A/N: Another one! I've got finals in roughly six hours, and my alarm is set for about two hours from now. So naturally, I started writing.
I want to make two announcements:
A) this story is rapidly approaching an end because I only have one more chapter in mind before the last one - which, by the way, is already written and finished - and in order for me to get next chapter out, I am still stuck on where to place a tattoo on Chloe's body and would greatly appreciate your help. So if you're reading this, and you like/love my story, please don't hesitate to drop me a comment.
B) if anyone would like me to maybe write another one of these with a specific tattoo or a specific kind of story other than the ones I've planned out, also drop me a comment before the story wraps up.
Thank you for your comments, follows, favorites, and kudos. Cheers to you all, you guys are the real MVPs!
As always, anything related to the Percy Jackson series is owned by Rick Riordan and "Prayer to Persephone" belongs to Edna St. Vincent Millay.
It really shouldn't surprise Beca anymore when she walks into the Bella house to find her weirdos in swimsuits. Living in a house full of women means she's seen plenty of skin and scanty outfits; and it's true, it doesn't surprise her anymore – but it doesn't always leave her comfortable either.
Especially when her eyes automatically seek out a head of red hair. And her eyes – still working of their own accord – trail along said redhead's bikini-clad body as Chloe bends forward to pick something off the floor (Beca's mind doesn't particularly care what).
The brunette snaps out of it when she hears Stacie's voice whining.
"Man, I wish someone would look at me like Beca looks at Chloe."
The captain snaps her head over so fast everyone's sure it must have hurt. The panic in her eyes doesn't stop Cynthia Rose and Fat Amy from joining the conversation.
"With love in her eyes?"
"No, like a horny teenage boy."
"Ah, yes. I've seen dingoes in heat looking more subtle than those two."
Beca's face looks redder than Chloe's hair.
Chloe looks up at her with a teasing smirk and an incredibly lewd wink.
Beca's a mess.
So the brunette demands – red-faced and spluttering – that the team run a bazillion laps around the house, and looks even more indignant when they all just flip her off on their way out of the house.
Chloe's laughter has Beca turn around to face the only other person in the house with a helpless look on her face.
"Chlo, I wasn't- they were- Stacie's an idiot. I wasn't looking at you like-"
"Like a horny teenage boy? Stop it, Becs, of course you were."
Chloe's laughter is even more amused if it's possible, her teasing smile glowing with that familiar flirtatious quirk that Beca's come to expect from her best friend.
Teasing and flirty banter is just part of the BFF dynamic, right? Right.
So Beca forces an eye roll even though deep down she knows that they're all probably right – she just won't admit defeat.
"Anyway. What's with the swimwear? I mean, I know it's really hot and the heat wave doesn't help, but isn't this a bit much?"
"In case you haven't noticed the stifling heat inside, let me draw your attention to the fact that the air conditioning broke this morning and it is now hell on earth."
Beca finally feels the smothering heat around her after her own body temperature drops back to a reasonable degree.
On a good day, it always feels like she's running a fever when she's around Chloe. Now that the redhead is in a bikini, Beca feels like she's visiting the surface of the sun.
"Alright, then where did they go? I swear, if any of them get arrested for public indecency again…"
Chloe waves Beca away with an eye roll. "That was one time, and Stacie's promised to behave this time. Her "Hunter" isn't up to any kind of added warmth at the moment."
Beca waits a minute more with both her eyebrows raised expectantly before Chloe realizes she still hasn't answered the younger woman.
"Oh, right. We're commandeering the Trebles' pool. Now hurry up and change so you don't miss any of the fun."
"Yeah, no thanks. I've got stuff I need to do, mixes to finish, papers to write—"
"You finished finals two days ago. Come on, Becs, you need to relax a little, get some sun. Bet the reason you're even stuck on any mixes is because you're so wound up all the time."
Beca's getting ready to wave Chloe off and rebuff her again before heading to her room when said woman grabs her hand and drags her upstairs – completely missing the case Beca's carrying in her other hand.
"I'm not taking no for an answer, Beca. We're going upstairs and putting you in a bikini."
Beca ignores the way her heart feels like it has grown wings and is fluttering about her chest in an attempt to escape her ribcage.
Chloe leads Beca into her closet with her hands firmly on the brunette's shoulders to bar any escape attempts. Once she's sure Beca's not going to bolt and she has all exit routes covered, Chloe settles on the bed and faces Beca, waiting.
Beca's fidgeting and shifting her weight around a lot because Chloe's looking at her expectantly.
"Uh, aren't you at least going to look away?"
"Why? It's not like I haven't seen it all before."
Beca can't help it, but a big sigh leaks past her lips. She's defeated and she knows it. So the younger Bella turns to her closet and proceeds to take off the layers of shirts she's wearing, her back to Chloe.
The redhead is absently wondering how Beca manages to get through the day with so many pieces of clothes on when she notes something in the middle of her co-captain's back.
Beca almost jumps through the ceiling when she feels Chloe's fingers trailing lines on her back.
"Jesus, Chloe, you're never going to understand what personal space is, huh?"
Chloe's frowning as she keeps her eyes on Beca's back, something clearly holding her attention firmly enough that she doesn't notice the goose bumps her touch leaves along Beca's skin.
Her voice is soft when she speaks next and Beca's mind connects things together as she realizes what's caught Chloe's attention.
Say to her, "My dear, my dear,
It is not so dreadful here."
Chloe hasn't even formed her question when Beca cuts her off with the beginning of a story – she's used to it by now; when Chloe's paying more attention than usual to her ink, she usually wants a story.
"It's from a poem – "Prayer to Persephone" – I read in high school."
Beca didn't turn around – being topless and all – but she felt Chloe move away from her and heard the faint noise of sheets ruffling as the redhead sat back on the bed. The brunette didn't need to look to know Chloe's face was sporting a light frown, her nose scrunched up in concentration as she waits for the rest of the details. So Beca starts rummaging in her closet – pretending to look for her bikini top that was right on top of everything, probably thanks to Chloe – in order to prolong their time in her room.
"You already know that my senior year was rough, with Nana being sick and all. It's a miracle I even passed."
Chloe murmurs an "Mhm" as she takes note of the case Beca brought up and dropped on her bed on their way in.
"Well, the only class I was doing exceptionally well in without much effort was obviously English. We were studying Greek mythology that semester, and how that aspect of Ancient Greek culture bled into the rest of the world millennia later."
Chloe's paying attention to Beca, but a small part of her mind is beyond curious, desperate to know what's inside (even though the shape of the case is a dead giveaway).
"Our teacher – Miss Spencer – was new that year, and she was the best teacher I have ever had. She had such a passion for her class, her subject, even though she was – as a teacher – basically the most underappreciated person in the country, working in the shittiest environment imaginable. Like, seriously Chlo, we were the biggest bunch of brats you could imagine."
Chloe smiles faintly, knowing that Beca was probably a surly teen – probably no different than what she's like now at 22.
"But she walked into class with a smile that could match yours and poured everything into her work. She scattered bits and pieces of herself with every word she delivered."
Beca pauses, smiling out of sight of Chloe. "She was kinda like you in that sense."
The redhead tears her gaze from running her fingers along the latches on the case to smile bashfully at Beca's back.
Clearing her throat, Beca powers on with her story.
"Anyway. She took a personal interest in each of her students, and my deal wasn't exactly a secret. One day, I had ditched my French class and gone to the music room. It was probably not allowed, but I didn't care; I needed to play. Music has always been a kind of stress relief for me, and with the situation being what it was at home with Nana, I was struggling with my instruments. I was desperate, and I hoped a change of scenery would help me.
I had just given up on the piano and was moving on to try the violin when she walked in. Apparently she heard music unlike anything that's ever being played during music lessons and she got curious.
She asked permission and silently slipped into the room, asking me to play some more with a smile—" Beca pauses to laugh suddenly, throwing a smirk over her shoulder at Chloe. "After I protested, she told me she wasn't going to leave until I played."
Chloe laughed too, remembering the notorious shower incident she shared with Beca.
"Anyway. Eventually, I caved and played. I thought I was terrible because I knew how good I was. She loved it. I ended up playing for her for a solid thirty minutes before the bell rang. I would have skipped the class again had it not been for the fact that it was her class.
It became a daily routine after that; I'd find time to sneak into the music room, and she'd find a way to come listen to me play – and it helped. I mean, I still struggled sometimes with all of the stress, but it was better than before. Sometimes, she'd get me to talk about things and it would help loosen me up some more. We talked about all kinds of stuff, from music and family relations, to school gossip and my immensely nerdy love for all things Greek mythology-"
Chloe smirks, unable to hold back her teasing, "Like Percy Jackson?"
"Hey, don't even go there. I'm still really mad about what Uncle Rick did to Percabeth in Mark of Athena and House of Hades."
Chloe laughs outright this time, Beca waiting until she's silent again before continuing.
"So, yeah. She helped me get through the year, and inspired me to keep playing even when all I wanted to do was stop."
Chloe sobers up after a moment because she distinctly remembers Beca telling her she stopped playing after her Nana passed away. She's caught off-guard by Beca's soft voice, the brunette turning to face her, fully dressed in a black bikini top and board shorts. The redhead cocks her head to the side, idly wondering to herself how she didn't notice Beca getting changed.
"Miss Spencer had an accident a couple of months before we graduated, they said it was a drunk driver. The substitute they got us was nothing like her, and the few ounces of fight I had left in me were sucked right out because it felt like anyone I got close to that year left me in the most permanent way possible."
Chloe's heart constricted at the sight of Beca's immense sadness. Nobody deserved what Beca had gone through in such a short span of time. The redhead turned to face the other Bella as she plopped down on the bed with a heavy sigh, Chloe's hand lifting to squeeze Beca's shoulder in support before dropping down.
"The fire was gone, but I still played. I couldn't bring myself to stop altogether, like I would disappoint her. I went to Joshua the weekend after her accident was announced and I got this tattooed on my back. It's the last two lines from one of her favorite poems that we discussed one time as I played the violin for her."
They're silent for a while after Beca stops speaking, and Chloe's hesitant to bring up the case sitting inches from their hands. The way the ginger's hands twitch must give her away because Beca turns to glance at it briefly before addressing Chloe.
"I asked Mom to ship it out to me. Ever since I played the piano for you, this has been on my mind. I was going to sneak out tonight after everyone was asleep and take it on a test run, see if I've still got it. I finally feel ready to do this again."
Chloe watches, mesmerized, as Beca unhooks the latches and lifts the lid to reveal a gorgeous white violin with a black paisley pattern, clearly custom-made.
The brunette smiles wistfully, her fingers running along the instrument's strings and delicately eliciting a faint tune.
"Mom had this made for me when I was four." Beca smiles smugly at Chloe's surprised look. "Yes, Red, I said four. I was that good, that soon."
"You do realize that you're not getting out of playing for me, right?"
Beca just rolls her eyes, closing the lid again before getting up to leave.
Chloe's still seated on the bed, staring at the closed case with a thoughtful look on her face, so Beca takes a minute to just look – no, she tells herself, she wants to admire Chloe – while the ginger's attention is elsewhere.
Beca's too lost in her own thoughts that she doesn't immediately notice that the redhead's looking up at her until Chloe's standing up in the minimal space between the brunette and the bed, the cheeky smirk on her lips letting Beca know she's been caught staring again.
"Like what you see, Becs?"
The brunette mentally refuses to lose at this game again, and rises to the challenge. She leans in dangerously close to the ginger, internally giving herself a pat on the back for making Chloe's breath catch in her throat. Beca maintains eye contact with Chloe's slightly dilated baby blues as she leans in further, her hand moving past the redhead and grabbing something just as she leans in and husks something in Chloe's ear.
"I've seen better."
Chloe's left sputtering as Beca steps back with a triumphant smirk, strutting away and out of the door. Chloe hears the other Bella's laughter flow up the stairs as she hurriedly follows, a comeback of "You wish, Mitchell!" leaving her lips a few minutes too late.
It's much later in the night when Chloe hears the creak of Beca's door and gets up to follow.
She sits silently on the steps of the porch next to Beca, keeping her eyes straight ahead as Beca plays what she will later find out to be a song called Sari Gelin.
The pair stay out there until the wee hours of the dawn with only Beca's soft tunes to keep them company as they watch the sunrise.