Okay guys *tears start gathering* this is it *lip trembles* this is the last chapter of my second story ever and my first multi-fic *cries hysterically* Okay, okay, I'm FINE!
But in all seriousness, I want to say a HUGE AND HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO EVERYONE who read/favorited/followed/commented on this story. YOU ARE ALL WONDERFUL! You guys gave me the encouragement I needed to have a little faith in myself and keep writing. I wish I could hug EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU! And by hug I mean give you a high-five because I am not really a hugger whatever omg I love you guys! :D
Okay, enough feels... Here is the last chapter. I hope you enjoy!
After Beca left—or rather scurried quickly away—the kitchen, Chloe sat with Stacie to finish her tea before going outside to start her morning yoga. She really enjoyed her morning yoga ritual because it always allowed her to clear her mind and work through anything that was stressing her out. For example, a particular tiny sarcastic same tiny sarcastic brunette who just she noticed watching her through the back door.
"Are you just going to stand there and stare, or are you coming out here?" she calls out, smiling to herself when she sees the girl jump a little before coming out to sit down on the steps in front of her. She waits for Beca to speak but her friend just continues to watch her in silence, "You're still staring, Becs."
"Oh, ugh, yeah. Sorry about that," blushing, Beac looks down at the juice bottle she was turning around nervously in her hands.
"So, not that I mind an audience, but did you need something? Or do you just prefer to enjoy the show," Chloe adds with a wink.
She notices Beca blush before taking a deep breath, and her question flows out of her in a rush, "Have you ever kissed a girl before?"
Chloe pauses in her pose and quirks an eyebrow at her. Surely Beca hadn't already forgotten about the kitchen kissing incident.
"I mean, obviously you have, because you just did," her words stumble over each other and Chloe smiles at her awkwardness. "But I mean, like, have you ever—other than this morning—kissed a girl?"
She regards her friend for a moment, "Yes." And of course she has. Haven't most girls in college?
Beca blinks owlishly, clearly surprised by her answer. "Was it… Was it, like, just for fun? Or because you wanted to?"
Chloe released a soft giggle, "Aren't those kind of the same thing? Wanting to because it is fun?"
"Right," Beca says, almost to herself.
Chloe decides to take pity on the girl, as it seems she is obviously going through some internal struggle, so she stops her routine and walks over to stand in front of Beca, reaching out to indicate the towel lying next to her on the porch and Beca hands it to her. "What is it that you're trying to ask, Becs?"
Beca looks down and begins to fiddle with the paper wrapping on her juice bottle and stammers a bit before taking another breath and asking, "Have you ever liked a girl, and kissed her because you like her?"
To say she was surprised by the question would be a lie. She had figured this was where the conversation was heading. Beca had asked the question with her head down but the silence caused her to look up at Chloe who was wearing a lopsided grin. Moving to sit next to her on the steps, she considered the risk of being completely honest about this and it potentially scaring Beca away but knew she couldn't be anything but honest with Beca.
She must have been silent for longer than she realized because Beca's slightly panicked voice hit the air beside her, "Dude, I'm sorry. You don't have to answer that. Like I don't even know why I… I shouldn't have—"
She cut off her nervous rambling with a soft voice, spoken into the wind as Chloe looked off into the yard, recalling the memory, "Sara."
There was a brief pause before Beca asked, "What?"
"Sara," she repeated, twisting the water bottle in her hands. "I had a crush on her in high school and we kissed behind the bleachers our senior year."
For a moment neither spoke. Beca had obviously not expected this answer. Or maybe she was bothered by it? It was only when Chloe finally turned to look at her with mixed vulnerability and resolve, that she finally spoke, "Oh. Well…that's cool."
At least Beca didn't look bothered, mostly just surprised, and since Beca didn't run screaming for the hills, she thought this was as good a time as any to probe the subject further since Beca herself was the one to bring it up. "Have you?"
The question seems to jerk her out of her thoughts and she blinks in confusion at Chloe. "Have I, what?"
"Have you kissed a girl because you liked her?" Chloe asks, trying to keep her expression unreadable while knowing that internally her heart was beating wildly with nerves and she was fairly certain her hands were shaking a bit.
"No." Chloe's heart sinks right down to the pit of her stomach and turns away to hide the disappointment she is feeling. Maybe she had been wrong about Beca. Maybe Beca really wasn't in love with her too. Then Beca is speaking again, "But that doesn't mean I don't want to."
Chloe's head whips quickly around, her eyes hopeful and searching, though she does try her best to keep the excitement from her features, "Do you want to?"
"Yeah," was the timid reply and she can tell that Beca is wanting to look away, but she doesn't.
"As in present tense?"
"Yeah."
Chloe stares at her for a full minute before looking back down at the water bottle she was dangling between her legs, "Anyone I know?"
Beca smirks grudgingly, "Yeah."
Chloe just hums, still not looking away from her bottle. Something inside of her freezes in fear and every "what if" scenario plays out rapidly in her head. What if it's not her? Worse, what if it's another Bella? She's not sure she could stand watching Beca with another woman, especially if it was one of the other girls she loved like family. Completely out of character for herself she chooses not to push forward. Not to ask. Maybe some things really are better left unsaid.
"You not going to ask who it is?" Beca asks tentatively.
"Do you want me to?" she asks quietly.
"It would make this easier," it is spoken softly, almost to herself, but Chloe still hears it, and it is almost as though Beca was begging her to ask.
Gathering up all the courage she can muster, she takes a deep breath, trying to mask every fear and doubt she is feeling and looks up at her, her expression reserved, guarded, "So who's the lucky girl?"
Beca's eyes roam over Chloe's face before letting out a shaky laugh and once again picking at the plastic on her juice bottle before she answers tremulously, "I wouldn't call you lucky."
Her body tenses. She cann't believe her ears. Surely she misheard her, hearing what she wanted to hear. Dare she ask? She speaks again and she can almost hear the trembling in her voice, "Beca?"
Beca takes a deep breath, squares her shoulders and stormy blues lock with bright cerulean, and thats when Chloe sees it. Her own fear reflected back at her in those stormy blue eyes. "Beca," she tries again, this time with more strength than she feels, "what are you saying?"
"What do you think I'm saying?" Beca eyes search her face.
Never looking away from the girl sitting next to her, Chloe puts her water bottle down, turning her body to face Beca fully, "Are you... Are you saying you want to kiss me? Because you like me?"
A timid smirk plays across Beca's lips and she releases a shaky laugh, "Yes. Because I like you."
For a few moments there is silence, both girls searching and scared. Then suddenly, without any forethought, Chloe is rushing forward and their lips meet in a crash. At first Beca doesn't move, just freezes, but as Chloe's hands find Beca's cheeks just so she can feel this moment and make sure it's real, the younger girl's body relaxes and leans into the kiss with the same passion.
The kiss in equal parts loving, explorative, timid, and passionate. Neither girl pushes the kiss, rather allowing themselves to drink in every second of this moment that has been nearly four years in the making. After a few minutes Chloe pulls back hesitantly and rests her forehead against Beca's, eyes closed as she continues to hold her face in her hands, trying to catch her breath.
Beca is the first to speak, her voice breathless and husky, "Wow." Chloe let's out a small laugh and feels tears start to gather in her eyes as she opens them to smile at the girl who had stolen her heart so long ago. Seeing the tears, Beca immediately reaches up to hold Chloe's face, wiping the tears away with her thumbs, "Hey Chlo, don't cry! Why are you crying?"
Chloe just shakes her head with another laugh and smiles, "I'm fine."
"Fine? Chloe, you're crying! I know I'm not a genius but crying usually means 'not fine'," panic starting to make its way across Beca face now.
She pulls Beca into a tight hug and sighs as she feels the younger girls arms wrap around her waist, hands rubbing her back. "I really am fine. I'm just so happy! I can't even tell you how long I've wanted to hear you say that."
"Really?" asks Beca, pulling back slightly to look at Chloe's face.
She nods, reaching up to run her fingers through soft waves before tucking them behind Beca's ear and resting her hands on her shoulders, "Really."
It was Beca's turn to let out a laugh, "Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"You were with Jesse," she says, and Beca nods in understanding. "And I was just happy to have you in any way I could," she slides her arm down so she can run her fingers across the soft skin of Beca's face, a sad smile playing at her lips.
"Well I'm all yours now, Chlo," she says, and then pauses as if she just realized something. "To be honest, I always was," she finishes in a whisper against Chloe's lips.