#one-shot request

“Funny, you don’t look 21.” The bartender scoffed, scanning Beca’s fake ID.

“I’m small.” Beca argued, hoping this dweeb would just let her drink. She had paid that guy in her psychology class a hundred dollars and a gross backseat blow job for that ID, and she needed something to get her mind off of that red head that forced her to sing in the shower.

That…that beautiful redhead with the gorgeous singing voice and the shiny blue eyes…

Beca shook her head. Nope. Nope. Fuck that. She didn’t need to get feelings for someone at this school. Not only did that break her rule, but what would be the point? She was out of here as soon as the year was over, her dad had promised. No point in making connections.

Getting involved with a redheaded acapella singer was just looking for trouble…

“Oh, she’s 21.” Beca heard a familiar voice behind her and had to resist yelling “For fucks sake!” Was this for real?

“How do you know, Chloe?” The dweeby bartender asked with far too much authority in his voice for a 21-year-old nerdy 5’8 bartender at a Buffalo Wild Wings.

“Oh, she’s in my Russian literature class. She’s a senior too.” Beca continued to face forward, hoping to avoid making eye contact with the beautiful redhead.

“Really?” The bartender asked skeptically. Jesus Christ, did this guy think he was a jacked bouncer at the hottest club in LA?

“Nothing gets me harder than Tolstoy.” Beca flashed the bartender a grin. He stared at her for a second, then back at her fake ID, then back at Chloe.

“Okay, Chloe.” He nodded then looked back at Beca. “You wanted a Stella, you said?”

“Tall, please.” Beca said, flashing him a smile. “Thank you.”

The bartender walked away, and Chloe quickly took a seat next to Beca. “Don’t mind him. He just switched from dishwasher to bartender last week and he is taking it VERY seriously.”

“Clearly.” Beca said, finally turning to face the redhead. “Um, thanks for…”

“Oh, I didn’t do anything. After all, you’re 21.” Chloe said, winking. “Honestly, I hate this job and would not lose any sleep if I got booted from here.”

“You’re…a waitress?” Beca asked, glancing at the notebook in her hand.

“Yes, but don’t worry about taking up my time, they let me off early.” The redhead rolled her eyes. “It’s a Tuesday night, it’s not like I was overworked tonight.”

Beca glanced around at the mostly empty tables. “Ouch. How early they let you off?”

Chloe glanced at her watch. “A little more than an hour. Just like last night.”

“So, are you just going to go home?” Beca asked without thinking.

“That was the plan. Feed my cat. See what’s going on with the Kardashians.”

“Doyouwanttodrinkwithme?” Beca asked in one breath.

Chloe’s eyes lit up. “The mysterious alt girl wants to spend time with me?” She teased.

“I mean…I mean…if you want…” Beca mumbled as the bartender set her drink down.

“Brian, could you grab me a wild berry margarita?” Chloe asked the bartender. He grinned goofily and rushed off to make the drink.

“A wild berry margarita?” Beca smirked, taking a sip of her beer.

“It is tasty, and it makes me dance!” Chloe said defensively. “Sorry it’s not as hardcore as a cracking a cold one open with the boys.”

Beca laughed. “All my friends were guys in high school…so I developed a taste for beer.”

“My mom started letting me drink at family events the summer before I started college.” Chloe explained. “So, I was always drinking margaritas and cocktails with her and her sisters. Then, when I got to college, I would mostly drink with my friend Aubrey.”

“Is she that girl at the sign-ups that was…” Beca hesitated.

“A bit judgmental?” Chloe laughed as Brian sat down her drink with an overenthusiastic smile. Apparently Beca wasn’t the only one a bit smitten by the redheaded waitress.

“Um…” Beca shrugged and took a sip of her beer.

“It’s okay.” Chloe winked. “She’s a bit intense but she’s…I couldn’t have made it through college without her. Anyway, she refuses to drink beer and is very much a tequila girl. So, I got a taste for…I hate to be stereotypical but ‘girly drinks.’” Chloe did air quotes.

“Nothing wrong with that, I was just teasing.” Beca said, gulping down her beer. Chloe stared at her.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d get the impression I made you nervous.” Chloe teased.

“What?” Beca asked, a bit too surprised to be convincing. “Why would you…”

“It’s funny, usually girls are more comfortable around me after they’ve seen me naked.”

Brian’s head spun back to the girls’ conversation and both Chloe and Beca laughed.

“I think that acapella group has made you a bit full of yourself.” Beca teased back.

“Oh God, if anything it has fucked with my self-esteem.” Chloe admitted.

“What do you mean?”

“The way the old girls ran it…” Chloe took a sip of her drink and sighed. “Brian, we are going to need some shots or something, I am too sober to explain this.”

  “Those fucking bitches!” Beca said after another beer and a tequila shot that wasn’t even on the menu.

“They ran that group like a drill team.” A slightly tipsy Chloe gushed to Beca.

“Why did you stay?” Beca asked.

“Because I love to sing.” Chloe said simply. “And because I kept telling myself, ‘One day, Aubrey and I are going to run the show. And we are going to run it the right way.’”

“I bet you will.” Beca assured her.

“That’s why you need to audition!” Chloe burst out. Beca sighed.

“Honestly? I don’t even plan to stay at this school. This isn’t for me.”

“What do you want to do?” Chloe asked.

“I want to DJ. I get how you feel about singing because I feel the same way about mixing music. It just feels…like what I was meant to do.”

“So…how long will you stay here then?” Chloe pushed, confused.

“Hopefully I can leave after a year.” Beca said, signaling Brian for another drink. He sighed and started filling another tall glass.

“You know, we close in twenty minutes.” Brian told them.

“Then you better pour fast so Beca can finish it!” Chloe snapped and both girls burst out laughing. Brian sighed again and handed Beca her drink.

“Well, if your plans aren’t set in stone, why don’t you make the best of this place while you can?” Chloe suggested. “What do you have to lose?”

“I don’t know…” Beca sighed, taking a sip of her drink. Suddenly, Chloe grabbed Beca’s hand. Beca instantly felt a warm rush go through her.

“Please, just audition.” Chloe insisted. “I just…I have a good feeling about you. I feel like this is supposed to happen.”

“I’ll…I’ll think about it.” Beca said. Chloe smiled and squeezed her hand.

“I have a good feeling about you, Beca.”

Beca nodded dumbly and took a large gulp of her beer.

  Do you remember, we were sittin’, there by the water?

You put your arm around me for the first time

You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter

You are the best thing, that’s ever been mine

 Things got real about a month after Beca joined the Bellas. In all honesty, Chloe had Aubrey to thank for the relationship progressing. Beca and Aubrey started butting heads almost immediately, which finally resulted in Aubrey insisting she needed additional rehearsals. Chloe did not need to be told twice; she shot her hand up in the air and volunteered to help Beca.

Very little of their “extra rehearsals” actually involved rehearsing, however. Mostly Beca and her would just go to the pond by Aubrey and Chloe’s apartment and talk. Talk about school, talk about past relationships, about albums they enjoyed, about their dreams. About all the important and unimportant things in their life.

“Think Aubrey is ever going to catch on that we aren’t actually practicing?” Beca asked her one day, watching two ducks fight in the water.

“She knows you don’t need extra practice.” Chloe grinned at the smaller girl. “You make her nervous and she’s trying to control you. I love her, but I know her. I know what’s really going on.”

“I make her nervous?” Beca asked, surprised.

“She can tell your talented, for one thing. But you’re also different then a typical ‘Bella Girl’ and that makes her worried.” Chloe explained. “Even though the old Bellas were horrible to us…Aubrey’s not good with change. And she’s afraid you are going to change things.”

“Hm, interesting.” Beca grinned. “I didn’t know I had that much power.”

“You have a lot of power.” Chloe told her. “The other girls respect you so much already. You’re pretty special, Beca.”

Beca rolled her eyes. “Special. Right.”

Chloe hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. Before she could stop herself, the older girl put her arm around Beca. Beca froze for a second, not sure how to respond. Finally, she let herself settle into the redhead.

“You’re special to me.” Chloe told her quietly.

This was insane. This wasn’t just casual sex or anything like this, Beca had let a relationship be built up over the past month and she could feel herself starting to have real feelings for the redhead. For fucks sake, they hadn’t even had sex and yet Beca couldn’t get the girl out of her mind. This was more than she could handle, this was more than she could allow-

“Did you hear me, Beca?” Chloe asked her.

“I’m sorry…I just spaced out. What did you say?” Beca asked sheepishly.

Chloe giggled. “I wanted to know…if you would be my girlfriend?”

Beca’s thoughts went a mile a minute, all of them insisting that this couldn’t happen, this would only end in heartache for both of the girls, this was a mistake…

“Yes.” Beca heard herself tell Chloe. Chloe grinned and immediately put her lips to Beca. Soon the two girls were kissing. They were kissing and all of Beca’s thoughts had left her except for how beautiful Chloe looked in this fall weather.  

 Flash forward, and we’re takin’ on the world together

And there’s a drawer of my things at you place

You learn my secrets and you figure out why I’m guarded

You say we’ll never make my parents’ mistakes

 “I think I might be the only person on campus who isn’t looking forward to Christmas break.” Beca sighed, laying on Chloe’s bed. It was the night before they both left to go home for a month, and both girls were trying to make the most of the time that they had left together.

“Nope, I’m on that team with you.” Chloe told her, taking Beca’s hand and squeezing it. Beca still couldn’t understand it; in her past relationships she couldn’t handle anything besides sexual interaction with her partners, but Chloe was a very affectionate person, and Beca didn’t mind at all. She would never admit it to anyone in the world, not even Chloe, but she looked forward to the handholding and even the cuddling that would constantly take place.

“I thought you were close to your family.” Beca said, surprised.

“Oh, I am. I am. And I’m excited to see them.” Chloe explained. “But I’m not thrilled about not seeing my smoking-hot girlfriend for a month.”

“Oh, God.” Beca sighed.

“What?”

“Smoking hot girlfriend? It’s finally happened; you’re cheating on me.” Beca teased.

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Take a shot every time Beca makes a self-deprecating joke.”

“That would be a deadly game.”

Chloe moved on top of Beca suddenly and started kissing the brunette, slowly. Beca continued in rhythm with Chloe, slipping her tongue inside her girlfriend’s mouth. Chloe suddenly stopped her.

“You never talk about your family.”

“Um, could we talk about anything else besides my family while you are on top of me?” Beca asked.

“No, I mean…” Chloe rolled off of Beca. Beca groaned, disappointed. “I can tell that something is up with your family, but you’ve never gone into detail.”

“My mom abandoned us when I was in middle school and hasn’t spoken to us in years, my dad’s a dick who replaced her with a step monster within months of the divorce, and I feel like I am completely responsible for my little brother’s happiness, now let’s make out!” Beca said quickly.

“When was the last time you spoke to your mom?” Chloe asked.

“I don’t know. I stopped keeping track because I stopped holding my breath she ever would.” Beca told her. Chloe turned and looked at her, her big blue eyes practically piercing into Beca. Beca knew she wanted more information. She sighed.

“She moved to California, got married, and had two replacement kids. She didn’t look back. Apparently, her marriage was so bad with a man that she once loved, that she couldn’t even stand to look at the children she made with him.” Beca shook her head. “I didn’t understand it than, and I don’t understand it now. How can love just die like that? How can someone who was the most important person in your life become nothing?” Beca became alarmed when she realized that tears were running down her cheeks.

“Oh, honey.” Chloe said, grabbing her girlfriend’s hand. The same warm rush that always went through Beca when Chloe grabbed her hand ran through her.

“It honestly makes me worried that…maybe all love is bullshit.” Beca blurted out. Chloe sighed and Beca was worried she had offended Chloe, but the redhead just leaned forward and kissed her.

“You don’t have to make your parents’ mistakes.” Chloe reassured her. “You make your own journey. Besides, when has Beca Mitchell ever done what’s expected?”

Beca laughed and wiped away her tears. “God, can we just go back to making out please? These are way too many feelings.”

Chloe giggled. “I mean, if you insist.” She climbed back on top of the smaller girl and pushed her lips against Beca’s.

 And I remember that fight, two-thirty am

‘Cause everything was slipping right out of our hands

I ran out, crying, and you followed me out into the street

Braced myself for the goodbye,

‘Cause that’s all I’ve ever known

Then, you took me by surprise

You said, “I’ll never leave you alone”

 “Beca Mitchell, open the motherfucking door!” Beca ripped her headphones off and glanced at her alarm clock. It was after 2am, what was going on?

“I liked it better before you had friends.” Kimmy Jin muttered bitterly from her bed, putting the blanket over her head.

“Sorry.” Beca apologized and ran to the door. “Chloe?”

“Your phone must be broken because you’ve been ignoring my calls for over a week.” Chloe snapped. “No one has heard from you since the semi-finals.”

“You mean when I quit that shitshow you call an acapella group?” Beca asked.

“Beca, no one is mad at you. Okay, Aubrey is, but I can talk to her-”

“Since when have you been able to stand up to Aubrey?” Beca snapped.

“Okay, you know what, it doesn’t matter that you quit the group. That has nothing to do with us! I don’t need you to be in the group to be with me!” Tears started rolling down Chloe’s face.

“I assumed…I mean, wasn’t that it?” Beca said, biting her lip and silently cursing herself for the tears on her cheeks as well.

“What?” Chloe asked.

“That’s it, isn’t it?” Beca said, her voice rising. “That’s the big mistake, that’s the fuck up, that’s the thing that makes the beautiful senior, who was always way too good for me, realize she’s worth more than the dumbass freshman who never had any hope at love anyway…” Beca trailed off, suddenly crying too hard to finish her sentence.

“Not to be insensitive, but could you guys do this anywhere else?” Kimmy Jin spoke up.

“You know what? I can’t fucking do this.” Beca cried and bolted past Chloe out of the dorm. Without hesitation, Chloe raced after her. The couple ran out to the street, which was empty this early in the morning.

“I don’t care if you quit the group a million times, but I know you do.” Chloe told her.

“What do you mean?”

“You act like you don’t care about the group, but I’ve seen how happy singing makes you.” Chloe insists. “And you have potential to make the group better when…when Aubrey and I graduate.”

“When you’re gone.” Beca muttered. Chloe reached out and grabbed Beca’s hands. A familiar rush went through her.

“I’ll never be gone.” Chloe told her. “You make the group better. And you make my life better. I love you, Beca Mitchell. I love you so much.” Chloe instinctively reached her head towards Beca’s and kissed the younger girl. Beca didn’t even think to refuse, she had missed her girlfriend so much.

“Aubrey didn’t want me to tell you, but we are meeting in the morning. Apparently one of the winning groups has a high school student. We qualify for the finals.”

Beca stared dumfounded at Chloe. “Even if that’s true, Aubrey doesn’t want me…”

“Fuck her.” Chloe snapped and Beca laughed. “Okay, she’s my best friend, but fuck her. It’s time someone stood up to her.”

Beca sighed. “I feel like I’m just messing things up for everyone…”

“Stop trying to push away everyone who loves you.” Chloe said quietly, giving her another kiss. “Come to the rehearsal. And…and come back to me, because I miss you.” Chloe kissed her. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” Beca whispered.

“I won’t leave you.” Chloe promised her. “And it’s time for us to fix things for the Bellas.”

Beca nodded reluctantly. “I guess we can do it together.”

Chloe winked. “Of course, we can.”

 Do you believe it?

We’re gonna make it now

And I can see it

 Beca had no idea how amazing singing on stage could be. It had been rough pulling it all together in such a short time, but once Aubrey was able to metaphorically get rid of the pitch pipe (and actually physically get rid of it, because it was covered in vomit) things were able to piece together.

 I will love, love you tonight

Give me everything tonight

For all we know

We might not get tomorrow

Let’s do it tonight

 Beca smiled as the last notes were sung out by the Bellas, this group of weirdos that had suddenly become her family.

“Go Beca!” Fat Amy screamed out suddenly and the rest of the Bellas cheered. Beca grinned.

“You guys are my favorite weirdos.” Beca told the group as they made their way off stage.

“I hate to admit it but…” Aubrey sighed. “That was pretty good.”

“Aubrey admitted she was wrong!” Fat Amy cheered and the rest of the Bellas followed.

“Wait, I didn’t say that…” Aubrey protested.

“Just let it go.” Chloe laughed, giving her best friend a hug.

“Thanks for letting me back in.” Beca told the group.

“Yeah, sorry the meeting was so…dramatic.” Aubrey said.

“I made snow angels in rejected food.” Lily muttered under her breath.

“We’re just happy your back.” Chloe assured her. The redhead leaned in and kissed Beca. The rest of the Bellas awed.

“PDA from a nauseating couple. Just what my single ass needed.” Cynthia Rose rolled her eyes.

“Come on, everyone loves a good Bloe.” Fat Amy said.

“I’m sorry, a what?” Chloe said, separating from Beca.

“Beca and Chloe, together you’re Bloe.” Fat Amy explained.

Beca shook her head. “So, you are not calling us-”

“Call us whatever you want.” Chloe giggled, grabbing Beca’s hand so the rush went through her. “This girl is the best thing that’s ever been mine.”

And for a moment, Beca forget about her mom’s abandonment, her dad’s replacement, and her brother’s dependency. At the moment, she could only see Chloe, and see the love in her beautiful blue eyes. Maybe this could work. Maybe they could make it.

"What's with that question? You know the answer to that," he replied casually, almost dismissively, before going back to the textbook in his hand. He really had no idea what had gotten into her all of the sudden, but then again, he didn't care to delve on the subject. He knew she'd tell him anyway.

"I was just wondering," she answered, a trace of hurt ringing in her voice; Taichi needed to hold back the smile that sprang on his lips at the sight of her pout. "Is it so bad if I do?"

Taichi hummed in thought.

"Is that why you've been so quiet all day?" he asked right after. "You've been just busy considering my possible affection for you?"

"Stop with the mockery. I'm thinking of it seriously."

"Oh? And what conclusions did you come to?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I'd come to any."

He had no choice but to close the book and put it away after a statement he'd just heard. Not that he minded. Throwing it on the floor rather carelessly, he sat up straight in his corner of the couch and, resting his chin on his palm, he fixed his gaze on the girl seated by his desk on the other side of the room.

She really was being impossible today.

Well, he supposed that wasn't anything new. He'd known Chihaya long and well enough to not be fazed by the swings in her mood or the inane schemes she so often came up with. He had learnt to expect the unexpected, every day, every hour of his otherwise boring life, because that was obviously the only way to keep up with her. The one thing he had to keep doing if he still wanted to be a part of her life.

Because that was how Ayase Chihaya was.

Chihaya. His best friend. His fiercest karuta rival. The girl he'd been in love with since fourth grade of primary school and the girl who'd rejected him straightforwardly at the very beginning of their third year in Mizusawa High. The girl whom he'd thought he could never win over, on whom he'd given up again and again, fooling himself he could move on and blight the love he'd had for her since he'd been a ten year old squirt.

He sighed and shook his head, remembering her question from a moment before.

She knew damn well he was still head over heels for her.

She was his girlfriend, for sanity's sake.

"I can't believe you actually have asked, you know," he picked up with the same fake weariness he'd shown before, if only to cover his growing amusement. Seeing her very real anxiety made him assume a more solemn expression, as he asked, "Seriously, what brought this on? Are you mad about something?"

"I'm not mad," she disagreed instantly, and with good emphasis.

"Are you unhappy then? Did I do something to make you feel like that?"

Again, she denied. Now she just looked sad. "That's not it."

Wrong. She was flustered.

"Then what is it?" Taichi asked, as gently and warmly as he could. Not for the first time, he felt grateful for all the hard training his patience had received. It was obvious that Chihaya needed that from him now. "It's not like I could get over you like this, you of all people should be aware of that. You're the most important person in my life. The best companion I could think of. You know I get lonely and grumpy when I can't see you, and you know I still get absurdly jealous, even though I hate being so. And so I can't help but think there's something else I'm not doing right."

Taichi stopped there, waiting for her to, if not answer his question, then to contradict him in one way or another, at least. After all, he really was at a loss.

He thought he'd been doing a fairly good job as a boyfriend, when all was said and done. He'd already shared Chihaya's most important interest and it wasn't difficult to at least understand the new ones she'd found. He made sure to be there for her when she needed him, and tried his best to give her space when she needed that more. True, he'd had some trouble coming for help on his part, but even that was a thing of a past rather than present – certainly not something that could shock Chihaya into thinking like this.

He would think that the all-day-long date he'd come up with and seen through in celebration of their first anniversary as a couple last week was a good show of how much he still cared.

He wasn't perfect. Neither was she. But never in his life would he have thought that he'd failed to get his feelings across.

"Chihaya," he prompted once more, his voice audibly quieter. "Please tell me what it is. I can't fix it if I don't know what's broken."

She looked up from the floor she'd been glaring at for a while and met his gaze, a shadow of unease still clouding her big brown eyes. She opened her mouth to answer; she closed it instantly and looked away again, abashed. There was a hint of pink on her cheeks, and it only grew darker as the time passed, though whether it was because of embarrassment or something more alarming, Taichi couldn't tell yet.

"Chihaya–"

"It's because you never say it."

He supposed his eyes opened wider than ever, what's with the utter astonishment he felt growing inside him immediately. For a few moments, he could do nothing but stare, the craziness of the situation overwhelming enough to successfully prevent him from forming a sensible thought, and much less coming up with any kind of solution. One look at Chihaya was enough to sober him up, however.

She was distressed. She was insecure.

No matter how stupid he thought the reason to be, he could hardly allow the situation to last.

With a groan that was bound to startle her, he bent over and buried his face in his hands.

Only one thing he could do now.

"Come here," he said, his face still hidden behind one hand as he tore the other one away and beckoned her towards him. "No excuses. You'll talk later. Now just come here, please."

She did, albeit tentatively, as if afraid of the reaction he might show her. With his patience starting to run thin at last, Taichi didn't wait for her to cover the whole distance, instead reaching out and grabbing her by the wrist, only to pull her down on the couch right next to him.

And then he pulled her even closer, locking her in a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm gonna do something to you," he mumbled into her hair, his voice a mixture of laughter and complaint. "You cruel, cruel, woman. Have you no heart? Here I am, mind reeling as I try to figure out what the hell I did wrong again and you say it's because I don't say I like you enough. As if you didn't already know you've got a firmer hold of my heart than I ever did. Tell me, am I really this bad at showing you that I care that you doubt it?"

It was Chihaya's turn to growl at him, though it surely – and fortunately – didn't stop her from burying her face even deeper into his chest and digging her fingers into the shirt on his back. Again, Taichi laughed at the display, but didn't loosen his grip one bit.

That silly, unbelievable, most beloved girl.

"This and that are different things," she muttered finally in response against his buttons, her stubborn indignation probably being the only reason why he could discern the words at all. "There are different kinds of love languages. We even talked about it, you know."

"Yes. And as far as I remember, we've already established that neither of us cared for this one. So your argument doesn't work."

Well, this was a lie, or at least, it wasn’t fully true. After all, he could never get tired of hearing her say those words, to him and him only. But he didn't need it that much, not when he already knew of so many other ways in which Chihaya expressed her love towards him. He'd always assumed it was the same for her, too.

Funnily enough, he still didn't think he was mistaken.

"I've had feelings for you for the past fourteen years, you dummy, I wouldn't change my mind just because you decided to return them," he threw in only half-jokingly, as if to make sure he got his point across before moving onto the next part. "So? Care to tell me what's the source of it all?"

He felt her tense against him for a split second, only to relax in the next moment with a long, weary sigh. He waited for her to make herself comfortable in his arms, shifting ever so slightly to make it easier for them both. And then he heard her speak.

"I met up with Kana-chan the other day," she admitted weakly. "Her and Desktomu. And I guess... They're always so sweet with one another, now more than ever. I suppose... It made me feel a little jealous. But most of all, it just made me think."

"And you decided that I'd fallen out of love with you, because I don't talk like Komano does?"

"I didn't decide anything, I told you already. I just wondered if maybe I was doing something wrong to deserve that treatment. Sorry for being so terribly scared of losing you again because of my own foolishness."

Words caught in his throat as Taichi tried to protest against this new development. That last addition Chihaya had made – and more importantly, the wounded, truly uncertain voice with which she'd spoken – would have been enough to melt his heart even if he had actually been angry with her. Right now, he had to hold back from grabbing her by the chin and kissing her senseless until all the idiotic ideas evaporated from her overworked mind.

The things she did to him without as much as trying.

You evil little imp.

"They're newly-weds. You can't use them for reference," he managed to stutter out at least, conveniently ignoring the hoarseness of his own voice and the emotion that hovered behind it. "Not to mention, those two are the opposite of us when it comes to talking about feelings openly. There's a reason they got together six years before we did. Just because something works for them doesn't mean it's the best course for us to take as well."

He smiled again and planted a kiss at the top of her hair, before adding, "I still can't believe you really doubted me, though."

She huffed and pulled away, although she still didn't move from her place on the couch. They were still close; close enough for Taichi to see the light reflecting in her eyes and the blush that hadn't left her cheeks, and to reach out and comb her tangled hair with his fingers. Another gesture so full of love, even though it was but a fraction of all that she made him feel.

"Well, since I never understood what had made you fall in love with me in the first place, it's only natural that I'd have this kind of doubts."

He chuckled and she smiled on her part, her obstinacy giving it to the desire to just be with him. It was another thing Taichi was able to read in her eyes – and, knowing the feeling well enough from his own experience, he had no trouble deciphering it.

Delayed, the first part of her sentence entered his brain.

What made me fall for you, I wonder?

He didn't know. It had been so long since he’d realised his feelings after all, and longer still since those feelings had been born. Even all those years earlier, he probably wouldn’t have been able to point out the reasons clearly, never mind finding the one spark that had started it – trying to do so now seemed downright impossible.

There were so many reasons, after all.

Maybe it was because she had never considered herself a possible love interest for anyone, first when she was too engrossed in karuta and later, when she thought she didn't deserve to be one. Maybe it was her hot-headedness and her drive, and how different she'd always been from him, and yet never failed to tell him how much she'd admired and envied those qualities of his that she lacked.

Maybe it was the fact that she'd always been with him, so close and so dear and yet so impossible to grasp.

Maybe it was because she'd loved him long before either of them dared believe that was the case.

Maybe...

"Maybe," he said out loud, though in fact not loud at all, his lips moving against her forehead as he leaned in to put a kiss there, too. "Maybe, if I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more."

Edging away, Taichi saw tears gathering in her eyes. He wiped them away with his thumb, his hand cupping the side of her jaw fittingly.

And then he kissed her properly.

“What the fuck. Like what the actual FUCK!” Beca heard the voice muttering beyond sobs and she swallowed loudly. It was Chloe Beale. Chloe Beale was crying in the girl’s bathroom.

Beca took a deep breath, opened the door of her cubicle, and stepped out. Her heart jumped into her throat as she saw Chloe looking at her in the reflection of the bathroom mirror.

“Hey um..are you ok?” Beca asked tentatively, and Chloe sniffed loudly, clearing her throat as she began hastily running some water and washing her hands.

“Yeah…” a watery smile spread across her face to try to mask her tears, but Beca had already seen too much, “just…boy stuff…”

Beca realised this was probably the first time she’d ever heard Chloe speak without Aubrey by her side. The blonde always seemed to lead any conversation. It surprised Beca just how vulnerable Chloe looked.

“Boys huh…” Beca began awkwardly, stuffing her hands in her back jeans pocket as she tapped her feet, “yeah I hear they’re pretty shit…”

“Ugh the worst!” Chloe blurted, sniffing again, her smile now dropping as she turned the water off and stared at her own reflection, “And now my make-up’s ruined…”

“I don’t get why you wear all that make-up. You’d look pretty without it.” Beca accidentally said out loud, clearing her throat awkwardly as she screwed her face up in embarrassment.

“You don’t think I’m pretty with it?” Chloe quickly asked, not sure quite why she cared. Because she didn’t care what the girl thought. It was only Beca Mitchell.

“No I…of course you look pretty with make up on…I-I’m just saying you don’t need it dude…”

Chloe let out a small smile at Beca via the mirror.

“You’re sweet…” the redhead said and Beca felt her heart skip a beat. Fuck, she COULDN’T fall for Chloe Beale. What a cliché. Falling for the most popular, most beautiful girl in the school. “Beca, right?”

“Uh..yeah..” Beca said as she scratched the back of her head then folded her arms.

“I’m Chloe” the teen said with a sweet smile.

“Yeah I know.” Beca replied, not smiling but not frowning either. She was trying to work through her thoughts. Something that clearly made Chloe uncomfortable, because the redhead cleared her throat again and began trying to wipe the mascara that had begun running down her face, but it had already dried on.

Chloe watched as the brunette disappeared into one of the cubicles, rustled for a few moments, then appeared back in sight. Beca hesitated, then held out a small packet, “Um…here you go…” she said awkwardly and Chloe reached out and took the packet of makeup wipes.

“Thanks” she said politely before dabbing the smeared makeup on her cheeks. She looked at Beca at intervals, a small curious smile on her face, “So what brings you to the secret bathroom?”

Beca looked down at her feet the moment Chloe’s eyes met hers, embarrassed to have been caught staring. She HADN’T been staring. “Oh um…just…needed some time alone.” She looked back up and her heart skipped another beat as Chloe quickly resumed her focus on her own reflection. “Where’s your friend Posen hiding then?”

Chloe swallowed loudly, finishing with the makeup wipe and letting out a shaky sigh, “uh…that was kinda why I came in here actually…Drake Marshall…the guy I was seeing he…I caught him making out with Aubrey just now…”

Beca frowned, “What the actual fuck?” she exclaimed, causing Chloe to smile gently, “Dude, seriously!! She’s supposed to be your best friend!”

Chloe spun on her heels and rolled her eyes, “I know I know..”

“How are you so chill about this??”

“I’m not CHILL about this okay? I mean I ran into the bathroom crying! It’s just…its one of those things…”

“One of those things? Wha-…has she done this to you before?!” Beca’s jaw dropped as she saw Chloe hesitate, fiddling with the makeup wipe between her fingertips. “She has, hasn’t she.”Chloe swallowed loudly, biting her bottom lip as though trying to decide how to answer. But all she ended up doing was nodding gently.

Beca shook her head in disbelief, saying seriously, “You deserve so much better, Beale.”

Chloe appeared to roll her eyes, “Oh so you think you could do a better job at being my best friend?”

“I think I could do a better job at dating you that’s for sure!” Beca quickly counteracted then immediately stopped, her breath catching in her throat as Chloe gawked at her.

“Are you a-“

“-I’m just saying if I were to date you I’d treat you better than all of those dicks you’ve ever been out with, combined!” Beca said with a tut, folding her arms as she squared up to the redhead.

She wasn’t sure where she’d found this confidence from, but she could easily get defensive when necessary. Her mother had always taught her to never back down.

“For example…?” Chloe asked, rolling her hand to encourage Beca to continue, not seeing how the brunette could possibly treat her better than the jocks she’d dated before. After all, this WAS Beca Mitchell. The girl who didn’t appear to care about anyone or anything other than herself.

“Well..um..you sing really good so I’d let you do that all the time..” Chloe’s eyebrows raised, her face softening. Beca had been stood by the bike sheds one day smoking when she’d heard Chloe getting out of her car, singing a Mariah Carey chart-topper. Beca could’ve sworn she’d never heard anyone sing so beautifully before. Then Sean, the idiot jock she’d been dating at the time, had told her to “Shut up”. Beca had watched as Chloe’s shoulders had slumped, immediately ceasing her singing. “And even though I think Posen is a total jerk, I’d still insist you spend time with her because she’s your best friend hi…“ a smile slowly crept onto Chloe’s face as Beca shuffled uncomfortably from one foot to another, "And um…well I like music so…I would make you a bunch of cool mixed tapes you could play in your car…”

The bathroom fell silent as the two teens stood nervously in front of each other. Chloe was smiling and Beca was now lost in her bright blue eyes. She’d never realised how bright Chloe’s eyes were before now.

“Sounds like you’re right…you would do a better job at dating me…” the redhead said quietly with a soft smile on her face.

Suddenly the door of the bathroom flew open and Aubrey stood in the doorway, “Chloe, there you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Beca turned to glare at her and Aubrey scorned at the sight of the younger teen, “What are you looking at scumbag?” but to Beca’s surprise Chloe cleared her throat, stepped past the brunette, and up to her best friend, gently coaxing the blonde out of the bathroom.

“Nothing,” Chloe said calmly, “She’s looking at nothing. Come on…”

And Beca watched in shock as Chloe stepped out of the bathroom with her best friend. The door swung shut leaving the brunette stood alone in the 'secret bathroom’, unable to fathom how Chloe had been able to 'forgive’ Aubrey so quickly.

—

That evening Beca was sat at her desk in her dark bedroom. Posters were scattered about on the walls. The only light came from a bunch of skull-shaped fairy lights hung around her room and her desktop computer while she messed about with some cheap but cool mixing programme her Mom had bought her one time. She thought she heard the doorbell ring but she couldn’t be sure, her sound system blaring out some Imogen Heap music.

Suddenly she heard a knocking on her bedroom door. “Mom I said I’m not hungry!” Beca yelled, rolling her eyes at how frustrating her mother was whenever she insisted on feeding her only child up. But the knocking sounded again and the teen sighed, rising from her chair and striding over to the door. As she wrenched it open she jumped, because the person at the door wasn’t her mother at all. It was CHLOE!

“Ummm hi…” Chloe said nervously with a small smile, “Your uh…your Mom sent me up here when you didn’t answer her so…”

Beca swallowed loudly. She’d never expected Chloe Beale to turn up at her house. Let alone be outside her bedroom door. This was Chloe Beale. The most popular and most beautiful girl at Barden High. The brunette stepped aside allowing the stranger to walk into her bedroom. As she closed the door behind her she watched with a furrowed brow as Chloe slowly did a lap of her bedroom, her fingertips smoothing their way over the surface of Beca’s desk as she looked up at the posters she passed.

“Cute room…” Chloe muttered thoughtfully with a curious smile on her face. Beca stepped further into the room with a furrowed brow. How did she know where she lived? And what was she even doing here?

“How-” Beca began but Chloe quickly interjected.

“Your Mom & my Mom both sing for the same acapella group in the city. I got your address from her.”

“And wh-”

“-what am I doing here?” Chloe asked, then let out a quiet giggle, “Good question.” The redhead appeared to be fiddling with a long necklace around her neck as she turned to look at Beca, stepping closer to her, but Beca wasn’t looking at the necklace, she was too busy looking at her face, somewhat mesmerised by her expression, “I wanted to say thank you. For earlier. I never expected to find someone in those bathrooms. That’s why I went there. But I’m glad I did…so…”

Beca held her breath. She thought she’d just seen Chloe glance down at her lips but she couldn’t be sure.. though the way she was biting her bottom lip at the moment Beca had a feeling she might have been right. This was Chloe Beale. The girl who was reknowned around the school for making out with then having sex with almost every guy in her year, and some who had been older than that. Why wouldn’t she be looking down at Beca’s lips when they were stood so close together in the privacy of Beca’s bedroom?

“Aaaaand I wanted to say that anyone would be lucky to date you…Even me…”

Beca definitely saw Chloe looking down at her lips this time and it was enough of a sign for the brunette to stride forward and throw her lips against Chloe’s. She snuck her arms around the older teen’s waist, pulling their bodies tight together.

Despite initial hesitation on the redhead’s behalf, before long Chloe had brought her hands to Beca’s cheeks, cupping her face as their kiss intensified.

Chloe was in shock. Shock for so many different reasons:One: she’d never kissed another girl before. There’d been rumours around school that she and Aubrey had kissed before but they were exactly that - rumours - she had never once even entertained the idea of kissing her best friend. Two: the girl she was kissing - her first kiss with a girl - was Beca effin Mitchell! That weirdo that Aubrey hated so much and that Chloe hadn’t really noticed before earlier today. That 'weirdo’ who had actually been way kinder than Chloe had ever expected her to be. And Three: she had to admit, this kiss was veering on the best kiss she’d ever had. Beca’s lips were soft despite the force at which they were pressing their faces against one another. ALL the boys she’d kissed in the past had insisted on quickly sticking their tongue in her mouth and leaving it in there while they rolled it around her tongue and teeth. Chloe just presumed that was how all kisses were supposed to be even though she hated it. But Beca appeared to keep her tongue to herself, which was a pleasant surprise.

As the time ticked on, the two teens remained stood, kissing in the middle of Beca’s bedroom while Imogen Heap’s “Speak For Yourself” album played - Beca’s favourite album of the moment. Chloe furrowed her brow at one point, wondering why Beca hadn’t made the move that so many boys before her had made. The move where they’d place their hands on her hips and slowly move her backwards towards their bed. No, Beca remained stood with her arms wrapped around Chloe’s waist, delicately tracing her tongue along Chloe’s bottom lip from time to time, but certainly not forcing her tongue into Chloe’s mouth.

It was a strange sensation. Not just because Beca was female but because for the first time Chloe was in fact taller (by only a couple of inches) and everso slightly bigger than the person she was kissing. It was unusual to be the one doing the ‘cheek cupping’ and craning her head down to kiss, but at the same time it felt…right?

And suddenly Chloe relaxed. For the first time ever she felt safe in the arms of the person she was kissing, and those arms happened to belong to Beca Mitchell. The gruffy teen who was in the year below her at school. She felt confident enough to trace her own tongue along Beca’s bottom lip and as soon as she did the brunette opened her mouth slightly.

Chloe took a leap of faith and delicately slid her tongue into Beca’s mouth, then chickened-out and slid it out. She felt an urge to break the kiss. To apologise to the petite teen for being so forward. But suddenly Beca began to kiss Chloe in a way she’d never been kissed before.

Beca gently pushed her tongue into Chloe’s mouth, curling it up between her top lip and teeth, bringing it back then breaking the kiss before changing the angle of her face slightly and doing it again. Over and over.

Chloe felt her insides begin to bubble away, her fingers running their way through Beca’s long brown hair while Beca brought a hand up to cup Chloe’s left cheek. The redhead began to replicate Beca’s kissing technique and suddenly their motions began to get a little more frantic. Quick bursts of short deep kisses were repeated over and over as their fingers began running between each other’s long hair, and their hands roamed over one another’s backs and hips.

Then Chloe felt it. That move. Beca had nudged her hips with both hands. Chloe had been expecting it (though she had expected it far sooner) but for the first time in her life she didn’t feel intimidated by it. For the first time she didn’t hesitate. She didn’t have a momentary dip of dread in her stomach. And suddenly she realised: it was because she TRUSTED the person who had done it. She trusted Beca, the young woman who by all accounts was a total stranger - yet Chloe felt some sort of affinity with her.

Chloe prepared herself to be pushed backwards towards Beca’s bed, much like the boys she’d made out with in the past had always done, but to her surprise she felt the brunette hold her hips gently, guiding her in a circle on the spot until they had essentially swapped places, their mouths still connected. Chloe could feel her heart racing but more out of curiosity as Beca slowly began walking backwards, gently pulling Chloe by the hips as they moved. She could tell when they’d reached the edge of the mattress because the brunette stumbled for a moment before stopping.

Beca broke their kiss, slightly breathless due to the anticipation of being able to pull Chloe Beale onto her bed. Right now she had no greater desire than joining the long line of jocks at the school who wore their ‘one amazing night with Beale’ badges with pride (well, they boasted about it anyway..)

This wasn’t her first time kissing another girl. Far from it. In fact she herself boasted quite the list of encounters with other girls – sisters of her guy mates who were foolishly curious about what it was like to kiss another girl, then their girl friends too. Her sexual encounters was a drunk night with one of her guy mate’s slightly older sisters (who was more experienced in that department), and a cheeky fumble on three occasions in the bathrooms of a bar in the city (such was the bonus of having a good fake ID). There was also her kinda-ex-boyfriend Danny, who she’d lost her virginity to before her girl-encounters. That had been a mistake..

Beca presumed by the way Chloe was looking at her that she wanted this as much as she did. So with a lazy grin Beca sat down on the edge of her bed and pulled Chloe down by her hands. The redhead automatically straddled her hips, wrapping her arms around Beca’s neck while Beca held her tightly by the waist to keep her on her small lap. Then they began to kiss again. This time their tongues darted in and out of one another’s mouths and a small moan gurgled at the back of Chloe’s mouth as Beca reached around and held her ass. The redhead automatically ground against Beca, causing the smaller woman to let out a small moan herself.

Beca remembered often overhearing the jocks at school talk about how even though sex with Chloe was a 'quick fuck’ that was how she seemed to like it. So Beca made sure to keep that in mind..Chloe let out a sigh as Beca broke their kiss and immediately brought her lips to her neck instead. A smile grew on Chloe’s face as Beca licked and nibbled her neck between kisses. This was definitely the best make out session she’d ever had. Beca was gentle and firm all at once, remaining in control but without being controlling. All the previous guys she’d made out with had been controlling, and Chloe hadn’t realised that until now…

She felt Beca guiding her to the side and Chloe scootched herself off Beca’s lap and onto her bed. The brunette wasted no time in joining her, straddling her right thigh, laying against her as their mouths met once again. This time their kisses were long and slow. Sometimes their tongues met. Sometimes they didn’t. And for the first time during a make out session Chloe didn’t feel under pressure. For the first time she was actually enjoying it. She began pulling Beca’s top up, always loving the feel of skin against her fingertips as she made out, and Beca wasted no time in taking her own top off, throwing it onto a space on the bed beside them.

Chloe dragged her fingertips up Beca’s back, noting how odd it was that they were met by a bra strap 2/3rds of the way up. Naturally Beca began pawing at the base of Chloe’s top, tugging it up and Chloe felt it only fair that she obliged, so pushed the brunette up so she could pull it over her head. As she threw her top onto Beca’s beside them she bit her bottom lip, loving how Beca’s eyes seemed to bulge at the sight of her bra. Chloe knew she had a good figure. She was pretty confident about all of it.

The teens quickly resumed their kissing. After several minutes however Beca began slowly tracing her fingertips down Chloe’s torso and slid them past the hem of her jeans. Suddenly Chloe snapped out of her passionate trance, her heart skipping a beat as she quickly broke their kiss and brought her hand down to grab Beca’s arm.

“Wait” Chloe said and Beca did. In fact she did more than wait. She stopped, pulled her hand out of Chloe’s jeans in a flash, and swore under her breath.

Chloe began to panic. She was such a disappointment. She knew she was. She ALWAYS was. But this time she hated that she was disappointing Beca. The person who had been so kind to her.

Beca meanwhile had sat up from Chloe and slid to the edge of her bed again. She felt like such an idiot. Of course Chloe fucking Beale hadn’t wanted to have sex with her…

“Sorry,” she said in a disappointed voice. She was angry with herself, “that was stupid of me…”

“No it’s just…I haven’t-”

“-Done it with a girl before. Yeah, I…I dunno why I thought you’d even want to actually…”

Beca looked down at her hands that were now in her lap. Oh god she felt like such an idiot. The poor girl had come round here to say thank you and Beca had gone and made out with her. Had pushed her onto her bed presuming she’d want to have sex. All because she was Chloe Beale. One of the two girls in school who had a reputation for sleeping with a lot of boys.. Way to go Mitchell…

“No I mean…I haven’t done it. Ever.” Chloe said tentatively. Beca snapped her head back to Chloe.

“What?!”

Chloe looked perplexed at the reaction. Embarrassed almost. But Beca had begun furrowing her brow, “But…all the guys at school. The jocks. They all boast about how they’ve slept with you. They even have a club!” It was true. It was sick, but true. They high-gives about it far too much.

“Yeah well I…I make out with them for a bit then I dump them before we…you know…” Chloe said quietly, curling her knees up to her chest.

“But…they talk about how they’ve slept with you all the time! Doesn’t that bother you??”

Chloe shrugged, “I don’t care. They can say what they want to say about me, at least I know the truth.”

“But Chloe that’s…that’s YOUR body they’re talking about! As though it’s a piece of meat!”

“It’s ok Beca…”

“No it’s…ugh I’m such an idiot!”

“No you’re not, honest!”

“I am! You came round here to say thank you and I fucking kissed you! You’re now on my bed! I’ve taken advantage of you Chloe!”

“Beca you’re so much more nicer than any of the guys I’ve stopped making out with in the past! Believe me, you’re not taking advantage!”

Beca froze as she looked at Chloe and suddenly she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“Did…did any of those guys force you to do anything you didn’t want to do?” She asked in a quiet voice. She watched as Chloe hesitated and suddenly Beca felt sick.

Chloe watched as Beca reached out for their tops beside her. Okay, so what if she’d felt so guilty in the past for getting each guy sexually riled up that she felt obliged to…help them out… and so what if it was always their suggestion and she just did as they said as a way of apologising?

Chloe saw Beca hold her top out towards her, “Here,” the brunette said quietly. Chloe looked down at the top then back up at the teen who looked at her with a soft expression, “I’m not anything like those guys, and I don’t wanna be…” The redhead slid to the edge of the bed beside Beca and took her top from her hand with a grateful expression, “Like I said to you this afternoon,” Beca continued quietly, “you deserve so much better than them, Beale.”

“Thanks Mitchell.” Chloe said in an equally quiet voice and a small smile grew on her face at Beca chuckled at the nickname. The two teens began putting their tops on.

Once Chloe was sure she was relatively presentable again she gave Beca a sidewards glance, “So have you been with many girls before?”

“You gonna report back to Posen with this info?” Beca replied sharply, and Chloe’s expression opened in surprise and defence:

“No I was just curi-”

“-I was only kidding dude, chill out.” Beca interrupted with a chuckle, loving the sound of Chloe’s fresh giggle that came out of her mouth. “I’ve had sex with a couple of women before, yeah…”

“Ah…what’s it like?” Chloe asked tentatively and Beca simply bit her bottom lip with a small smile and a shrug.

“Did you…want me to show you…maybe?”

Chloe’s heart jumped into her throat. She’d been asked on many an occasion by many a guy to have sex with them. But she’d never been asked so politely. And certainly never by a girl.

There was something in the way that Beca looked at her that put Chloe at immediate ease. As though the teen would do anything and everything for Chloe and not for herself. So Chloe bit her bottom lip and nodded gently.

The teens fell silent as they looked at one another. Chloe felt her heart racing as Beca slowly reached out and gently tucked a lock of her long red hair behind her ear, then smoothed her thumb against her cheek, cupping it with her hand. Chloe sighed into the contact as Beca whispered, “We’ll take everything slowly. Don’t be afraid at any time to tell me to stop.”