Chapter Text
Beca walked through the door of the Bella house, sighing as she threw her keys into the bowl by the door. She noticed the distinct lack of noise in the house; she knew the majority of her fellow Bellas had class but she knew that Chloe was definitely finished for the day, and the fact she couldn't hear the redhead pottering round the kitchen singing bad show tunes was concerning.
She lifted the strap of her bag off over her head and threw it down on the sofa as she walked further into the room, looking for Chloe as she went. "Chlo?" she called out to no reply. She stepped into the kitchen with a frown. The room was empty, 'where is she?' Beca thought to herself as she made her way towards the stairs and called up, louder, "Chloe, you in?" she waited patiently for a response.
Chloe heard Beca calling her, but couldn't find her voice to respond. The only sound that escaped her mouth was a short sob, that she desperately tried to muffle, pressing the palm of her hand tightly against her mouth. She sat on the corner of her bed, pressed tightly into the corner it made with the wall, hugging her knees to her chest. She frantically wiped away at the hot tears trailing down her cheeks as she heard Beca's footsteps approaching.
Beca frowned again and looked at the clock thinking that Chloe must be in but shrugged it off. 'Perhaps she's asleep' she thought. She started up the stairs and yawned, she'd had a tiring day of classes and thought a nap would do her good. She reached the landing and involuntarily found her gaze point to Chloe's door which was ajar. She continued along the landing and when she reached the stairs to the attic she heard a faint sound coming from behind her. She paused to figure out whether she'd actually heard it or just imagined it. She turned around to listen again. She heard an unmistakable sniffling sound coming from Chloe's room. Any tiredness that Beca had felt instantly drained out of her body as she rushed towards Chloe's door but stopped herself before she entered, she didn't want to just barge in on Chloe. "Chlo? You okay? It's Beca..." she stood hovering outside waiting for permission, her heart aching at the upset sounds coming from the redhead.
Chloe froze at the sound of Beca's voice, suddenly much closer than before. She swallowed, taking a deep breath as she tried desperately to compose herself. Although she tried, she couldn't stop the way her voice cracked as she stammered out "Yeah... I'm fine" As her voice broke, she covered her mouth with one hand, to stop the wave of sobs that followed; using the other to wipe her face in an attempt to look somewhat presentable.
Beca let her face fall in anguish at the upset and pain she could hear in Chloe's voice. "Are you sure? Can I-erm-can I come in, Chlo?" Beca asked with a soft voice and a hand resting on the door.
Chloe nodded to herself, she didn't know what to do but she knew if anybody could help it would be Beca. When she realised Beca couldn't see her, she called out one simple word. "Please."
Beca picked up on the desperation in Chloe's voice and didn't have to be asked twice and so she opened the door, her eyes instantly locking onto Chloe's. She noticed the tear stains down her cheeks and the general sadness about her friend. She closed the door behind her and automatically walked up to Chloe and her hands found their way to Chloe's arms. She rubbed up and down comfortingly as she whispered, "Oh, Chlo..! Hey, what's happened?" Beca's face was laced with concern as she guided Chloe to sit down on her bed.
Chloe allowed Beca to sit her down and tried to compose herself to explain her distress, but her mind was reeling and Beca's concern caused Chloe's tears to overflow. Without thinking, her arms found their way around Beca's waist as she sobbed into her shoulder, squeezing Beca like she was holding herself together. "Tom.... Fucking her.... Said he loved me... Lies lies lies" She managed to choke out, her breathing became erratic as she became even more distraught, her voice muffled by the fabric of Beca's top as she cried into her.
Beca was caught slightly off guard at the tight grip with which Chloe held onto her. Chloe's touch to her waist made her gasp lightly, it hurt Beca to see Chloe this upset and Chloe's hyperventilation meant that Beca couldn't follow the redhead's words properly. What she thought she heard caused her to heat up with rage, 'Tom, you better not have fucking hurt her!' she thought to herself. Beca took a breath and spoke to Chloe softly, "Hey, hey...slow down, breathe slower okay?" Beca was rubbing Chloe's back in slow circular motions with her hand as she mimed breathing in and out making sure not to break eye contact with Chloe. "You're okay, you're safe, just calm down." Beca said softly to Chloe. After a few moments of Chloe's breathing slowing to a calmer rate and Beca stroking her hair in comfort, Beca broke the silence, "Okay, now go on, what's happened, eh?" She asked as she moved some hair out of Chloe's face and wiped a tear away.
Chloe managed to take in a few shuddering breaths as she focused on Beca's voice to calm her. She swallowed harshly and her usually light and bubbly features darkened visibly. "I finished class early so I went round to his apartment to surprise him and the door was unlocked so I went in and he was there and he was... he was.." she stammered out, before the tears returned and her head fell into her hands in dismay.
Chloe didn't have to finish her sentence for Beca to know exactly what she'd walked in on. Beca's hands were round Chloe’s shoulders comforting her instantly, her eyes fell closed in pure sadness for Chloe. Her heart was aching... Beca opened her eyes and moved to kneel down on the floor in front of Chloe who was still bent over, softly crying. "Oh, Chloe, I'm so sorry..." Beca trailed off, before deciding to continue. She placed a hand on Chloe's cheek and softly nudged her chin up so her eyes were fixed on Beca's. "Hey, it's going to be okay...I promise..." Beca's face turned from one of comfort and concern to one of anger. "I'm gonna kill him..." She muttered quietly.
Chloe laughed and the sound made Beca wince; it wasn't the usual melodic laugh that usually spilled from Chloe's lips on a pretty much hourly occurrence; it was harsh and bitter and broken. Chloe's face remained stoic but that immense hurt was obvious behind her eyes. "I mean I must have deserved it" She said plainly, her entire body sinking with realisation, "I obviously wasn't good enough." She laughed again, and if Beca thought the sound couldn't get darker, she was wrong. "What the fuck is wrong with me, Becs?"
Beca looked up at Chloe, unable to form anything resembling words for a good 20 seconds. She was kneeling in front of the woman who she thought was, no, the woman who she knew was amazing and talented and beautiful and kind and considerate and funny and perfect...and she was asking what was wrong with her...? The question broke Beca right then and there. Beca blinked and two tears fell down her cheeks and were followed by a steady stream of tears from both eyes. All she could manage was a long shaky breath out before she answered. "Chlo..?" Beca started. "There is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with you..." Her voice was weak and tearful. When Beca noticed that Chloe started to shake her head, Beca cleared her throat, moved her hands to Chloe's knees and spoke with a stronger, more convincing tone. "This... is not your fault, you did not deserve it! Don't you dare let me here you say that again!" If it wasn't for Beca's words being in complete praise and defense of Chloe, it could sound like Beca was angry at Chloe. "You've done nothing wrong! This is all on Tom!" Beca was getting angry, not at Chloe of course, but Tom.
Beca's outburst had Chloe frozen to her seat. All she could do was watch as Beca sang her praises and repeated that this wasn't her fault. But it was, fuck, of course it was Chloe's fault. If she'd been a better girlfriend, if she'd spent less time on the Bellas, this wouldn't have happened. This was all on her and Beca was wrong. Beca didn't understand and Chloe didn't deserve a friend like her. She didn't deserve to be told that she deserved better, what she deserved was exactly what Tom did to her; brake her heart. Chloe's voice could cut glass with its harshness as she spoke. "You're wrong." She reached across the gap between then to wipe the tear falling down Beca's cheek. Her pale blue eyes were locked on Beca's and her voice came out in barely more than a whisper as she spoke. "This is all my fault"
Beca felt crushed, her heart felt like it had been ripped from her chest and thrown onto broken glass before being steamrollered flat. The touch of Chloe's soft, warm hand to her cheek was enough to cause her heart rate to increase. "No, I..." She started before taking a sharp breath in, "I can't let you think that..." Another sharp intake of air. "Don't say that you spend too much time on us Bellas" Beca said through tears - as if she could read Chloe's mind. "We need you, Chloe! This" Beca said gesturing the room "is your dream, Chlo! And that..." Beca's voice broke and she had to swallow hard before continuing, "That’s important." She was still kneeling at Chloe's knees, looking up at the person she most admired in the whole universe.
Chloe titled her head as she let Beca's words wash over her. She let her hand linger on Beca's cheek and she leaned closer, her eyes staring into Beca's. "Why are you doing this Becs?” She whispered, her face, just centimetres away from the brunette's, "Why are you treating me like I'm anything special?" Her heart thudded in her chest as she suddenly noticed their close proximity, but she didn't move; Beca's gaze had her frozen.
Beca's breaths got more rapid and shallow as Chloe inched closer to her. Her lips parted slightly and her eyes flickered between Chloe's eyes and mouth. "Because..." Beca started only to trail off distracted by Chloe. "Because...” She tried again "...because you are..." Beca finished. Beca had a feeling that this wasn't enough to convince the redhead and so she closed her eyes briefly before lifting her hand to touch Chloe's cheek, ever so gently. Beca's eyes welled up again. "You're everything to me" the brunette whispered, her eyes widening at the realisation of what she had just admitted. She froze, unsure of how Chloe would react.
Chloe's hand, which had been wiping away a stray tear from Beca's face, stilled completely. She felt like her heart had stopped as Beca's words echoed through her thoughts, and she gasped for air after she realised she, and possible Beca also, had been holding her breath for a considerable amount of time. So much information had passed through Chloe today that she felt completely overwhelmed with it all and Beca's admission hit her hard and fast. She sat back, distancing herself from Beca and from where she now realised her eyes had been lingering a little too long on the other girl's lips. Chloe cleared her throat, her eyes flitting around the room as she looked almost everywhere but at Beca.
Beca's eyes widened further still as Chloe moved away and withdrew her hand from Beca's face, "Oh God, I, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Chloe, I thought..." Beca stood up and stepped back, away from the redhead, her words trailing off. The tears began again as Beca raised her hands. "I'm sorry", the apology came out a barely audible whisper as she stepped back, almost tripping over various sheets of music that Chloe had left all over the floor from a previous singing practice. “God, Beca you're so fucking stupid!” Beca chastised herself...