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Roadside Attractions

And it's beginning to get to me,
That I know more of the stars and sea,
Than I do of what's in your head,
Barely touching in our cold bed.
Are you beginning to get my point,
That all this fighting with aching joints,
Is doing nothing but tire us out?
No one knows what this fight's about.
-Snow Patrol

That was weird…right? For a moment there, Aubrey had been, like, directly on top of her while in a state of undress. God, who uses the words 'state of undress'? Beca internally cringes. If that in and of itself wasn't weird enough, it was kind of thrilling… Getting on Aubrey's nerves was always thrilling. It was a lot like playing with fire. But that was full on pyromania. Or maybe it was arson. She lay there for awhile thinking about the difference. It was kind of both impulsive and a deliberate criminal act at the same time… How it was both impulsive and deliberate was a whole other matter to unpack.

"Are you awake?" Beca whispers.

"No."

"What the hell was that?"

"I didn't hear anything."

She's kidding, right? She has to be kidding "I meant you on top of me," Beca clarifies.

Aubrey sniffs then sighs as she settles back into her pillow, clearly intending to just ignore the whole thing altogether.

"Well?" Beca presses.

"Well what?"

Beca internally screams into the void. "Do you know how infuriating you are?" She props herself up on her elbows. "No, you are," she argues when Aubrey turns her head, before she can even say anything.

"Why are you so pissed off?"

Why is she so pissed off? Why is she so pissed off? Beca stares at the dark outline of her, searching for an answer.

Aubrey rolls onto her back. "You're acting like you want me to pin you down."

"I – I don't. I don't want that." She doesn't want that. Does she want that? Fuck. No.

"Then stop being weird about it and go to sleep."

"You're the one being weird about it," Beca mumbles.

"I'm not doing anything."

Yeah, well… Beca lowers herself back down and pulls the blankets into a pile on top of herself.

"Hey!" Aubrey sits up.

"What? I'm freezing!" …she hadn't actually meant to uncover Aubrey.

"So am I." Aubrey yanks them back, pulling them clean off of Beca.

There's a loud crack of thunder that has them both turning to the window, and Aubrey slowly shoves half of the blankets back.

"Scared?" Beca asks.

"No. You?"

The only thing Beca is scared of is being sucked into a wind vortex and having her half naked body thrown through the air like the cow on Twister, on display for any storm chasers or idiots to see – even if it is entertaining as a thought. She laughs and shakes her head. "No." At least not for the most part. The wind is a little disconcerting. The lightning is also flashing faster than a strobe light. And she isn't sure if the sound she hears is rain or hail… This time thunder rattles the entire room and she finds herself and Aubrey closer than she remembers them being. "Definitely not." It occurs to her that Aubrey is shivering and she graciously allows her a little more of the blanket.

"We should only be worried if the storm calms down suddenly and there's a drop in air pressure," Aubrey states matter-of-factly, "In that case, we should probably get dressed and go into the bathroom."

"And you're confident that you're going to be aware of that happening if you're asleep and you'll wake up with enough time to both put on clothes and take shelter in the bathroom?" Beca confirms.

Aubrey slouches back against the headboard then sits up and tucks a pillow behind her before doing it again.

The headboard is freezing against her bare back, so Beca tucks a pillow behind herself as well. She takes Aubrey staring straight ahead as a 'no' to her question. "So, what do you want to do while Mother Nature decides our fate? I mean, this could be our last few minutes alive on Earth."

"You're spending too much time with Chloe." Aubrey follows up with that, slightly flustered, "I mean because that sounds like something she would say."

"Are you sure you're not in love with Chloe?"

"I'm not in love with Chloe. I'm just…" Aubrey stops herself. "Forget it. And stop being so dramatic. If I'm going to die, the last place it's going to be is in some cockroach haven, half naked in bed next to their queen."

The sound that escapes Beca's throat is barely human - maybe it's a laugh? Even she isn't sure. Aubrey must have taken lessons to be this rude. She'd ask who her professor was, but honestly, she's a little frightened to know the answer. "You're lonely?" she guesses.

"No."

"I mean – it makes sense. You and Chloe spent all your time together and now suddenly-" Beca doesn't make it any further than that. She's stopped by Aubrey's mouth crashing into her lips so hard it hurts. And just as quickly as it happens, it's over, leaving Beca to sit there in stunned silence.

"Now that you've shut up, I'm going to sleep."

"You must be lonely to have just done that," Beca sputters.

"Are you the stupidest person on earth?" Aubrey asks.

"I'm sure there's someone out there with less intelligence than me. Many people-"

Aubrey groans, low and frustrated, and buries her face into the pillow.

Beca may not be the stupidest, but she's certain she is the most confused. "Wait – do you like me?"

"Like you? No," Aubrey answers.

"Then why did you just kiss me?" Beca whispers.

"I don't know, Beca."

Right. Aubrey Posen, who perfectly calculates every move, did something without a reason behind it. Does she expect Beca to actually believe that? She decides on a new approach. "Do you want to do it again?"

Aubrey lifts her head. "What?"

"Do you want to kiss me again?"

"Do you want me to kiss you again?"

Oh, she's good. But of course she's a master at evasion; she's a master at everything she does. They're both awkwardly silent for several very long seconds, and then Aubrey put her head back down. It wasn't entirely bad the first time. Sure, it was weird, but not like a bad weird, just more like a what's happening weird. Does she want Aubrey to do it again? Maybe… "Yeah, sure." Whatever.

"Are you screwing with me right now?" Aubrey asks.

"Are you screwing with me?" This back and forth could go on forever. "Also, I thought you were staying awake so we don't die."

The sigh that escapes Aubrey's lips sounds more defeated than its usual tone of frustration. "Yes, Beca, I'm screwing with you."

"Are you being sarcastic or…"

"Oh my god. You're impossible."

She is impossible?! There is one way to find out if Aubrey is fucking with her. She silently debates how willing she is the be murdered inside this hotel room if she tries it. The feeling in her stomach is akin to looking down from somewhere up high. "Hey, Aubrey?"

Aubrey sits up straight and hits her hands down on the bed. "What, Beca?"

Beca could kiss her. Right here. Right now. She could feel that strange feeling of their half-naked bodies pressed against each other again. "I…" They could see if their passion could traverse through hate and come out somewhere on the other side. "I'm sorry I dragged you here."

"Are you?"

No. But as her hand grabs Aubrey by the arm to pull her closer, she thinks she's about to be.