#post-pp3

Endgame - (For the rest of the story, check ao3 or ff.net)

Beca was walked into her house with a skip in her step. "Chlo," Beca called out, wondering if her girlfriend was already ready. They have plans for that night with the Bellas who were all in Atlanta for a special occasion – Stacie and Aubrey's engagement. It took an entire year since Aubrey's "wife incident" but it couldn't be helped. The two wanted to focus on getting settled, moving to a good neighborhood, and all of that. When they finally felt ready, however, Lilly's FBI agent boyfriend proposed. They got married only a month ago. Stacie and Aubrey thought of waiting, not really feeling the rush, and had just recently decided to make it official.

"Chlo, you ready?" Beca called again, but Chloe did not respond. Instead, she got greeted by their Tamaskan dog named Wolfram. Beca toppled over as she tried to get him off her, grabbing his collar, with the dog tag fashioned as the periodic symbol for Tungsten – a gift from Stacie – and laughed as he seemed to be excited to see her again. Beca's been getting home later than expected the past couple of days, being extremely busy with the launch of the debut album of a new talent she and Emily discovered and worked with.

"Chloe," Beca repeated, making her way through her house. Chloe moved in with her about six months ago, around the same time as people finally started talking about them in magazines and gossip sites. Beca never made any official announcement or anything of that sort, she didn't want to draw attention on her private life after all. She wanted to keep things private. But she had been more vocal about pride, and after her tour, she's been stepping out with Chloe more and more, getting caught being affectionate with each other. They made the decision to live together instantly, Beca stressing for Chloe's own security in the worst case scenarios.

Besides, the decision was also an easy one to make even without considering security. They've been practically living together anyways. A month later they got Wolfram, and the magazines started talking about them being "gal pals" – something that the Bellas truly got a kick out of.

Beca gave Wolfram a treat or two before heading upstairs. She stopped briefly in front of one of the photographs on the wall in their loft area in the second floor, the one of the Bellas during their private after party after winning the special edition of the World's. Beca smiled. She can't believe it's been a year already.

A year of truly living her dreams to the fullest, of exploring a new chapter of her career while starting a new one, and a year of being with the woman she loved.

The rest of the Bellas have been busy too. Cynthia Rose got a job at a big airline company, and she's been piloting international flights. Flo's business really took off, having many endorsement deals with a few celebs, and has also expanded globally. Jessica and Ashley both kept it simple and low, focusing on using their share for the World's to help pay off some of their family members' medical bills and build a substantial savings account. Jessica got a job in Savannah, so they both moved and were at least closer now to the rest of the girls. Amy decided to move back to Atlanta for her "home-base" with Bumper, although she was still mostly just jetting off here, there, and everywhere. Emily was hard at work as a songwriter, working with some of Residual Heat's talents. Chloe, in the meantime, was contemplating on opening her own vet clinic somewhere closer to their neighborhood. With her schedule not always matching with Beca's, she figured a closer commute would be for the best. On top of Rob suggesting Beca get a bodyguard to watch her close too, especially with the growing interest on the actual state of their relationship from all the more die-hard fans.

Beca herself had been successful so far. Busy, but the hard work was paying off. She and Chloe had been learning to navigate their sometimes conflicting schedules, and figure out a way to find balance in their lives. It didn't take long, and perhaps it was the fact that they knew each other so well by then, that they found what works for them. The real key was communication, and without dancing around each other's feelings anymore, there weren't any real road blocks and that.

Her thoughts were disrupted by a flood of messages from Amy. Apparently, almost everyone was already in the restaurant. Only Lilly and her husband, Cynthia Rose and her wife, and Chloe and Beca were missing. Amy was complaining about how Stacie was shooting one too many heart eyes at Aubrey and vice versa, and she really wished Chloe was already there distracting Aubrey with wedding ideas.

Beca chuckled and shook her head. She checked the time on her phone as she stepped into their bedroom. Beca glanced at the small hallway that led into the walk-in closet and the bathroom and saw the bathroom door opened. She heard Chloe humming with the shower still running. Beca set her phone down near her bedside table and felt for the tiny box in her jacket pocket. She was worried when Theo came with her to pick it up at the jeweler, the ring she had wanted to be designed for Chloe finally be ready. Beca had wanted to ask Chloe a question of her own during the anniversary of their first official – and uninterrupted – date in three days, but with Aubrey and Stacie's news, she figured she could hold back for a while and hide the contents of the little box for a while. This was her perfect chance to do so.

Beca hid the box underneath her a pile of her socks in her sock drawer, her ears glued to the sound of the running water and Chloe's humming. After successfully hiding the ring, Beca thought of giving Amy a call to tell them they were going to be a few minutes late. But before she could do just that, something caught Beca's attention.

Chloe started singing.

And she was singing "Titanium."

A smirk formed on Beca's lips, a thought having occurred to her after briefly remembering the whole shower incident that started it all.

In the end, she did shoot Amy a message, telling her they were going to be later than they thought because Beca unexpectedly got busy. Satisfied with having duped Amy for a believable excuse, Beca made her way towards the direction of the bathroom, being careful to make as little sound as possible as she could to surprise Chloe.

With her excuse, she figured, they've got some time. Besides, Beca knew that if Stacie – or Aubrey for that matter – would find out the real reason they were going to be late, they would understand.

Nobody said it was Easy

Chapter Preview:

Their real opponent, possibly the only group the Bellas acknowledged to be worthy of being their archrivals, were Das Sound Machine. They had a fun rivalry with the Trebles back then, sure. But they couldn't compare to the precision, the discipline, and the skills of the perfectly manufactured acapella singing machines that was DSM.

Case in point, they were the only ones to try and jump in to steal the show, their terrifying twins laying the beats to match the sweet melodies produced by the Bellas.

Para-para-paradise

The Bellas tried to fight them off, but when Pieter jumped in, backed with some of DSM's most experienced veterans, they couldn't help but back off.

When she was just a girl she expected the world But it flew away from her reach and the bullets catch in her teeth Life goes on, it gets so heavy The wheel breaks the butterfly, every tear a waterfall In the night, the stormy night, she'll close her eyes In the night, the stormy night, away she'd fly

And dream of para-para-paradise Para-para-paradise Para-para-paradise

Chloe wasn't going to give up the fight though. She urged Jessica and Ashley to maintain the harmony of the song, quickly adapting from each one so they could cut off their competition and secure a chance to take back the reigns.

You know I love you so

That was exactly what Chloe tried to do, but her initial efforts were buried underneath DSM's dominant performance.

She'd dream of para-para-paradise Para-para-paradise Para-para-paradise

Aubrey gave Chloe a nod and the former co-captains got the Bellas to rally together to try and steal back the show. Aubrey let Chloe take the lead, with Beca, Emily, Flo and Stacie providing back-up vocals. Cynthia Rose joined Amy and Lilly with helping Jessica and Ashley out.

You know I love you so

The Bellas took over, and Chloe continued the song. Cynthia Rose couldn't help but notice Chloe stealing a glance off Beca as they song, Beca returning the favor.

Look at the stars Look how they shine for you And everything you do Yeah, they were all yellow

Those two just seriously needed to get a room already and just get it on. She was sure the Bellas would all love to contribute songs to a rather suggestive playlist to help set the mood.

I came along I wrote a song for you And all the things you do And it was called "Yellow"

At the moment though, their two former co-captain's electrifying chemistry, and ten years' worth of built up tension between them, were helping the Bellas captivate the audience. Their competition too.

Check out the full story on the link below!

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29141841/chapters/71986848

Back to the Block - Chapter Preview (Check out the rest at ao3 or ff.net)

The Bellas were all looking fabulous with their simple yet chic ensemble. Jessica beamed as she glanced around their dressing room, bubbling with excitement. Stacie and Chloe were really the ones to thank for the look. They're all dressed in navy blue, with varying accessories or secondary pieces in white such as the white open bolero that Emily was wearing, the suspenders that Cynthia Rose picked for herself, and the white leather vest that Beca was rocking. It wouldn't be a complete homage to their past if they didn't have their Barden Bella scarves either tied to their necks – a classic look that Aubrey was still rocking – their wrists, or around their belt loop, like Jessica herself did.

Like the preliminary round, each team was kept in a separate dressing room. All of them equipped with a flat screen TV so they can watch their competition's performance. The next team on call would wait on one side of the stage, alternating rom each side based on where their assigned rooms were. DSM had the center dressing room, a surprise perk that was also awarded to them, and had opted to take both sides of the stage for their entrance and exit, or so the teams were briefed so that they all knew what kind of traffic they would expect on their side back stage.

Jessica didn't think much of them. At least, she tried not to. Their rivals were clearly trying to rattle them and the other teams too. From what they heard from the gossip between the stagehands, they also tried to disrupt Rhythmasher's practice, by overextending their stay during the dress rehearsals. It seemed as if they were desperate to ensure that this time around, they most definitely win.

Thankfully, Jessica had her own distractions. Pentatonix were currently the selected hosts for the finals. The group also performed as the opening act for the event, sort of setting the stage to what the audience would expect for the finals, doing a medley of songs from artists who were not selected from the preliminary round's riff-off categories.

In the meantime, Rhian was hard at work for the Bellas – well, Beca really – drumming up support for the group. Ashley had informed them that they were currently trending in all social media apps, with celebrities hyping up the group and sending their support.

A good chunk of that worldwide support were clearly coming from Beca's fans, but Rhian, the PR genius that she was, managed to work something out for celebs to drop by behind the scenes and do a meet and greet with the group. The Bellas did an arranged "run in" with Taylor Swift the night before at the restaurant where they had an early dinner. Some photos were taken, the paparazzi were called for a bit, and Rhian managed to choreograph the whole thing to make it look all natural. Somehow, Jessica was starting to understand the difficulties that Beca's life now entailed. Afterwards, they were allowed to just rest.

It did the trick though, because no one was even talking about the other groups. It was almost as if the Bellas were about to have a concert and every other group was just the warming up.

Masterpost

[Complete. For now...]

Synopsis: Now a multi-award winning recording artist, Beca Mitchell has it all. Except the one girl she so desperately, secretly pines for. Chloe Beale is finally journeying through her dream at Vet School, but she is far from the woman she was back at Barden..

Part One - Beca finds herself in bed with a redhead.**

Part Two - ‘The next morning’ is awkward for Chloe.

Part Three - Beca arrives at a bland venue.

Part Four - Chloe is in for a surprise.

Part Five - Beca can’t wait.

Part Six - Chloe’s a bit confused.

Part Seven - Beca breaks.

Part Eight - Chloe encourages.

Part Nine - Beca gets lost in the moment.**

Part Ten - Chloe tries to get the upper hand.**

Part Eleven - Beca changes tact.**

Part Twelve - Chloe reaches out.

Part Thirteen - Beca caves.

Part Fourteen - Chloe obliges.**

Part Fifteen - Beca gets carried away.**

Part Sixteen - Chloe’s Vegan Pie.

Part Seventeen - Beca’s reluctant.

Part Eighteen - Chloe is given a chance.

Part Nineteen - Beca gets in trouble.

Part Twenty - Chloe makes a suggestion.

Cor a lot of love for this to be continued so yes, absolutely! I love the thought of these two idiots being apart and pining yet completely oblivious that their unrequited love is actually required!

Bechloe - Red Hair

Part 3

Beca dragged her fingers through her long brown hair, taking a deep intake of breath as she stepped off the private jet. She blinked several times, scrambling to find her sunglasses on top of her head and slip them over her eyes. Three performances in two days, one on the east coast, one on the south coast, and now on the west coast. She hadn’t really slept in three days. She wasn’t sure where she was. She didn’t even care. It was the same thing wherever she went. Same set. Same interactions on stage and off. She just went wherever the label booked her to go.

The recording artist slid into the back of the private car, the door of which was held open by her driver. She let out a heavy exhale as the movement of the vehicle driving away from the jet prompted Theo to start talking, sat beside her with a clipboard in his hand. The dude rarely stopped talking about work. It was annoying.

“You’re gonna have tomorrow off. So we fly tomorrow night, okay?” Theo paused when he heard no response from the woman beside him. They’d spoken about this hundreds of times before. Even though Beca wasn’t much of a talker - particularly when tired - he told her she needed to at least respond with a grunt to show him that she’d at least heard what he’d said. Sometimes Beca needed reminded that she’d agreed to do that. “Okaaay?” he repeated, and Beca simply let out an exhausted sigh, slumping down in her seat and pulling her sunglasses back down over her eyes.

“Whatever.” she grumbled, turning her body away from him to rest her head. She could never sleep on flights, but she could just about doze on car journeys.

Theo let out a frustrated sigh of his own, rolling his eyes and jotting something down on the paper that was on the clipboard. He then pulled his phone out and called a number, ready to continue the important business call he’d had to stop in order to get off the private jet.

———

Thirty minutes later and Beca hadn’t once comprehended where she was stepping out of the car and being bustled inside by security while a handful of fans screamed her name excitably. It was the same every day. Nothing felt new anymore. A stage was just a stage. Her songs were just her songs, written by other people for her. Her life was just her life. Dull. Uninspiring. She felt like a puppet, being moved around by her label as if she were just something instead of someone.

Four hours after that and Beca was stuffed in a dressing room she could tell the venue had tried hard to make look as stylish as possible just for her. But Beca knew the difference. Wherever she was, it was a far cry from the stadiums she’d been playing.

She didn’t dwell over it though, and grimaced with each tiny bite of the burger she’d been bought, delivered quickly to her dressing room so she could line her stomach with something before she drank during her set. Since moving to LA and living the ‘on tour’ lifestyle, Beca had taken to drinking more frequently. It helped numb the loneliness that she felt deep down. She also ate less. Eating less was the only remaining part of her life she could control.

“Two minutes, Beca.” Beca heard somewhere across the room, recognising the voice belonging to Theo. At least she didn’t have to pretend to keep eating. She let out a tired sigh, standing from the table she’d been sat at, and smoothed down the front of her shirt. She had people to make her look presentable. To ensure she’d always have her makeup done just right, her hair perfectly styled and her outfits fitting to perfection. She hadn’t looked at her reflection in a mirror for months.

Walking down an unknown corridor behind a posse of her entourage was always how Beca worked up to a performance. The screaming and cheering from the impending crowd was now like background noise. And when she took her microphone, Beca’s chest tightened as it always did before a show. Sure, this was what she did practically every night, but it still didn’t help ease her nerves.

Beca chewed on her bottom lip as she approached side of stage. The sooner she got to that glass of whiskey on stage the better..

“Just one more night.” she heard Theo attempt to assure in her ear, but she was far from assured. One night left before a day off at last, yeah. But then the nightly performances would resume again.

Beca forced a fixed smile onto her face, took one more deep breath, then stepped out onto the stage to a huge eruption of screaming and cheering and clapping. The usual reaction. The musician stepped on her marker, glancing around at the faces she could just about see beyond the spotlight shining on her.

“How’s everybody doing tonight?” she asked into the mic, the burst of excitable cries being answer enough for her. “Awesome.”

Beca leant down, grabbing the glass of whiskey to take a large gulp of. Swiping her tongue across her lips, she looked back out again whilst swallowing her mouthful. And all of a sudden her heart skipped a beat.

Three rows back, to her right, amongst the crowd, the superstar clasped eyes on the one person she’d never ever expected to see. The one person she’d thought about every night and every day for years. The one person who had haunted her dreams.

“Chloe”

Beca froze as the crowd slowly quietened, and her mouth went dry. Shit. Had she just said Chloe’s name out loud? Was she really seeing her right now? In person?

She watched in stunned silence as Chloe brought a hand up and waved nervously. The redhead didn’t appear to be smiling much. But there was the tiniest hint of a smile in the corner of her mouth. Beca blinked a couple of times to make sure she wasn’t imagining things, and when she knew she wasn’t, she cleared her throat loudly.

“Sorry guys I um...” she paused, crouching down to place her glass on the stage again before standing upright, a forced smile still on her face, though it had eased to a more genuine smile the more she came to terms with the reality that she was now performing for Chloe. “..I’ve just seen an old friend in the crowd.” the crowd cheered, and Beca looked down at her feet a little embarrassed, “I’ve really missed her.”

She spun on the spot, looking off-stage to Theo who was holding his clipboard with a surprised smile on his face.

“Can you invite her backstage please?” she asked, her mic held down to her side so the crowd couldn’t hear, for fear that they’d bundle the redhead.

Her heart raced with nerves and excitement as Theo gave her a thumbs up and she let out a heavy exhale to try to compose herself. But as she looked out at the crowd again, specifically in Chloe’s direction, her stomach sank.

Ahh thank you so much for such kind words! It’s always my absolute pleasure to provide new stories for you guys featuring our fave gals 🤗 I really must write you a little one shot too huh..

Bechloe - ‘Beach’

Chloe slinks silently through the night, her bare feet sinking in the cool soft sand, gathering it automatically between her toes. She has a rucksack over one shoulder, and a blanket under the other arm. Her heart is racing, but it’s not because she ran down here from the Uber. It’s because of the petite figure she sees sat on the dark beach before her.

“Hey!” she whispers excitably and breathlessly, feeling giddy when Beca turns to look up at her with a massive beaming smile, “Thanks for your text!”

“Seven hour’s stopover in Florida while I wait for a connecting flight?” Beca says conversationally in a low voice while Chloe drops the blanket and rucksack to the ground, “Couldn’t not spend that time with you.”

Chloe doesn’t wait any longer and lets out a small excitable squeal while diving at Beca, immediately throwing her arms around her and kissing her hard on the lips. The two women chuckle within the kiss while Beca is thrown onto her back, Chloe landing on top of her.

“Did you miss me?” Chloe asks in a hopeful tone and Beca chuckles.

“Of course I missed you!” she replies, her hands sneaking down to cup Chloe’s ass, “You and your cute butt.”

Chloe chuckles sweetly, sitting herself up while impressively keeping her legs over Beca’s while the brunette sits up too, arms remaining around each other while they sigh happily.

“Being on tour sucks, but moments like this make it all worthwhile.” Beca mumbles into Chloe’s ear and Chloe’s eyes flutter closed as she feels Beca press a kiss to her neck.

“Agreed.” she replies somewhat incoherently. Because being superstar Beca Mitchell’s secret girlfriend is really hard work. Hence why their meet-ups are so often at night and somewhere dark.

“You’ll wait for me to get back, right?” Beca mumbles against Chloe’s skin, and Chloe holds her insecure girlfriend that little bit tighter.

“Of course I will, weirdo.”

And they both smile as they look into one another’s eyes, feeling complete while together. They may only have five hours before Beca needed to get back over to the airport, but it was impressive how much they could achieve in an hour, let alone five.

“I love you Chloe Beale.” Beca whispers, nudging her nose against her girlfriend’s affectionately, and Chloe let’s out a content sigh as she reciprocates the motion.

Thank yooou!

Bechloe - SilenceBeca’s breath hung in her lungs, her heart hammering and her mouth going dry as she felt Chloe’s left hand slip its way tentatively to the small of her back. Their eyes hadn’t met yet. But their bodies lent gently against one another as Beca’s right hand rested nervously on Chloe’s shoulder. Free hands cupped up by their sides and Beca swallowed loudly, her breathing shallow as her eyes remained on Chloe’s chin, not daring for one second to look up into the redhead’s eyes. Knowing all too well that the moment she did, her fears that all this was a dream may be realised. And she desperately didn’t want it to be a dream. Because she’d been harbouring such deep and secret romantic feelings for her best friend for almost as long as she’d known her. Feelings that had sprung upon her out of the blue, knocking her off her feet and causing her mind to spiral out of control.

Like some sort of instinct, the two women began slowly rocking from side to side together, to the beat of the ballad playing in the background. But within a matter of seconds, anything Beca had once heard slipped away. Silence, save for the sound of her own heart still hammering away against her chest. Because the feel of Chloe’s body flush against hers while they slow danced was both perfect and comfortable. Beca felt safe.

Her eyes, that had been trained on Chloe’s chin, followed the spread of the redheads mouth as Chloe smiled gently. Those perfect lips stained in a light pink lipstick. Those white teeth shining out. The way that tongue swept nervously across her inner-bottom lip. Beca swallowed loudly, her eyes finally drawing their way up to Chloe’s eyes. And there she saw a warm and comforting gaze as her best friend looked back at her. Beca slipped her tongue between her lips to moisten them, her breath hanging in her throat

They’d been dancing hard at this wedding, giggling and laughing at each other’s ridiculous dance moves to the fun wedding songs that had been blasting on a busy dance floor. But suddenly the beat had faded and a slower song had begun playing. And Beca and Chloe - who hadn’t seen one another in several months due to work commitments - had nervously thought of nothing else to do (not even leave the dance floor) other than begin slow dancing to that song. Beca found her eyes fluttering closed when Chloe leant her head forward and rested the side of it against the side of Beca’s head. They continued to dance slowly in a circle. Their eyes closed.

Their twenties had been hard work…eventful: College. Winning worlds. Living and working in New York after graduation. The USO tour. Beca’s recording contract. Chloe’s vet training. Living and working on opposite sides of the country. But now they were in their mid-thirties, all of it felt like a million years ago. They both still miraculously managed to keep up with the goings-on in The Bellas WhatsApp. But Beca being so busy with her career rarely made it to gatherings. Except for Emily’s bachelorette party earlier in the year. And now, at Emily’s wedding. Those two times, Beca was reminded of how hard she’d fallen for Chloe all those years ago. Reminded of all the things she’d ever loved and all the things she still loved about the redhead. And now, in this very room on this very dance floor, she almost felt rewarded for keeping those feelings to herself. A slow dance.

Beca’s breath stuck in her throat following a sharp inhale when Chloe let out a heavy sigh, the redhead’s warm breath rushing across Beca’s bare neck. A wave of goosebumps bubbled down Beca’s body, and a coy smile poked into the corners of her mouth. Her eyes fluttered open, looking down at the dance floor stretching out ahead of her but not focusing on it. No, her entire attention was on Chloe’s body and how close they were while they slow danced.

“I’ve really missed this.”

The tiny smile on Beca’s face grew at the words Chloe had whispered into her ear, and she squeezed Chloe’s hand to communicate to her best friend that she’d missed it too. The closeness. The intimacy. Teetering on the edge of becoming something more than best friends. Shortly after they’d graduated from college together and had moved up to Brooklyn, it hadn’t been unusual after a night out drinking for the two to get home and slow dance to music that had been playing from whoever’s phone. Drifting from side to side. Chins rested on shoulders with eyes closed. After the USO tour, the two best friends had ventured down different life paths and had reluctantly drifted apart.

“I’ve really missed you.” Beca counteracted with a gentle murmer, allowing her lips to brush Chloe’s ear while she spoke. It had been a long running joke within their friendship group that the two of them had an underlying sexual tension that desperately needed addressing. A joke that always had Beca rolling her eyes and Chloe letting out an embarrassed chuckle while bringing a hand to her face. But secretly, the two women agreed: there was a sexual tension, and it did need addressing. Their chins now rested on the others shoulder, the ballad continuing to play from the speakers at the head of the dance floor. Their eyes had drifted shut again as they slowly made their way around in a circle together.

Beca swallowed loudly as Chloe tucked her face further into the nook of her neck, the redhead pausing momentarily before placing a delicate kiss on Beca’s skin. The kiss was hesitant and Beca sensed trepidation in the way Chloe’s body seemed to stiffen when she realised what she’d just done. But just as she felt Chloe begin to pull her body away - with every intention of running off in embarrassment - Beca held her a little tighter.

“Sor-” Chloe began but Beca was quick the stop her. “-It’s okay.” she mumbled with an amused smile, but kept her eyes closed, their bodies still moving in time with one another to the soft beat. And as she placed a gentle kiss on Chloe’s neck in return, she felt her best friend’s body relax, a shaky breath of relief leaving Chloe’s mouth and washing over Beca once again. She felt Chloe smile against her skin, and it only served to make Beca’s smile broaden. Because within a second Chloe had placed another kiss on Beca’s neck, this time with a little more firmness. No sooner had Beca returned the kiss on Chloe’s neck with a similar pressure, the two slowly opened their eyes and brought their faces from one another’s necks. They continued to slow dance. Smiling at one another affectionately while their eyes flickered down at each other’s lips.

But just as their faces began slowly moving towards one another, the ballad came to an end, and a Spice Girls song began placing causing the female wedding guests all to cheer and head for the dance floor, filling it up. Beca and Chloe’s hands quickly dropped from one another’s bodies, embarrassed smiles poking from the corners of their mouths. Beca glanced over Chloe’s shoulder to see rest The Bellas grinning at her, Fat Amy giving Beca a thumbs up, and Beca found her eyes rolling while she allowed Chloe to drag her by the hand over to their friends.

— 20 Minutes Later —

Beca swirled her tongue around the top of her beer bottle thoughtfully, sat on a bench outside the wedding venue. The music from inside thudded away, the party having really started. A chilly night breeze meant her jacket was draped around her shoulders and she looked out into darkness of the venue’s golf course. A smile grew on her face when she heard footsteps and she turned to see Chloe cautiously approaching the bench, her arms crossed tightly around her stomach while looking decidable cold.

“You chose not to bring a jacket with you, didn’t you.” Beca said in an amused tone, and Chloe contorted her mouth into a ‘whoopsie’ expression. Beca let out a chuckle, shaking her head gently while looking at her best friend affectionately, “Glad to see you haven’t changed.” She watched Chloe walk the rest of the way to her, and hover nervously. So the brunette motioned to the space on the bench beside her, “You wanna sit?”

A comfortable silence fell upon the two women as Chloe took a seat beside Beca, letting out a sharp exhale of breath to show how cold she was. Beca took another swig of her beer then held the bottle out to the woman beside her. Chloe took it with a small smile, keeping her spare arm wrapped firmly around her torso. As the redhead looked out at the golf course, taking a long swig of the beer, Beca kept her focus on her best friend. She couldn’t quite understand how Chloe did it, but the older the woman got the more beautiful she became. Which Beca concluded was down to the fact that this was Chloe…of course she was going to look more and more beautiful with each passing year.

“You wanna talk about what happened in there?” Beca jumped at the sound of Chloe’s voice, and her cheeks began flushing pink when her best friend turned to look at her with a purse-lipped grin, clearly trying to play things cool. Beca noted the way the girl seemed to shiver a bit, and she plucked her own jacket from around her shoulders while staring down at their feet nervously.

“Amy stood on Aubrey’s foot during Wannabe?” A giggle rumbled from the back of Chloe’s throat while Beca slipped her jacket over Chloe’s shoulder. It hardly covered much of the redhead’s body, but she looked at Beca with a grateful expression, her giggle subsiding.

“You know that’s not what I meant.” And Beca let out a nervous chuckle, looking back out at the dark golf course before them, “Yeah I know.”

A silence fell upon them again while their minds flashed back to their slow dance earlier. The closeness. The intimacy. Chloe picked nervously at the label of the beer bottle while Beca twirled her rings around her fingers.

“You were about to kiss me.” Chloe eventually said, and Beca’s eyebrows rose, turning to look at her best friend.

“You were about to kiss me!”

Chloe, whose attention had already been drawn back to Beca, now had a broad smile on her face, “Well duh!” and Beca seemed to look at Chloe in surprise as the redhead added, “We were slow dancing at a wedding and were already kissing each other’s necks…the only natural thing to do next was to kiss on the lips.”

Beca scrunched her nose up briefly, not disliking the act so much but the location of where that act would be carried out. Chloe had misread the expression entirely though, and her shoulders immediately sank. “You didn’t want to.” she said in a disappointed voice, looking down at her feet in embarrassment.

“No! Chloe I-” Beca began, a little panicked, but Chloe held out the beer bottle back over to her, beginning to make movements that suggested she’d leave.

“-It-It’s okay, Beca. I got it wrong.” she mumbled, bringing her hands to her face once Beca had taken the beer bottle from her, “God I’m the worst at this.”

Beca was worrying. She hated her expressions sometimes. Especially when they didn’t reveal what she thought about something. And this something was a huge deal.

“No, you’re not. You‘re right, kissing-”

“-wouldn’t be something two friends did at a wedding. Or anywhere else for that matter.”

“But it would if they were anything like us.” Beca tried to insist as Chloe slipped off the bench. The moment she reached out and grabbed Chloe’s hand the redhead froze. “Chlo, I would’ve kissed the hell out of you on that dance floor but I just…” and Beca paused to let out a sharp huff of air before looking deep into Chloe’s eyes. She was embarrassed. And nervous. So in a small voice she added: “I-I just don’t like PDA. You know that.”

The tiny apologetic smile that poked into the corners of Chloe’s mouth had Beca feeling a little more relieved. They’d lived together through most of their twenties: at first during college, then after that in a studio apartment in Brooklyn - the latter had been a more intense situation given they’d had to share a bed due to lack of space. Having once lived so intimately meant that Chloe did know about Beca’s dislike for PDA - they knew everything about one another.

“I wouldn’t want our first kiss to be in front of 200 people on a dance floor. I’d want us to be…I dunno…alone and stuff.” Beca mumbled, a little embarrassed still that she had to explain her dislike for PDA within the context of their situation earlier. She watched as Chloe slowly sat beside Beca once again, their hands still entwined, and a soft smile was now spread on her face.

“Alone liiiiike…now?”

Beca swallowed loudly. She hadn’t been expecting that. Had hoped Chloe would say it, of course. But had never expected the woman to. With a slow nod of her head, Beca glanced down at Chloe’s lips longingly. And she noted the way her best friend slipped her tongue between them to moisten them. Then ever-so slowly, the two best friends leant their faces towards one another, tiny soft smiles noticeable as their lips drew closer, the gap closing in. But just as they were about to kiss, a loud booming voice, in the accent of an Australian drawl, filtered over to them in an amused tone.

“Hey are you two lovebirds finally toge-” But before Fat Amy could finish her sentence, Beca had rolled her eyes and turned to the woman to see that the rest of The Bellas had come outside too.

“Damn it Amy!” Beca snapped in a frustrated tone, “Could you just leave us alone for like two-”

“Five” Chloe whispered, and Beca knew how important it would be to stipulate a longer time. If anyone told Amy a length of time to leave them alone, she would honour it. But would subsequently be back bang-on five minutes or however long had been suggested. It got annoying. But both Beca and Chloe had lived with Amy in Brooklyn for almost three years - and they knew about the timings thing.

“-Five minutes??” Beca quickly added, looking over at their friends furiously.

Amy seemed overly surprised by the outburst, holding her hands up in defence while the other Bellas rose their eyebrows, some mumbling low “woah”s under their breath. As the women all sloped away, giggling between themselves while looking over their shoulders at Beca and Chloe, the two best friends turned back to one another, Beca letting out a heavy sigh.

“Sorry I just…” the brunette began, pausing to look down at her hands that were now holding Chloe’s, “I couldn’t let this opportunity go just because Amy turned up.” She initially missed the coy grin on Chloe’s face, then as she looked up into the woman’s eyes, she saw an amused expression looking back at her.

“Good to see you haven’t changed much either.” Chloe identified with a sparkle in her eyes, squeezing Beca’s hands gently, and the brunette’s shoulders relaxed. “Now where were we?”

Beca’s heart thudded up into her throat as Chloe’s face drew itself towards hers and as their eyelids closed, they shared a soft first kiss. The silence around them, save for the thudding of party music in the distance, wrapped a warmth around both their bodies, both enjoying this perfect moment in peace.

Suddenly Beca’s phone chimed and the brunette let out a small groan of frustration, Chloe having broken their kiss to give her to opportunity to read the message that had been sent through: Bhloeeeeeee 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩 

Ooh I was waiting for the ideal prompt for it and here we are! Thank you so much dude and I’m pleased you liked the first part. I really enjoyed writing it 🤗 Link to Part One.

Staubrey - ‘Black’ (Part Two of Four)

Stacie took a deep breath, pausing outside her bedroom door that would be Aubrey’s bedroom for the next twenty four hours or so. She was nervous. Like, really nervous. Without The Bellas there to help stoke the conversation and without her two year old daughter there to provide some sort of deterrent from the potential awkward silences, what on earth could she and Aubrey possibly talk about? They’d never had to hold a conversation between just the two of them before.

The brunette knocked steadily on the door, pausing until she heard Aubrey call out a clear “Come in.” And the twenty six year old opened the door and stepped into the room.

Her breath caught in her throat, her brown eyes immediately drawn to Aubrey’s beautiful legs that poked out beneath the pink dress that Bella had insisted Aubrey try on first.

But her initial awe of her friend’s beauty quickly disappeared, replaced with disappointment as Aubrey turned on the spot and seemed to look down by Stacie’s legs - clearly expecting to see Bella arriving with her. The blonde’s bright smile had flickered momentarily and Stacie began to wonder if Aubrey had only actually come here to borrow a dress, have somewhere free to stay overnight, and to see Bella. Stacie wondered if Aubrey had even wanted to see her at all, and it immediately caused a wave of sadness and insecurity to wash over her body.

How could she have been so stupid to think that Aubrey came here to see her? She was just Stacie. Poor sad, single, dumpy, drained, hopeless Stacie with little life currently being led, and little life ahead of her. It shouldn’t have really come as any surprise to her that beautiful, amazing, successful Aubrey would want little to do with her while they were just awkwardly stood here one-to-one.

Perhaps letting her mother take her daughter downstairs had been a huge mistake. Stacie hated to admit it..but she needed Bella to feel okay about not being as amazing as she once was back in college. Bella was the proof as to why she’d changed so much.

“So what do you think?” Aubrey asked, opening her arms out then placing them on her hips swaying slightly as if modelling the outfit she currently wore. That large smile was back on her face again and Stacie took a deep breath, her eyes dragging their way from the hem of the beautiful dress right the way up to the neckline.

Her mouth went dry when her eyes found Aubrey’s collarbone, then Stacie found herself clearing her throat the moment she locked eyes with Aubrey for the first time. The blonde’s smile softened.

“Uh, yeah you look amazing.” Stacie managed to choke out, but Aubrey turned slightly to face the long mirror by the closet, inspecting her appearance.

“Hmm I’m not sure..” she mused, smoothing her hands down the front of the dress, “..I’ve kinda got my eyes on that green dress.”

Stacie watched as Aubrey glanced at the green dress that was hung up beside her and she felt her stomach scramble. God, Aubrey would look stunning in that dress. It had always been the dress that, whenever Stacie had worn it, she’d got the best attention from guys (and girls alike).

And it was that reminder that had Stacie’s stomach dropping very quickly. Oh God, Aubrey was going to look so stunning at this awards ceremony tonight she was bound to be hit on. Maybe she’d even end up switching numbers with a guy. And Stacie would have to go through the torment of knowing that thanks to her green dress Aubrey had ended up meeting the love of her life..

“I’m gonna try it on next.” Aubrey said, peeling down the zip of the dress she was currently wearing and ensuring it didn’t pool then crumple on the floor below. Stacie immediately turned away.

“I uh..will just wait next door..” she said awkwardly, making her way out of the room but Aubrey let out a light chuckle.

“Stacie don’t be silly! It’s just me! We’ve gotten changed in front of each other before.”

Yeah but that was with all The Bellas too, Stacie thought to herself as she returned to the room and closed the door back over. Her heart was hammering against her chest as Aubrey reached up to get the green dress down, stood comfortably in her underwear. And Stacie took that fleeting moment to admire Aubrey’s beautiful figure along with all the moles she’d never seen before. Like the one on Aubrey’s hip. And the one just beneath the curve of Aubrey’s left butt cheek.

“Like what you see?” Aubrey asked in an amused tone, her cheeks a little pink, and Stacie realised her mouth was hung open. Crap.

“Uh...” Stacie paused to clear her throat, grinning slightly with embarrassment, “...you just have a really amazing body.”

Aubrey was grinning while she stepped into the green dress, then shrugged while she turned to look at her reflection in the mirror, “Well when you do as much yoga as I do it’s difficult to lose tone..”

Stacie felt tears prickle her eyes. She hadn’t done yoga in years. Not since she’d fallen pregnant. She used to love yoga. Had done it almost every day. Having a kid changed things though. Bella was far too active and fidgety to take to a yoga class - even the ‘Moms & Tots’ one on a Thursday - and Stacie didn’t like to burden her mother with babysitting duties, so the only time she got to do something for herself was when she went to work twice a week for six hours per day. The rest of her time was all encompassed around her two year old.

“I really miss yoga.” Stacie said with a whistful sigh, looking down at her feet. She’d tried to curl her leg over the back of her neck the other week - just like she’d once been able to do before having Bella. She was so inflexible now. Stacie remembered how hard she’d burst into tears. She missed her old body a lot.

“Why don’t you join a local class?” She heard her friend ask and Stacie looked up to see that Aubrey was glancing at her.

“It’s not so easy with a two year old.” Stacie admitted, sniffing suddenly to try to keep her tears at bay, “I don’t exactly get time to myself any more unless I’m at work. And even then that’s only twelve hours a week.”

She watched as Aubrey looked at her sheepishly while trying to do the zip of the dress up, “What about dates? You must get people asking you out all the time.” Aubrey suggested but Stacie shook her head gently, a sad smile on her face. Her life really was a boring as she feared it was. And Aubrey was quickly discovering that.

“I haven’t been on a date since falling pregnant.” Stacie admitted quietly, “Unsurprisingly there aren’t many people around here attracted to the sad, sorry twenty six year old single mother of one who has a flabby stomach post-pregnancy and bags beneath her eyes the size of the moon..”

She seemed to automatically wander towards the blonde, keeping her eyes on the zip that Aubrey had stopped struggling to reach around to do up and Stacie reached out to help. She slowly slid the zip comfortably up, her index finger accidentally smoothing up Aubrey’s soft skin on her back. And Stacie swallowed loudly ignoring the way her friend looked at her in the reflection of the mirror.

She didn’t want Aubrey to feel sorry for her. She was sick enough of feeling sorry for herself.

“You’re really beautiful.” Aubrey said in an affectionate tone that Stacie had never heard before, “You do know that, right?”

Stacie’s heart jumped into her throat, her chest tightening slightly at the compliment. Aubrey - her crush - had called her beautiful. But Stacie didn’t feel beautiful. She never felt beautiful. She was a mess. And she felt sad to think that Aubrey was just saying those things to try to cheer her up, not because she meant it.

She looked up into the reflection of the mirror, noting how beautiful Aubrey looked out of the two of them. How could the blonde possibly think that she was beautiful too?? She looked like a tramp beside Aubrey who stood before her like some sort of Goddess.

The green dress drew the green from Aubrey’s eyes, lighting them up like the fresh green leaves on a beautiful warm summer’s day. And Stacie felt tears brimming in her eyes again.

“No where near as beautiful as you.” she managed to choke out, her fingers still lightly clutching the zip she’d just zipped up for her friend. “And this dress is definitely the dress. You’re gonna blow everyone away tonight.” she added in a soft tone, forcing a small smile onto her face as she stepped back with a sniff to take in Aubrey’s entire figure. She looked stunning.

Aubrey seemed to take a few moments to assess her appearance in the mirror, but she didn’t smile. And for a fleeting moment Stacie thought she could spy tears shining in her friend’s eyes. Oh God. Had she upset Aubrey with her sad sorry self-pity? Way to go, Stacie - killing what should’ve been a light fun experience between the two of them with her shitty pity-party.

“Right,” Aubrey announced with a sharp sniff, clearly composing herself and standing up straight. She turned to the three dresses that were still hung up and plucked the black dress from its hanger, “You’re gonna put this on.” she said in a confident tone, turning back to Stacie and holding it out.

Stacie hesitated, looking down at the dress then back up at Aubrey. Her friend was looking at her with a pointed expression and though she didn’t know a lot about Aubrey, she remembered that look. It was Aubrey’s bossy expression.

“Why?”

“Because I need to show you just how incredible your body is. And this dress is the way to do it.”

Stacie hesitated. She hadn’t worn this dress in over three years. There was a high chance that she would struggle to get into it. And it terrified her. She just wasn’t as slim as she used to be. And her ankles hadn’t really lost their chunkiness since her pregnancy. She was going to look just awful.

But the younger woman took a deep breath, then slowly reached out and took the dress. Her fingers brushed against Aubrey’s, causing her hands to tingle a little. Then she watched as her friend stepped past her with a kind smile, and headed for the door of the bedroom. Stacie’s brow furrowed slightly while she watched Aubrey reach for the door handle.

“Hey where you goin’?” she asked but Aubrey simply looked over her shoulder at her.

“I just need to ask your Mom something.”

Stacie hesitated, wondering if she should be concerned. But Aubrey didn’t give her time to air her worries, quickly slipping out of the room with nothing more said. Stacie looked back down at the dress in her hands and took a deep shaky breath.

——

Aubrey slowly wandered down the staircase, her mind feeling fuzzy while her stomach knotted. She felt confused. Sad for her friend.

When she’d arrived here a couple of hours ago she’d expected to find the Stacie she’d always known: bright, confident, relaxed, happy. But to her surprise her friend seemed to be like a shadow of her former self. Stacie seemed far less confident, both externally and internally. She seemed more anxious. More tired. More uncomfortable. And Aubrey had struggled to keep her tears back as she realised just how unhappy Stacie probably felt.

She didn’t know if it was Stacie’s hormones. She didn’t know if Stacie had just become a victim of circumstance - a single mother living at home and making barely any money in a job that probably filled her with little stimulation.

But one thing that Aubrey definitely did know was that she still harboured a huge crush on the brunette. A crush that she’d only started considering back when Stacie had been in her senior year and had been giving Aubrey a good bit of attention during their time away with The Bellas in Copenhagen. They hadn’t ever spent time one-on-one. But Stacie had had this sparkling expression on her face that had captivated Aubrey. To the point that Aubrey had thought about her a lot over the years since then, checking through her Instagram and admiring her life via social media.

She hadn’t hesitated in contacting Stacie when she’d found out about the awards ceremony that was being held tonight. She’d been a pack of nerves driving over to see her. Had been in awe of Stacie’s beauty when the brunette had wandered downstairs to greet her.

But the short conversation they’d just shared had Aubrey’s heart lurching towards Stacie. Lurching towards the young woman she secretly adored. She had to find out more. She had to find out what had happened to make Stacie lose her confidence.

And there was only one way to find out. By asking the person who knew Stacie best: Stacie’s Mom.

——

Stacie perched on the edge of the bed, her face in her hands, weeping gently. Her body shook with emotion as waves and waves of self-doubt overwhelmed her. She’d miraculously got into the dress. But where she’d once been able to zip it up alone three years ago, now Stacie’s extra weight that she’d put on during the pregnancy and the flexibility she’d lost since, meant that the brunette sat on the edge of the bed with the back gaping open.

She always knew this would happen. She should’ve just told Aubrey she wouldn’t do it. Wouldn’t try on the dress. But then Aubrey had looked at her with those beautiful green eyes and Stacie hadn’t needed any more persuasion. What a mistake that seemed now..

Stacie jumped as she heard the bedroom door opening and she pulled her face from her palms, sniffing loudly, frantically swiping the tears from her cheeks. She caught a whiff of perfume and immediately recognised it as Aubrey’s. And sure enough the blonde slowly wandered over and stood before her. Stacie looked up and saw the look of concern on her friend’s face.

“Want some help with the zip?” Aubrey asked softly and Stacie sniffed again before getting to her feet. She let out a heavy sigh while turning slightly on the spot. Then her breath caught in her throat when she felt Aubrey slowly draw the zip of the black dress from the small of her back up to the top.

She thought she heard Aubrey swallow loudly, then her friend gently took hold of her hips and guided her gently over to the long mirror Aubrey had once been stood before. Stacie caught sight of her reflection and took a sharp inhale of breath between her teeth.

Her hands immediately stroked at the small pouch of jelly-fat that had been present since Bella’s birth. No matter how hard she’d tried, she was still unable to shift it.

Her eyes ran up and down the length of her body, tears welling up in her eyes again. She was hideous.

“See,” Aubrey said in a soft tone, stood behind Stacie, reaching around to take her hands and hold them by her sides, “you’re absolutely beautiful.”

Stacie sniffed loudly. She had no idea what part of her Aubrey was looking at to have given her such a compliment. Her eyes found Aubrey’s in the reflection, and she saw a look on the woman’s face that she’d never seen before. A look that she couldn’t pinpoint. What was happening?

“Will you go to this awards ceremony with me this evening?” Aubrey asked, resting her chin gently on Stacie’s shoulder. This felt intimate. Like how two lovers would stand together. But they weren’t lovers. Which was the key reason why Stacie was confused by this contact. “I was offered a plus one and I thought I could go it alone but...”

Aubrey seemed to pause, bringing her head from Stacie’s shoulder and the brunette furrowed her brow for a moment. She turned on the spot, looking at Aubrey in some concern. But to her surprise her friend looked into her eyes with a smile that slowly grew on her face.

“...I want to take you out for the night. To say thank you. And the Lodge will be paying so we don’t have to worry about money or anything.”

Stacie hadn’t quite comprehended that Aubrey’s hands were still resting on her hips, nor had she comprehended that her own hands were lightly cupping the blonde’s elbows.

“Your Mom said she’ll look after Bella no problem.”

Stacie’s heart began ramming against her chest. Had...was Aubrey asking her out on a date?! She opened her mouth to answer but words caught in her throat. All she could do was clear it lightly.

“You can wear this incredible dress, and we can do our hair and makeup this afternoon like we used to do when preparing for performances with The Bellas.” Aubrey continued, noticeably nervous now, trying to make this evening’s trip sound more and more enticing. But Stacie didn’t need any more enticement. She’d been sold the second she realised just who had asked her out. “A-And we’ll get an Über both directions so we don’t have to worry about one of us driving or your Mom having to dr-“

“-I’d love to.” Stacie interrupted, a watery smile spreading across her face. She watched as a broad smile of relief appeared on Aubrey’s face, her green eyes twinkling while Stacie looked into them.

There had been no official mention of this being a date. Definitely not. And even though Aubrey was unusually affectionate right now Stacie was sure that didn’t mean that the woman had a crush on her or anything. It was just Aubrey trying to comfort her when she’d been upset. And Stacie was really grateful for that. Normally she only had her Mom as a shoulder to cry on. Or Bella looking at her with a bit of a perplexed expression before snuggling up to her to try to help her feel better.

“Thank you.” Stacie whispered, blushing, such had been the intensity of Aubrey’s look, and she snapped her focus down to her hands. She quickly pulled them from Aubrey’s elbows, a little embarrassed by how vulnerable she was acting.

Just as they stepped apart, the bedroom door crashed open and little Bella stepped into the room with a massive grin on her face, gasping before crying out, “Mama you look beautiful!”

And Stacie let out a coy smile while her little girl looked up at her with her big green eyes, wide with wonder.

“See,” Aubrey mumbled, nudging Stacie gently, “I’m not the only one who thinks so.”

Stacie’s Mom suddenly appeared in the doorway, out of breath from racing up the stairs, looking at the two women apologetically, “Sorry girl’s, I turned my back for two seconds and she was gone!”

Aubrey and Stacie both chuckled as they looked down at the two year old who swayed innocently on the spot before them. Stacie brought her hand out and affectionately slipped her fingers through her daughter’s long brown hair.

“That’s okay, Ma. We were just about to change out of our outfits.”

And Bella’s eyes widened again, “That’s what you’ll wear tonight with Bau-Bree?”

“Yeah kiddo, that’s what I’ll be wearing tonight with Bau-Bree.” Stacie said with a grin. A grin that softened a little as she looked up at her friend to see Aubrey already looking at her somewhat...affectionately. And it was that look that had Stacie’s stomach doing topsy-turvys. Because nobody had ever looked at her like that before. Not even Bella’s father.