Chapter Text
Beca knew Chloe’s routine like the back of her hand so finding a time in which to safely leave the present was fairly easy but the execution was a little more difficult. So maybe deciding to do it while Chloe was in the shower was a little risky but oh well too late for that. Beca knew that she had exactly 16 minutes before Chloe would get out of the shower which theoretically should have been enough time had no one interrupted her plan.
“Beca?” Emily called the second Beca reached for Chloe’s doorknob.
“Em? What are you doing here?” Beca swirls around quickly and smacking her backpack against the wall. She winced but hoped all was well with the contents of her bag.
“Dropping off my gift,” Emily mumbled awkwardly.
“Right,” Beca mumbled. “Um, is there something you wanted?”
“Oh, yeah. I just wanted to ask you about something,” Emily stammered out.
“And that is,” Beca drifted off trying to speed up the pace of the conversation.
“Oh. I was wondering if you’d listen to the song I wrote?”
“Sure, Em. Just another time, yeah. I have a final in like a half hour and need to do some last minute stuff before,” Beca replied.
“Of course. Yeah. Thanks,” Emily mumbled quickly with the nod of her head. “Good luck on your finals.”
“You too, Legacy,” Beca called back quietly as the younger girl descended the stairs. She checked the time quickly and knew that it was going to be a little risky because sometimes the redhead cut her showers short. But this was the best time to do this. It had to be done today after all it is officially the third anniversary of the day Beca realized her feelings. No biggie.
Beca pressed her ear against the door to make sure that she could still hear the shower running. Once she was sure of that she slipped through the door as quickly and quietly as she could manage. She crept towards the bed while unzipping her bag and honestly she should have thought that part out because the sound of the zipper seemed to fill the room. She stopped for a moment taking in a deep breath and checking for any sound of Chloe before removing the picture frame from her bag. Beca placed the frame flat on top of her already made bed before digging in her bag for the smaller box. She took another deep breath as she positioned that in the arms of Chloe’s favorite bear.
Beca’s smile of contentment was cut short when the water shut off in the bathroom. Panic ran through her as she threw her backpack over her shoulder and bolted for the door. She opened it quickly and stopped just long enough to make sure the door would close softly as she left. Then she bolted upstairs to her room to collapse onto her bed in order to calm her racing heart. She breathed out a sigh of relief because despite that minor bump her mission was a success.
//
Chloe just knew that she heard someone in her room. She knew it. So it really wasn’t that much of a surprise to find the present sitting on her bed. She unwrapped it happily and was totally blown away by the sheer thoughtfulness put into the picture frame. Once she set that aside she went about her morning routine like she usually did not realizing that there was another present on her bed waiting to be unwrapped.
It was when she adjusted her blankets and pillows that she noticed the smaller box positioned in her teddy bear’s arms.
“How did I almost miss you? Thanks Ted,” Chloe whispered patting the teddy bear’s head lightly as she took the present into her hands. “Now let’s see what this little guy is.”
Chloe unwrapped the little box with a smile on her face that grew impossibly wider when she opened the box to pull out a silver treble clef. She held the pendant in her hand a read out the inscription, “If music be the food of love, play on.”
“Ted, this is adorable,” Chloe mumbled with a tear sliding down her cheek. “It’s beautiful. I’m never going to take it off.”
The redhead wiped the tears that were rolling down her cheeks before pulling her hair into a messy bun. She unclasped the necklace and put it around her neck securing it once it was in place moments later. She played with the treble clef running her fingers over it in complete adoration for several minutes before she was able to pull her emotions together long enough to leave her room.
//
“Where’d that come from?” Stacie asks in gesture to the redhead’s necklace that was dangling in obvious view of the other.
“My secret santa,” Chloe chirped as she poured the boiling water into her mug.
“That seems way out of budget but it’s beautiful. Do you know who it’s from?” Stacie questions with a raise of her eyebrows.
“No idea,” Chloe hums between pouring sugar into her tea. But right then it clicked with her. There was only one person who would go this far out of budget for her. There was only one person that, despite never admitting it, would be this sentimental. And that one person would want it to remain anonymous for sure.
“Well, whoever it was I wish I had them as my Secret Santa. We all know I’d love to get downright spoiled with something like that,” Stacie mumbles before vanishing from the kitchen. Chloe smiled to herself before taking a sip of her perfectly made tea.
The rest of the morning went about the same as her conversation with Stacie. Each of the Bellas would point out the necklace and chatter about it but no one really knew who it could be from. There was some minor speculation but most the girls dropped it entirely after a few guesses and Chloe entertained the whole thing because really how could she not.
//
“So, Ms. Secret Santa, I guess you’re not one for budgets, huh?” Chloe whispered standing at the top of the stairs in Beca’s room. The other girl shot around in her chair and the sudden interruption and stared at her.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Beca mumbled turning back towards her laptop.
“Sure you don’t,” Chloe teased taking a few steps closer to her. “So, what’s it really mean?”
“What? Dude, it wasn’t me,” Beca threw her hands up at the accusation.
“Tsk tsk, Mitchell. You should know better than to lie to me,” Chloe tutted.
“I’m not,” Beca started only to have Chloe cut her off with a finger being held up to her lips.
“You are,” Chloe decided with a shake of her head. “Now, what’s it really mean.”
“How’d you know?”
“Ha,” Chloe screamed jumping up and down. “I was right. And because it’s you, Becs. I know you.”
“Right, yeah,” Beca whispered sounding oddly disappointed in being caught. The redhead settled down and offered her a soft smile.
“What’s the meaning behind it though? I know there is another one, Becs, just tell me,” Chloe begged with puckered lips that made Beca laugh.
“I dunno,” Beca started with a sigh. “It was just really you and I couldn’t really resist it.”
“There’s more than that and you know it. Why today? Why this quote?” Chloe practically demanded. She was goading her on, sure but what other way was she going to get Beca to say what she needed her to.
“Because,” Beca dragged out. “I just thought today would be a good day. And as for the quote it’s true. We’ve talked about it before.”
“You and I both know damn well when we talked about this quote last,” Chloe interrupted harshly. “Three years ago on this day I came into your room at like 3 am going on an existential talk about love and music and their connection.”
“I know,” Beca mumbled with her head down.
“You remember?”
“Of course I do,” Beca responds sounding offended at the potential of her not remembering something like that. “It was the day I realized I was in love with you, okay? I wouldn’t ever forget it.”
“And there it is,” Chloe said with a smile.
“What?”
“I just needed to hear you say it, Becs. And I’m in love with you too,” Chloe announces her voice dropping lower than usual at the admission.
“You do?” Beca questions.
“Of course I do,” Chloe responded easily. “Have been for a long time.”
“I feel kind of dumb now,” Beca mumbles her head dropping down again.
“Hey,” Chloe whispers using her finger to lift Beca’s head back up again. “No need to feel dumb. It’s okay.”
“I know. It just - I could have said something sooner. I should have said something sooner,” Beca replies trying to avoid eye contact with the other girl.
“Becs, look at me. Everything happens for a reason, okay?”
“Okay,” Beca decides. “Can you just kiss me now so I stop talking?”
“I can definitely do that,” Chloe laughs as she leans closer to the younger girl. “Thank you by the way.”
“Twas no problem,” Beca whispers as she closes the distance between them. And damn this moment could almost make up for the wait and hey at least it’ll make one hell of a story one day.
//
It was the music, wasn't it? The music connected them. The music brought them together. The music fed their loves over all these years. And it's the music that finally brought them together. Like together together. And it was something that would always connect them even when they were apart. The music ran through their veins and fed their love. Their love for each other and for everything else in their lives. They had the music to thank for everything in their lives.
If music be the food of love, play on.