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Chapter Text

Chloe leans against a wall outside of Beca’s lecture building, laden down with several heavy bags that contained another couple of sets of Russian Lit books. It’s Thursday. They always walk home together after lectures on Thursday’s. It’s the only day their lectures coincide with one another’s. 

On Monday’s Chloe walked back with Jessica & Ashley. Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s was Stacie. Occasionally she had a study group on Fridays which coincided with Stacie’s ballet class and the two would bump into each other on the walk home. But Thursdays were reserved for Beca and only Beca.

“Nice top”, a man’s voice rang out to her and Chloe looked up at the stranger who stood before her. He was smiling kindly at her so, in true polite Chloe form, she smiled back. 

“Thanks!” She said in her usual enthusiastic way, tugging the hem of it with her free hand so it straightened out for him to see properly. It was of Wonder Woman. The most badass of superheroes. Beca bought it for her last Christmas. 

“It really brings out the blue in your eyes.” The young man complimented. Chloe had to admit, he was really cute. Tall, blonde, with eyes as blue as hers. 

“That’s why one of my girlfriends bought it for me. Or so she said..” Chloe grinned, because it had been bought as part of ‘secret santa’ with her fellow girlfriends, her fellow Bella’s. “Oh speaking of…” she trailed off and the young man followed her gaze. 

Beca scuttled down the steps of her lecture building with a sigh, rolling her eyes as she arrived by Chloe’s side, “Sorry I’m late. My class had to keep asking questions…” 

Chloe said nothing, instead beaming at her best friend who, without prompting, took a couple of Chloe’s heavy-looking bags and threw them over her own shoulder. She was petite, but strong. And Chloe squeezed her upper arm briefly in thanks. 

The young man who had been watching seemed to hesitate, “Oh…um…I’m sorry I didn’t realise…um…you were…and her…” he motioned between Chloe and Beca, both of whom stared at him in confusion as he turned on his heels and strode away. 

“Okaaay…that was weird.” Beca said, furrowing her brow, unphased by Chloe who happily plucked a couple of Beca’s loose brown hair from the sleeve of her jacket. 

The two friends then began their traditional Thursday wander home.

Chapter Text

Beca stood at the small ice cream kiosk, tapping her fingertips impatiently on the counter. She glanced at her phone in her hand and sighed. She still had an hour before she had to meet Jesse. Why did she come onto campus so early?

“Becs! Hey!” A bubbly voice sounded from the back of the queue behind her, and Beca looked over her shoulder. She saw Chloe waving at her eagerly and Beca raised her eyebrows in recognition, giving her friend a nod hello. “Are you getting ice cream?” The redhead asked.

“Trying to…” Beca said sarcastically, looking behind the counter for any sign of a staff member who might be able to serve her. This received a couple of sniggers from other members of the queue and Beca turned back to her friend, surprised to see that Chloe hadn’t joined her yet.

“Are you getting ice cream?” She called out to her friend.

“Well obviously, why else would I be here?” Chloe grinned. Because secretly she’d seen Beca walk in here a couple of minutes before her and she wanted an excuse to hang out with her before the brunette met up with her boyfriend. “So what are you doing back there, loser? Come to the front so I can get you an ice cream!” Beca said, waving her friend over, but the redhead shook her head.

“I can’t just cut in front of all these people Becs!”

“It’s not cutting if these people let you come to the front.” Beca said, but the woman remained at the back of the queue. So Beca rolled her eyes at how ridiculous her friend was being and let out a sigh, “Okay if you won’t stand next to me then at least tell me what you want me to order for you.”

“If you want to join your girlfriend at the front, I really don’t mind” said the middle-aged woman in front of Chloe.

“Oh…um…” the redhead stuttered. The young couple stood ahead of the middle-aged woman nodded their encouragement too.

“Yeah we don’t mind either.”

“Me either,” said the man behind Beca who was stood by his wife. 

And so Chloe sheepishly made her way to the front of the queue, smiling her thanks to the members of the queue who had been stood between herself and Beca. The wife of the man stood behind them smiled sweetly and whispered, “I think it’s great what you two are doing by the way. Our daughter just came out as gay but she and her girlfriend refuse to be seen out in public together for fear of the backlash.”

Beca gulped loudly because she had no idea where this woman had got the impression that she and Chloe were…lesbians. The two friends naturally stepped apart slightly, not wanting to fuel any more assumptions.

“Oh…no…we’re not…we don’t…” Beca stuttered feeling flustered as she looked from the woman to her friend, whose cheeks had turned pink in embarrassment. Chloe was staring intently at the board where all the ice cream flavours were displayed. But before Beca could protest any further, a member of staff finally appeared.

“Hi! Sorry to keep you waiting. What can I get for you?”

“Yeah I’ll get one scoop of chocolate brownie, and one scoop of strawberry cheesecake” Beca answered quickly, relieved that the potential awkward conversation with the customer behind her was over.

“One brownie, one strawberry cheesecake. Got it.” The cashier said, and he looked at Chloe with a polite smile, “And for your girlfriend?”

“Oh…she’s not-”

“We’re doing a buy one get one free deal on ice cream for couples this week, to celebrate our manager’s engagement to her boyfriend.” The cashier said brightly, pointing to a sign to their right that explained that exact information.

Beca seized the opportunity to save herself a few dollars, and immediately snaked her arm around Chloe’s waist, much to Chloe’s surprise.

“She’s not…uum…made a decision yet!” Beca thought she’d quickly rectified. Fortunately the cashier seemed to clock onto their plan, but drew no attention to it, instead turning back to Chloe who had giggled and placed an arm around Beca’s shoulders, informing her she had made a decision.

“Can I get one scoop of lemon swirl and one scoop of raspberry delight please!”

“Sure. That’ll be $3 please.” 

Within minutes Beca and Chloe were leaving the ice cream kiosk, hand in hand, laughing at the mastery of their quick-thinking plan to get a cheap ice cream.

Chapter Text

It was only on a very rare occasion that Beca would ever be out and about with both her boyfriend Jesse, and one of her best friends Fat Amy. Yet here she was, queuing inside the movie theatre, ready to see yet another dumb sci-fi movie picked by her boyfriend (”Guardians of the Galaxy is going to be amazing though Beca! Said to be the best movie of 2014. Trust me, you’ll love it!”).

Beca’s only consolation was the popcorn that was served in huge portions and was always warm. Delicious. Plus Jesse always paid. Bonus. So there the three of them stood, patiently waiting their turn to be served at the snack kiosk.

Jesse reeled off their usual order (”Two large sweet popcorns and an extra large coke to share”) but just as he reached into his back pocket he froze, furrowing his brow. Beca, who was already somewhat moody to be spending a Friday evening partaking in her least favourite activity, rolled her eyes, “What are you doing, idiot? Just give the guy the money and lets go!”

But Jesse had begun feeling in his jacket pockets, his expression dropping, “Shit! I forgot my wallet!”

“Ha-ha very funny…” Beca said in an un-amused tone, but the young man continued to panic.

“I-I’m serious Beca! I left my wallet at home!”

“Wha-? How did you get the tickets if you forgot your wallet?” Fat Amy asked, clearly just as confused as Beca, who now had her arms crossed over her stomach impatiently.

“I picked them up this afternoon and just put them in my pocket!” Jesse said with a sigh, and motioned to Beca, “You’re gonna have to pay, babe.”

Beca grimaced at the nickname that he still insisted on calling her, despite her protests, but right now she was caught up in how annoyed she was with him. 

Great, so not only was she forced to come here, she now also had to pay for their snacks?! Beca rolled her eyes, sighed heavily, and pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket. She had no money on her, but she kept her cards in her phone case. Except, as Beca rifled through them, she couldn’t see her bank card.

“Ugh great. I don’t have my bank card on me.” she said, turning her back on the cashier on purpose. She saw Jesse furrowing his brow as he looked down at her collection of cards.

“What do you mean you don’t have your bank card on you?” He asked.

“I dunno, Chloe had it last night and must’ve forgotten to give it back to me.” Beca said with a shrug while she put the cards back in her phone case.

“What was Chloe doing with your bank card??” Jesse asked, his tone noticeably lower. More brooding. But before Beca could respond, Fat Amy interjected.

“They’re always borrowing each others bank cards.”

“They are?” Jesse asked in surprise, looking to Beca who didn’t really think it was such a big deal, “So Chloe knows your passcode?”

“Well yeah, how else is she going to use it?” Beca said with a furrowed brow and a small grin, wondering why Jesse was acting so weird. 

“Because…well I don’t even know your passcode! And I’m your boyfriend!” 

“Chill out dude, it’s just money.” Beca said, become somewhat defensive.

“Yeah but Beca it’s your money! Not Chloe’s! Why is she spending your money?”

“I spend her money all the time, it’s only fair she’s allowed to spend mine too!” Beca protested, and the couple hadn’t noticed the awkward glances from the people around them, Fat Amy included.

“Beca, friends don’t use other friends’ bank cards, only married couples do!” Jesse tried to reason, and while Beca could think of so many ways to answer, Fat Amy unfortunately got there first.

“Well they do kinda act like wives around each other in The Bellas house…” the Australian said before looking guiltily at the couple who turned to her. Jesse looked confused. Beca looked annoyed.

“What does that mean?” Jesse asked as he turned back to Beca. But in all honesty, she had no idea. Sure the Bellas had joked on many an occasion that Beca and Chloe spent a lot of time together. That they shared everything. That they bickered but in an odd affectionate sort of way. Just like they would if they were married. Chloe had even called Beca her ‘wife’ jokingly one day, and Beca had actually found it quite funny. But she never thought of it as an issue until she caught her boyfriend’s eyes.

“It doesn’t mean anything Jesse! You know what The Bellas are like!” she said defensively, but her boyfriend scoffed.

“Beca, you and Chloe are essentially sharing a bank account!” 

“No we’re not!”

“Yes you are!”

“We have a bank account each, so no we’re not!” Beca yelled.

“You have two bank accounts between you that you both use! You’re in more of a relationship with her then you are with me!!” Jesse yelled finally, and suddenly their expressions dropped as they realised the lobby they were stood in had gone quiet. The couple cleared their throats. 

“Uhh…” Fat Amy began with a long high-pitched drawl, “Why don’t I pay for these and you two…take a seat in the theatre maybe…?” she suggested, stepping between them holding a $20 note and handing it to the cashier, who seemed to have turned pale due to the intensity of the quarrelling couple.

“You’re ridiculous.” Beca muttered under her breath to her boyfriend as they walked side-by-side into the movie theatre.

“Yeah well at least I’m not in denial about my feelings for my best friend.” he retorted in a grumpy tone and that was the last straw. Beca turned on the spot and made her way back out of the theatre, “Hey, where are you going?” Jesse called after her, but she didn’t turn to look at him, instead responding in a loud, angry, sarcastic voice:

“Home to my wife!”

And Beca stormed past Fat Amy who had a bucket of popcorn in each arm. The Australian turned back to Jesse who was rolling his eyes and she shrugged before making her way into the movie theatre and taking the seat next to the Trebles captain.

Chapter Text

Beca stormed through the door of the radio station. She’d wanted to go home but she was in a rage. A rage with Jesse, a rage with herself, a rage with the situation. The Bellas would be home, Chloe included, and Beca couldn’t deal with trying to explain to the redhead why she was home so early from the movies.

She noticed Luke sat in the booth and tried to duck out of his line of sight but she wasn’t fast enough. The tall, handsome blonde man stepped out of the booth with a furrowed brow.

“You okay there Becky?” He asked and Beca winced internally - she hated that nickname he gave her. It wasn’t that he did it on purpose to wind her up either. It was that he probably just didnt care about her. Which the brunette was cool with. “You DO know it’s not Sunday right?”

Sunday was Beca’s shift at the station. She shrugged, “I was uh…I was just passing.” That was a lie, and she wondered if Luke could tell. But the man pointed at her.

“Listen, I was going through some of the discs earlier and found this…” Luke stepped back into the booth, picked something up and came back out. It was a post-it note and Beca furrowed her brow as he held it out to her, “…is it one of yours?”

Beca looked down at the paper in her hands and immediately recognised the handwriting as being that of Chloe’s. The redhead had written what looked to be some song lyrics, “Uh yeah it’s…just a note from my best friend…she leaves notes like this for me all the time.”

As she looked back up she noticed Luke raise his eyebrows, “The redhead?”

“Yeah, Chloe…”

“The one who always brings you lunch during your shift?”

“Yeah”

“The one who sits with you while you eat it?”

“Yeah”

“The one that always stares at you?”

“Sh-She…DOESN’T stare at me!” Beca stuffs the post-it in her pocket as Luke reaches up to hang from the doorframe by his fingers.

“Well I wouldn’t worry Becky, you stare at her too.” Luke said with a shrug, but Beca’s jaw had dropped.

“I don’t-”

“Hey it’s cool. I’m not going to fire you because you’re a lesbian-”

“I’m not a le-”

“-or because your girlfriend sits with you when you eat your lunch-”

“She’s not my gir-”

“-I just want to remind you of the rule. No sex in the booth. No matter what your sexuality.”

Beca clamped her mouth shut, still in shock that Luke was insinuating that she and Chloe were a couple. What WAS it with people presuming that they were a couple?? The man gave her a wink and returned to his seat in the booth to link the song that had been playing to the song that was up next.

Chapter Text

Beca walked into the Bellas house with a heavy sigh. What a weird night. First Jesse accused her of being in more of a relationship with Chloe than him, then Luke presumed she and Chloe were a couple.

They weren’t a couple!

Sure they shared a shelf in the fridge, which meant they often ended up eating each other’s food. They walked to and from classes alone together every Thursday (and so what if that was what got Beca through her longest day at college?). Sure they trusted each other with their bank cards. And so what if Beca was the ONLY Bella that Chloe would allow her parents to insure on her car?

So what if they’d taken advantage of Barden University’s ‘couples Gym membership offer’ at the beginning of the semester? (It made good sense to join together and take advantage of the $120 saving!). And sure, the Bellas had nicknamed them ‘aca-wives’, but that was just something that Beca & Chloe found funny. So what if they were both the 'emergency contacts’ for every member of the Bellas? (They’d only had to dash up to the Emergency Dept twice this year - both for Fat Amy). And sure, maaaybe the armchair in the corner of the lounge was now dubbed 'The Aca-Mom’s Chair’ because it was the chair Beca & Chloe always seemed to comfortably shared during Bellas movie nights - another thing that Beca & Chloe found funny.

But that didn’t mean they were a couple!

Beca had every intention of dashing up to her bedroom, to avoid any interrogation from Chloe as to why she was home from her trip to the movies with Jesse, but just as she was about to ascend the staircase she saw Chloe wandering down them. The redhead jumped as she saw Beca at the bottom and smiled at her.

“Hey Becs!” She said in a cheery voice, then she furrowed her brow, “Weren’t you supposed to be at the movies with Jesse?”

Beca hesitated for a moment. She’d been kinda distracted by the way Chloe’s new glasses framed her face so well. Those glasses that Chloe had been told she needed to wear any time her eyes felt tired. Those glasses that Beca had had to go and help Chloe pick out because Beca was the most honest person Chloe knew apparently…

The redhead walked past Beca and began wandering through to the kitchen with an empty plate and mug in her hands. Beca found herself following her.

“Uhh yeah.” Beca began, “We kinda had a fight.”

Chloe looked up from the dishwasher she’d just opened, “Oh?” Beca shrugged and Chloe resumed her attention on putting her plate and mug in the machine, “Wanna talk about it?”

Beca hesitated again as she hopped up onto a clean space on the counter beside the fridge and swung her legs gently, “Not really…”

She watched as Chloe closed the dishwasher and gave her an “are you sure?” look, and Beca gave her an “I’m fine” look. It wasn’t uncommon for them to be able to communicate simply by looks.

Chloe began rummaging in the fridge, “Oh by the way I ordered a new phone charger on Amazon…” that was another thing Beca & Chloe shared. An Amazon Prime account. The account was in Beca’s name though. “…so I’ll transfer you the money when I get back upstairs.”

Beca shrugged, “Transfer the money whenever.” She never minded Chloe using her bank details when the redhead ordered things from Amazon. Like she’d said to Jesse, they shared money all the time. There had been just as many occasions when Beca had used Chloe’s bank details for things. It was just the way they were.

Chloe placed a watermelon on the work surface beside Beca, “So tomorrow I was thinking we do rehearsals in the garden?” Chloe suggested as she pulled out a knife and began chopping the watermelon up, “The weather’s supposed to be really nice and it’d be good for us to all get a bit of Vitamin D.”

“Yeah sounds like a good idea” Beca said as Chloe handed her a slice of watermelon. Beca took it automatically without really processing that Chloe had cut her a piece.

“And then there’s the Treble’s party in the evening.” Chloe said as she cut herself a slice of watermelon, “Will you and Jesse be alright by then?”

Beca began tucking into her slice of watermelon and shrugged again, “Probably…” she said with her mouth full. She rolled her eyes slightly, “Ugh this is good watermelon. Why do I never buy watermelon??”

Chloe smiled as she took a mouthful of her own, “Because you always eat mine!”

“Admit it Beale, you’d never eat a whole watermelon to yourself! You need me!” Beca said with a chuckle and Chloe giggled, nudging Beca’s knee with her hip.

“You’re right, I do need you!” and they both grinned at each other while eating their watermelon together.

They WEREN’T a couple.

Chapter Text

“Right turn here, RIGHT TURN HERE!!” Chloe snapped at Beca who sat in the driver’s seat as they drove past yet another opportunity to turn down the correct street.

“Chloe how many times do I have to tell you to tell me when to turn BEFORE WE GET TO THE TURNING!!” Beca yelled at her best friend who sat in the passenger seat beside her.

Beca and Chloe stared furiously out of the front window. Cynthia-Rose and Stacie were sat in silence in the back of Chloe’s car while Beca drove, and looked awkwardly at each other.

“Fine,” Chloe said in a frustrated voice as she looked at the ‘Google Maps’ on her phone, “Beca, coming up in ahead is a right turn. Please take it.”

“No need for the sass, Beale…” Beca growled as she indicated to turn right.

“Well if you’d turned right back then when I’d TOLD you, then we wouldn’t be late in picking Emily up…” Chloe muttered sharply to her co-captain.

Emily Junk was the newest recruit to the Barden Bellas. It had only been three weeks since she had joined but Beca & Chloe had already become like parental figures to her. The rest of The Bellas had happily dubbed themselves 'Aca-Aunts’, something that Emily had revealed to them made her feel like she really had joined a family.

“There she is!” Chloe said loudly, pointing over Beca’s eye-line at the figure of the tall eighteen year old who was stood awkwardly at the side of the street, her hand held up to block to sun.

“Chloe get your fucking hand out of the way!!” Beca yelled, slapping her best friend’s hand away from her face, trying to find a safe place to stop the car, “I could’ve crashed!”

“Oh stop being so dramatic, you wouldn’t have crashed..” Chloe said, rolling her eyes as Beca brought the car to a stop.

“I could’ve done! Then your dad would’ve gone ape-shit at me for crashing his car!” Beca protested.

Stacie had scooted over to the middle seat at the back of the car while Emily opened the back door. The youngest Bella slid into the free seat behind Chloe and looked somewhat perplexed as the co-captains bickered in the front of the car.

“He’d never go ape-shit at you Beca, he loves you!” Chloe said, shaking her head at how ridiculous her best friend was being. Beca began driving off.

“Even so, I saw how he reacted when your brother crashed his car last summer…”

“Ethan was being an idiot-”

“-Ethan accidentally hit a deer and damaged your dad’s car beyond repair!”

“Yeah because he was angry and wasn’t concentrating on the road!”

“And you think swinging your hand in front of my face while I’m driving wouldn’t make me so angry that I’d stop concentrating on the road?!”

Emily turned to Stacie and Cynthia-Rose nervously, “Um…are they always like this?” she asked in a quiet voice and the two women nodded.

“Why do you think we came along with them to pick you up?” Cynthia-Rose said.

“Yeah it wouldn’t be fair for you to experience this for the first time alone…” Stacie added.

The three Bellas in the back of the car looked ahead at Beca & Chloe who were now scowling in silence as they looked out the front window of the car. It wasn’t unusual for them to bicker like a married couple. Especially in the car.

Chapter Text

Emily Junk strode into the Bellas house with a beaming bright smile, closely followed by an older woman who looked an awful lot like her, “This way Mom” she said excitably as Katherine Junk took a look of wonder around at the house they’d just walked into.

The daughter and mother wandered through to the back of the house towards the large kitchen.

“Hey Bellas!” Emily called out in glee, and nine out of ten of the Bellas within gave her a loud jolly greeting of “hello!” while they all stood around making or eating their respective dinners. The only Bella missing was Beca, the one Bella Emily had secretly hoped she could introduce her mother to, “This is my Mom. Mom, these are the Bellas!”

Chloe immediately dropped her spoon into her soup bowl with a clatter, her smile beaming at the older woman. “THE Katherine Junk?” Katherine nodded politely and Chloe strode forward to shake her hand, “Oh my God it is an HONOUR to meet you!”

The other Bellas rolled their eyes at Chloe’s enthusiasm but Katherine appeared to find it quite endearing and simply chuckled, “You must be Chloe. Emily’s told me a lot about you.” and the woman seemed to scan her eyes across the room before looking back at the redhead.

Twenty minutes passed and Chloe was mid-way through explaining their embarrassing predicament with Worlds and a rival German acapella group when the front door opened and shut. “That’ll be Beca…” Chloe said as she stood from the kitchen table and made her way to the fridge to pull out a bowl of soup from the shelf she and Beca shared.

True enough, as Chloe put the bowl of soup in the microwave, Beca slinked into kitchen and seemed surprised to see everyone there, “Oh. Hey everyone..” Her eyes immediately landed on Emily’s mother but she was given no time to question who the stranger was.

“Beca this is THE Katherine Junk!” Chloe said excitably as she took Beca’s bag from her shoulder and reached in to pull out her empty lunch box.

“Oh…wow…” Beca said, stepping forward to shake Katherine’s hand with an awkward grin, “Emily’s mom, right?”

“Right.” Katherine said with a smile. Flo and Ashley stood up from the table to clear their respective dinner plates and Beca took a seat.

“I can only imagine the enthusiastic greeting Chloe gave you…” Beca said in a deadpan voice and the Bellas and Katherine chuckled while Chloe rolled her eyes, “…sorry about that.” Beca said apologetically.

But Mrs Junk was busy watching Chloe, who was happily testing the temperature of the soup she’d just pulled out of the microwave, deciding it needed another minute, before putting it back in. Beca, meanwhile, stood up from the table again and walked over to Chloe, leaning past her right shoulder and opening a cupboard. She pulled out a loaf of bread but Chloe nudged her, saying quietly, “I’ve already cut you some bread…”

Beca put the loaf back and picked up the plate that Chloe was holding out to her, muttering a “thanks” with a nonchalant smile before returning to the table. Katherine was watching it all with a knowing smile while Emily explained animatedly about their upcoming performance at an old people’s home.

Chloe had decided the soup was now hot enough and darted over to the table, putting the hot bowl down in front of Beca who said a quick “thanks” before tucking in, dipping her buttered bread into the hot broth. Chloe filled her a glass of water then took the seat beside Beca, a slice of watermelon in her hand.

The minutes continued and conversations of Worlds began. And throughout that time Katherine found herself watching the two co-captains and their interactions.

Beca was a prickly sort, obviously tired from a long day, and while many of the Bellas chose not to talk directly to her (an obvious sign that Beca must have laid down some ground rules of when it was best to talk to her) Chloe seemed to ignore it all. The redhead tried to include Beca in the conversation by asking her to confirm what she’d just said, and Beca would obediently just nod and say “yes” or “she’s right”. The brunette didn’t seem to mind at all.

Once Beca finished her soup, she reached to her left, picked up a slice of watermelon from in front of Chloe and began eating it. Katherine was surprised. When she’d been living with her college girlfriends none of them ate each other’s food without asking. But Beca and Chloe seemed to have plenty of unspoken communication, and the Bellas around them appeared to be used to it.

So as Beca leant towards Chloe and mumbled into her ear, “This is REALLY good watermelon!“and Chloe grinned, nodding in agreement, Katherine smiled.

Because even if they weren’t officially a couple yet, there would be no doubt they eventually would be…

Chapter Text

“Are you coming to mine again this year Becs?” Chloe called out towards the kitchen as she heaved a large suitcase onto one of the couches in the lounge. Ashley, Jessica, Emily and Stacie were sat around the dining table making Christmas cards and looked up at each other with furrowed brows and curious smiles.

“Beca?” Chloe called out again, this time walking into the kitchen to find that there were only four Bellas in there, “Oh. Sorry, I was just looking for Be-”

“-Beca, yeah we guessed.” Ashley said with a grin, and Chloe let out a short sigh as she walked up to the fridge and tugged the door open.

“Well have any of you seen her today?” Chloe asked as she began pulling the contents of hers & Beca’s shelf out onto the work surface beside the fridge.

“I saw her skip out early when I came back from my run?” Jessica said and the four Bellas watched Chloe pause with her head in the fridge. It was 3pm. That meant Beca had been out almost eight hours. On a Saturday!

“Have you tried calling her?” Stacie asked.

Chloe began placing more food on the work surface, “Um..no..its just she’s normally texted me by now.”

“Have you tried asking Amy where she is?” Emily suggested, but Chloe looked at them over her shoulder and frowned.

“Why would Amy know where she is and not me?” And the Bellas shrugged. The girl had a point, The Bellas hadn’t dubbed Beca & Chloe ‘Aca-wives’ for no reason..

“Well she IS Beca’s roommate? Maybe Beca told her where she was going today?” Stacie said but Chloe looked unsure, and at the same time a little hurt. Suddenly the front door opened then closed and Chloe looked up hopefully.

“Beca??” She called out, and the recognisable sound of Beca’s exhausted sigh echoed through the lounge and into the kitchen. Beca appeared at the doorway dressed smartly, giving them all a polite grin. Chloe looked unimpressed, “Where have you been? I was worried.”

“I was at the station.”

“For eight hours?” Chloe asked with a frown, “You never do daytime hours at the station!”

Beca slowly wandered over to the food on the side that Chloe had delved out of the fridge, “It’s Christmas.” she said with a shrug.

“And you’re a senior! I thought seniors didn’t have to pull the unpaid overtime?” Chloe’s voice was getting a little more stressed and Beca could sense it, so held her hands up in defence.

“I was happy to do it!”

Tears began welling up in Chloe’s eyes, her arms flailing slightly, “Beca I’m supposed to be going home today, you know that! What if I’d had to leave and you weren’t back yet-”

Beca reached out and grabbed Chloe’s expressive hands causing the redhead to stop her sentence, “-Chlo I’m here now.” The two looked at each other as the kitchen fell silent. They’d completely forgotten that they were in company.
Stacie cleared her throat and Beca & Chloe flinched. Beca immediately dropped Chloe’s hands and Chloe pushed her red hair from her flustered face and took a deep breath, “Right,” she said finally to her best friend, “Mum wants to know if you’re coming to ours for Christmas again this year?”

“Are you kidding?” Beca began pulling out a knife, her eye on the half-watermelon that sat on the work surface, “I wouldn’t miss Sue Beale’s Christmas dinner for the world!”

Chloe’s whole expression changed and she beamed at her best friend, “Great! Dad’ll be pleased. You’re the only one who laughs at his jokes..”

“That’s because they’re funny!” Beca exclaimed with a chuckle. Ashley, Jessica, Emily and Stacie watched in wonder as Chloe took the knife from Beca, rolling her eyes at the mess the petite brunette was making of their watermelon.

Chapter Text

The Bellas were (reluctantly) busy putting their large tent up at Aubrey’s retreat. Eight of them participated together, one of them (Aubrey) monitored the situation, and two (you can guess which two) were busy filtering through their possessions trying to work out who had packed whose things.

Fat Amy muttered into the huddle of Bellas, “So does anyone else get a couples vibe from those two right there?”. The Bellas that were gathered with her looked over at Beca and Chloe. Chloe was crouched down, looking in her suitcase for something. Beca was stood beside her with her hands on her hips. Close beside her. In fact so close the side of her leg was against Chloe’s hip while she crouched. The Bellas turn back to the huddle, mumbling quiet “mmmhmm”’s.

“Any news on whether they’ve finally come to their senses Amy?” Cynthia-Rose mumbled to the Australian who was taking another peer over at their co-Captain’s. Chloe had pulled out a pair of Beca’s pyjamas from her case with a loud “aha! See I told you I thought I’d seen them!”.

“Nope,” Fat Amy said quietly, resuming her focus on the huddled group she was a part of, “but I’m fairly certain Beca spent the night in Chloe’s bed the other night…”

“Oh come ON Amy, you’re never in your room overnight so there’s no way you can know that for sure!” Stacie hissed.

“Bellas!” The eight women jumped at the sound of Aubrey’s sharp voice and they all straightened their bodies to attention as the blonde appeared beside them, “I’ve been calling out to you for ages! What’s going on?”

Fat Amy motioned for Aubrey to come closer and she muttered into the woman’s ear, “Ohee-Blay…”

Aubrey furrowed her brow, “Huh?”

“Ohee-Blay!” Fat Amy mumbled between her teeth, raising her eyebrows as if it would help Aubrey understand what she was trying to say. But still the woman was stumped. So Fat Amy sighed, rolled her eyes, and whispered, “Bhloe! We’re talking about Beca and Chloe - Bhloe..”

Aubrey raised her eyebrows and her mouth opened slightly as she tried to find out why the hell a nickname had been made up for her best friend (Chloe) and her best friend’s crush (Beca). She looked around at the other Bellas who were nodding seriously, “What about them?” She asked.

“Have you never noticed how…'coupley’ they are?” Stacie asked.

“Like a married couple?” Jessica & Ashley said quietly in unison.

“Like sometimes they bicker…” Cynthia-Rose said, and the Bellas nodded.

“And sometimes they communicate without saying anything…” Flo said, and the Bellas nodded again.

“And Chloe acts just like Beca’s wife…” Cynthia-Rose said. More nodding. “Like she makes her a packed lunch and cooks them both dinner and is always writing her notes…”

“And Beca acts just like Chloe’s husband…” Stacie said, “She carries the bags. She drives Chloe from A to B all the time in the car that they seem to share…”

“And don’t get me started on that shared Amazon account..” Flo said and the Bellas groaned.

“And the shared bank cards!” Jessica & Ashley added.

“They’re my aca-mom’s!” Emily piped up, and The Bellas nodded.

The whole way through these observations, Aubrey’s jaw had dropped in surprise, having not realised just how close Beca & Chloe had become. From what the Bellas were saying (shared bank cards?!) it DID sound as though the two women were in a relationship..

Aubrey and the Bellas looked up and over at Beca and Chloe to see Beca crouched beside Chloe, getting frustrated while she looked inside her suitcase for something. Chloe simply watched on. Then suddenly the redhead reached out and gave Beca a playful nudge, causing the petite women to fall to to side. A smile grew on Chloe’s face as Beca resumed her position, then gave her a playful shove so that Chloe fell over this time.

The redhead grinned as she quickly rectified her position and threw her body at Beca, causing Beca to not only tumble back to the ground, but Chloe also landed on top of her. Both women giggled as Chloe began digging her fingers into Beca’s sides - something none of the Bellas had ever seen anyone do to Beca. Nobody even knew that Beca was ticklish on the particular points of her side’s that Chloe was tickling. Nobody but Chloe it seemed.

“Are we crazy?” Fat Amy quietly asked Aubrey while they all watched the wriggling heap that was Beca & Chloe.

Aubrey looked on, stunned, “No I-I don’t think you are…”

Chapter Text

It was the final night of the Bellas trip to the retreat. Jessica, Ashley, Fat Amy, Emily, Cynthia-Rose, Lily & Flo all stood around the outdoor faucet. They all stuck their respective toothbrushes underneath the flowing water and began cleaning their own teeth. They looked over at the large tent as Beca & Chloe both scrambled out of it with small smiles on their faces.

The two women had had a huge public argument earlier that day. It turned out all those times Beca had told Chloe she’d been going to the station to do overtime she’d actually been interning at a recording studio in Atlanta. Chloe had been furious that Beca had lied to her. But, as was the norm with those two, they reconciled. Now they were inseparable once again.

Chloe was quietly saying something to Beca that made the brunette chuckle loudly, something that made Chloe grin broadly. The Bellas liked seeing their Captains so happy together. The duo joined their friends.

“Do you want to go first?” Chloe asked as she placed a blob of toothpaste on the toothbrush and held it out to Beca.

But Beca shook her head and held her hand up, “Nah I went first this morning”.

Chloe shrugged, then put the toothbrush in her mouth and began brushing her teeth. The remaining Bellas furrowed their brows as they looked at the co-Captains.

“Wharra oo towkin bout?” Fat Amy asked with her toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. Beca looked to Chloe who raised her eyebrows at her, pointing at the toothbrush in her mouth, indicating that she couldn’t explain. So Beca sighed.

“I forgot to pack my toothbrush, so I’ve been having to borrow Chloe’s.” The brunette said with a shrug. A chorus of mumbled “ugh!!”’s sounded from the group while they took turns spitting their toothpaste out of their mouths and slurping the running water to rinse. Beca and Chloe looked at them defensively, “Whaaat?” Beca said innocently.

“Beca, sharing a toothbrush with ANYONE is nasty!” Cynthia-Rose said before drying her mouth with a towel.

Beca shrugged, “It’s only Chloe.”

“Heyyy!” Chloe said, lightly slapping Beca on the arm, before spitting the toothpaste out of her mouth onto the grass behind them and rinsing with the running water.

“I meeeeean, we’ve eaten the same things today. It’s not gross.” Beca said as she took the toothbrush from Chloe.

“It’s not the food that’s the problem Beca!” Fat Amy said as Beca placed a blob of toothpaste on Chloe’s toothbrush, “It’s the bacteria that builds in your mouth throughout the day!”

The Bellas all looked at Fat Amy, impressed at her correct knowledge but the Australian was too busy grimacing at Beca to notice. Because Beca had stuffed Chloe’s toothbrush in her mouth and begun brushing her teeth. The brunette shrugged, then rolled her eyes slightly.

“What’s going on?” Stacie asked as she and Aubrey walked over to join them. They’d gone to get some pyjamas for Stacie from Aubrey’s cabin - Aubrey being the only Bella who was the same height as the leggy brunette. None of the Bellas noticed how pink their cheeks were in the dim night light, nor the kiss mark that was beginning to bruise on a small patch of skin on Aubrey’s neck.

“Beca and Chloe are sharing Chloe’s toothbrush..” Emily explained, having finished brushing her own teeth. Aubrey and Stacie let out little squeals of disgust and immediately looked at Beca who paused with Chloe’s toothbrush hanging out of her mouth.

“O cohmonn, itch noh tha badge!” Beca protested with her mouth full.

“Chloe, HOW are you ok with this??” Aubrey asked, but Chloe also didn’t seem to see why it was a problem.

Chloe shrugged, “We share most things!”

“So do Jessica & Ashley!” Stacie said, motioning to Jessica who was handing her towel to Ashley, “They’re actually IN a relationship but you don’t see THEM sharing a toothbrush!”

Jessica & Ashley screwed their faces up in disgust, “Ugh God no!” Ashley said. “Definitely not!” Jessica confirmed.

“You DO realise there’s a tonne of disposable toothbrush’s at the reception desk Beca. All you had to do was ask and I would’ve got you one.” Aubrey explained. Beca had paused her brushing and furrowed her brow, then pulled the toothbrush out of her mouth.

“Warra ‘ell Aubree!” Beca exclaimed, before turning to spit the toothpaste out, “Where were you with that information when we arrived here yesterday?!”

“Don’t go turning this on me! It’s you and Chloe who are the ones acting like a couple when you’re not even in a relationship!” Aubrey protested in a sharp tone.

“Who says we’re NOT in a relationship!!” Beca counteracted and the ten women around her gasped, Chloe included. Beca looked around at them and realised what she said.

“ARE you in a relationship??” Fat Amy asked with a broad grin, but Beca looked to Chloe awkwardly.

“No Amy, we’re not. Beca’s with Jesse, remember?” Chloe said to the Australian as she took her toothbrush from Beca’s hand, “We’re just very close.”

The Bellas all looked disappointed, each sloping away from the faucet, Aubrey & Stacie bringing up the rear as they all walked back to the tent leaving Beca & Chloe to finish up by the running water.

“I don’t know why people always presume we’re a couple…” Chloe said with a light giggle as she rinsed her toothbrush under the tap.

“Good job we’re used to it,” Beca said with a sigh, waiting patiently for her best friend, “people have been presuming it for years.”

“True.” Chloe agreed as she turned the water off. The night air was still, though the sounds of the Bellas chatting away in the tent behind them could be heard.

“Jesse even said to me one time last year that I’m in more of a relationship with you than him.” Beca said with a nervous chuckle. But Chloe only answered with a quiet “mmm” as though she was agreeing with what Jesse had said. They fell silent again, looking out at the lake in front of them and the way the moonlight danced along the surface.

“ARE we in a relationship?” Beca tentatively asked. Chloe remained stationary, looking out at the lake.

“I…I guess in a weird way we are?” Chloe said quietly and thoughtfully, “I mean it’s rare for us to go anywhere without the other, and if we do people are always surprised the other isn’t there.”

“Like that spring ball you went to alone because I was sick last month?”

“Like that spring ball I went to without you, yeah. My class were surprised you weren’t there for some reason.” Chloe nodded, still looking out at the lake while she continued, “And we share almost everything. We bicker like an old married couple. We use each other’s bank accounts and share meals.” Chloe turned to look at Beca who was already looking at her, “So yeah I guess I can see where Jesse’s coming from.”

“Did…did you want to stop doing all that stuff?” Beca asked tentatively, but Chloe gave her small sad smile and shook her head.

“We only have 5 weeks left until we graduate. We might as well make the most of it before we have to part ways, right?” Chloe said.

“Right..” Beca said with an equally sad smile.

They both took one last look at the lake then turned and began making their way over to the large tent they were sharing with the Bellas.

Beca reached out and took Chloe’s hand and the two walked together with small smiles on their faces, dropping one another’s hands as they reached the door of the tent and stepped inside.

Chapter Text

The Bellas all sat in their shared dorm in the hostel in Copenhagen. Their big performance at the Worlds competition was tomorrow and they’d all arrived exhausted from their flight, but excited to be in Europe. The five bunk-beds were split between them: Beca & Chloe, Jessica & Ashley, Flo & Emily, Cynthia-Rose & Stacie, Fat Amy & Lily. All the Bellas except for Beca & Chloe sat on the bottom bunk of Fat Amy & Lily’s bunk, and the bottom bunk of Cynthia-Rose & Stacie’s while they watched their co-Captains curiously. 

Chloe sat at one end of the bottom bunk she was sharing with Beca, and Beca sat at the other end. Between them was Beca’s opened suitcase. “Okay well if you give me our shampoo and shower gel…” Chloe began, holding her hand out patiently while Beca rummaged for the items. Once she found them she handed them to Chloe, then waited for her next instruction. “Umm…and are those yours or mine?” the redhead said as she pointed to a piece of clothing down the side. 

“I dunno…” Beca said grumpily as she batted Chloe’s hand aside to pick up the item. It was a bright blue lacy thong but neither woman seemed flustered about it. Beca simply handed it to Chloe with a “Yours” in unison with Chloe saying “Mine”. 

Several minutes passed as the two women tried to decipher whose was what in Beca’s suitcase. In the end they’d made three piles. One belonged to Chloe. One belonged to Beca. And the final pile was their ‘shared’ items. This final pile included shower items, a hairdryer, a pair of hair straighteners, Chloe’s makeup bag with her make up and Beca’s make up combined within it, a book (that they’d been reading together on the flight over), a travel wallet with both their passports and their money in, a phone charger, and an umbrella. 

“Uh, what’s with all of Chloe’s stuff being in your suitcase Beca?” Fat Amy asked cautiously. Beca looked up at Chloe who was looking a little sheepish. The brunette stood up with a sigh: 

“Because madam over here…” Beca pulled Chloe’s suitcase to the centre of the hostel room, “…just HAD to bring this…” and Beca unzipped the suitcase to reveal the inside was full with one very large cuddly teddy bear. Chloe looked awkwardly at her friends as they laughed at Beca’s misfortune. 

“Oh come on Chloe I know we’re away from home but this is ridiculous!” Stacie called out between laughs. 

Chloe appeared to get quite flustered and she stuck her bottom lip out in process, “Becaaaaa! You didn’t tell them why I wanted to bring this with us!” 

Beca held her hands up, and turned to the Bellas, letting out a short sigh, “Alright, alright. Chloe promised her Mom that she’d take this…” she motioned to the stuffed bear in the suitcase, “to Copenhagen with us so she could have a photo taken with it and it would prove that the bear had been to Europe or something…” 

“Aaaaand…?” Chloe added, then bit her bottom lip. 

Beca sighed again, “And then Chloe was going to give it to her brother’s baby when it’s born next month.” 

The Bellas let out a “aww”, immediately retracting their teasing. Cynthia-Rose grinned, “You’re so whipped, Beca.” 

“I- what does that even mean?” Beca asked, furrowing her brow as she kicked the lid of Chloe’s suitcase back over the bear. 

“It means you’d do anything Chloe tells you!” Stacie said, laughing once again. 

“I… no I wouldn’t!” Beca protested, and she looked over at Chloe who was still biting her bottom lip with an apologetic expression, “I don’t do EVERYTHING you tell me to do!” 

“You go to pick Chloe up when she calls you for a lift?” Emily boldly pointed out. 

“Yeah well I’d do that for any of you…” Beca tried to defend but the Bellas shook their heads. 

“You didn’t when I asked you last week!” Flo protested, her expression revealing she may still be annoyed about it. 

“Yeah well I was busy!”

“Doiiiiing…?” Fat Amy asked, but the smile on her face showed she knew exactly what Beca had been doing. 

Beca sighed, mumbling awkwardly, “Helping Chloe put fresh bedsheets on her bed…” she knew she’d been caught out with that one. 

“And there was that time you left Cynthia-Rose to walk home in the rain because Chloe had said your dinner would be on the table at five o’clock and it was quarter to..” Fat Amy pointed out. 

“What?!” Cynthia-Rose frowned, “Beca I got soaked!!” 

“I’m sorry! You know how Chloe gets if the food she’s cooked goes cold!” Beca tried to explain, but the Bellas shook their heads again. 

“No we don’t!” Jessica & Ashley said in unison.

“Chloe only ever cooks for you.” Stacie pointed out. Beca looked over her shoulder at Chloe who looked back at her. This was another moment when they were both communicating without saying anything. 

“And that!” Cynthia-Rose exclaimed, “You’re doing that thing when you talk to each other without actually saying anything!” Beca and Chloe both turned to their friends with furrowed brows. 

Stacie held her hands up, “Look I don’t care if we win Worlds or not, but one thing I DO want out of this trip is for you two to open your frikkin’ eyes and realise just how made for each other you are…” The Bellas nodded and mumbled their agreements while Stacie continued, “Because you two already act like you’ve been married for twenty years. You’re comfortable in each other’s company. You can read each other’s minds. And you have eye-sex ALL the time!” 

“What?!” Beca and Chloe both forced out in unison, embarrassed grins on their faces. 

“Oh please! Don’t pretend you don’t know…” Cynthia-Rose said, rolling her eyes, “Eye-sex! When you two stare into each other’s eyes and look like you’re ready to tear each other’s clothes off?” 

Both Beca and Chloe shuffled uncomfortably in their respective positions. 

“Guys, in case you’ve forgotten, I have a boyfriend.” Beca began, “Jesse? Anyone remember him?” She folded her arms as the Bellas looked at each other awkwardly, “Yeah, exactly. So would you please leave me and Chloe alone?” 

The Bellas shrugged and began to stand but Beca rolled her eyes, “I didn’t mean ALONE as in just me and her in the room! I meant stop bringing up how much we act like a couple! It makes things weird!” 

Beca sighed again as the Bellas settled back down and the petite brunette turned to the shared pile she and Chloe had, reaching down and grabbing the bottle of shampoo and bottle of shower gel, “I’m going for a shower” she grumbled and stormed towards the hostel door. 

“Oh Beca?” Chloe said calmly, and the brunette paused, turning to look over her shoulder. Chloe held out their shared towel with a nervous smile and Beca let out one final sigh and a quiet “thanks” before taking the towel and leaving the room. 

The Bellas turned to look at Chloe who looked back at them seriously, shaking her head slightly, “Honestly ladies, stop winding her up please…” 

“Ah spoken like a true wife!” Fat Amy said with a triumphant grin and Chloe simply rolled her eyes, getting up to put her clothes in one of the draws provided.

Chapter Text

Beca dragged Chloe by the hand off the stage the moment their final performance at Worlds had ended and they, along with the Bellas, had taken their bow. Beca had been stunned to see Jesse in the crowd. Over the moon really, as the man had said on a number of occasions that he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to make it. But she’d also felt a strange knot in her stomach. Like the reality of college and life with the Bellas really was almost over. That life with Chloe as she knew it was almost over.

So instead of waiting for the group, with the intention of gathering as they always did at the end of a successful performance, with broad grins and high-fives, Beca had dragged Chloe as far away as she dared without being unable to hear when the results of the Worlds Competition would be announced. After all, that was really why they were there.

“Beca where are we going?” Chloe whispered with a giggle as she held Beca’s right hand with both of her own. But Beca didn’t stop until they reached a small nook backstage, which nobody seemed to notice as they walked by. So there they stood, slightly breathless from the dash. “Beca, what’s going on?”

Beca had a flustered expression on her face, as though they were madly losing time, “Look things are going to be a bit mad tonight, and probably tomorrow too, whatever the outcome of this competition.” Beca began, talking quickly, “So I just wanted to take the opportunity, while we’re out of earshot of the Bellas, to say that I’m so grateful that I met you Chloe Beale. And it’s been an honour to be your Aca-Wife these past few years.”

The brunette grinned and Chloe beamed, tears shining in her eyes as she looked at her best friend. “I’ve loved every minute of it.” Chloe said.

“Even when we’ve bickered?”

Chloe chuckled, “Especially when we’ve bickered!”

The two best friends stood toe-to-toe, and whether it was the adrenaline of having just performed at Worlds, or the ominous loom of their future apart, or the attraction that both denied they had for one another, suddenly they both dove forward and kissed each other hard on the lips. Chloe immediately brought her hands up to cup Beca’s face and the brunette had her hands on Chloe’s hips. They stood there for a few moments, bodies together as they pushed aside all the aca-politics to the back of their minds and just made the most of the final time they’d be together alone.

Suddenly Beca broke the kiss, and they parted, with small embarrassed smiles on their faces. Beca’s smile faded into an apologetic expression, “Jesse’s here…” she began.

Chloe gave her a sad smile, “I know…”

“He’s still my boyfriend..”

“I know.”

“I’m going to have to go to him after the show.”

“I know”

“I’m still going to have to leave for LA with him tomorrow..”

“…I know…”

An announcement was sounded around them, as the presenter of the competition riled the crowd with a bubbly “The results are in! Can the performers please return to the stage!”

Beca brought her hands up to cup Chloe’s cheeks and kissed her firmly on the lips. Jesse had asked her to move to LA with him. She’d agreed. She didn’t know why she had. She was terrified about all of it: the move, starting a new job, going the next step with Jesse. A BIG step. And all in one go. A crazy huge thing to do when you consider they’d only been seeing each other once every three months or so. But Chloe…Beca had enjoyed the ‘relationship’ she’d been having with her best friend over the past year. And she wished she’d appreciated their time together more. She wished she’d kissed Chloe sooner…

Beca & Chloe parted from their quick kiss, “I don’t regret this though. Please remember that.” Beca said firmly, her hands gripping Chloe’s hands by their sides and Chloe simply nodded with a small smile.

“Maybe in another life huh?” Chloe suggested with a shrug, and a smile grew on Beca’s face just as they heard another announcement from the presenter, stating they were just waiting for one more group. Beca and Chloe took one last look at each other and knew he meant the Bellas.

The two best friends dashed to the stage, hand in hand until they reached the Bellas, breathlessly. Their friends gave them teasing grins. Beca & Chloe rolled their eyes, dropping one another’s hands, smiling in embarrassment at each other. Then with one final deep breath the Barden Bellas walked onto the stage to get ready to hear the results.

Chapter Text

Chloe stood in her empty bedroom of the Bellas house. She felt numb. All the memories she’d had living here and going to Barden over the past few years. It all ended now. She wasn’t the first to move out. Beca had moved out in stages last week, before they’d all flown out to Copenhagen for the Worlds final. The rest of The Bellas weren’t due to move out until sometime next week. 

Chloe felt tears building in her eyes, and she brought her hand up to her mouth, touching her lips gently with her fingertips. She could still remember the kiss she’d shared with Beca. The memory was now a mere ghost on her lips. Everything she’d ever wanted had been there in that one moment. Beca and her. Together. 

It had only lasted a matter of seconds, but Chloe knew she would remember it for a lifetime. A tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered the heartache of having to watch Beca greet her boyfriend after their winning performance at the World Championships. The way he had swooped in and kissed the petite brunette.. Beca had smiled, and Chloe had turned away, wondering if the kiss they had shared moments before really had been as wonderful for Beca as it had been for her. 

They’d agreed backstage that night, two days ago, that Beca had to return to Jesse. That she was his girlfriend. That she was to move away to LA with him. And Chloe had simply let her go. She loved Beca, and it was because she loved her that she’d had to let her go. 

She remembered how Mrs Junk had asked her that night all about Beca, and how shocked the woman had been when Jesse had kissed Beca once again in public, wrapping his large arms around her small body. Mrs Junk had seen Chloe’s expression. She’d taken the young woman aside and Chloe had burst into tears, revealing all to Emily’s mother. How she and Beca had first met, how close they’d become over the years, how annoyed Chloe was with herself for not doing something about her feelings for Beca sooner, how they had kissed backstage that night, and how heartbroken Chloe felt to see Beca and Jesse together. 

Mrs Junk had admitted she’d wrongfully thought that Chloe and Beca had been in a secret relationship. To quote the woman, she believed they “just looked right together”. It had all been a huge misunderstanding though. 

Chloe wiped a tear from her cheek and sniffed as she heard her parents and one of her older brothers chatting out in the front yard of the house. They’d driven the family car and a hired van to pick up all of Chloe’s belongings to take them and her back home. Away from Barden, the place that had been her anchor for seven years. She was terrified of her future. A future that seemed so much more ominous now that she was leaving. 

Suddenly Chloe froze as she heard a familiar voice yelling her name. It was said with force, as though it were bursting from the owner’s body. 

Chloe’s heart began to race as she heard a pair of feet dashing up the staircase and towards her bedroom. She turned on the spot just as Beca arrived at the doorway, breathless, with tears streaming down her face. Chloe was lost for words…

Chapter Text

Beca sat in the back of the Über, tapping her foot nervously as she swizzled the ring on her right index finger around and around. She was now only a block away from the Bellas house. Her old home. 

It was a huge risk this. Two days ago she and Jesse had flown to LA from Copenhagen to start the next stage of their lives together. Her boyfriend had been excited. Thrilled that they were finally reunited and would be spending every day together for the foreseeable future. But something hadn’t felt right. That knot in Beca’s stomach hadn’t disappeared from the moment Jesse had kissed her that night the Bellas had won the World Championships. 

So after two very sleepless nights and plenty of arguments with Jesse, Beca was no longer in LA. She’d got on the soonest flight to Atlanta. She had to see Chloe. She so desperately wanted to see her again. 

Beca looked up with a furrowed brow as the Über driver swore under his breath and the car slowed to a stop. The man turned in his seat and looked at her with a concerned expression, “Sorry ma’am, looks like we’ve broken down.” 

Beca felt her heart beginning to race. She looked down at her phone. Fat Amy had texted her less than an hour ago telling her to hurry. That Chloe’s family had almost finished packing her things up and would soon be preparing to leave. Beca had only just landed in Atlanta and had panicked, immediately jumping in the Über the moment she’d ran through the departure lounge. Now the fucking vehicle had broken down a block away from the house!

Beca took a deep breath, then grabbed her bag and flung the car door open. “Hey! Where are you going??” The driver called out, but Beca had already begun running. She had to get to Chloe before she left. 

Her heart raced faster, her lungs heaved and ached, her converse only just supported her feet as she moved faster than she’d ever moved before. When she felt like stopping she didn’t, instead thinking back to that look on Chloe’s face when Jesse had kissed Beca the night they’d won Worlds. The kiss that had felt so alien. So wrong. Nothing in comparison to how Chloe’s lips had felt against hers. Chloe’s skin had felt so soft. So perfect. So right. 

Beca could feel tears beginning to fall from her eyes. Jesse had yelled at her so much over the past couple of days. He’d begged her to tell him why she was so distant. Why she was shutting him out. Why she cringed whenever he went up to her. Why she squirmed her way out of his embrace whenever they sat on the couch of their new little apartment they’d begun renting in LA. And Beca had yelled back that he was crazy. That she was finding the move stressful. 

It hadn’t been until they’d fallen silent around 4am earlier today that Jesse had finally said with a heavy sigh, “It’s Chloe, isn’t it…” and Beca had simply nodded. Arguing had re-commenced when Beca had blurted that she’d kissed Chloe. In the end Jesse had told her to just leave. To go to Chloe. And there was this overwhelming sense of relief when she’d finally stormed out of that apartment. 

Beca had cried on the flight. Cried because she mourned the end of her first long-term relationship. Jesse wasn’t a bad guy. He’d never been a bad guy. He’d only ever really wanted what was best for Beca. Unfortunately for him, what Beca deemed as ‘the best’ was Chloe. 

The brunette wobbled slightly as she finally saw the Bellas house up ahead. She was gasping for air, not only from the running, but from how heavily she was now crying. Because the second she saw the removal van, she knew she wasn’t too late. A bawl fell out of the woman’s mouth due to the relief that consumed her entire being, and she flung her bag from her shoulder as she reached the gate of the front yard, and flung it onto the grass.

“Hey Beca! Shit, what’s up?” Johnny, Chloe’s brother, called out to her. 

“Beca, aren’t you supposed to be in LA?” Chloe’s mother called out to Beca from her husband’s side, but Beca didn’t stop for a response. The adrenaline and desire to find Chloe overwhelmed her body, and so Beca continued running. Past The Beales, and through the open door of the Bellas house. 

“CHLOE!!” Beca yelled desperately. She was so exhausted. She had such little air left in her lungs. But she HAD to find her. 

Before she knew what was happening her feet were taking her upstairs. Along to Chloe’s bedroom. And Beca stopped in her tracks the moment she arrived at the doorway, clinging to the frame for support, gasping for air as tears continued to stream down her face. 

There she was, stood in shock, in the middle of her empty bedroom, with tears rolling down her own cheeks. Chloe. 

She didn’t think it were possible, but Beca burst into heavier tears. Her body ached from the running. Her heart and lungs were tired. But her soul. Oh god, her soul was so full of hope and relief to see that beautiful woman in front of her. Her best friend. The woman she loved. 

“Beca, wha-?” 

But Beca didn’t give Chloe any chance to finish her sentence, as she staggered into the room at the speed of light, threw her arms around Chloe’s neck, and kissed her passionately. Beca’s fingers delved into Chloe’s long wavy red locks while Chloe’s arms snaked around Beca’s petite waist and they pulled one another into the tightest of embraces. Their mouths opened wider as their tears mixed together and the kiss was only broken when Beca’s body shuddered and she cried heavily once again. 

Beca leant her forehead against Chloe’s as she tried explain. 

“I got t-to LA, a-and it all felt so wrong Chlo…” Beca mumbled beyond her tears, pausing to kiss Chloe again, “All I could think about was you-” this time Chloe cut Beca’s sentence off with a kiss, “and how amazing y-you are…” Beca kissed Chloe again, feeling her exhausted body relaxing into her best friend’s arms, “and how m-much I already m-missed you…” they kissed again, “and how happy you make me…” this time Beca kissed Chloe’s cheek, gaining a taste of her tears, “and how normal you make me feel…”

Beca brought her hands from Chloe’s hair and cupped her cheeks instead, smoothing her thumbs over the tears that ran down the redhead’s cheeks, “and how much I love you Chloe Beale…” Beca kissed Chloe briefly on the lips, pulling away by an inch to mumble, “I love you so damn much!” before Chloe slammed her lips onto Beca’s and the two women began kissing while they continued to cry.

“I broke up with Jesse..” Beca said finally as she kissed Chloe yet again, “He broke up with me..” and again, “there’s no way I could be with him..” and again, “because he’s nothing compared to you.”

Chloe appeared to pull Beca even tighter to her, bringing a hand up to lace her fingers through her hair at the back of her head. 

“I love you so so much!” Chloe mumbled at one point. 

Smiles grew in the corners of their mouths each time they broke their kiss to look into each other’s eyes before resuming their kissing once again. 

Little did they know that stood, crowded outside the open doorway, was Mrs Beale, Fat Amy, Stacie, and Emily, along with the rest of The Bellas. Mrs Beale had a soft smile on her face, tears falling from her eyes. Fat Amy & Stacie were beaming. The rest of The Bellas looked giddy with excitement that their co-captains were FINALLY a couple.

Chapter Text

Chloe sat forward in the passenger seat of her father’s old car, reaching into the compartment in front of her and pulling out a small cool box. “Uh babe?” she said with a furrowed brow as she removed the lid of the cool box, “Where’s the watermelon?”

Beca stared out of the front window while she drove, her brow furrowed. It had been four years since Worlds. Four years since Beca had dashed to Chloe’s bedroom and declared her love for her. Four years since they’d officially become a couple. Now they were en route to their old house at Barden for Emily’s 23rd birthday party.

“What do you mean? You told me to pick up the cool box so I did..”

Chloe sighed, “No, what I said was get the watermelon that I’d already cut up out of the fridge, put it in the cool box on the side, and bring the cool box with you…”

“Come on, we’re nearly there…” Beca said with an equally frustrated sigh, “and you definitely didn’t mention the watermelon.”

“I did!!”

“You didn’t! You just said ‘don’t forget the cool box’, and I didn’t forget it!” Beca exclaimed loudly.

“Beca you SAW me chopping watermelon this morning!” Chloe said as she raised her voice to match Beca’s volume.

“Yeah but I presumed you put it IN the cool box!”

“Did you not even think to check?”

“Why would I check when all you said to me was ‘Babe, don’t forget the cool box’!!”

Chloe exhaled in frustration, flipping the lid closed and throwing her hands in the air, “Well that’s it then. Ruined.”

“What’s ruined?” Beca said a little quieter, furrowing her brow again.

“Today.”

“Today?!”

“You know how much I was looking forward to that watermelon!”

“Oh come on babe, the highlight of today WASN’T going to be that watermelon and you know it!” Beca said in an irritated voice while she rolled her eyes.

“It was going to be one of the highlights! It was the first thing I said when I woke up…” Chloe said, folding her arms with a frown.

“Actually I do believe the first thing you said when you woke up was ‘I need to pee’ but whatever…” Beca counteracted with a smirk but Chloe rolled her eyes again, raising her voice.

“NOT funny, babe!”

“Okay fine! Why don’t we settle this once and for all. Guys, did Chloe mention ANYTHING about me having to put watermelon in this bloody cool box before we left this morning?”

Chloe turned in her seat. Beca looked in the mirror. Sat in the back of the car looking thoroughly uncomfortable having to watch Beca & Chloe bicker, was Fat Amy, Stacie, and Aubrey, all of whom had stayed overnight at the couple’s small apartment in Atlanta.

Stacie and Aubrey looked at each other awkwardly, both reading each other’s minds, both knowing it was better to stay quiet in this situation. Aubrey was still fiercely Chloe’s best friend but knew full well that the redhead was wrong. The two women had a puppy spread out along their laps, dozing away happily. Amy, however, still had little tact and chimed in a high-pitched “Uuuuum…I don’t exactly remember any mention of watermelon…”

“Ha! See! I DO listen!” Beca said victoriously to Chloe who looked so disappointed that she was wrong, “I do exactly as you instruct me every time. You know I do!”

Chloe rolled her eyes, turning to look back out the window with a frown, “You still should’ve known how much I wanted some watermelon” she grumbled. Beca sighed again as they crawled up to The Bellas house.

Emily was at the open front door, waving enthusiastically. Cynthia-Rose, Flo, Jessica & Ashley dashed down from the house to greet them. Beca jumped as she turned to see that Lily was already beside the car, grinning through the window at her. Fat Amy had already got out, and both Stacie and Aubrey scrambled to hold onto the excitable puppy who tried to dash out after her.

“Amy shut the door!” Aubrey called out and the door was slammed shut by the Australian.

Aubrey, Stacie, Beca and Chloe remained in the car. Beca looked cautiously at Chloe who was looking down at the cool box with a frown. The brunette turned in her seat to look at her friends, then motioned with her head towards the front of the car. With a deep breath Aubrey and Stacie let go of the puppy and Bronx the black Labrador changed tact, flinging himself into the front of the car and onto the little room there was on Chloe’s lap.

Chloe’s frown immediately disappeared as she let out a squeaking giggle while the puppy licked at a patch of skin under her chin, “Broooonx!!”

“That’s it Bronkie, go cheer Mommy up..” Beca said with a light chuckle as Aubrey & Stacie slid out of the car and closed the door. Beca & Chloe giggled at how mad their puppy was. It had been Chloe’s dream to own a Labrador one day, and after many months of begging Beca had finally caved. Chloe looked up from Bronx once the puppy had calmed down and over at Beca.

“Sorry I was a grumpy-butt…” she said in a quiet voice and Beca grinned.

“That’s ok, you’re allowed to be a grumpy-butt. Besides, you’re my grumpy-butt. And I love ya.”

Beca winked and Chloe leant over to kiss her. But just as their lips met, Bronx dove up to them and began licking their faces enthusiastically. They parted and laughed.

“Okay okay, we’re going! Come on, lets go see your Auntieeees!” Chloe said in a bright sing-song voice, as she held the puppy tight and opened the car door. She eased herself out of the car and was greeted by a chorus of “Chloe!!”’s and “awwww!”s as the Bellas flocked to her and Bronx, each cooing over how cute the puppy was.

Chloe furrowed her brow as she heard Beca start the car again and she turned to look at her. She handed Emily the puppy, much to the 23 year old’s delight, then made her way around to the driver-side window. Beca opened it.

“Where are you going?” Chloe asked, raising her eyebrows with concern. But a smile grew on Beca’s face.

“My wife wanted some watermelon remember?”

Chloe blushed, “You don’t have to…” but Beca held a hand up with a grin.

“I know that tone. That means I don’t have to but you’d love me to.”

Chloe sighed happily, “Baby Mitchell will be forever grateful, Mama…“ she said quietly, her hand on her baby bump and Beca continued to grin at her pregnant wife. They were only seven weeks away from becoming parents.

Chloe smiled, leaning into the car through the window and placing a firm kiss on her wife’s lips. A bunch of “wooooooo”ing calls came from the group of Bellas beside the car and the couple parted with broad grins.

“I’ll see you in a mo” Beca said, winking at her wife who stepped back from the car to join their friends.

As Beca drove off Cynthia-Rose chuckled, “Beca’s so whipped…”

And the Bellas laughed as they walked into the house together.

-THE END-