A/N: Just like everyone else, I was left mentally screaming about Beca and Chloe's unresolved tension. So I had to write it down.

After four years, she'd finally had the courage to confess her feelings to Beca. And Beca had turned her back on her. Literally.

Well, if Chloe was honest with herself, she only half confessed. More like one-quarter confessed. Or one-eighth confessed.

She groaned and covered her face with her hands, hiding even more so than she already was – in the less than appealing public restroom at the retreat site.

"Good job, Chloe. Just keep putting your foot in your mouth. That'll really sweep her off her feet."

Her self-pep talks – and self-chastising talks – were usually saved for bedtime when she was alone and no one could hear her. There was very little privacy at the retreat, and this would have to do.

"What did you think was going to happen? You were in a tent with eight other people. Did you really think she was gonna jump your bones then and there? Genius choice, choosing that moment. Really. You're such an idiot, Chloe."

The tears came next. They always came. She had never been happier and more miserable in her life. Just being in the same room with Beca gave her a natural high, the confidence to do anything, to take over the world if that is what she chose to set her mind to. The lone exception was the confidence to do the only thing she wanted: to cradle Beca's face in her hands and kiss her so passionately, so gently, so thoroughly that they would both forget how to keep themselves from floating off into space. When she closed her eyes and imagined it, she could feel it, could almost taste it. It kept her up at night as frequently as it helped her fall asleep contentedly.

But not tonight. Beca had been curled up next to her for hours, so close she caught the scent of the fruity floral shampoo Beca had used that morning, so close that she could feel the warmth of her body, could imagine tracing her fingertips along the length of her neck and the curve of her shoulder. So close, yet so far.

A noise made her jerk her head up, holding her breath. It sounded like a sniffle, but not her own. She waited a moment, and, hearing nothing, wiped the tears off her cheeks. She counted one hundred and twenty seconds of silence, and exited the stall as normally as she could just in case she passed someone on their way in, but no one was there.

She headed back to the tent, following the dimly lit path. However, she couldn't crawl back in there and lie down next to Beca. Not now. Not only was she embarrassed by what she had confessed, she knew she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. The thought of lying next to what she could never have was unbearable. Instead, she picked her way across an expanse of grass to a bench along the edge of the lake, facing east to watch the sun creep up over the horizon. It was early enough that the sky was still dark, but turning slowly from black to navy blue.

"Good morning."

A voice next to her made her jump.

"Sorry," Beca said with a quiet giggle before taking a seat on the bench, sideways facing Chloe.

The sky was tinted orange now, the sun peeking over the line of pine trees around the lake. She must have lost track of time.

"It's okay," Chloe said, working quickly to reassemble her jumbled thoughts, glancing at Beca. "I was kinda lost in the sunrise. Good morning."

"It's beautiful."

Chloe was looking straight ahead over the water, but she could see Beca in her peripheral vision. She wasn't looking at the sunrise. Chloe swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. "Yeah."

"How long have you been out here? I woke up and you were gone. I waited awhile but you didn't come back. I got worried."

Chloe smiled and looked at her hands in her lap, then glanced at Beca again. God, she was adorable in the morning. Her sloppy bedtime ponytail was even sloppier and she still had sleepy eyes.

"I don't know," she said, answering Beca's question. "I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, so I came out here."

"Was it the ground? I'm pretty sure I had a rock jamming into my shoulder blade all night," Beca said, arching her back and twisting her arm awkwardly to rub a spot on her back.

"No, just a lot on my mind. You want some help with that?"

"Nah, I'll be fine. It's almost time for breakfast. I'm going to hit the showers before they get too busy. Wanna join me?"

Chloe groaned internally. Beca's natural flirtatious nature made being in love with her the best and worst experience. "Sure. Right behind you."

The showers were still relatively quiet, which Chloe was grateful for. She didn't want to have to stand and wait in line with Beca and make small talk. Not that their conversations really qualified as small talk – they always had something to talk about, but she just didn't have it in her this morning.

She took her time in the shower, focusing on resetting her psyche and pulling herself out of the funk she fell into overnight. It wasn't easy, knowing that Beca was in the stall right next to her. She could even see her feet if she bent down a little. Not that she did that on purpose. But she had to shave, and that required she bend down, and if that meant she caught a glimpse of Beca's feet and legs in the shower…she was only human, after all. Besides, they'd seen each other naked in the shower before. What was an innocent little peek now?

Beca was humming, something Chloe didn't recognize - some new song from an underground artist who would be the next big thing in a year, probably. "You're not an idiot, you know."

Chloe froze, mid-swipe up her leg. Her heart was racing. She had been alone in that bathroom, she was sure of it. Or was she? Play dumb. Just play dumb. "Did you say something?" Her voice sounded tight.

"I said you're not an idiot."

"Um, thanks?" Good, keep playing dumb. She turned her face into the shower spray and cranked up the hot water.

"Chloe."

She froze. The voice was behind her now, not to her right. And it was clear as a bell, not muted through the plastic wall.

"Hey."

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she glanced back. Yep, Beca was in her shower. Naked. Eyes up, Chloe. "I am nude," Chloe said, unsure if she wanted to disappear forever or turn around and grab Beca to pull her close. Confidence be damned; she wasn't confident right now.

"What, you can barge in on my shower – with your ex-boyfriend I might add, and when we were strangers – but I can't do the same?"

"Ah ha ha…touché." Chloe forced a laugh. "So…"

"You aren't an idiot."

"Thanks?" Was she moving closer? She was definitely moving closer.

"I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings."

Chloe didn't want to accept what seemed to be true, that Beca had heard her private conversation last night.

"What are you talking about?" She didn't even sound like herself. She felt tears on her cheeks, and hoped that the shower disguised them.

"You're right. All the Bellas were in the tent with us. It wasn't the right time to talk about it. I wasn't sure what to do."

Chloe turned back to face the wall and shook her head. This wasn't happening. "I don't understand – "

She could sense her. Beca was right behind her. Chloe felt her heart prepare to leap out of her chest. She saw Beca's hand reach over her shoulder and grab the shampoo bottle out of the caddy on the wall and return it a moment later. Chloe held her breath, unsure of – and praying for – whatever would happen next.

And then it happened. She felt fingers on the back of her head, massaging, scrubbing. Lather dripped down her back. Part of her wanted to ask what was happening. A bigger part of her told that part to shut the hell up and not ask questions.

After what she knew was more than enough time for her hair to get clean – especially considering she had already washed it – she begrudgingly leaned forward to rinse it out. Whatever was going to happen, whether getting out or something else, she didn't need to be covered in shampoo lather.

She felt hands on her waist, fingers gripping gently, just enough to make themselves known. God, they felt good. Then she felt warmth against her back, more than that of the hot water. It ran from her shoulders to her hips…even a little lower than her hips. Arms slid around her waist and she realized the warmth against her back was Beca, pressed against her, and holding her close.

A wave of queasiness swept over her and she bit it back, knees weakening enough to make her throw a hand forward to the wall to steady herself.

"You're right that I wouldn't jump your bones then and there." Beca's chin was on her shoulder. She could feel lips grazing her ear as she spoke. "But I might right now." One of those arms around her waist had shifted. She felt a hand moving along her ribs, inching higher.

Chloe couldn't stop it – a laugh erupted from her mouth. She clapped a hand over it. Idiot! You're ruining it. The embrace disappeared and she felt a chill.

"Oh God, I'm – I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I thought –"

Chloe took a breath and found the courage to turn around. Beca was hiding her face in her hands, backing up slowly.

"Stop." Chloe reached out and grabbed her arm before she was out of reach.

Beca slid her free hand to cover both eyes. "I'm a moron, this is so inappropriate of me. I understand if you want me to quit the Bellas. I'll move out of the house. I –"

"Bec. Look at me." She was still laughing.

Beca parted two fingers peek through them.

"You aren't a moron. And apparently I'm not an idiot. But just…I can't believe I said 'jump my bones.' And I can't believe you repeated it. And now I can't stop laughing."

Beca's grimace of embarrassment was cracking into a smile, and soon they were both laughing.

"Who says 'jump my bones'?" Beca laughed.

Chloe finally managed to find a moment of peace, though Beca was near doubled over in hilarity. A nude Beca. A nude Beca who had joined her in the shower and pressed her nude self against her own nude back.

"Screw it," Chloe said under her breath before taking the two steps forward to get to Beca. One hand under Beca's chin, the other on her lower back, she pulled her upright and kissed her with every ounce of passion she had.

She squeak of surprise that vibrated in Beca's throat was the sexiest sound she'd ever heard. She wanted to find out what other sounds like that she made. But she wasn't aggressive, she didn't do anything more than hold Beca close and kiss her. And if it were the only thing to ever happen between them, it would be enough.

But then she felt arms around her neck, and the angle of their kiss change. She was kissing her back. It was her turn to squeak in surprise, but it came out like a moan and before she realized what was happening, she was pinned against a wall and her tongue was tangled with Beca's. She let her hands drop to Beca's hips, jerking her closer before making the bold move to reach down and grab her backside firmly.

Beca broke their kiss just long enough to whisper, "Chloe," before closing the gap again.

Beca's hips were pressing into hers, shifting a little every few seconds. It was a constant reminder that they were both without a stitch of clothing. And also soaking wet. In more ways than one. At least for me.

The thought that Beca could be as turned on as she was right now made her arousal spike somehow higher. Her fingers ached to explore and discover. Using the wall for leverage, she spun them, Beca's back to the wall this time. She couldn't decide what to do next. She wanted to touch – no, to taste – every inch that Beca would allow. But to do that, she would have to stop kissing her, and that wasn't acceptable.

Touching would have to do for now. She ran her hands down Beca's arms, to her hips, behind her and as far down the backs of her thighs as she could reach without breaking their kiss, which annoyingly wasn't very far. She trailed them north again, backing up just enough. She didn't hesitate. She covered Beca's left breast with her hand.

Another sound from Beca – this one far, far sexier than the initial squeak. It was somewhere between a moan and a sigh and her back arched off the wall, pressing her chest into Chloe's palm.

Chloe had to break their kiss. She was getting lightheaded from lack of oxygen. She turned away and dropped her mouth to Beca's neck, sucking until she knew she'd left a mark. She felt Beca's hands on her waist, then stomach, and then both breasts. She bit down, trying to keep herself quiet, but she bit too hard and Beca reacted loudly. A little too loudly.

"Get a room! And hurry up, breakfast's ending soon."

They both froze, chests heaving.

"It's Ashley," Chloe whispered. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know if Ashley knew who was in the shower together.

"No, it's Jessica," Beca corrected. Her hands started teasing Chloe's breasts again, and Chloe let her head fall against Beca's shoulder. Their reverie had been broken, but neither wanted it to end.

"What do we do?" Chloe kept her voice low. "We can't both leave from the same stall. Someone will see."

Beca wiggled her shoulder, making Chloe lift her head. She found blue eyes locked on hers.

"You don't want people to know?"

Shit. "I do. Of course I do. Just not like this. Not yet."

Beca's head tilted, her hands dropping from Chloe's body. "You're right."

Chloe felt cold, instantly abandoned. "Please, it's not like that, I just –"

Beca smiled, and relief washed over Chloe. "It's okay. I agree with you. I'm going to crawl under the partition back to my stall and leave. We will finish this…" she paused to kiss Chloe. "And talk about this, later."

And then she was gone – as quickly and silently as she had appeared. She watched Beca leave her stall from the ankles down, and kick her feet into a pair of flip flops after pulling on what she guessed was a pair of black Lycra pants.

"Oh hey, Jessica," she heard Beca say a few seconds later, and then silence following the slam of the door.

Chloe fell back against the wall. The only thing that kept her from crumpling to the floor was the threat of fungus from the public shower. Eesh. Hurriedly, she finished showering and got dressed.

She did her best to stay composed as she breezed through the dining hall; it was quite a feat, considering. She spotted Beca sitting with the other girls, Emily talking her ear off like usual. Beca glanced her way and they caught each other staring; Chloe smiled awkwardly and looked away, grabbing a few items from the breakfast options.

She joined the team, settling between Cynthia-Rose and Stacie. She caught a bit of a glare from Cynthia-Rose for separating them, but it was brief.

"Ooh, Beca, who made a meal out of your neck?"

Chloe stiffened and tried to act natural, taking a bite of her apple. Beca looked at her briefly, just long enough to convey a "What the fuck?"

"What do you mean?" Beca asked, feigning confusion. She felt around her neck as though looking for a wound.

"This is supposed to be Bellas-only, Beca," Stacie said. "If you have Jesse hidden away here somewhere it's only fair that I –"

Jesse. Chloe's stomach churned. She'd forgotten about that tiny detail when they were in the shower. Apparently Beca had as well. "It was me," Chloe blurted.

All eyes were on her, none more intensely than Beca's.

"I guess I was too rough. I have strong hands."

"Wait, what?" Fat Amy said, clearly confused.

"Do I have bruises or something? I slept on a rock; Chloe was helping get the kink out of my neck."

"You do," Chloe said, grateful they were cooking up a believable explanation. Yay improvisation! "I'm sorry about that. I hope you feel better though."

"Yeah. Great," Beca said with a roll of her shoulders and head. "Still have a few kinks you could help me with though."

Chloe hid her blush behind a swig of juice.

"Well…this has been sufficiently awkward," Beca continued. She excused herself to fetch her sneakers from the tent. She'd meet the group on the grass for their next activity.

Chloe felt an elbow in her side and heard Cynthia-Rose's quiet chuckle. She refused to acknowledge it, but she knew at least one person was on to them.

The team-building and harmony-finding exercises Aubrey ran them through were equal parts annoying and fun. The fun aspect came from the fact that as leaders of the group, Chloe was repeatedly paired with Beca, or next to her in the line for whatever project they were assigned to.

It was also a fair part torturous. She knew the dam had broken, and from the way she'd catch Beca looking at her, she knew Beca felt the same way. They needed privacy to talk. And do other things.

The day felt endless, but eventually the group was filing back into the tent for the night. Beca stepped in before Chloe, holding up the line as she reversed her sleeping bag, disrupting their pattern.

"I'm not sleeping with that rock in my back another night," she explained when those waiting complained about the hold-up. Chloe didn't mind. It meant Beca was bent over in front of her in tiny little running shorts.

Chloe's heart pounded. They would be side by side properly tonight. And it was Beca's doing. Chloe wiggled her way into her sleeping bag, forcing herself to stay on her back, staring at the lantern hanging from the ceiling of the tent.

It felt like ages until Lilly reached up and turned off the lantern. It was dark, though not completely silent as a few girls carried on their conversations, whispering and giggling quietly. Chloe ached to move her hand the two or three inches to her left to have some sort of contact with Beca.

Just as she made the decision to make the move, she felt a hand slide across her abdomen inside her sleeping bag. It was warm, and it was underneath her T-shirt in one smooth move. Her breath caught and she glanced to her left. Beca was on her side facing her, and though it was dark, Chloe's eyes had adjusted enough that she could make out her features. Beca was staring at her intently, lips slightly parted, breathing quickly.

Her heart was racing again, but for slightly different reasons. One of them being that her right breast was being caressed.

She loved her Bellas but at that moment, she wanted nothing more than for all of them to vanish. Well, she wanted one thing more.

She shifted, doing her best to make it seem like a just-trying-to-get-comfortable shifting as she turned to her side to face Beca. She could see well now, and Beca was chewing on her lower lip, glancing back and forth between Chloe's eyes and mouth. Chloe wanted to climb on top of her and kiss her breathless, but it was impossible. At least tonight.

Instead, she snaked her right arm out from her sleeping bag and into Beca's, grateful that Beca flipping her bag had aligned the two zippers. She'd done that on purpose, no doubt, and Chloe was ever grateful. Her hand landed along Beca's hip, and she simply squeezed it, hoping to convey her desire. The tug on her breast told her 'message received.'

She had to bite back a groan, covering it with a cough and clearing of her throat. Beca's serious face broke into a grin, clearly pleased with the reaction.

Two could play that game.

Chloe moved her hand along the curve of Beca's back, not pausing along the way until her hand was on the back of Beca's bare thigh, fingers wedged firmly between her thighs, inches from unexplored territory.

It was Beca's turn to mask her reaction, opting for a fake yawn, which was accompanied by a shifting of her legs.

Chloe hesitated. There was a line to be crossed, and there was no going back once that happened. Granted, an argument could be made that they crossed that line when they were grinding naked against each other in the shower, but one graze against that sacred spot and everything would change.

Beca nodded and shifted her hips, seemingly reading Chloe's mind. The hand caressing her breasts disappeared and she felt it grasp her wrist and guide her hand, and the line was crossed. The thin nylon of Beca's shorts still separated them, but it didn't mute the warmth.

Chloe couldn't believe they were doing this. It wasn't how she had imagined it happening, and it wasn't how she wanted their first time to be, as thrilling as it was.

There was nothing wrong with some teasing, though, she thought as Beca's hand returned to her chest and grew bolder with its caresses, pinches, and overall journey.

She wiggled her fingers against Beca and watched her turn her face into her pillow, muffling the deep sigh she released. The excitement coursing through her veins made Chloe start to reconsider her earlier thought that they should just have a little fun teasing each other. The heat and hint of moisture she felt through Beca's shorts was quickly convincing her otherwise. A few calculated moves of her fingers and there could be nothing in her way.

Beca's hand was slowing down, coming to a stop just as fingertips slipped beneath the elastic band of Chloe's flannel pants. Chloe barely noticed. She was focused on Beca and driving her slowly crazy. She pressed and tickled and squeezed and stroked, all agonizingly slowly. The cheap nylon of their sleeping bags moving around would audible if she moved too much. She had to avoid quickness or a rhythm or it would be obvious something was going on.

Beca was biting her pillow now, and staring at Chloe with so much intensity she felt as though she might crack in half.

Suddenly Beca's eyes snapped closed and Chloe felt her stiffen.

No. This wasn't how she wanted this to happen. She pulled her hand away from Beca, eliciting a gasp from the loss of contact. Beca's eyes were on her again, fiery, desperate. She had clearly been on the edge of climax before Chloe ripped it away from her.

"I'm sorry," Chloe mouthed silently.

Beca was breathing hard, taking deep breaths. Chloe rested her hand on Beca's hip, watching her calm down.

A few seconds later, Beca nodded, releasing a long, slow breath through pursed lips. She turned to her other side, backing up slightly, just enough for Chloe to get the hint and scoot forward a little, wrapping an arm around Beca's waist. She leaned forward and grazed her lips along Beca's neck, not risking a full kiss and the telltale smacking sound that would come with it. She trailed her lips to Beca's ear, nibbling it playfully.

"Not like this," she breathed, barely audible.

Beca nodded and hugged the arm around her waist.

Chloe didn't sleep a wink.

Another day passed – more activities and challenges, but none more challenging than overcoming the urge to pull Beca behind a tree and finish what they had started.

Thankfully, they were on the bus back to Barden before dinnertime. The retreat really had been helpful, and the group felt more cohesive than they had in a year. Chloe even managed to forget about the shower and the tent and jumping Beca's bones and simply have fun with her sisters as they talked excitedly about the upcoming World competition.

It wasn't until they were back at the house and she was sitting across from her in Beca's room legitimately discussing choreography for the competition that a pause in conversation made her realize they were finally alone. She paused and stared at Beca, waiting to catch her eye. When she did, the look on Beca's face reflected the same realization.

"We should talk," Beca said, setting aside her MacBook on her nightstand.

"Okay," Chloe said. She was suddenly nervous. "I should go first." She took a breath to start, but Beca interrupted her, leaving the bed. She watched her close her bedroom door. And lock it. With a smile.

"Let me go first," Beca said, rejoining Chloe on the bed, noticeably closer this time. They were facing each other, both sitting with their legs crossed. Chloe wanted to grab her and pull her into her lap. Instead, she folded her hands together and smiled.

"How long have you felt this way?"

Chloe shifted her gaze to the hands in her lap, a little embarrassed. She shrugged.

"How long?"

"Pretty much since we first met."

"Since you walked in on me in the shower?"

Chloe laughed. That moment had become an entertaining memory for the both of them. She realized now how ridiculous it had been, but she knew talent when she heard it, and she wasn't going to let that voice slip away.

"Not exactly that moment, no. It was probably when you called Aubrey out on her refusal to change the set list. No one would stand up to her. Even me. But you did. You weren't intimidated by her."

"I'm intimidated by you," Beca blurted.

Chloe was taken aback. "By me? Why would you be intimidated by me?"

"Because you were the leader of this group when I was still in high school. You have an amazing voice. All the girls look up to you. And you're really confident. I wish I had just half of your confidence."

"You don't need my confidence. I'm not always so sure of myself, you know. And you have drive. Motivation. You've been talking about being a big time record producer since we met. I've been in college forever because I don't know what I want to do with my life. Here, I'm respected. Out there…I'm no one."

Beca was staring at her, eyes glistening with tears. "Chloe…"

"I'm sorry," Chloe said, shaking her head. "I didn't mean to open up this can of worms." She really didn't. She wanted this to be a pin-Beca-down-and-make-her-moan conversation, not a make-each-other-cry-from-honesty conversation.

"Don't be sorry," Beca said earnestly. "Please, don't ever apologize for telling me what you're feeling." She was tugging on Chloe's ankles, urging her to uncross her legs. A moment later, Beca was in her lap, holding Chloe's face between her hands.

Chloe nodded. She didn't realize she was crying until Beca was wiping her tears away. A moment later, she was being kissed, gently, so gently. Her cheeks, her lips, her chin, her neck, her ears, all peppered with feather-soft kisses. She let her eyes fall closed, allowing her other senses to heighten. Beca smelled amazing, that same fruity floral scent that followed her everywhere. Her breath was light against Chloe's skin. A tender kiss on her neck was growing a little firmer, warmer, wetter.

"You're not no one," Beca mumbled against her neck.

Chloe couldn't help but wrap her arms around Beca's waist, pulling her closer.

Beca's lips were at her ear again. "You're everything to me."

Chloe inhaled sharply. She was flooded with emotions from both ends of the spectrum. Torn between remaining frozen and taking action, she simply held onto Beca, pulling her closer, impossibly closer until she felt Beca leaning away. She leaned back until Chloe had no choice but to move with her and she was on top of her, hips settling comfortably between Beca's legs.

There was no urgency. Oh, there was desire. She was flooded with desire. But they were alone, and open and honest and they didn't have to be sneaky or desperate or clumsy. She felt Beca cross her ankles behind her, playfully kicking into Chloe's backside, making her rock forward a little.

"I've been waiting for this moment for four years," Chloe said with a smile, brushing a lock of hair away from Beca's face.

"So have I," Beca replied. That fiery look of desire Chloe had seen in the tent was back in Beca's eyes. "Please…"

Chloe didn't need to be asked twice. Or even once – she cut off Beca's question with a kiss, the deep, passionate kiss she had been dreaming of giving her for what felt like a lifetime. She felt Beca's hands tangle in her hair, felt her ankles pressing against her, felt Beca pressing up against her. Their tongues teased and tangled, and Chloe's hand had made its way under Beca's shirt without Chloe even realizing. She didn't notice until a moan escaped from Beca between their kisses.

Chloe tilted her hips into Beca more firmly, the lack of direct contact both maddening and exhilarating. Beca's hands were on her back, grasping at the fabric of Chloe's shirt. Chloe twisted and lifted herself just enough to let her pull it over her head and off, immediately returning to the kisses that she was certain would lead to a blissful death.

"Chloe," Beca said, voice nearly a whimper.

Chloe pulled back, just enough so they could look at each other. Her hips were still moving, though, driving their arousal higher. "Hi," Chloe said with a smile.

"Hi," Beca giggled. She bit her lip and groaned a moment later, Chloe apparently hitting a spot just right – or coming painfully close to hitting it. "I…please…"

Chloe grinned. Beca was a writhing, horny mess beneath her and it was because she wanted this as much as Chloe did. "Can I touch you?"

The breath Beca released was somewhere between a laugh and a sob. "Pretty sure I'm going to die if you don't," Beca said, her hands working the buttons on her own shirt, quickly undoing them all, continuing straight down to the button and zipper on her jeans and reaching to undo Chloe's jeans, all in one hurried motion.

Chloe kissed her again, blindly reaching for her. Her hand found Beca's breast with ease, teasing the hardened tip between her fingers. Beca's hands were everywhere, her hair to her stomach to her back where she felt her wrestle with the clasp of her bra until it came free. Beca's hands were on her immediately. The sensation made Chloe's hips jerk harder than they were already moving, and Beca moaned.

Enough teasing. The urgency was back. She needed to feel Beca, to bring her to the brink and give her the ultimate pleasure. Abruptly, she pulled away, sitting back on her knees. Beca stared up at her, chest heaving, hair a mess, shirt open and askew. Beca pulled Chloe's loose bra down her arms. Chloe hadn't even realized it wasn't already gone. A moment later, Beca tossed her own shirt to the floor.

She grabbed the waistband of Beca's jeans and pulled, working them down easily with Beca's help.

"Wait," Beca said, stopping Chloe from lying down again. She sat up, her hands down the sides of Chloe's jeans, pushing them down.

Chloe got distracted, though. Beca's lips had found her breast.

"Take them off," Beca said a few seconds later. She'd backed off and was leaning back, supporting herself with her arms.

Chloe came-to and moved quickly, eager to get out of the restricting denim. She slid off the bed to push her jeans to the floor, taking her underwear with them in the process. She reached for Beca's next, whipping them down her legs. She climbed back onto the bed, crawling over Beca to settle next to her, legs intertwined, kissing, nipping at each other's lips, hands roaming over arms and legs and breasts.

Chloe knew they were avoiding the inevitable, drawing out the pleasure as long as possible. It was becoming painful to wait. Every inch of her body was throbbing. A glance at the clock next to the bed told her they'd been in bed for nearly two hours. No wonder she felt moments away from spontaneous combustion.

She trailed her fingers along Beca's inner thigh, and this time she didn't avoid it, and she didn't hesitate. Beca gasped and tilted her hips, pressing herself against Chloe's hand.

Chloe gasped, too. She'd waited so long to feel Beca under her fingers, moaning, writhing, wet with arousal. And it was actually happening.

A hand on the back of her head pulled her into a kiss and another hand on the back of her own, pressing, guiding, until she was inside, surrounded by warmth. Beca whimpered against her mouth and whispered her request, words Chloe had only imagined her saying during her most private fantasies.

"Anything you want," she answered, kissing her hard. "Anything you want."

She moved faster, doing everything she could to give Beca everything she wanted.

"Please don't stop," Beca pleaded, as though Chloe would ever stop – could ever stop.

Chloe shook her head, unable to speak as she watched Beca come undone. Her mouth fell open and she shuddered again and again before slowly calming.

Chloe collapsed next to her, arm giving out from holding herself up so long. They were both breathing hard.

"Oh my God," Beca said after a few minutes, her voice raw and shaky. "Chloe, I…that was…"

Chloe chuckled. A little flattery was always nice.

"Wow," Beca finished. She had turned a little to the side so they could see each other.

Chloe smiled. "I love you."

Beca's face froze, and it took Chloe a moment to realize what she had said. She hadn't meant to say it. It just came out. Fear washed over her, the heat coursing through her veins replaced with ice water. She felt tears welling in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean…I don't know why…Bec, I'm sorry, I –"

Her frantic apologies were cut off by a kiss and she found herself on her back, Beca hovering over her on all fours, kissing her hard enough to press her head deep into the pillow. A hand between her legs made her groan. The heat was back tenfold. Fear of rejection was pushed to the back of her mind by the intense pleasure Beca was giving her.

It snuck up on her, and she cried out, thighs closing against Beca's hand, trapping her there as waves of ecstasy pulsed through her.

She opened her eyes a few minutes later. Beca was curled up with her, head on her chest, one leg wedged between Chloe's, arms tucked under Chloe's neck and shoulder. It was cuddling to the nth degree. She wrapped her arms around Beca; they felt heavy, full of lead.

The movement made Beca lift her head, and she propped herself up a little, having to un-cuddle a bit in the process. She was smiling. And her hair was an utter mess. And her lips were swollen from being kissed for two solid hours. She was absolutely beautiful.

Beca waggled her eyebrows at Chloe. "So, you were saying?"

Chloe groaned, covering her face with a hand. "If you could pretend I didn't say anything, that'd be great."

Beca tugged at her wrist to uncover her eyes. "What if I don't want to pretend?"

Chloe shrugged. She was trying her hardest to be nonchalant, but she was dying inside. This was either the best or worst moment of her life.

"Chloe, look at me."

Chloe tilted her chin so she could see her.

"I love you, too."

Chloe released the breath she was holding and felt the warmth of tears running down her temples to be absorbed by the pillow.

"Are you crying?" She felt Beca move and then she was looking straight up into those beautiful blue eyes. "Honey, why are you crying?"

That wasn't helping. She shook her head. She felt laughter bubbling inside her, tugging at the corners of her mouth until she was grinning, and giggling, and crying.

"Stop crying!" Beca laughed, catching the giggles. She poked at Chloe's stomach, making Chloe laugh even harder.

"I'm not crying!" Chloe lied. She was nearly sobbing, the pent up emotions of four years finally allowed to be released. She was blissfully happy.

"Hey you guys it's time for dinn-whoaaaa hello!"

Chloe sat up enough to see Fat Amy shield her eyes and spin around. Beca was scrambling for cover, which involved rolling off the bed to hide between it and the wall, pulling at the edge of the blanket to try to cover herself. Chloe clawed at the same blankets, desperately trying to get under them.

"I thought you locked the door!" Chloe whispered harshly, blankets up to her neck.

"Yeah, about that," Fat Amy answered. "You kinda didn't."

"Beca!"

"I did! I thought I did! Oh my God. Fat Amy you can't just come into my room without knocking!"

"Uh, yeah, I did knock, but you guys were laughing and I guess you didn't hear me so I came in. Kinda regretting that decision now."

"Why are you still here?" Beca said, borderline screaming in her embarrassment and horror.

"Right, I'll see you guys later."

She finally left, but not before coming back up to add, "It's about time you two got it on. I don't think the rest of the Bellas could handle the sexual tension much longer." She winked and left, closing the door behind her.

Chloe fell back in bed, pulling the covers up completely over her head. Mortified. She was absolutely mortified. Beca showed up a second later, climbing into bed and under the covers and on top of Chloe. Chloe was thankful for one more layer to hide beneath.

"Why didn't you lock the door?" she groaned.

"I did! I know I did."

"Then how did she get in here?"

"Well, she has a key."

Chloe pulled Beca down to her, hiding her face against her neck. "What do we do now?" she asked, voice muffled.

"Well, we can't stay here forever. As much as I wouldn't mind it," Beca said, kissing the top of Chloe's head. "The longer we wait, the worse it's going to get, so let's just go out and get this over with."

Chloe nodded stiffly and felt Beca slide out of her embrace. She sat up, letting Beca find the clothes they'd strewn about the room before they redressed in silence.

"Not exactly the afterglow I'd hoped for," Beca finally cracked, making Chloe smile as she got dressed. Beca was retying her hair. "Do I look presentable?"

"You look incredible." Chloe answered honestly. It was refreshing, feeling free to tell Beca exactly what she thought. "What about me?"

"Your hair looks like you've been having sex for a few hours. But you're otherwise fine."

Chloe's hands went to her hair. Her curls were unruly enough, let alone after rolling around in bed having what was probably the most passionate sex she's ever had. "Do you have another tie? I'll just pull it back."

Beca pointed at the nightstand. "In the drawer."

Chloe pulled the drawer open and pulled out a stretchy band. There was a crushed purple velvet bag in the drawer as well. She recognized the logo.

"What do we have here?" she asked with a smile, holding the bag up by one of its drawstrings.

"Give me that," Beca said quickly, swiping it from her hand and stuffing it back into the drawer.

Chloe grinned at her. Beca had a vibrator – and a fancy one. She knew that's what it was, because she had the same purple velvet bag in her own nightstand.

"A woman has needs." Beca said indignantly, tugging at her shirt to straighten it.

"Don't I know it," Chloe replied, quickly tying back her hair into a high ponytail. She hadn't forgotten about the inevitable conversation to be had with the Bellas, but at least she had a few moments of humor to hold onto.

"We should probably go," Beca said, turning for the door. She paused with her hand on the doorknob. "We're just going to tell them the truth, right?"

Chloe nodded, joining Beca at the door. She kept her hand against the door so Beca couldn't open it and kissed her. "Right."

Beca tugged the door open a few seconds later. They were greeted with a chorus of whistles and hoots and cheers.

"So now what?" Chloe asked five minutes later between bites of spaghetti.

The big revelation hadn't been more than Fat Amy making a crude joke and everyone agreeing that it was 'about time.'

Beca was next to her on one of the couches, her legs across Chloe's lap. It was their usual dinner position, but it was different, somehow more intimate now that they had confessed how they felt. It was nice to be so close, to let her hand rest on Beca's knee and know it meant something more.

"Well…I need to talk to Jesse."

Chloe dropped her fork to her plate. She'd suddenly lost her appetite. It had been easy to forget that Beca had a boyfriend when Beca was biting her nipple. It was much less easy to forget during moments like this. Beca had been with Jesse for as long as Chloe had been in love with her. She knew it wasn't going to be a simple conversation.

She only hoped it was a conversation that ended in her favor.