SunDanceQT: I project myself way too much onto Aubrey in this story. I just literally made a list of all the things I get called.
A Dedicated Fan: Sick fics are basically all I read - not that there are many Chaubrey sick fics in this fandom, unfortunately. What says love more than taking care of someone when they're sick? As someone who got thrown up on this week by one of my students and just stood there rubbing his back, I can confirm, literally nothing says love more than that. Arr is a 4 part story - but I won't tell you where it goes from here. Why are you anon? Let's be friends. Do you have Twitter? I am Rabidnar. Tumblr? Handsinaca-bitches.
96itadakimasu96: I want to know what your screen name means. I'm curious everything I type it.
Vickstik: I agree. Aubrey is SO cute.
RJRMovieFan: Nobody is really 'simple'. Chloe's thought process is something I'll touch on later.
Serenity45: Aubrey is totally soft.
Malexfaith: I am the Grinch, so, unless you can make my heart grow three sizes before Christmas day...
Bechloe-bible-49: You don't know heart broken yet.
Hmn11: This chapter was too long to update right away. It took forever. But it's here now!
Pixie1913: Fat Amy just says it like it is.
TinyPig99: Thank you so much. This story is a lot of work, but I love it so much. It's like living a second life, tbh.
Andiclauds: Chaubrey is the best. I wish it was appreciated more.


Arrhythmia


I let my guard down,
And then you pulled the rug.
I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved.
- Lewis Capaldi


"Thanksgiving break, junior year," Aubrey says, "All of it."

xxxxx

It was raining. The torrential downpour type of rain that made Aubrey want to check the weather just to make sure she hadn't missed a hurricane warning for the Florida coast. She hovered near the window, watching the water slide down the road in a quick moving stream toward a storm drain, mostly for lack of anything better to do.

"It's supposed to be like this all week," Mr. Beale said, walking through the living room, "You guys gonna go out in it? It's warm."

"Maybe," Chloe answered, "Not right now."

Aubrey glanced at her and frowned. Why would they go outside in this? She watched Mr. Beale walk away then looked out the window again. Where would they go?

"He meant to the beach," Chloe said, looking at her, "Sometimes it's fun to go in the rain."

Aubrey shook her head. That did not sound even remotely fun. She didn't understand people – like Chloe – who enjoyed being outside in the rain. They could be inside, warm and dry. "I would prefer not to go outside in this weather," she let Chloe know.

Chloe just shrugged – not looking too disappointed from her spot curled up on the couch with a pillow and the blanket from her bed, which her parents didn't comment on her bringing downstairs. "Do you wanna build a fort?" she asked.

A fort? To protect them outside from the rain? "We already have shelter," Aubrey said and turned around. She walked over to join her on the couch. "It's called your house."

"I meant a blanket fort," Chloe said, "In the living room. I'm bored. You do know what a blanket fort is, right?"

Aubrey nodded. Of course she knew what a blanket fort was. It was a thing that children built – except for Aubrey when she was a child, because only savages removed blankets from the bedroom and chairs from their rightful place in the dining room. Blankets left the bed to be washed only. Only Aubrey was once again left questioning everything she knew, because Chloe's blanket was on the couch, and Chloe's family was most definitely not made up of savages. They were the very definition of 'stability' and 'put together'. It didn't make a lot of sense. "I don't think we should."

"Why?" Chloe asked, unwrapping herself from the comforter.

"Because," Aubrey answered, "We'll make a mess, and I don't think your parents want a mess in the living room."

"Would you feel better if we asked?" Chloe asked.

Actually, Aubrey would feel worse if they asked. She shook her head.

"Mom!" Chloe called loudly. She was literally yelling inside the house – and Aubrey internally panicked.

"I'm in the kitchen, Chlo!" Mrs. Beale yelled back.

"Come on." Chloe got up and grabbed Aubrey by the hand, dragging her along to the kitchen. She released her in the doorway and took a few steps inside. "Mommy."

"Hm?" Mrs. Beale didn't look up from the papers she had scattered across the kitchen table, only scratched the side of her head with the back of her pen then wrote something down.

"Can Aubrey and I build a fort in the living room?" Chloe asked.

"I don't see why not," Mrs. Beale replied, "I think that fuzzy blanket you like to use is in the hall closet with the sheets. Call me if you can't find it."

"Okay." Chloe grabbed one of the kitchen chairs and handed it to Aubrey then took the other two herself. "I told you she wouldn't care."

Aubrey's cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment even though Chloe's mom didn't acknowledge her words at all. She followed Chloe into the living room and placed the chair down by the couch.

"Can you go get the other chair?" Chloe asked, "I'm going to get the sheets and blanket."

The other chair. There were only four chairs. "Your mom is using that one. Why can't we use the blanket you have on the couch?"

"So? She'll just move her stuff to the island and use a stool," Chloe replied, "She knows we're building a fort. She knows we need the other chair."

"We could use one of the stools," Aubrey suggested.

"Aubrey, why are you so scared of my mom? She's literally the nicest person in the world," Chloe said, "Just go ask her for the chair."

"I'm not scared of your mom; she's working," Aubrey said. It was ridiculous to think that Aubrey was scared of anyone.

"Aubrey, go get the chair." Chloe turned and walked away from her.

Aubrey sighed and stood in the middle of the living room for a few moments before making her way back to the doorway that led to the kitchen. She stopped. She should just ask for it. No. It was rude. Mrs. Beale had it first, and she was hard at work. Aubrey watched her as she leaned her head against her hand and wrote things down. Maybe she could offer to help her move her papers to the island. Or, maybe, she should just not ask for it, because it was rude.

Mrs. Beale looked up and offered Aubrey a soft smile. "What do you need, Baby?"

Aubrey couldn't do it. "Chloe said she found the blanket."

"Okay." Mrs. Beale kept looking at her. She almost seemed entertained. "Thank you."

Aubrey nodded and backed her way out of the kitchen. They could build a fort with three chairs, right? There was no law that said it had to be built with four. She turned around and walked forward down the hall to meet Chloe by the closet.

"Did you get the chair?" Chloe asked, rooting around, throwing sheets behind her, "I can't find the blanket."

"She was using it," Aubrey said.

"Aubrey, go get the chair or I'm going to tell her you're scared of her. And tell her I can't find the blanket."

"I'm not scared of her," Aubrey insisted. Chloe's mom was working – and it was simply rude to interrupt her. And she had equally as good reasons for every other time she avoided her. She was being respectful, just like she would to her own parents.

"I'm going to tell her. Just go, Bree."

Aubrey turned around and stormed back down the hallway – slowing to a calm walk when she arrived back at the kitchen.

Mrs. Beale was still looking at the same spot Aubrey had been standing in – wearing the exact same smile. "Hi, Aubrey."

Aubrey inhaled then spoke all in one exhale, "Chloe said we don't have enough chairs and she can't find the blanket, but I told her we should just use one of the stools instead." She frowned and obeyed when Mrs. Beale beckoned her forward. "I understand that you're working…"

"Mhm." Mrs. Beale hummed.

"But Chloe said that if I don't ask for the chair, she's going to…" Going to what? Aubrey couldn't tell her what Chloe implied. "…say something that isn't very nice."

Mrs. Beale stood up and pulled the chair out from the table. "I appreciate you wanting me to be able to keep the chair," she said, "But I suppose I can move to the island to prevent Chloe from getting herself into trouble."

xxxxx

The blanket that Chloe had been searching for was a thick, fuzzy, blue, massive blanket that was the softest thing Aubrey had ever felt in her entire life. She couldn't even hold the entire thing when Mrs. Beale handed it to her. They had to fold it in half together to use it as the 'fort floor' – or the 'floort' as Chloe's dad called it before Mrs. Beale told him to stop pestering them.

"The trick is to have the perfect chair to sheet ratio," Chloe stated as the sheet fell off the chair again.

It didn't even take Aubrey acing physics to know that the chairs were placed too far apart. "When was the last time you built this?" she asked.

"I don't know," Chloe answered, "Awhile ago?"

Clearly. Aubrey walked around the blanket and moved each chair in roughly an inch. The blankets stopped slipping. "Now what?"

"We have to weigh down the sheets with books," Chloe answered.

Aubrey exhaled a long, weary sigh, and looked at the only bookshelf in the room. It was set back in the corner, next to Mr. Beale's recliner, and it didn't contain a single book that looked like it belong to Chloe – unless she had yet to tell Aubrey she had a secret passion for Western novels.

"He doesn't even read them," Chloe said, "He puts them over his face to shield the light from his eyes while he naps."

That didn't mean they were allowed to touch them. Aubrey pressed her hand to her forehead then slid it down over her face as Chloe started grabbing books. This was supposed to be fun – not stressful. She knew that. In order for that to happen, she was going to have to trust that Chloe knew what she was and wasn't allowed to touch in her house. She lowered her hand and nervously took a few books from the shelf to place on one of the chairs.

"We need flashlights for later," Chloe said as they continued to weigh down the sheets, "And snacks. And the portable DVD player."

"You're not eating snacks, Chlo," Mrs. Beale called from the kitchen, "I'm making lunch soon."

"They're for later," Chloe replied.

"Well, then you can get them later," her mom said.

"She hears everything," Chloe complained to Aubrey.

Aubrey glanced at the clock. It was nearing lunch time. It felt wrong to still be in her pajamas at almost noon. But it also felt awkward all the times she had been the only one not wearing her pajamas. The Beales didn't change out of their pajamas until after noon if they didn't need to go anywhere – and sometimes on weekends, they just wore them all day.

"It's not that I hear everything," Mrs. Beale said, "It's that you're loud." She did have a point.

Chloe made a face.

"Flashlights?" Aubrey asked.

"Under the kitchen sink."

Aubrey followed her back into the kitchen and knelt down on the floor beside the sink. Chloe opened the cupboard, and Aubrey didn't really understand why people needed so many flashlights. There were at least eight of them – all different sizes, different colors.

Chloe grabbed one with a rubber pink handle that had her name written on the side in fading permanent marker.

Aubrey wanted the metal one with the floral handle. She reached for it them stopped herself. It looked fancy. It was beautiful – for a flashlight anyway. She grabbed the plain black one next to it instead.

"Take the other one," Chloe urged her, "It's pretty cool. My mom used to use it for shadow puppet shows with me. That's why we have most of these."

Aubrey shook her head. "I like this one."

"You're allowed to take the other one," Chloe said, "It's just a flashlight."

"This one is fine."

"Aubrey, Bunny, you are allowed to touch whatever you want in this house," Mrs. Beale said, "If I didn't want anyone to touch it, I wouldn't put it in reach of Chloe."

Aubrey's cheeks flushed. "The snacks are in reach of Chloe," she reacted in embarrassment. Her stomach dropped. That was a challenge. Sure, she was known to challenge her peers. But Aubrey Posen knew better than to challenge authority. She knew better. And she had just hit Chloe's mom with a challenge.

"Good point," Chloe said and scrambled up onto the counter to reach the snacks.

Mrs. Beale burst into laughter. She was laughing. At the fact Aubrey had challenged her authority. "Thank you, Aubrey." It was sarcastic – but not the hostile kind of sarcasm. It was light, and it made everything else feel light.

Aubrey put the black flashlight back and grabbed the other one. She turned it on to make sure it worked, shining it in the dark cupboard. It wasn't bright. Instead, it had a slight rose colored glow to it. Her lips made an 'o' shape in approval – 'approval' meaning 'delight'. She turned it off and closed the cupboard as she stood up.

Chloe hopped down from counter with a bag of chips in her hand – which her mom immediately snatched from her. "You're going to eat them all," she whined as Mrs. Beale took a few handfuls and placed them right on top the counter – no plate, not even a paper towel. Didn't she just say it was almost time for lunch?

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Beale's eyebrows shot up. "Who bought these chips, Chloe Beale?"

Chloe looked like she was weighing her options on which path to take in this situation before she finally answered, "Dad."

Mrs. Beale frowned and tapped her on the side of her head with the back of her hand.

"Mom!" Chloe looked at her pleadingly, her cheeks turning red. She glanced at Aubrey then looked back at her mom – and Aubrey didn't understand why this always caused the end of the world for Chloe. Like Aubrey had just witnessed her most humiliating moment of someone who never felt embarrassed. But it did. Every time.

"You're cruisin' right now," Mrs. Beale warned her. It was the least threatening threat that Aubrey had ever heard. Because it wasn't a threat. Chloe's mom was playing with her, despite the blatant disrespect. Because it wasn't disrespect. They were both playing. "Take your chips." She swung them at Chloe's stomach before handing them over.

Aubrey felt left out. Like they were trying to include her in a game that she didn't know the rules to.

Chloe took the chips, and dragged Aubrey back to the living room with her. "Oh, we forgot pillows!" She put the chips and flashlight just inside the fort. "We can get those from my room."

Aubrey didn't know where Chloe got all her energy. Probably from all the junk food she ate. She walked swiftly after her as Chloe bounded down the hall and up the stairs. Why couldn't Chloe walk to class this quickly? "Chloe, wait."

Chloe did not wait. She was already halfway back out of the bedroom by the time Aubrey got there. "This should be enough," she said, shoving a few pillows and stuffed animals at Aubrey to carry, "We still need room for us. But only a little." She winked at Aubrey. "We can get cozy."

"No," Aubrey said tersely and walked away before Chloe could find room to argue.

"It'll be after they go to bed," Chloe assured her.

Aubrey gave her a disgusted glance as she led the way back downstairs. In no way was she getting 'cozy' on the Beales' living room floor – or anywhere in their house for that matter. "Gross, Chloe." It was tempting.

"Whatever." Chloe crawled into the fort as Aubrey stopped directly outside of it. She adjusted her pillows then took the ones from Aubrey and fixed those too. "Are you coming in?"

Aubrey looked at their hastily built, ready to fall over the moment someone bumped into a chair fort. It looked nothing like the fancy ones she saw on Pinterest from time to time. She didn't understand those. Why spend hours building a tent out of sheets in the living room that would get taken down in less than a day? One might as well just pitch a real tent inside. This one was okay though, she guessed. She got down onto her hands and knees and crawled inside with Chloe.

"What do you think?" Chloe asked.

Folding the blanket made it possible for them to slip inside it like a sleeping bag. She curled up on her side, sharing the same pillow with Chloe, despite the many they had brought downstairs. "It's fine. It's comfortable for the floor."

Chloe found her hands under the blanket and laced their fingers. "I think we did a good job."

"Maybe a little," Aubrey agreed.

"More than a little." Chloe pulled her hand away and poked Aubrey in the side.

Aubrey squeaked.

Chloe gave her a devious smile.

"No," Aubrey said firmly and quickly moved her hands to cover her sides.

Chloe took the opportunity to go for her neck instead, tickling everywhere she could reach.

Aubrey yelped loud enough that everyone in the house definitely heard her, then burst into uncontrollable giggles. "Chloe, stop!" she begged. She refused to let up, so Aubrey did her best to tickle her back.

Chloe shrieked, simultaneously try to continue tickling her and get away from her at the same time. "Aubrey!"

Aubrey tried to get the upper hand, but Chloe was absolutely relentless. Fortunately, Aubrey could be relentless too. She tickled her back until tears were on her cheeks and she was struggling to keep going at Aubrey.

"Mommy, help!" Chloe finally cried, even though she still would not stop tickling Aubrey.

"I heard Aubrey scream first, so I'm sure you deserve whatever you're getting right now," Mrs. Beale replied.

"White flag together on three," Aubrey pleaded with her.

"One. Two. Three."

They both stopped at the same time and gasped to catch their breath.

Aubrey smacked her on the arm. "Don't do that."

"Do what?" Chloe asked, scooting in closer so their noses were touching, "Make you smile? I would never."

xxxxx

Their fort was cozy. Not in the way Chloe wanted it to be, but in a way that was mostly okay with Aubrey. It was still an adjustment – being content to just lay still for awhile while Chloe slipped her hand under Aubrey's shirt and absently traced shapes across her stomach. Her fingers, shockingly, didn't try to wander too high or too low on Aubrey's body. No one would have been able to tell if they did. Beneath the blanket, only Aubrey and Chloe could tell where Chloe's fingers were. She toyed with the idea of Chloe's hand sliding under the waistband of her pants for a fraction of a second, but she didn't feel the need to entertain it. She didn't feel much of anything - in a good way. Her head felt unusually quiet.

"Are you tired?" Chloe asked.

Aubrey shook her head then turned it to the side to look at Chloe. Why would she be tired? It was the middle of the day, and she was an adult. She stopped talking naps a long time ago.

"Are you sure?"

Aubrey nodded. She wasn't tired. She was just…relaxed. That was all. She was not in any way, shape, or form wanting to curl up closer to Chloe and just drift off for a little while.

Chloe slid her hand out from under Aubrey's shirt, leaving her stomach cold. "Roll over."

Aubrey frowned, but slowly did as she was told. It was even more comfortable, especially when Chloe slid her hand under the back of Aubrey's shirt and began scratching the length of her back in slow motion. She tried to think of something engaging to keep her eyelids from drooping, but nothing came to mind. Chloe's blanket felt like being wrapped up in a cloud – if clouds were solid matter and not made up of dry air combined with droplets of water.

"I can see you're wide awake," Chloe commented.

"Mhm," Aubrey agreed. So awake. "I am."

"You're totally not falling asleep at all."

Aubrey shook her head. Never.

Chloe breathed a quiet laugh and kept scratching her back until she was out.

xxxxx

"We did go to the beach," Chloe says, "Remember?"

Aubrey nods, staring at the chip in her hand. She can't even take a bite of it. She's too done with feeling nauseated. "I liked the beach."

"Except the sand."

"Except the sand," Aubrey agrees, "And the water."

"That's literally all the beach is."

xxxxx

"Are you going to come out of your cave at all this week?" Mr. Beale asked, crouching down in front of the fort.

Aubrey and Chloe looked up from the toasted cheese sandwiches they were devouring and exchanged a look. "No," Chloe answered, and Aubrey shook her head. It turned out they could have everything they needed to survive in there – movies, board games, food that Chloe's mom brought them, each other.

"They said they're never coming out!" Mr. Beale called to somewhere behind him.

Chloe shared another look with Aubrey that Aubrey tried to avoid – a more entertained one.

Mrs. Beale walked up to the fort entrance and knelt down beside him. "Girls, you can't stay in here all week," she informed them.

They both just stared at her, taking bites out of their sandwiches. They had only been in there for a few hours. It seemed like a challenge though. Could they stay in there all week? Probably. Except when they had to shower or use the bathroom.

"The rain is letting up for now," Mrs. Beale tried to convince them, "Chloe, why don't you take Aubrey out to the tide pools."

"Aubrey doesn't want to go out in the rain," Chloe replied.

Aubrey shook her head in agreement and ate the last bite of her sandwich.

"Well, if you're not going to come out, I am coming in," Mr. Beale said. He climbed inside before either of them could react and squeezed his way in between them, successfully forcing them both out of the fort.

"This is my whole life," Chloe informed Aubrey.

She knew it was an innocent complaint, but it made Aubrey feel a twinge in her chest. It must be terrible to have parents that preferred pillow forts to Army forts, and that didn't tear you to shreds when they weren't busy just ignoring you. What an awful life Chloe must have lived – not that Aubrey's was awful. It just wasn't anything like this. She nodded her sympathies.

"And now you've dragged poor Aubrey into this horrible life we have given you," Mrs. Beale said, wrapping both of her arms around Aubrey, "How miserable the two of you must be."

Mr. Beale spread out on his back in their fort and started making snow angel motions with his arms and legs.

"I think I'd like to go to the tide pools now," Aubrey announced, deciding she was willing to take any escape route she could find. She didn't like how she felt – all wrapped up in the middle of this family that wasn't hers. "Can we go?" she asked Chloe – trying to direct the question away from her parents. She didn't want to look like she was trying to escape. She had to sound excited about the beach – in the rain.

Chloe nodded and climbed to her feet. "I have an extra rain jacket," she said, "And some more rain boots."

Aubrey couldn't stand up with her. She was still trapped in a hug. She pressed her thumb against her palm, trying to distract herself from how awkward she felt.

"You kind of have to let her up," Chloe informed her mother.

Mrs. Beale pretended to think about it for a moment. "Fine." She gave Aubrey a squeeze before letting her go and standing up. "Be safe."

Aubrey quickly stood up.

Mr. Beale sat up. "Turn around, don't drown. And be careful for clowns hiding in the storm drains."

Chloe frowned.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "I told you Pennywise is not real." She grabbed her by the hand and dragged her upstairs to change.

xxxxx

"What if It was real?" Chloe asked, walking hand in hand with Aubrey down the street, "What if he pulled me into storm drain. Would you save me?"

"From the sewer?" Aubrey asked, "No."

"I thought storm drains didn't lead to the sewer," Chloe said.

"Still no. You shouldn't have been looking into the storm drain."

Chloe elbowed her.

Aubrey sighed. "Don't you think we're a little old to be building blanket forts and going to the beach in rain boots?" she changed the subject.

"I don't think rain boots have an age limit. What do you want to do over break?" Chloe asked.

That…was a question Aubrey didn't have an answer to. "Something…not so childish."

"Let me ask you a question," Chloe said, "And you have to answer honestly."

Aubrey arched her brows.

"Did you even get to be a child when you were a child?" Chloe asked.

That kind of stung. "I owned rain boots." Aubrey nodded.

Chloe looked sad. The kind of sad that Aubrey didn't ever want anyone to feel for her.

Aubrey pulled her hand away to stuff it in her pocket.

"Seriously, Aubrey, what did you do for fun?"

"I…played the piano," Aubrey answered.

"Did you like it?" Chloe asked.

"Yes, Chloe, I like to play the piano," Aubrey confirmed.

"But did you like it then?" Chloe asked.

"As a matter of fact, I did." Playing the piano was a welcome break from household chores, studying, listening to her parents argue. Aubrey wouldn't exactly have labeled it as fun – but it did alleviate a lot of stress. And it was an excuse to sing.

"What else did you do?" Chloe asked, "You never share anything about growing up."

Aubrey racked her mind for one more thing she actively enjoyed. "I was in the church choir." Another excuse to sing.

"And? What else did you do? What did you do with your mom and dad? Do they like music, too"

Aubrey came to a standstill. "Stop it."

"These are normal questions to ask people, Bree," Chloe told her, "Why do they make you so truculent?"

Aubrey breathed deeply through her nose. "I am not truculent," she said with a forced calmness, "Okay?"

"You are," Chloe replied, "You're being aggressively defensive."

Please. Like Chloe and her perfect family knew what aggression looked like. Aubrey didn't want to go to the beach, nor did she want to go back to Chloe's house, so she took a step backward instead. "I'm not."

Chloe folded her arms and stared Aubrey down.

"What do you want me to say?" Aubrey asked.

"That they were cruel to you," Chloe answered, "That your childhood sucked."

"They weren't." Aubrey shook her head. "And it didn't."

"And that's why you're so scared of my mom and dad," Chloe continued, "And to do anything that can't be done with the utmost maturity and perfection."

"You're wrong."

"What are they like that you've had to be an adult your entire life?" Chloe asked, "Did they hit you?"

"Never," Aubrey lied, "They would never hurt me."

"Not once?" Chloe confirmed.

"Not one time." So many times – but, only when she deserved it. Aubrey clenched her jaw.

"Then what?" Chloe demanded an answer.

Aubrey swallowed a lump forming in the back of her throat. There was always part of her that thought about, maybe even wanted to tell Chloe. That just wanted somebody to know. "You wouldn't understand." She kept shaking her head. How could she? Chloe had lived with her parents the majority of her life – and Aubrey was witness to what they were like. Not like Aubrey's mom and dad, that was for sure. Maybe Aubrey would have been a different person if people like Mr. and Mrs. Beale had taken her away from her parents. But nobody cared about what went on inside the Posen household, as long as on the outside they were perfect.

"Try me," Chloe said, "Tell me what your mom is like."

Aubrey's mom. "My dad said she changed after I was born," Aubrey was quick to excuse her behavior. She wasn't always the person Aubrey knew.

"Changed how?" Chloe asked.

Aubrey didn't know what her mother was like prior to her being born. But she had witnessed her mother have good days – and Aubrey imagined it was like that. She knew her mother was a strong leader, had owned some kind of business, and came from a background of highly successful people. She met Aubrey's father when he was living at a nearby Army base, and the two of them settled for each other out of convenience – and they both came from families where divorce wasn't seen as an option. Aubrey shrugged. If she didn't give Chloe something, she would never let up. So she tested the waters with a least terrible terrible memory.

"My brother spilled apple juice on the floor once, and he told her it was me. She was furious. I had to clean every tile with bleach and a toothbrush while she watched to make sure I was doing it right. Because everything had to be clean." Aubrey stared off past Chloe. This was one thing she could imagine in her head clear as day. "My dad came home and asked why everything smelled like bleach, and she didn't want to tell him, so she told him I broke into the cupboard and poured out the bleach container. He knew it was a lie, but he blamed me anyway, because I made her that way." Maybe Chloe would understand that things happened because Aubrey caused them to, so it wasn't actually that bad.

"How old were you?" Chloe asked. Somehow, the world suddenly looked too heavy for her too.

"Six." Aubrey placed a hand on her stomach to calm it. "Is that what you want to hear?"

Chloe stepped forward and engulfed her in a hug.

"I don't need you to feel bad for me," Aubrey spat, trying to pull away.

"I'm not feeling bad for you," Chloe replied, refusing to let her go, "I'm giving you what you deserve."

Aubrey stopped fighting when Chloe linked her hands behind Aubrey's back to keep her getting away. She could only stand there awkwardly, waiting for Chloe to eventually release her.

"I think you should stop worrying and enjoy the week, Aubrey," Chloe said, "Take it and run with it."

Fine. Aubrey nodded, even though she didn't expect change. She just wanted to change the subject.

"Speaking of running…" Chloe kissed her cheek then finally let go of the hug. She tapped Aubrey's arm then took off running. "Tag."

"Chloe!" Aubrey took off after her, because what else could she do? "This isn't fun!" Mostly because Aubrey had not been expecting it, and so Chloe got a head start, which was not fair.

"For you!" Chloe called back.

Aubrey let out a low growl and booked it faster after her. "Chloe!" She followed her up the block, finally gaining on her once they got onto the boardwalk. They stumbled onto the sand, and Aubrey tapped her on the shoulder just as Chloe tripped over a clump of sand and her own feet. Aubrey fell over her and crashed down on her side.

"Ow," Chloe deadpanned.

Aubrey glared at her, half on top of her.

"You gonna get up?" Chloe asked, smirking, "You don't have to."

Aubrey gave her a grossed out look and sat up, rubbing her elbow. "That hurt."

"You fell on me," Chloe pointed out.

The wind was blowing, and Aubrey yanked her hood up over her head as she huffed then settled into a pout.

Chloe sat up and crawled onto her lap. "We're finally out of my house," she said, "Away from the confines of my parents."

That they were. They were outside in the warm, muggy air, surrounded by wet sand that Aubrey's jeans were sponging the water out of. "My underwear are wet," she complained and tried to push Chloe away so she could stand. She frowned harder at the look only Chloe's face. "Not like that."

"I can make it like that," Chloe offered and leaned in until their lips were brushing.

"I would prefer if you did not," Aubrey mumbled against her mouth before letting Chloe kiss her. It was nice to be away for this reason – seeing as they were not out to Chloe's parents and definitely not going to kiss where they could be caught. Though the potential of being caught made Aubrey shift a little. This week though. This week they were going to tell them. Then they could kiss in Chloe's room – provided her parents didn't take the door off the hinges, or just send Aubrey home to Barden and tell her never to come back. She kissed Chloe harder, trying to drown out the thoughts of everything that could go wrong. This could be the last time they kissed if things didn't go right. What if they wanted Chloe to date a boy? Or they just didn't like Aubrey enough to allow Chloe to date her?

Chloe parted Aubrey's lips with her tongue. She didn't seem concerned at all. If anything, Chloe seemed to think that telling them would make them happy. It sounded like a far-fetched idea. Chloe pulled Aubrey's hood back down and trailed kisses from her lips down to her neck, causing Aubrey's head to lull to the side. Aubrey was never going to make it as a lawyer, because, one day, Chloe was going to get her arrested for Lewd Conduct.

Aubrey stopped Chloe's hands as they reached for the button on her jeans. She shook her head. She drew a line at the beach.

Chloe looked around. "No one is coming to the beach in this weather," she assured her.

"It's not that," Aubrey answered, "There are parts of my body where sand should not ever be."

Chloe nodded in understanding. She pecked Aubrey's lips one more time then grabbed her hand and pulled her upright, half dragging her toward the rocks that stretched out into the ocean. She was very bold when it came to just pulling Aubrey around. "Careful, it's slippery." She helped Aubrey climb up them, even though Aubrey did not need her help.

"What are we doing?" Aubrey asked.

"The rain usually washes things in," Chloe explained, "We're looking for starfish and jellyfish and crabs. I forgot my jellyfish bucket, so maybe not jellyfish."

What? Aubrey nodded and began to explore the rocks.

"And ancient pirate treasure from old shipwrecks," Chloe continued, "That's probably cursed, and if we touch it, we'll be haunted for the rest of our lives."

"Oh." Aubrey frowned. Because that wasn't absolutely terrifying. Chloe was so weird. She walked along the rocks, looking in the low pools of water for anything that wasn't ancient pirate treasure or jellyfish. There wasn't much interesting – only barnacles. "I don't see anything." She pulled at her jeans as they stuck uncomfortably to her skin.

Chloe knelt down, looking in the cracks between the rocks. "Sometimes nothing washes up."

Aubrey sighed. She was already wet. She got down on her knees and began to look down between the rocks at well. Nothing. "I thought you didn't like fish."

"I don't like dead fish," Chloe explained, "Alive ones are fine."

"You don't have to kill them when you're fishing," Aubrey said, "You can throw them back."

"After you stab them through the jaw with a hook," Chloe replied, "I don't think so. I don't like fishing. I am never going to."

"What if you get trapped on a desert island and you have to survive?" Aubrey asked.

"I trust you to feed me and keep me alive."

Aubrey rolled her eyes. Of course she would be doing all the work. Something pink lodged between two of the rocks caught her eye. "And if I'm not there?" It didn't look like anything alive, so Aubrey reached down to grab it. It was too far.

"Why would I be there without you?" Chloe asked, "What did you find?"

"Hopefully not ancient pirate treasure." Aubrey lowered herself down on her stomach. Her fingers just brushed the hard surface.

"Whatever it is, I don't think you're going to reach it," Chloe said and walked over to her.

Well, now Aubrey needed to reach it. "I want it." She stretched her arm as far as it would go, praying that nothing alive down there found her fingers.

"Do you want me to find a stick?" Chloe asked.

Aubrey shook her head. She could feel it. She was so close.

"You're going to get stuck between the rocks," Chloe warned her.

Aubrey ignored her.

"Just let me get you a stick."

Never. Aubrey's fingers hooked inside of it and she dragged it into reach. She gave Chloe a 'told you I could do it' look as she lifted it up between the rocks. It was a conch shell. She quickly sat up with it and held it on her lap, turning it over in her hands. Okay, maybe being wet sucked, but this was pretty cool. The outside was a pearly color with hints of brown, and the inside was deep pink that got darker deeper in the shell. She looked up at Chloe for a reaction.

"Woah." Chloe knelt down beside her and held her hands out for it.

Aubrey passed it to her.

"It's legal to keep these if they're empty," Chloe said and turned it over to look inside it of.

Aubrey sat on the edge of her seat, or, well, rock, waiting for the verdict.

"It's all yours."

Aubrey did her best to contain her grin.

Instead of handing it back, Chloe held it up to her ear first.

Aubrey watched her. It was a myth, she assumed, that you could hear the ocean inside of a shell. She wouldn't know. Her father took her family to the woods, never the beach. "Does it work?"

Chloe scooted in closer to her and held the shell up to Aubrey's ear.

There was a whooshing noise in Aubrey's ear that sounded similar to the waves crashing against the rocks behind her. She took the shell from Chloe and held it in place. It made sense. The shell would capture ambient noise which would then resonate inside the shell – it was all just a matter of physics. She just…wasn't expecting it to work. She pulled it back to study it then held it to her ear one more time.

"That's aca-awesome," Chloe said, "I mean, not as awesome as cursed pirate treasure, but close."

xxxxx

They didn't find anything else between the rocks – except for some trash, which they picked up and threw in a recycling container. Aubrey didn't understand littering and why people did not care about keeping the planet clean - and neither did Chloe. It was gratifying to share common goals outside of A Capella with someone. Sure, other people cared about both singing and trying to stop global warming, but they never seemed to be people who liked Aubrey as a person. Being around Chloe made her feel…connected.

"Do you want to talk about it more?" Chloe asked as they strolled down the beach together, close enough to the water that the waves sent it rushing against their rain boots.

Aubrey looked at her in confusion.

"About your mom and dad," Chloe elaborated.

Aubrey shook her head.

"You can if you want," Chloe said, "You can tell me anything."

Aubrey realized she shouldn't have placed what she already did on Chloe. "They weren't that bad." She looked down and hyper-focused on her shell, turning it over and over again in her hands. "Sometimes, my mom would let us stay up past our bedtime, and she'd take us to this ice cream shop that was always open really late. We were allowed to get whatever we wanted." Aubrey always loved that. It was on those nights, her mother would listen to what was going on at school, touch her hair, look at her in some way other than in annoyance. It never mattered that it was only when she and Aubrey's father were fighting over the other's parenting choices and would get into a week long battle of who could be a better parent. It didn't matter that by the end of the argument, Aubrey was exhausted from the two of them bouncing her back and forth, subtly demanding she pick one of them over the other. She momentarily clenched her jaw to stop it from trembling. "It was nice."

"Why doesn't it seem nice then, Aubrey?"

"It was nice." Aubrey gave her best convincing look. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Chloe nodded and didn't press it. Instead, she just placed her hand on Aubrey's back and kept walking for awhile before speaking again. "Are you ready to go back?"

Aubrey nodded. "I would like to," she stopped herself before she could say 'take off my pants', "put on different clothes. And I don't want to run back."

"Fine." Chloe took her hand and laced their fingers. "But only if I get to watch you change."

Aubrey changed her mind on the running, because walking would mean she would have to listen to Chloe talk all the way back. She pulled her hand away, lightly backhanded Chloe's stomach, then took off for Chloe's house, with Chloe fighting to keep up behind her.

"I thought you said you don't want to run!"

xxxxx

Aubrey jogged to the porch then sat down to take her rain boots off.

"Seriously, Aubrey?" Chloe dragged herself behind, panting. She pulled open the front door.

"Do not come into this house all wet, Chloe Beale," her mother called immediately.

Chloe closed the door. She did a turn with a long sigh then lowered herself down next to Aubrey to remove her boots. They draped their jackets over the porch banister, then Chloe opened the door again and walked inside with Aubrey behind her.

"How was the beach?" Mrs. Beale asked, walking into the room.

"Boring," Chloe answered, "Aubrey found an empty conch though."

Aubrey held the shell against her chest. "It was in the rocks," she said.

"Let me see," Mrs. Beale said.

Aubrey stepped closer to her and held out the shell.

"That's a beautiful one," Mrs. Beale said, "Can I wash it for you so it doesn't smell like salt and fish?"

Aubrey looked at it, feeling rather reluctant to let it go.

"I'll give it back," Mrs. Beale promised.

Aubrey nodded and handed it over.

"How did your pants get all wet?" Mrs. Beale asked.

"Chloe tripped me," Aubrey called her out.

"What?!" Chloe frowned at her.

"Chloe!" her mother scolded her.

"I tripped and Aubrey fell over me!" Chloe defended herself, "I'm all wet too!"

Mrs. Beale swatted Chloe's bottom.

"Mom!"

"Don't yell at me." Mrs. Beale wrapped an arm around Chloe's torso from behind and dragged her in close. "You're cute." She kissed her cheek several times before releasing her. "Go change before you get sick."

"It's actually a common misconception that being wet or cold can make you sick," Aubrey blurted out before she could stop herself, "Viruses that people have are just spread more easily in cold temperatures." She looked down in embarrassment.

"Okay, Smartie-pants." Mrs. Beale breathed a laugh. "Go change before you get my house all wet."

Aubrey nodded. This would have made a good time for Chloe to save her and pull her upstairs… Instead, Chloe just stood there

"Hey." Mrs. Beale pulled Aubrey in the same way she had with Chloe. "You're cute too." She kissed her cheek then whispered in her ear, "You're a good girl." She squeezed her then released her. "I'm going to go wash this shell. You two dry off."

Aubrey clenched her jaw and pressed her lips together, staring at the floor. She couldn't believe Chloe would just let her stand there after that.

"I told you," Chloe said once her mom was gone, "Take it and run with it, Aubrey."

xxxxx

Aubrey stripped out of her wet pants and underwear and draped them over Chloe's hamper. She could feel Chloe staring at her ass. She wasn't going to escape this. "Later this week," she said reluctantly, "Sometime when everyone is asleep."

"Promise?" Chloe asked, walking up behind her. She wrapped her arms around Aubrey, her hands coming to rest just under Aubrey's bellybutton.

Aubrey removed Chloe's hands from her body before she was wet for a whole other reason. She knew she was going to have so many regrets saying this. "Yes. I promise."

xxxxx

"You know what the worst part of that week was?" Chloe asks.

"Hm?" Aubrey is still breaking chips into pieces rather than eating them. The crumbs are just giving her more anxiety, but she can't stop.

"Coming out to my mom and dad."

Aubrey actually almost laughs, but fights it well enough that the corners of her lips just twitch.

"Of course, you would find it funny."

"That was my favorite part," Aubrey jokes with her.

Chloe does not look entertained.

"Best part of the whole week."

"You were embarrassed too."

"Not as embarrassed as you," Aubrey replies.

xxxxx

"Chloe, I think we should wait," Aubrey told her in a hushed tone, chasing her down the stairs to stop her, "We can tell them at Christmas."

"Last break, you said you wanted to tell them at Thanksgiving," Chloe reminded her, "And the one before that -"

"It's the day before Thanksgiving," Aubrey said, nearly crashing into Chloe as she stopped on the bottom step, "Let's just…wait until the day after."

"I don't want to wait anymore, Aubrey," Chloe said, "And I know you want to tell them too, so let's just do it."

Aubrey shook her head.

"If we keep waiting, my mom is going to figure it out," Chloe informed her.

"How?" Aubrey asked.

"Because she's smart and she's nosey," Chloe answered.

Aubrey shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other.

"We have to tell them," Chloe said, "You know it."

They did have to tell them. It wasn't right to not tell them.

"It's going to be fine," Chloe assured her, "They love you."

Aubrey wasn't so sure.

"I'm going to tell them with or without you, Aubrey."

Without her was an option? Aubrey considered that.

Chloe grabbed her by the hand and pulled her to the kitchen.

Mr. Beale was sitting at the island, reading the newspaper, while Mrs. Beale was standing behind him with her elbow on his shoulder and her head against his head, also looking at the paper. It was a strange sight to Aubrey, and it took a moment to sink in that Chloe's parents enjoyed being around each other. They loved each other. That might be Aubrey and Chloe in twenty years.

"Mom," Chloe interrupted them.

"Hm?" her mom hummed, not looking up.

"Mommy," Chloe tried again, "Momma. Mother. Madre."

Mrs. Beale looked up. "Si, daughter?" She looked around Chloe at Aubrey and smiled. "Hi."

Aubrey looked down. This was the end of the world.

Chloe clapped twice. "Mom, focus, pay attention to me. You can dote on Aubrey later."

Mrs. Beale looked at her. "Hello, Chloe," she said, grinning, "What can I do for you, my love?"

"Aubrey and I have to talk to you guys about something," Chloe said.

"Okay," Mrs. Beale said, "Here we are. What's up, girls?"

"You should sit down," Chloe said.

"Just say it, Chloe," Aubrey instructed her through clenched teeth.

Mr. and Mrs. Beale shared a look before Mrs. Beale pulled out the stool beside him and sat down. She took off her glasses and placed them in front of her.

"Aubrey and I…" Chloe looked at Aubrey. She was more nervous than she had originally let on. "Aubrey and I are dating."

Their expressions didn't change. "Okay," Mrs. Beale said, "And?"

This was going better than Aubrey thought it would. It didn't matter. Everything was normal. They could go watch a movie in the fort. "Okay, let's go." She tried to pull Chloe out of the room. "Bye."

"And?" Chloe asked, clearly not nearly as content with the response they were given. She refused to budge.

"Tell me something I don't know," Mrs. Beale said. She looked at Aubrey. "You're good at that, Aubrey. What's something I don't know?"

Aubrey was confused. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when Chloe smacked her in the side.

"It's not a real question, Aubrey, she's playing with you."

Oh. Aubrey was starting to get it. Chloe's mom liked to tease.

Chloe folded her arms.

Aubrey didn't understand why she was sulking. This had gone well. Chloe should be overjoyed. They weren't even asking questions. They had already guessed, and they were okay with it.

"I'm sorry, Chlo," Mrs. Beale said, "Is this a coming out thing?"

"Would you have felt better if we were surprised?" Mr. Beale asked.

Chloe shrugged.

"Tell us again," Mr. Beale said and sipped on his coffee.

"No," Chloe said.

"Aubrey, you tell us," Mrs. Beale said, "I was a little surprised at first to realize you bat for the same team."

"Don't do it, Aubrey," Chloe warned her.

"Chloe and I are girlfriends," Aubrey stated. It was an instruction. She had to follow it. It wasn't like they didn't already know for sure now. And, honestly, Aubrey was also surprised to realize that she bat for the same team too. Or did she bat for both teams? She didn't feel like a batter at all. In the way of baseball, Aubrey was more like the umpire…

"Aubrey!" Chloe scolded her.

Mr. Beale spat his coffee back out into his cup.

"Oh my god." Mrs. Beale slammed both of her hands down on the counter so loudly that it made Aubrey jump. "Did you know that Chloe and Aubrey were dating?!" she asked her husband.

Chloe facepalmed herself.

"I had no idea!" Mr. Beale exclaimed.

Aubrey gave Chloe an apologetic look.

"Did we do better that time?" Mrs. Beale asked.

Aubrey pressed her lips together to keep from laughing – just ending up exhaling loudly through her nose.

"Don't encourage them." Chloe frowned. "Let's just go."

"Wait," Mr. Beale said urgently to stop her, "This is actually serious."

"What?" Chloe asked.

Maybe this was it. Maybe they actually were upset, and they were simply trying to de-escalate the moment with humor.

Mr. Beale turned to his wife. "We only had the straight sex talk with her." He turned to them. "Are you two having safe sex?" He turned to Mrs. Beale again. "I don't think I know how lesbians have safe sex, do you?"

Aubrey froze completely still in utter mortification.

"You know, all of my experiences with girls were unsafe and too drunk to remember," Mrs. Beale told him.

"Oh my god," Chloe mumbled into her hand, "Mom!"

"It's okay," Mrs. Beale said and turned around in her chair, "Hey, Alexa!"

Alexa beeped.

"How do lesbians have safe sex?" Mrs. Beale asked.

"Searching for how do lesbians have safe sex," Alexa said, "Here are some results from the web."

Chloe grabbed Aubrey by the arm and pulled her from the room. "I'm running away," she called back to them, "I'm never coming home again."

Mr. and Mrs. Beale burst into hysterical laughter from the kitchen.

Chloe crawled into the fort and collapsed with her face in a pillow.

Aubrey sat next to her in silence for a moment, taking deep breaths until she was sure she could speak without laughing. "I think that went really well."

xxxxx

"Are you sleeping?" Chloe whispered.

Aubrey shook her head.

"Me neither."

Obviously.

"Why can't you sleep?" Chloe asked.

"I'm not tired." It was a lie. It was rarely ever a 'not tired' problem; it was a 'can't turn off thinking long enough to sleep' problem. Thanksgiving dinner had actually made her extremely tired. It was just hard to stop turning over in her head how much she had to do in two days when they returned to Barden and started classes again.

"I know how to fix that," Chloe said.

Aubrey stopped tracing her fingers over the smooth edges of her seashell and rolled over to face Chloe. She had made her a promise. "Just make it fast, Chloe." She wasn't serious. She actually enjoyed sex with Chloe – a lot. Did being new to it cause her to be engulfed in anxiety over it? Yes. But was it exciting? Also, yes.

"If I wanted it to be fast, I'd just do it myself."

Aubrey rolled her eyes.

"You wouldn't mind watching." Chloe pressed her lips together before Aubrey could sort out that sentence and respond.

There was something thrilling about doing it in Chloe's living room that Aubrey wished didn't affect her – just like there had been in the few other places they had done it where they could potentially be caught. She always tried to ignore it, but her body couldn't. It drove her to a place that having sex in the comfort of their locked bedroom did not. She never said it, she constantly fought it, but she knew Chloe could tell the difference – and that was why she was always pushing her out in public. It felt daring. It made her feel bold. It should have made her feel dirty. Guilty. But Chloe crushed those feelings with her desire to see just how many places she could lure Aubrey in. It was a game for Chloe – one that Aubrey didn't mind losing.

Chloe was just in a t-shirt and underwear – which was another thing that really got Aubrey going.

This entire situation was unfair.

Chloe deepened the kiss and hooked a leg around Aubrey's waist, providing Aubrey easy access to slip her hand between them. She gasped against Aubrey's lips when she did just that, stroking her fingers up and down the fabric of Chloe's underwear. Her fingers entangled in Aubrey's shirt instead of returning the favor; she was going to make Aubrey wait. Also unfair. There were two things Aubrey hated (among dozens of other things): waiting and being second.

Aubrey could play games too. She traced her fingertips up and down in a steady, soft manner, refusing to add any pressure. The moment Chloe tried to press against her, she stopped completely and let her hand rest flat. Chloe squirmed, and Aubrey smirked.

"You said be fast, Aubrey," Chloe broke the kiss and mumbled.

Did she? "I don't remember that." Aubrey started stroking her again in the same slow, feathery light way. It was getting the job done. Chloe's underwear were growing increasingly damp.

"I'll put it on a flashcard next time." Chloe grabbed her hand and directed it into her underwear then pressed Aubrey's fingers where she needed them to go. And people thought that Aubrey was impatient.

Aubrey rolled onto her, pressing her down on her back. She tried to keep an ear out for anyone waking up. It was difficult when the sounds that Chloe was trying to suppress were so distracting. She pressed two fingers into her and kissed her harder, resisting to urge to grind down on her when Chloe moaned against her lips. They were going to have to figure out how to wash this blanket. Maybe they could dry clean it. How would they get it out of the house without anyone noticing?

"Aubrey."

Right, she needed to move her hand. Aubrey played it off as still teasing her. She kissed from Chloe's lips to her neck, moving her fingers at the slowest speed possible. Chloe arched her back to create more friction – just creating more of a pleasurable discomfort in Aubrey. She picked up speed with her fingers and nipped at Chloe's neck. That got her. Chloe gasped and slipped her hands under Aubrey's shirt, her fingers pressing into Aubrey's skin. Aubrey was learning. She did it again, and Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her head back against her pillow.

Aubrey loved to see her this way. She brought her close to the edge then slowed back down a few times just to hear her gasp and whimper. She liked to see how long she could keep her just close enough to finishing. It made the satisfaction that much better when Chloe finally did get her release. She kissed her way back up to Chloe's mouth again as she sped up her movements until Chloe was left shuddering beneath her – pulling Aubrey even closer to her as she slowly came back down.

Aubrey looked at her for approval that she had done a good job.

Chloe took a moment of deep breathing to open her eyes again. She breathed a light laugh. "Why do you always look at me like you want me to grade you?"

Because Aubrey did. That's how she knew if she had done well.

"I give you a 'D'," Chloe said, and ignored Aubrey's frown, "For 'Do It Again'." She rolled Aubrey off of her and pinned her down on her back. "Or an 'M' for 'My Turn'."

That was better than an actual 'D', although 'M' wasn't even a real letter used to grade. Aubrey stopped thinking about it when Chloe grabbed her hands and rested them on the floor above Aubrey's head. "What are you doing?"

Chloe was staring at her, absolutely devious looking. She shrugged. "Trying something new."

Aubrey didn't like 'new', and Chloe knew it. Not that they had ever really tried anything 'new' in bed, outside of sex itself in multiple locations. Maybe she should just get Chloe off again. She reached to touch her, but Chloe grabbed her hand and placed it right back down on the floor. It made Aubrey feel completely vulnerable to her, and she still had all her clothes on. She swallowed hard and entangled her fingers in her own hair (great, now she was going to need to wash the blanket and her hair) – resisting the urge to turn things into a power struggle. That didn't seem to be what Chloe was looking for. "Let's just…do it how we usually do it."

"Relax." Chloe slid down under the blanket and lifted Aubrey's shirt to trail kisses across her stomach.

Relax. Relax. Relax while all of her stomach muscles were tensing underneath Chloe's lips. It seemed impossible until Chloe was kissing just above the waistband of Aubrey's pants and Aubrey couldn't focus on anything else. She desperately needed friction between her legs, but Chloe was on top of her, keeping her hips pressed firmly down. She told herself she wasn't going to beg. She would never beg for anything. But she was close to it – especially as Chloe lifted herself just enough to slide Aubrey's pants down and began kissing above her underwear. Aubrey squirmed and bent her legs.

Chloe was enjoying herself. Aubrey could tell. She pushed Aubrey's underwear down next, following them down with kisses along the inside of Aubrey's thigh. Aubrey couldn't focus on anything other than that she needed Chloe's hands to move from her legs to elsewhere. Chloe moved her mouth instead, kissing from Aubrey's thigh to directly between her legs. Aubrey was about to tell her that was disgusting – that nobody's mouth should be touching that part of her body, but Chloe slid her tongue in just the place Aubrey needed to be touched, and she had to clamp one hand over her own mouth as she cried out.

Aubrey never should have teased her. She tangled her hair around her fingers on her other hand, gripping it tightly as Chloe drew her tongue in slow, tantalizing circles, until she was bringing her so close. So close. Aubrey thought she was going to cry. She bit down hard on her lower lip as Chloe finally slid her tongue faster, and did her best to muffle the sound she made as her entire body exploded with pleasure. She pressed her feet against one of the chairs as her body tried to arch against Chloe. Books scattered across the floor as the chair tipped, and the sheet collapsed on top of them as Aubrey collapsed back into the floor.

Everything was finally quiet.

Chloe kissed back up to Aubrey's stomach then slid back out from under the blanket and kissed her lips. "Was I good?" she murmured, "Or did I bring the house down?"

Aubrey swatted at the sheet then reached down and pulled her pants back up. "Fix it."

"The Big Bad Wolf has a whole new meaning now." Chloe kissed her against then stood up to fix It. "You could say I blew the house in."

Aubrey cringed.

Chloe crawled back inside once their useless shelter was built back over them. "Better?" she asked, wrapping herself around Aubrey.

Saying yes would mean admitting there was something wrong to begin with. Aubrey stared off at the fort wall for a moment before just curling up into her and closing her eyes. She suddenly wanted to stay there – not in Florida, god no, but with Chloe, with her family, in their stupid fort, somewhere she could take a moment to feel okay just to shut herself down. She wanted to stay forever.

xxxxx

"I love that you're beautiful," Chloe whispers in her ear, "Intelligent. Funny. You don't even know you're funny – which makes you that much funnier. You have no idea how cute you are."

Aubrey is distracted by the crumbs on her hands. She drops the chips and tries to brush them off, then wipes them against her jeans. That makes it worse, because now there are crumbs on her pants. She agonizes over them – desperately trying to get them all off. She's turning into her mother. That's a fear even worse than death. She'd rather die. She can't go through that. She can't put Chloe through that. She buries her hatred of her parents under the guise that they had no control over themselves, and turns it inward at herself and the control that she should have right now.

Chloe wraps her up, holding her so tightly, she can't move. "You're helpful – even to Beca. She never would have known the basics of A Capella if you hadn't taught her. You're good to people, even if they can't see it. I see it." She keeps holding Aubrey to her with one arm and uses the other hand to brush the crumbs from her jeans. "I love that you think of everything. Literally everything. I never have to worry about anything. You take care of everything, even when you don't want to. You're strong. The strongest person I've ever met. All of this, Aubrey, and you're still going."

Barely.

They all seem to be going a lot stronger than Aubrey is.

"I love that you're secretly soft," Chloe murmurs against her ear, "That you love kids, and you cry during our favorite shows, and you like your hair being played with, and you sing while you're making breakfast when you think that I'm still asleep. Why wouldn't I be in love with you, Aubrey? Why wouldn't anyone?"

Aubrey doesn't say anything.

"I thought for sure someone else was going to sweep you off your feet before I even had a chance," Chloe says, "I think I worked harder on getting you to like me than I did in class. I was lucky that the only way I could get you to spend time with me was to study. And you know I can't imagine living my life anywhere other than in Queens with you. I love the life we've built."

It is a good life. Aubrey can give it that. Every day of it throws Aubrey for a loop when she wakes up next to Chloe, in their apartment, then goes to work, all in New York City. Even when they're fighting, there is a certain stability in it all that still doesn't feel real. She knows that the next day she is still going to wake up next to Chloe, in their apartment, and then go to work, all in New York City. She can't think of anything more she could want – except maybe a car with a better defroster.

"Maybe I'm not as smart or as put together as you, and my decisions don't always make sense," Chloe says, "But I am in love with you. I don't know how I could not be."