her, Beca forced herself up and into another stretch, trying to work the lethargy out of her limbs. She went back and stood in the kitchen entryway and watched for a second as Aubrey, Chloe and Stacie put the last touches on cleanup.

"Thank you, both of you, for breakfast this morning." She suddenly wasn't sure what to do with her hands so she put them in her back pockets. "But, I need to do a few things before rehearsal today, so I'm going to head out."

With warm smiles, mostly, Aubrey and Stacie waved as she turned away and Beca nodded goodbye at the rest as she grabbed her coat. Walking into the foyer she stopped and pulled on her jacket, but before she could pull her hair out from under her collar, a second pair of hands slipped past hers and did it for her. Involuntarily, Beca's eyes slid shut as warm fingertips returned to lightly stroke down both sides of her neck before smoothing her coat across her shoulders. Her heart tripped and felt like it was running faster to catch up.

She turned around and faced Chloe who stepped forward and slipped her arms around Beca's waist. Chloe pulled her close and hooked her chin over Beca's shoulder. After a second of letting her arms hang, Beca awkwardly lifted them around the other girl's shoulders. "Oh, okay. So, you're a hugger. Like. All the time. Noted." She didn't even realize when her arms tightened and she inhaled deeply, memorizing the citrus smell of Chloe's shampoo and how their bodies fit together. Chloe was just so warm and soft that Beca didn't mind. 'I suddenly see the appeal to hugging. Maybe I've just been hugging the wrong people all these years.'

"Oh, totes." Chloe pulled back slightly to look at her but didn't let go. "But how long they last depends on how much I like someone."

Beca's mouth opened but nothing came out. She was frozen between her impulse to break free and the absolutely unexpected – yet almost overwhelming – desire to kiss the woman in front of her.

Chloe was watching, seemingly content to wait, her eyes darting between Beca's with the occasional drop to her mouth. They were so close that Beca could feel Chloe's chest rise and fall, her breath warm against Beca's face. Beca closed her suddenly dry mouth and resisted the urge to lick her lips.

She tried to remind herself that Barden was an enforced rest stop on her path to being a music producer. One. Damn. Year. And she sure as hell didn't kiss after only knowing someone for a total of five days… But she really, really, wanted to.

So when she tightened her grip again, fingers bunching a little at the back of Chloe's shirt to pull her just a fraction closer, no one was more surprised than Beca herself. She noticed Chloe's eyes had dropped to her mouth and stayed there.

Beca's mouth opened but instead of leaning forward, she said, "This hug has lasted quite a long time." Beca watched as Chloe's eyes darted back up.

"It has, hasn't it?" The wink was so much more devastating up close. "I may need to invent a new system just for you."

"Heh." Beca felt her grin slip into awkward. This was too much too fast and she was confused by her own reactions. Beca wasn't sure how she hadn't had a heart attack yet, and she was pretty sure she was on the edge of blacking out when she felt herself tugged closer. But Chloe just hugged her again and Beca sincerely hoped that the New Orleans marching band in her chest couldn't be felt.

Beca closed her eyes and willed herself to let go and step back, finding it harder than she'd anticipated. "Uh, thanks again. For breakfast." She turned and opened the door. "I'll see you in a few hours at rehearsal." She ignored the fact that she felt a little colder without Chloe's arms around her.

"You're welcome." Chloe leaned in the doorway as Beca stepped outside. "Maybe I'll get the chance to make you breakfast again, someday. See you later, Becs."

"Not if I see you first." As Beca walked down the stairs her eyes rolled. 'Smooth. Real smooth.' "Bye, Chlo."

~C~

Chloe watched until Beca was had walked up the street and out of sight before she shut the door. She paused for a minute, reliving how it had felt to hold Beca and how, for one glorious minute, she thought Beca was going to kiss her.

'We're making progress, though.' She hugged herself briefly before heading back into the living room, where Aubrey looked up at her, eyebrow twitching upward.

Chloe tilted her head, an unspoken 'What' in the gesture. Aubrey just shook her head and snorted quietly. Aubrey always had been too good at reading Chloe, they were too close and she recognized the signs of a new crush. Chloe lifted her head and sniffed airily as she settled into the spot Beca had been in.

She ignored the way Aubrey smirked at her indulgently before resuming her conversation with Stacie.

While Chloe was able to focus as the rest of the girls slowly took their leave, her mind kept playing back the scene at the door. She didn't think Beca had realized her eyes had started to darken at the same time her fingers had tugged at Chloe's shirt. That alone had almost tipped her forward into a kiss, only her self-made promise to not push Beca holding her back.

For now.