A/N: Bechloe one-shot based on a karaoke night and some buried feelings on both ends. Has potential to be a multi-chapter story, but will probably just keep it at this length. Thanks for reading and enjoy!
"Let's tear this place down!" Fat Amy threw open the door to the sketchy dive-bar, leading the group hesitantly trailing behind her inside. She nodded to the other three occupants who happened to be present in the bar, taking in the scent of cigarette smoke and cheap cologne.
"Why did we let Amy drag us here again?" Beca inquired, furrowing her brow as she addressed her other teammates and the few Trebles who decided to tag along for a 'night out on the town,' according to the Australian.
"We're supposed to be bonding! You know, celebrating the whole 'hey we made it through college, let's go get drunk and sing' sort of thing." Chloe nudged Beca playfully, shooting a smile to the brunette as she clapped her hands.
"Alright! Fat Amy and I will go grab drinks, you guys get settled in before we start our first round of karaokeeeee!" Chloe drug out the last syllable, attempting to spark some interest from the less-than-enthusiastic group standing before her.
Jesse put his arm around Beca as they followed Emily and Benji to a booth, sitting across from the new (and equally as awkward) couple.
"So Becaw, are you excited to sing? You know, really get out there and experience life? Grab it by the horns?" Jesse poked Beca's side playfully, receiving a squeal and death-stare in return.
"The only thing I'm going to be experiencing is this beer rushing down my throat, thank you very much." She signaled to Chloe walking towards their table, balancing a pitcher of beer in one hand and a stack of glasses in her other.
Chloe set the items down on the table before claiming her spot next to Beca in the booth, squeezing in and ultimately forcing Jesse to be uncomfortably pressed against the wall. Benji shot Jesse a look, arching his eyebrows curiously. Jesse just shrugged before grabbing a glass and pouring himself a drink, hoping to take his mind off of the awkward predicament he found himself in yet again.
"We don't have to drink, right? I mean like, I will if you guys want me to, but…" Emily's voice trailed off as she picked at her nails nervously, waiting for a response.
"Of course not! Just means there's more for me!" Chloe winked playfully at Emily before taking the pitcher from Jesse and pouring two drinks: one for her and one for Beca. She smiled as she slid the drink over to brunette, flashing a grin before standing up and holding her glass in the air.
"To finally graduating!"
"To graduating!" The group around her clinked their glasses in unison, everyone taking sips before (reluctantly) debating who would go first for karaoke.
"I think it's time I showed you flatbutts what true singing is all about." Amy was the first to speak up, rising from her seat and making her way over to the makeshift stage in the corner, signaling Bumper to join her.
"This one goes out to all of the lovers in the room – whether you know it or not." She shot a glance to Chloe, causing the redhead to blush slightly and focus on her glass before taking a large gulp. Beca eyed her curiously, noting the look of embarrassment that spread across the redhead's face. She's so cute when she gets all flustered. Wait, what?
The beginning to "Bad Romance" started playing, causing Stacie to immediately stand and start dancing, Cynthia Rose not far behind. Beca's eyebrows shot up as she watched Stacie expertly move her body against CR's, teasing her with playful touches and gestures.
"I thought she was engaged?" Benji questioned, glancing at Jesse for confirmation. Jesse just rolled his eyes as he took another swig of beer, already feeling the effects of the alcohol settling in his stomach.
"I mean she is, but who can resist Stacie? She's hot," Chloe stated, turning around and eyeing up her friends for their reactions before finishing off her glass and pouring herself another.
"Easy there tiger, we don't want a repeat of Hood Night," Beca joked, smiling as she recalled the events in her mind. That night ended with Chloe stripping off her clothes and jumping into the Trebles' pool and swimming with a baby pig before ultimately passing out in Beca's bed wearing nothing but a coconut bra and a grass skirt.
"Okay, despite that one occurrence, I can handle my alcohol pretty well… unlike SOME people in this room." She bumped shoulders with Beca, laughing as she held eye contact with the brunette, momentarily getting lost in her navy blue eyes. Beca smiled sheepishly before taking another sip, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Jesse noticed the exchange and sighed quietly, turning to inspect the suddenly-interesting brick wall to his right as he finished his beer off, slamming his glass on the table. Why the fuck do I always feel like a third-wheel? This is ridiculous.
Emily shifted awkwardly in her seat, glancing at Benji out of the corner of her eye, before re-focusing her attention on Amy and Bumper (who were now doing a weird variation of the worm across the stage). Must be another one of her signature dance moves she thought as a smile crept upon her face.
Chloe's gaze lingered on Beca a moment longer, despite the fact that the brunette was now also focused on Amy and Bumper, laughing to herself as she watched the blonde chest-bump her boyfriend off the stage. The corners of Chloe's lips tugged upwards as she watched Beca's nose crinkle. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by obnoxious clapping surrounding her as Fat Amy and Bumper bowed, signaling the end of their duet.
"Wow, I would hate to be the person who had to follow up our sexy selves." Amy motioned to her and Bumper, raising any eyebrow to challenge anyone who dared to go next.
Chloe peered around the room to see who was willing to take the dare, but all of her friends were too busy having side conversations to notice. Next to her, Beca and Jesse were having a heated discussion about the ending to Inception while Emily and Benji watched in amusement. The redhead sighed, desperately thinking of a way to get her best friend's attention (it's not like she missed staring into those mesmerizing eyes or feeling the warmth of Beca's hand on hers, nope not at all).
Suddenly, an idea flashed in Chloe's brain, causing her to chug the rest of her beer before standing up.
"I take that challenge."
Beca, momentarily distracted from her current conversation, glanced up at Chloe, mouth agape. Even though Chloe loved karaoke, not even the confident redhead would consider following an act like Amy's. In fact, none of the Bellas had the guts to because when Fat Amy performed, it was always a show that couldn't be topped, no matter how hard you tried.
Chloe noticed Beca staring at her and smiled shyly. There you go, Beale. You have her right where you want her. She shot a wink towards Beca before proceeding to the stage, exchanging glances with Amy as she was handed the microphone.
"All yours, Red. Don't get upset when you can't hang with this, though." Amy slapped her stomach before walking away, making her way to the table behind Stacie, Cynthia Rose, Jessica, and Ashley.
Chloe nodded towards the DJ, and a familiar tune started to play throughout the bar. Jesse's head snapped up, eyes widening at the song he knew too well. Beca's gaze was fixated on Chloe, blush immediately rushing to her cheeks once she realized what Chloe was singing.
Jessie is a friend,
Yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine
But lately something's changed
It ain't hard to define
Jessie's got himself a girl and I want to make her mine
Chloe's smile widened as she saw Jesse stare at her in disbelief. The Bellas all shared shocked glances between each other before cheering Chloe on, Fat Amy whistling in the background. Beca continued to stare into those gorgeous baby-blue eyes, unable to shift her gaze. There's no way this is about me. Nope. Not a chance.
And she's watching him with those eyes
And she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it!
And he's holding her in his arms late, late at night
Chloe started dancing around the stage, dipping her hips slightly as she let the alcohol take control of her body. She knew she would probably regret this in the morning, but she couldn't bring herself to care at the moment. She looked up to find Beca staring at her, mouth still open, and Jesse giving her the death glare. She nodded once before breaking out into the chorus, passion consuming her voice.
You know I wish that I had Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
Where can I find a woman like that?
"Is she really doing this right now?" Benji whispered to Jesse, shooting him a look of disbelief. "I mean I'm all for Rick Springfield, but this just seems… odd."
"Dude, I'm just as surprised as you are," Jesse shot back, raising his eyebrows slightly.
"Shhhhhh," Beca interrupted, swatting her hand without looking, signaling the two to stop talking so she could focus. Jesse rolled his eyes, sighing.
I play along with the charade
That doesn't seem to be a reason to change
You know I feel so dirty when they start talking cute
I wanna tell her that I love her but the point is probably moot
Chloe continued to hold Beca's gaze as she moved about the stage, looking away briefly to shake her head in time with the music, her gorgeous red hair swaying back and forth. Beca felt her entire body heating up, her hands becoming sweaty. She wiped them on her pants and tried to swallow, but a lump began to form in her throat. Is this actually happening right now?
'Cause she's watching him with those eyes
And she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it!
And he's holding her in his arms late, late at night
Chloe suddenly descended from the stage, walking slowly over towards the booth where Beca, Jesse, Benji, and Emily were seated. As she passed her friends at their tables, Stacie slapped her ass, encouraging her to continue. Chloe looked back and shot the tall brunette a wink before continuing her strut. Beca's eyes widened, a small smirk playing at her lips. Jesse slowly put his arm around Beca in an attempt to keep her seated, sweat starting to form on his forehead.
You know I wish that I had Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
Where can I find a woman like that?
Chloe was now standing in front of Beca, giving her a challenging gaze. She arched one of her brows slightly before holding out her hand. Beca chugged the rest of her drink before shaking off Jesse's grip and sliding out of the booth, joining the redhead on the floor. Chloe intertwined their fingers, her eyes narrowly shifting. Beca gulped. I am so fucked.
Like Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
Where can I find a woman...
Where can I find a woman like that?
Chloe twirled Beca around before leading her back to the stage. Beca followed obediently, eyes still fixated on the redhead in front of her. She glanced down at their hands quickly and couldn't help but notice how perfectly hers fit into Chloe's. But like, all friends think about that kind of stuff, right?
And I'm lookin' in the mirror all the time
Wonderin' what she don't see in me
I've been funny; I've been cool with the lines
Ain't that the way love's supposed to be?
Both girls were now on the stage, facing one another dancing to the rhythm of the song, fingers still locked. Chloe playfully winked before stepping closer to Beca, catching the brunette off-guard. She tried to move back, but something about Chloe's eyes made her stay still. They were filled with something she's seen multiple times before – lust. Beca smiled playfully before closing the remaining inches in-between them, pressing their bodies together, one of her legs scooting in-between Chloe's thighs.
You know I wish that I had Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
I want Jessie's girl
Where can I find a woman like that?
Chloe spun around and dug her back into Beca's hips, forcing a low moan to escape from her mouth. Due to the volume of the music, the moan was barely audible to everyone… besides Chloe. A devilish grin played its way onto Chloe's face as Beca glanced down in shock. She placed her hands on the redhead's body to help herself follow the rhythm Chloe was creating.
"DAMN," CR commented, nudging Stacie in the side. A coy smile played at Stacie's lips as she observed Chloe, giving her a nod of approval as they briefly made eye contact.
Like Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
I want, I want Jessie's girl
Chloe spun back around, facing Beca and maintaining eye contact as she hit the last note with ease. A huge smile spread across Beca's face as Chloe moved her hand on the brunette's waist. The room fell silent as the music died down, and for a brief moment, it felt like Beca and Chloe were the only people in the world.
Chloe closed her eyes and began to lean in slowly, forgetting where she was. She watched Beca close her eyes in anticipation, flicking her tongue over her bottom lip slowly. Beca could feel Chloe's breath on her lips as her heart pounded in her chest, making it hard to breathe. Suddenly, Chloe became aware of her surroundings and opened her eyes quickly, noticing how close she was to Beca's face (and how she was still leaning, despite trying to stop). She quickly changed her path and planted a soft kiss on Beca's cheek before backing away, smiling. Beca's eyes opened as she let out a breath that she forgot she was holding.
Chloe turned to her friends and smiled, bowing as they jumped out of their chairs and started chanting, giving her a standing ovation.
"CHLOE. CHLOE. CHLOE. CHLOE."
Amy ran up and grabbed the redhead, hoisting her on her shoulders as she paraded her around the bar. The other girls followed, raising their drinks and helping the blonde move around the establishment.
"Didn't think you had it in you, but damn Red, I didn't know you gingers could perform so well!" Amy huffed as she began to slow down, eventually lowering Chloe back to the ground with the help of Cynthia Rose and Jessica.
Beca stayed on the stage, running her hand over the spot on her cheek where Chloe kissed her, her skin still on fire from the contact. She glanced at Jesse, who was shooting daggers in her direction. She shrugged, making her way back to the booth.
"What the hell was that, Beca?" Jesse folded his arms as the brunette rejoined the group, sliding in next to him.
"Are you trying to embarrass me or something?"
"Dude, chill out, it was one song. And besides, Chloe is my best friend. No harm, no foul." Beca poured herself another drink out of the pitcher, putting the last of the alcohol in her glass.
"Now, are you going to pout or are you going to try and enjoy yourself?" Beca shot him a glare before getting up and joining her friends near the bar, taking her drink with her.
Jesse turned to Benji and Emily, anger in his voice.
"I should be upset by this, right?"
"Well, I mean it was just a song, right?" Emily replied in her naturally-cheery tone, hoping to ease the tension that was extremely prevalent. Benji just shrugged, mumbling something about 'calling it' under his breath. Jesse shook his head, glancing over at the group of girls.
Chloe noticed Beca walking over, a look of distraught on her face.
"What's up, Becs?" She threw her arm around the younger girl's shoulder, leaning on her slightly for stability.
"Nothing, Jesse's just being a buzzkill as always. You know how it goes." She laughed, hoping the girls would be too drunk to try and pry any more information out of her.
"You know what that means, right?" Chloe squeezed the brunette's shoulders tightly, leaning down and whispering in her ear, her hot breath making Beca shudder.
"It just means you need to get drunker."
"Oh, DEFINITELY." Beca glanced up into the redhead's eyes, smiling gently. The other Bellas watched silently, smirks plastered on all of their drunken faces.
"Now if you two love birds are done flirting and expressing your undying love for each other… LET'S DRINK, PITCHES!" Amy ordered another round of drinks from the bartender, distributing them amongst the girls.
Chloe and Beca were still staring at each other, goofy grins on their faces. Chloe slid her arm that was slung lazily over Beca's shoulder down to her waist, placing her index finger through one of Beca's belt loops.
"Love ya, Becs." Chloe turned and placed her forward on the brunette's, brushing a strand of hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear. The redhead glanced down at the younger girl's lips, fighting the urge to close the space between them. Not here, not now she thought to herself. Soon.
"Love you too, Chlo." More than you know.
A/N: Thanks for reading guys! All reviews/criticism greatly appreciated!