Sleep

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." – Dr. Seuss

It was nearly 3 a.m. by the time Jesse and Benji got back to their hotel room after the ICCA finals. Both were exhausted and got ready for bed in silence.

It wasn't until they were lying down and about to turn in that Benji finally asked the question Jesse knew he'd been holding in all night: "So…Beca?"

"Yeah, Beca." Jesse's best attempts at hiding the smile that accompanied the sound of her name failed miserably. He resorted instead to staring at the plaster stalactites on the ceiling.

"Is everything good with you guys?" Benji probed. Jesse wasn't just his roommate; he had become his best friend. Indeed, he wouldn't be here now if not for Jesse offering him Bumper's spot. He had seen how depressed Jesse had been since semi-finals and Beca's total rejection of him, so he was understandably a little skeptical about what had transpired that night.

"Yeah, we're cool," Jesse replied, rolling over to plug in his phone.

"You sure? She really did a number on you, dude."

"Just call me the comeback kid."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"Look, Benji, I appreciate the concern, but really, I'm good." Jesse turned his head to face his roommate. "I'm the best kind of good, actually. I don't think I've ever been this good."

"That must have been some kiss," Benji replied, earning only a lovesick smile from Jesse in response. "So what exactly happened?"

"She sang our song." The smile on Jesse's face was beginning to make Benji wonder if it wasn't just Beca keeping him this high.

"You've been together for like…" Benji checked the clock on the nightstand, "six hours, and you already have a song?"

"Are you surprised?"

Benji chuckled. "Not really, no."

"That song was her apology. That was her saying she wants what I want, to be together. And she said it in front of the whole country. It's like something out of—"

"A movie?"

"Exactly. They live happily ever after, fade to black and credits roll. She did formally apologize at the party but that doesn't matter, I got the message."

"So you're totally over everything that happened at semi-finals? Just gonna let it go?" Benji asked skeptically.

"How can I not after everything she did tonight to make up for it?"

"Just—"

"She's worth it, Benji."

The absolute confidence with which he said these words silenced any doubts Benji had about Jesse's feelings for Beca. Benji smiled and held out a fist over the gap between the beds. "Good night, Jess. I'm glad everything worked out."

"Thanks, dude," Jesse returned the fist bump and shut off the lamp. "Great job tonight. You kicked ass up there."

"Not my ass you were worried about."

With a laugh, Jesse rolled over and closed his eyes.

Benji was just about to drift off when he heard a rustling on the other side of the room. "Dude, what are you doing?" he said as he saw Jesse's silhouette pulling his velvet jacket out of the closet, "Go to sleep."

"How can I sleep," Jesse replied as he walked out the door, "when the girl of my dreams is on the next floor up?"