#pre pp3

Beca shrugged her way into the small studio apartment that she shared with her two best friends, Fat Amy and Chloe. The pair were Beca’s former teammates back in Barden as they competed in acapella competitions, and now they were living together after their time in college.  

To say life was going terribly, would be an understatement.  

Beca was struggling to make a name for herself in the music world.  

Chloe was struggling to make it as a vet.  

And Amy... well, struggling wasn’t really her thing. But being unemployed was.  

With all this, Beca was left being the main ‘money maker’ of the house, which was incredibly stressful for her as she tried to keep them afloat. Chloe also provided with income, as she was working part time at a local café.  

Speaking of which, Beca glanced down at her phone. 5:55pm it read, which meant Chloe would soon be home from her shift at the café. Amy wouldn’t probably be back until late that night, Beca guessed.  

Yawning from the tiring day of work, Beca shuffled the scarf off from around her neck, setting it on the side chair with her bag, before falling onto the small fold out bed she and Chloe shared.  

She felt herself dozing off as she laid staring at the ceiling and no sooner had she done that, she felt the bed dip beside her.  

Mumbling at the interruption, she turned around to lay on her side in hopes of ignoring the presence beside her.  

“Beca...” Chloe cooed into her ear leaning over her. The redhead smiled watching the shorter girl huff. “Come on,” She eased, tapping her shoulder, “Wake up or you won’t sleep later.” She said before pulling back to set her bag beside the bed, slipping her shoes off in the process. She shrugged her jacket off and made her way towards the small kitchen.  

“What are we thinking tonight?” She asked to Beca, who was slowly sitting up into a seated position. Glancing over her shoulder, Chloe saw her shrug. “Pizza it is.” Chloe said, taking out a few bottles of water. “Catch!” She called over to Beca, throwing one at her.  

Beca only registered what she said a second too late as a bottle collided with her stomach. “Ahhh” she groaned, her face expressing that of pain... and betrayal as she stared at Chloe, who was trying to hold back her giggles as she approached the bed.  

“You bitch.” Beca exclaimed as Chloe shuffled in beside her. Chloe reached over to the armchair, grabbing Beca’s messenger bag and taking out the laptop inside. She booted it up, placing it in between them.  

She quickly ordered a pizza for them before going onto YouTube to play some music. Specifically, from an artist she recently fell upon; Hayley Kiyoko. ‘Feelings’ started playing from the Bluetooth speaker Beca owned.  

Beca had been messing around on her phone but she tipped her head up once the beginning chords played.  

“What’s this?” She asked, leaning up to glance at the screen. “Oh, I’ve heard of her before.” She said, “She’s pretty good.”  

“Yeah.” Chloe agreed, leaning back to lay against the head rest. “She was on my recommendation list on Spotify.” She explained.  

Beca found herself concentrating on the song and she couldn’t help but let her mind wander to thoughts surrounding the girl sat beside her, their knees touching as they listened to the song. As the brunette bobbed her head along with the beat, she thought about how madly in love with Chloe she was.  

But... Chloe could never feel the same. After all, Chloe was as straight as you could be. Or at least, that’s what Beca's been telling herself all these years.  

You see, Beca had been falling for the redhead ever since she met her. Yeah, there had been the whole Jesse thing that happened in her freshman year but that ended before it could even become super serious.  

Jesse was nice, Beca thought.  

But... Beca had had this eye-opening revelation that she wasn’t as straight as she thought.  

Okay, scratch that. She wasn’t straight, period.  

Beca was gay, okay?  

She figured it out not long after she a Jesse had become a “thing.”  

Ugh. She remembers how it felt like she was dating a brother.  

Gag.  

Thankfully, Jesse had been understanding, leaving them still good friends to this day, only thing is, he moved across the country after graduation.  

He apparently has a girlfriend and a cat.  

Beca was happy for him.  

And as Beca was having this little thought process, Chloe was having the same thing.  

You see, Chloe here, also was madly in love with the fun sized brunette who was currently sitting beside her. But to the redhead’s knowledge, she assumed Beca had no intention of ever liking her in that way. Chloe knew Beca was gay, the girl coming out to her years ago, but there was no way that Beca was even interested in her.  

I mean... she would have made a move by now, right?  

But Chloe can admit, she’d been questioning her sexuality in recent months. Having always had a crush on Beca for what seemed like a decade, was like a big clue that she wasn’t as straight as she once thought. Now of course she hadn’t voiced this to anyone, not even Aubrey, deciding she wished to figure it out herself. But as she sat on that fold out bed beside the girl she loved so very much, she just wished she could grab the girls face and bring her in for a deep kiss.  

But she couldn’t.  

Right?  

As the pair battled their own train of thought, they both failed to notice how they were staring directly at one another.  

And that they were slowly inching their faces closer.  

Damn, Hayley’s music was really doing something to them... She really is lesbian Jesus, huh?  

Suddenly the pair snapped out of their daze at the same time, both registering their current position.  

Yet, neither Beca nor Chloe moved an inch.  

They tested the waters to see if either would back out last minute.  

“Are you sure?” Beca heard herself questioning as her nose nudged the side of Chloe’s.  

“God yes.” Chloe breathed out, heart racing as she inched her face ever so slightly closer to Beca’s.

“I’m gonna kiss you no-” Beca’s words were muffled as Chloe’s lips bounced onto hers. Their lips unmoving for a few seconds as they relished in each other's touch, before Chloe changed the angle, deepening the kiss.  

Beca smirked into the kiss as Chloe pushed her back into the pillows behind, before leaning over her. She felt Chloe’s hands go to the base of her neck, playing with the stray baby hairs there. Beca’s hands warmed their way around the redhead’s waist pulling her in, so that she was completely on top of her.  

And it was only when the song came to an end that the kiss did as well. Beca being the one to pull back, her eyes still closed and a smile on her face.  

“Wow.” Was all she could say.  

Chloe mirrored the smile as they both opened their eyes to gaze at one another. And just before Chloe could even speak, Fat Amy bounced in through the door with a pizza in hand.  

“Oi pitches, thanks for the piz-” She paused as her eyes fell on her two friends’ current position. Shock was evident on her face before a beaming grin crept up.  

Its approximately 1:30am but I dont have to work tomorrow so I have a small gift for you. Mistakes are mine unbeta'd perusual. Been in a bit of a rough headspace the last few days so I thought I'd make it into something productive.

PrePP3 Beca and Chloe have a small apartment in NYC and have been dating since Beca and Jessie broke up appx 6months ago. Beca has anxiety and a horrible day at work

Beca felt the side of the bed dip and a cool hand pressed to her face before she registered Chloe had even walked in the front door. She'd had a panic attack. A lovely byproduct of her anxiety that reared its ugly head every now and then especially after a day like today.

She had slaved over an arrangement for a week trying to get the sound right for a very high profile client and just when she thought she had it, they ripped it to shreds right before her eyes. Hated every beat, every back up vocal, every harmony she had worked so hard to produce. She quit, stormed out of the studio and thankfully, made it home before the panic took over.

Doubt crept up from the back of her mind and took over her small frame like a looming shadow, she dug her fingers into the bathroom counter staring into the mirror.

Nothing you do is good enough.

Why cant you do anything right?

This is why no one wants you.

No, no, no. No.

Her brain scrambled against the flood but it felt as futile as climbing up a mudslide in the rain; eventually your legs give out and you're given no choice but to ride it out, hoping you're sliding down a hill and not a mountain.

She wondered into the bedroom, drew the curtains and curled up in bed reaching for only grounding object she could get her hands on; Chloe's favorite blanket. Winding it up in clenched fists, she buried her face into its familiar scent. The cotton soft against her cheek, took in every tear she had to offer without protest.

Beca wasn't sure when she'd fallen asleep or even how long she'd been out before she woke to the sinking of the mattress but she felt exhausted all the same. Like every inch of her had run a marathon and collapsed at the finish line. Chloe said nothing as she swept Beca's damp hair from her forehead, soft blue eyes taking stock of the broken girl in her bed.

Beca wanted to protest when Chloe moved away from the bed and out of the room. She called out to her muscles and screamed at them to reach for her but the just wouldn't. Frustrated tears welled at the edge of her stormy blue eyes as Chloe slipped back into the room a washcloth and water bottle in hand. She uncapped the bottle slipping a straw into the top and leaning over to Beca, eyes begging her to take even a small sip. Swallowing became her only goal and she managed four decent mouthfulls before her head fell back to the blanket beneath her.

She watched the crease in Chloes forehead soften just the slightest bit as she exchanged the bottle for the cloth on the bedside table. The cool cloth felt like ice on her overheated skin. Beca shuddered slightly, turning her head to look at Chloe directly. Chloe's gentle fingers rubbed away salty tracks from under her eyes, making sure to trace them all the way down her neck before tossing it to the floor and pulling the fragile girl against her chest.

Beca found enough energy to tighten a fist in the cotton of Chloe's undershirt, her scrubs haphaserdly thrown to the floor next to the damp cloth. Chloe's hands played with messy brown curls before stopping at the side of her neck. She watched the clock as she counted out Beca's pulse rate from the vein behind her ear, her thumb skipping gently across Beca's cheek. Satisfied with her findings she sunk down into the bed, looking Beca in the eye.

"Hey, pretty girl," a small smile pulled at her lips, her voice soft and quiet as if sound alone may shatter the small girl in her arms, "I know you're stuck in there right now," she whispered tapping Beca's temple lightly, "but I love you. From the sun to the stars."

Beca fought to push herself up, looking into soft blue eyes with a barely there smile she touched her lips to Chloe's. A silent and exhausted thank you past between them as she met Chloe's gaze. She kissed her again more firmly, holding Chloe's lips just a beat longer before ducking back into the safety of her chest, placing a kiss to her heart.

—————

A/N: Based on the song ‘If You Were Gay’ from the musical ‘Avenue Q’: https://youtu.be/BuR5YMyfeNI

—————

[Setting - Brooklyn. Beca, Chloe & Fat Amy’s studio apartment. Two years after graduation.]

[Beca is sat on the fold-out bed she shares with Chloe, watching ‘Wynonna Earp’ on her laptop. Fat Amy strides into the apartment and Beca scrambles to pause the TV show, then let’s out a sigh of relief when she sees it’s just Amy.]

Beca: Oh! Hey Amy. I thought you were Chloe..

Fat Amy: And that’d be a bad thing?

Beca: I um..

[Beca seems to hesitate, biting her bottom lip, then she rolls her eyes]

Beca: ..okay don’t tell Chloe but I’ve got stuck in the vortex that is binge-watching Wynonna Earp-

[Fat Amy gasps as she throws her bag onto her bed]

Beca: -and I know I know Chloe’s gonna go crazy if she finds out I’ve been watching it without her but it’s so good dude!!

[Fat Amy turns to her best friend and raises her eyebrows. Because she knows exactly why Beca watches that show, and it’s not for the CGI. It’s for the women. She’s heard Beca comment on many an occasion how hot the actresses are.]

Fat Amy: Admiring the acting huh?

[Beca seems to hesitate, looking down at her laptop screen, fidgeting a little uncomfortably, purposefully not looking at Fat Amy.]

Beca: Uh yeah...yeah of course...

Fat Amy: Mmmhmm..

[Fat Amy makes her way over to the tiny kitchen to make herself a hot chocolate. Beca frowns as she looks up from her laptop.]

Beca: Mmmhmm? What’s that supposed to mean?

Fat Amy: *shrugs* Nothing..

[Fat Amy sets everything up for a hot chocolate then waits for the milk to heat up.]

Fat Amy: Hey Beca, you’ll never guess what happened to me on the subway this morning. This girl was smiling at me and talking to me...

[Beca seems unimpressed and tries to ignore her, looking back down at her laptop.]

Beca: Mmm that’s very interesting.

Fat Amy: ...she was being really friendly to me and, ha, I think she was coming on to me...

[Beca furrows her brow, glancing to her left at nothing in particular, as if trying to process what Amy was suggesting. Amy, meanwhile, turns to lean her back against the kitchen worksurface and look at Beca on the fold-out bed.]

Fat Amy: ...I think she might have thought that I was gay!

[Amy raises her eyebrows but Beca doesn’t look at her, instead looking intently at her laptop again.]

Beca: *clears throat uncomfortably* So wh-why are you telling me this? Why should I care? I don’t care! What did you have for lunch today?

Fat Amy: You don’t have to get all defensive about it Be-

[Beca quickly snaps her head up to glare at Amy.]

Beca: -I’M NOT GETTING DEFENSIVE!

[Amy raises her eyebrows and Beca swallows loudly, shrugging, her voice softening but she still looks annoyed.]

Beca: Why should I care about some gay chick you met okay? I’m trying to watch TV.

Fat Amy: Well I didn’t mean anything by it Beca, I just think it’s something that we should be able to talk about.

Beca: Well I don’t want to talk about it Amy! This conversation is over.

Fat Amy: Yeah but Beca-

Beca: -OVER!!

Fat Amy: Well okay, but just so you know...

[Fat Amy turns and goes to add her warm milk to the hot chocolate mix.]

Fat Amy *sings*:

“If you were gay, that’d be okay. I mean cos hey, I’d like you anyway.”

[Beca looks up from her laptop at Amy with an unimpressed expression but Amy continues making her hot chocolate.]

“Because you see, if it were me, I would feel free to say that I was gay (but I’m not gay!)”

[Beca glares at her laptop screen, trying to ignore Amy when the Australian turns to grin at her, stirring her hot chocolate in her mug with a spoon.]

Beca: Amy, please, I’m trying to watch this show!

[After several pauses Beca looks up at Amy. Amy is grinning at her enthusiastically and Beca is confused by her expression.]

Beca: ...What...?

Fat Amy *sings*:

“If you were queer,”

[Beca groans and throws her face into her hands while Amy continues to sing.]

“I’d still be here,”

Beca: Amy I’m trying to watch this show!

“Year after year,”

Beca: Amy!!

“because you’re dear to me.”

[Beca groans again, staring intently at her laptop screen, but Amy has started to slowly walking towards Beca singing louder.]

“And I know that yooou,”

Beca: What?

“Would accept me tooo,”

Beca: I would?

“If I told you today ‘hey guess what, I’m gay!’ (but I’m not gay!)”

[Amy places her mug of hot chocolate down on Beca’s bedside table and plonks herself down on the fold-out bed.]

Fat Amy *sings*:

“I’m happyyy just being with yooou!”

[Fat Amy throws her arm around her best friend’s shoulders and rocks her from side to side merrily. Beca is highly unimpressed.]

Beca: *mutters to distract herself from how embarrassing Amy is being* Chloe will be home in an hour. Just an hour. Just one hour to go-

Fat Amy *sings*:

“So what does it matter to me what you do in bed with girls?”

[Beca screws her face up]

Beca: Amy that is wrong!

Fat Amy: No it’s not!

[Fat Amy stands, grinning at her best friend enthusiastically]

Fat Amy *sings loudly*:

“If you were gay, I’d shout HOORAY! And here I’d stay-“

[Beca brings her fingers up to her ears to block them while she scrunches her eyes closed.]

Beca: -Lalalalalaaa!

“But I wouldn’t get in your way.”

[Beca watches in horror as the door to the apartment opens and Chloe arrives home, stunned by Fat Amy’s singing. The Australian doesn’t notice and instead begins to do some sort of can-can dance with jazz hands.]

“You can count on meee, to always beee”

Beca: Amy please stop!

“Beside you every day, to tell you it’s okay, you were just born that way, and as they say it’s in your DNA,”

[Beca’s hands are holding her brown hair back in dispair while she looks at Chloe who is looking at Amy with an amused expression, still stood motionless in the doorway of their apartment.]

“You’re gaaaaaay!”

[Chloe’s mouth drops open and Beca panics, holding her hands out at Amy to try to get her to stop.]

Beca: I am not gay!!!

[Fat Amy fortunately stops singing and holds her index finger up to make a point.]

Fat Amy: If you were gay!

[Beca throws her hands back to her face, mortified because she actually has a huge crush on Chloe but hasn’t found the confidence to even slightly brooch the subject with the redhead, even though they share a bed and flirt like crazy. Fat Amy is slightly out of breath from all the singing and dancing. She turns and notices Chloe in the doorway.]

Fat Amy: Oh, hey Chloe..

[Chloe closes the door cautiously behind her, smiling awkwardly at Fat Amy then at Beca. Beca is peering at her from between her fingers.]