Title: Take Me All The Way Down
Chapter: 3/3
Author: jdc15
Rating: M/NC-17
Word Count: About 7.4k
Summary: Beca and Chloe force the rest of the Bellas, plus Aubrey, to join them on a weeklong road trip after the Worlds competition.
Notes: This turned out really sad and I kind of feel like a jerk, so the next thing I write will be more lighthearted. If anyone wants anything specific, PM me with prompts or leave them on my tumblr (which I've been really lazy about working on, but whatever).
Aubrey
Sometimes, she can't really believe she's allowed to touch her.
Stacie's body is perfect by anyone's standards, and Aubrey is well aware of the fact that she can have nearly anyone she wants, so she's a little bit baffled as to why Stacie wants her, of all people. It makes her feel insecure, and she can't quite shake the feeling that she's more invested in whatever this is than Stacie is.
But she has called Aubrey "baby" twice now.
Or maybe Stacie assumes they both just want sex. After all, they are both aware of the fact that whatever they're doing will be over in less than a week. Maybe Stacie did only want to get her into bed, and maybe Aubrey should just be happy with that. After all, no one is denying the fact that the girl is fucking amazing in bed. Like, really amazing.
So she keeps her thoughts to herself and continues to run a lazy hand over Stacie's head where it's resting on her shoulder.
The tone of their relationship shifted, the night before. There's something between them now; not quite weird, but almost. The way they've touched each other this morning has been more careful, like neither of them are sure what's okay and what isn't.
Stacie starts to stir a moment later, her arms squeezing around Aubrey's waist as she wakes. "Hey," she says groggily, rubbing her eyes and blinking.
"Morning," Aubrey says with a small smile.
"I didn't mean to fall back asleep," Stacie says with a laugh, sitting up, and Aubrey's cold for a second but then Stacie scoots in until they're touching again.
"It's okay," Aubrey shrugs.
"You tired me out," Stacie murmurs, pressing a lingering kiss to Aubrey's cheek. Aubrey tilts her head to catch her lips, but it only lasts a moment before Stacie breaks away. "Wanna take a shower? You know, we could take one together and save some water."
"What is it with you and showers?"
"What can I say?" Stacie asks. "I like you best when you're wet."
She rolls off the bed and into the bathroom, and Aubrey follows as soon as she's confident that her face has returned to a normal color.
/
When she steps out of the shower on unsteady legs, Stacie's kisses still making themselves known on the back of her neck, she starts to feel like maybe it's starting to be too much. It's hard to suppress her feelings when they're having non-stop sex; it's becoming hard to think about anything but the non-sop sex, actually.
It isn't that she doesn't want to keep sleeping with Stacie, it's just that it feels like every time they fall into bed without knowing what it means, the possibility of being something aside from friends with benefits gets smaller. She keeps her thoughts to herself yet again, though, and instead asks Stacie if she wants to go get breakfast, just to break the feeling of awkwardness that seems to have fallen over them.
"Are we meeting the others?"
"No, Chloe never texted me and it's already—" She checks her watch. "Wow, it's nearly noon. Okay, brunch? I think we're on our own today until the concert."
"Sure," Stacie says with a smile, leaning in to kiss her softly. She lingers but Aubrey pulls away, and Stacie's brow furrows but she doesn't comment on it. "Where do you want to go?"
/
They decide to just wander down the street until they find a place. Aubrey wants to take Stacie's hand but she doesn't quite have the courage, so she shoves her hands into her pockets and kicks absently at the small rocks on the sidewalk. They find a café and walk inside, taking a seat in a booth near the back.
They sit in silence until the waitress comes with coffee and takes their orders. Aubrey hopes something will appear to jump-start a conversation, but the café is quiet so she shifts in her seat and traces the worn edge of the table, needing an excuse to avoid meeting Stacie's eyes.
"Are you okay?" Stacie asks finally, after the waitress comes with their food and silence is still blanketing the table.
"Yeah," Aubrey says, plastering a smile onto her face and reaching for her coffee mug. "How's the coffee?"
"Shitty," Stacie says, returning her own cup to the table and fixing Aubrey with a glare. "Don't lie to me. What's going on with you?"
"Nothing," Aubrey shrugs with a wince. The coffee tastes like old couch cushions and she puts it down with a sigh, annoyed that she can't hide behind it.
"Aubrey, please," Stacie says quietly. "You've acted weird all morning. Did I do something?"
"No, of course not," Aubrey says, but even as the words leave her mouth, she knows Stacie won't fall for it. She should have known Stacie would pick up on how she felt.
The girl slams her fork onto the table with a frustrated sigh. "Should I just leave?"
"What?" Aubrey's head snaps up, shocked. "No."
"Then talk to me! I mean, am I being unfair here?"
"You haven't done anything," Aubrey repeats with a wave of her hand. "Can we just drop it? Nothing is going on."
"Wow," Stacie says, a catch clear in her voice. "Okay, if that's how you want this to be, that's fine." She stands and fishes some money out of her pocket, tossing it onto the table. She looks at Aubrey and the look in her eyes makes something feel broken between them, though Aubrey isn't quite sure what there was to break.
"Where are you going?" she asks.
Stacie ignores her and pulls on her coat. "I'll see you tonight," she says, and leaves.
/
Aubrey doesn't expect Stacie to stay mad. She assumes they'll find themselves alone together before the night is over, but she's surprised to see Stacie clearly avoiding her.
She rides in Chloe's car to the concert, and she sees the other girl sending her pointed looks in the rearview for the entire trip.
"Come to the bathroom with me," Cynthia Rose insists as soon as they walk into the theater, tugging her arm in the direction of the concession stands.
"Yeah, we should probably go too," Beca says, but Cynthia Rose gives her a gentle push in the other direction.
"You guys can use that one," she says, pointing to the nearest bathroom.
"Where are you guys going, then?" Beca asks, confused.
"The other one," Cynthia Rose says vaguely. "We'll meet you at the seats in a few minutes, okay?"
Chloe agrees, but not without raising an eyebrow. Aubrey shrugs and follows Cynthia Rose. "What's going on?" she asks as soon as they're out of earshot of Beca and Chloe.
"Okay," Cynthia Rose starts, crossing her arms and turning to face her. "What are you doing with Stacie?"
Aubrey's mouth falls open a little. Of all things that could have happened, this is not what she would ever expect.
"What?"
"Come on," Cynthia says. "Just be honest."
"I—" She isn't sure if she's going to get punched, hugged, or both. "I'm not sure what—"
"Look," Cynthia says. "I used to have it pretty bad for her, so I know how it feels. But you actually hit that, so, after offering my congratulations, I'd like to threaten you with death if you pull any shit with her."
"What the hell?" Aubrey says weakly.
"I just wanted to let you know that you're damn lucky," Cynthia Rose says with a shake of her head. "Most people would give an arm to be in your position. It's pretty obvious to everyone that you're into each other, so if I were you, I wouldn't waste time."
"There isn't any time," Aubrey says, still nervous but giving up the ruse. "And even if I wanted anything to happen, she's leaving." The excuse feels tired even to her, and she's treated to another impressive eye roll from the girl in front of her.
"Just accept it," she says roughly. "You're into her. And things have happened, and don't deny that you were cool with it. So…get it together."
"What's the point?"
"What's the point? Really? If you want her, don't mess her around. Just let her be happy with you, because everyone can see how hung up she is."
"No she isn't," Aubrey protests. "She just wants to sleep with me."
"You really believe that?"
"No," Aubrey admits, because it sounds ridiculous now that she's said it out loud.
"Good." Cynthia pats her on the shoulder. "I'm glad we talked. Just know that if you waste this opportunity, I will personally hate you forever."
/
She's sandwiched between Chloe and Fat Amy, and directly behind Stacie. The seats are small but they have a good view of the stage, and the band is good enough that she can almost ignore Chloe and Beca making out next to her. She stares at the back of Stacie's head to distract herself, observing how she moves to the music and cheers. When she runs a hand through her hair, a piece of it is left sticking up and Aubrey has to tuck her hands under her legs to keep from reaching to straighten it.
/
There's buzz about an after-party in Cynthia Rose and Emily's room, and Fat Amy disappears into a liquor store for half an hour while the rest of them stand on the sidewalk outside. Everyone's hyped up and Beca and Chloe are still attached by the lips. Aubrey tries to catch Stacie's eye, but the girl doesn't notice, too busy squealing with Jessica about the band, or else she does notice and is just refusing to make eye contact.
Amy returns with several bags and piles them into Jessica and Ashley's arms, after fishing out a bottle of vodka. She opens it and takes a swig, and Cynthia Rose confiscates it quickly, with a warning that she'll never be forgiven if she gets them arrested before they even make it back to the hotel.
/
Aubrey gets more nervous with each drink she sees Stacie pour. She hates to admit that she's watching her, but the way she's throwing back shots is getting worrying. When she sees her line up yet another row of shots with Beca, she takes a step toward her but is intercepted by Chloe, who shoves a drink into her hand and pulls her into a twirl.
"Come dance!" Chloe laughs, clearly intoxicated. "Why aren't you drinking?"
"I am," Aubrey protests, and watches over Chloe's shoulder as Stacie finishes the line of shots, wobbles, and falls into Emily's arms with a laugh.
Chloe twists around to follow her line of sight, and must think she's looking at Beca because she waves her over. "Babe! Come dance with us!"
Aubrey would be curious about the use of "babe" if she wasn't so worried about Stacie, but she doesn't have another chance to see her because she's suddenly squished between Beca and Chloe in some sort of grind train.
When Chloe starts drunkenly talking about a threesome, though, she's had enough and she breaks away, claiming the need for the bathroom, and weaves through the other girls to the drink table, where Stacie appears to be teaching Emily how to play beer pong.
"No, don't throw underhand, it doesn't work as well," she slurs, leaning on Emily's shoulder. "Legacy, your aim is so bad. Now you have to drink again."
Flo, on the other side of the table, sinks a ball into a cup and Stacie hands it to Emily with a shrug. The younger girl's face is flushed and she chokes a little on the beer, but Stacie thumps her on the back and laughs. Emily turns and catches sight of Aubrey, and a look of relief comes over her face. "Aubrey! Come play!"
"No, thanks," Aubrey says. She sees Stacie's body stiffen but she doesn't turn around.
"Please," Emily begs. "I think I'm going to be sick."
Aubrey wants to refuse but Emily really does look like she's about to die, so she instructs her to go lie down and takes her place at the end of the table. She expects to play against Flo, but instead Stacie is pushed across from her and Flo takes on the role of "official reracker."
"Okay, look at each other, not the table, and whoever gets a ball in first, goes first," Flo instructs, pouring beer into the last of the cups and dropping the empty can onto the floor. She hands them each a ball and Aubrey sighs, finally raising her gaze to meet Stacie's.
Stacie's eyes are glazed but there's still a challenge evident in them. She stares straight at Aubrey and tosses her ball directly into a cup, while Aubrey's bounces pathetically onto the floor, nowhere near the table.
"Stacie goes first!" Flo announces. "Aubrey, you have to drink that."
The cup has probably half a can of beer in it, and Aubrey knows she's pulling a face as she chugs it. She'd forgotten how good Stacie was at beer pong, and her hopes to stay sober are dashed instantly.
The rest of the girls crowd around the table and Amy passes fresh drinks around the circle. Aubrey's the only one left who isn't yet hammered, but she doubts she can avoid it much longer since Stacie's next shot lands in another cup and she drinks again.
Aubrey misses the next four turns and Stacie makes every single one, but still refuses to look at her. Aubrey makes only one shot before all the cups on her side are gone, and the girls cheer and shove the cups on Stacie's side toward her.
Aubrey sighs and starts in on the cups. She knows she's going to feel like shit tomorrow, and really hopes Chloe isn't planning to leave early.
The alcohol is going to her head and she knows her face is bright red, so she steps away from the table. She tries to catch Stacie's eye but the girl ignores her and instead cheers when the girls send Beca forward to try and take her on.
The worry is back in full force and Aubrey whispers to Flo to fill the cups more lightly this time, but she doesn't listen, so Aubrey can only hope that Beca is just as awful as she is at the game. She turns away before she can find out, though, and the room is beginning to spin so she staggers to one of the beds and lets herself collapse onto it.
/
It's still dark out when she wakes. She squints at the clock next to the bed and sees that it's three in the morning, and she can't understand why she's awake until a hand wraps around her waist and warm lips move to her shoulder. She's still drunk and not even half-awake, so she doesn't question it, and there's no mistaking who it is.
Stacie's body presses against her back, her nose brushing Aubrey's neck and her hand splaying over her stomach. Her fingers sneak under her shirt and trace circles over her skin before moving to cup her breast over her bra. Aubrey bites her lip and squeezes her thighs together and Stacie clearly notices because she sucks hard against Aubrey's neck and grinds into her from behind.
Aubrey's desperate to kiss her but something breaks through the haze, telling her not to, so she stays put and reaches back to draw Stacie's leg up and over her hip, running her hand over her knee. Stacie's breath is ragged and broken with small noises of frustration, and her hand pulls Aubrey's bra down, slipping the straps off of her shoulders. She squeezes a nipple briefly between her fingers before her hand slips into her underwear. Aubrey gasps and her nails dig into Stacie's leg, and she begins to roll her hips into Stacie's hand, until there's a rustling from the next bed over and they jump apart.
She'd forgotten they weren't in their own room and she feels like she might have a heart attack. She can hear Stacie breathing next to her, and though she wants nothing more than to pull her close and kiss her, she buries her face in a pillow and forces herself back to sleep.
/
She's still mostly asleep when Chloe pulls her out of bed hours later. The redhead looks livid and Aubrey catches sight of Beca, looking tremendously guilty, packing a bag in the corner. "What's going on?"
"We're leaving," Chloe says shortly.
"Okay," Aubrey says, rubbing her eyes and steadying herself with a hand on the cabinet. "Is something wrong?"
"I don't want to talk about it," Chloe growls. "We're going back to Georgia today, and you're taking Beca with you. I'm sure she'd like that better, anyway."
Aubrey stares in confusion. Dealing with a monster hangover and an angry Chloe at the same time is nearly impossible. "Chlo—"
"Just get on the road as soon as you can," Chloe says, grabbing her bags and leaving the room, the door clunking shut noisily behind her.
Aubrey turns to see Stacie sit up and rub her eyes, looking around blearily. "Are we leaving?" she mumbles, and Aubrey gets distracted by how cute she is for a moment before remembering that they're kind-of-fighting, and then she remembers what happened last night and she knows she's blushing.
"Chloe wants us to leave as soon as we can," she answers. "She seemed really mad but I don't know why."
"Oh," Stacie says, and a look of recognition passes over her face. "Probably because Beca and I made out last night."
"What?" Aubrey says loudly.
"Dude!" Beca yells at almost the same time.
Stacie winces at the noise. "What? We did."
Beca throws her hands up and zips her bag forcefully. "Shut the fuck up, Stacie."
"Don't be such an asshole," Stacie snaps. "It was your idea."
"It was not!" Beca sounds close to tears.
Aubrey stands, dumbfounded, her brain unable to keep up. "What?" she repeats. "Is that—what?"
"Can we please just go?" Beca pleads, wiping her eyes. "I have to ride with you guys. I think Chloe took Jessica and Ashley with her. I don't know where anyone else is."
Aubrey realizes then that they're the last people left in the room, and she tries to pull herself together. "Okay. Let me get my bag and then we can check out."
"I'll meet you in the lobby," Beca says, and rushes past them.
Aubrey turns to Stacie, but the girl only holds up a hand. "Don't say anything," she warns. "Do you have the room key?"
/
They retrieve their bags from their room in silence and Aubrey checks them out at the front desk. They find Beca leaning against the car, and she climbs into the backseat as soon as Aubrey unlocks the doors. Stacie dithers for a moment before sliding into the passenger seat, where she immediately puts on her sunglasses and pulls out her headphones.
Aubrey, still trying to process the information about Stacie and Beca, ponders in silence as she sets the address into the GPS and backs out of the lot.
/
Ten minutes into the drive, Beca pipes up to ask her to make a pit stop at Starbucks. Aubrey doesn't need to be asked twice, and pulls into the nearest drive-thru. She was almost positive Stacie was asleep against the door, so when she leans over and orders a coffee, Aubrey chokes a little in surprise and the cashier has to ask three times what she'd like before she pulls herself together.
She passes Beca's coffee into the backseat with a warning not to spill on the seats. When she hands over Stacie's, their fingers brush despite her best efforts, and the barista probably thinks she's on drugs because she has to say "Ma'am?" another four times before Aubrey notices.
/
Beca and Stacie both fall asleep less than an hour later, and Aubrey turns the radio up to keep herself awake. The drive is four hours long and she's still to hungover to think clearly, so she zones out and stares at the GPS until they're within a few miles of the house. She pulls into the driveway behind Chloe and Fat Amy's cars. "We're here," she says.
Stacie stirs and climbs out of the car without a word, taking her bag with her into the house. Beca is dead asleep, and throws a punch at Aubrey when she tries to smack her awake.
"Fine, stay here then," Aubrey says grumpily. She's in no mood to deal with Beca, and something about the girl is thoroughly annoying her. She tries to tell herself it's the hangover, and not jealousy.
When she stumbles through the door, she drops her bag onto the floor and crashes onto the couch. The house is quiet and she's grateful for the opportunity to sleep away the rest of the alcohol.
/
She wakes up around nine when Jessica brings her water and a sandwich, and lets herself be dragged into Chloe's room. The redhead pulls her close and cries into her shoulder, and Aubrey kind of wants to do the same. She isn't sure whether either of them should be upset, because she doesn't even know what happened, but the little information that she does have is enough to make her almost wish this stupid road trip had never happened.
/
When she comes to the next morning, her first thought is that she has to be back at the lodge first thing the next morning. She only took eight days off and even though she's the manager, they can still throw her out if she doesn't show, especially since she's the only one who's trusted to handle the most difficult customers.
Chloe's still asleep next to her, so she rolls out of bed as quietly as possible. She catches a glimpse of herself in the vanity and decides that she isn't leaving until she'd had a shower, so she snags a towel from the small closet in the hallway, and disappears into the bathroom, glad no one is passed out on the floor.
She emerges, fresh-faced and re-energized, fifteen minutes later and is happy that she hasn't run into any of the girls on her way out. She loves them, but isn't in the mood for any tearful goodbyes. She'd rather be yelled at by Chloe than be smothered in hugs at this point.
These plans are dashed, however, when she sneaks through the living room.
"Leaving already?"
"Jesus, Stacie!" Aubrey clutches her chest and tries not to hyperventilate. "Give me a heart attack, why don't you!"
"Sorry," Stacie says, seemingly out of obligation, since she doesn't look apologetic. Aubrey stoops to pick up her duffel from where she'd dropped it and waits for Stacie to continue.
"It didn't mean anything. With Beca, I mean," Stacie says suddenly. "We just kissed, and only because we were so drunk. I—she's just my friend."
"Okay," Aubrey says. She tells herself she doesn't care, and tries to ignore the relief that fills her at Stacie's words.
"I just wanted you to know," Stacie says quietly.
"Thanks," Aubrey says.
Silence falls and it's awkward. Aubrey fiddles with her shirtsleeve and tries to think of something intelligent to say, but nothing springs to mind so she sighs and turns away. "Okay," she says. "I have to get back."
She lingers for a moment with her hand on the doorknob, but there's nothing but silence behind her, so she wrenches open the door and leaves.
/
The bustle of the lodge feels simultaneously homely and draining. She throws herself into organizing boot camp for a group of employees from a startup company and rearranging the bear trap locations. The thought of people tripping them accidentally doesn't amuse her like it usually does, though.
She receives several angry texts from Chloe, their content in all-caps, berating her for leaving without saying goodbye. She agrees to let Chloe come up and take her to dinner out of guilt, because though she loves her best friend, she almost wants nothing to do with any of the Bellas.
They set a date and Chloe tells her to dress up. Something about the way she insists on a certain day, and tells her to take the day after off, makes Aubrey slightly suspicious.
/
At seven o'clock on Thursday night, Aubrey's putting the finishing touches on her makeup when a soft knock sounds at the door. She instantly knows it isn't Chloe, since her best friend never knocks anything but loudly, and she opens the door to exactly what she was expecting.
Stacie stands just outside the door, wearing a black dress and looking absolutely beautiful. Aubrey leans against the doorframe and raises an eyebrow.
"Surprise?" Stacie tries, looking unsure as to why Aubrey looks so unamused.
"Chloe is not subtle," Aubrey says in lieu of a greeting. She sighs. "Come in."
Stacie steps inside and places her purse on the back of the couch, looking around uncertainly. "So you knew I was coming?"
"Since Chloe said she absolutely had to take me to dinner on Thursday night, which is, incidentally, the night before you leave for college, I put it together. Not to mention, she posted on Facebook earlier about going to dinner with Beca tonight."
Stacie laughs. "She told me you totally fell for it. I should have known you wouldn't."
"I know her too well," Aubrey smiles. She notices then how easy the atmosphere feels; she'd forgotten that she they were mad at each other. Maybe they aren't anymore. She's having a hard time thinking about anything but the low neckline of Stacie's dress, anyway.
Stacie clears her throat. "So…I wanted to take you to dinner. I thought maybe we could talk."
Aubrey isn't sure whether that's really a good idea, but she reminds herself that maybe Stacie is here only to repair their friendship so she can leave on good terms. There's no reason to assume that Stacie is here to ask for a relationship, and even if she does, there isn't a way to have one.
"You okay?"
"Yeah. Sorry," Aubrey responds, realizing she's been silent for too long.
"It's all right." Stacie says. "You just looked sad."
Aubrey shakes her head. "I'm fine. Yes, let's go to dinner."
/
Stacie drives them, in Chloe's car, to a small restaurant about fifteen minutes away. The ride there is silent, and Aubrey feels the awkwardness creeping back in.
When they arrive, they both leap out of the car. Stacie holds the door of the restaurant open for her with a small smile, and they're shown to their table where they sit opposite each other and bury their faces immediately in the menu.
Aubrey feels nervous, unsure how to start a conversation. She waits until after they give their drink orders, and then places her menu back onto the table with a sigh. Stacie does the same, and finally meets her eyes.
"I don't want this to be weird," she admits.
"Me neither," Aubrey says, grateful that the silence is broken. "What did you want to talk about?"
"Basically, I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye," she begins.
"You're here to say goodbye?" Aubrey asks, hoping the disappointment is evident in her voice.
"Well, no," Stacie backtracks. "I mean, yes, but not until tomorrow."
"You'll be here tomorrow?"
Stacie buries her face in her hands. "Oh my god. Okay, I'm fucking this up."
"It's okay," Aubrey says, hoping her face isn't red.
"What I'm trying to say is that yes, I'm here to send you off, but I'm also here to apologize." She takes a deep breath. "I was a dick to you and it was really uncalled for. I didn't have the guts to tell you how I really felt about you. I wasn't sure how I felt at first, honestly, but after the first couple of days I couldn't really deny it. I—I really like you," she says quietly, blushing furiously. Aubrey bites back a smile.
"I think I was trying to tell myself that you were just another notch on the bedpost, you know, but really you're more than that. I just knew that we only had two weeks and after that I was going to leave. I guess I was scared to tell you how I felt about you because either way, we only had two weeks, and if I told you and you didn't feel the same, we wouldn't even have that. Do you get what I'm saying?"
"Yeah," Aubrey says. "For what it's worth, though, I do feel the same way."
"Good," Stacie says, biting her lip. She reaches tentatively across the table and tangles their fingers together. Her hand is warm and Aubrey sighs; less than week had passed since she last felt Stacie's skin but she hadn't realized how much she already missed it.
"Anyway," Stacie presses on, rubbing circles into the back of Aubrey's hand, "I couldn't decide whether or not to come see you, but I decided that I didn't want to leave things how they were, even though I know it'll be horrible to say goodbye to you tomorrow." She blinks quickly and Aubrey squeezes her hand, fighting back tears herself.
"But…I think it'll be worth it. I wanted one more night with you. One night when we've told each other how we feel, just so we'll know how it could have been. And maybe…how it can be, sometime in the future, but not now, because I can't do long-distance. It'll ruin us." Her gaze is desperate, and she's clearly crying now.
"I agree," Aubrey says quietly. "I don't want to do long-distance either. We'll be too far away, and I don't want you to tie yourself down to someone who can't give you what you need."
"Yeah," Stacie sniffs, wiping her eyes. "I want to leave when we're like this, so I can remember us being perfect, and then maybe we'll pick up where we left off when we see each other again." She pauses. "Is that—I mean, is all of this okay with you? Or do you want me to leave tonight? Because I'm totally fine with that, I can just—"
"No, I want you to stay with me tonight," Aubrey says quickly. "And I'll take you to the airport tomorrow."
"I can take a cab though, if you want."
"No, I want to take you. It's no problem. I took tomorrow off from work."
"Okay," Stacie whispers. "Thank you."
The waitress comes to take their orders so they break apart reluctantly, and Aubrey begins to wish for dinner to be over.
/
The ride back is silent, but it isn't awkward; the air is charged with anticipation and Aubrey doesn't hesitate before taking Stacie's hand in her own while she drives.
They step out of the car quickly when Stacie pulls into the parking lot. "Chloe said she and Beca are coming to get the car sometime next week," she says, reclaiming Aubrey's hand and leading the way to the house.
"So they made up?"
"Yeah," Stacie says, cheeks coloring. "Beca and I managed to convince her fairly quickly that we don't like each other that way—because I swear, we don't. I don't think she ever thought we did, anyway. She was just stressed because the road trip went so badly, I think."
Aubrey nods. "I mean, I love her to death but she's really bad at organizing events, isn't she?"
"She seriously is," Stacie says with a chuckle. "Tonight is another perfect example."
Aubrey laughs and steps forward to unlock the door. She drops her keys onto the counter and turns to face Stacie.
The amusement is gone from her face, replaced with quiet desire. Aubrey reaches to tuck her hair behind her ears, tracing the line of her cheek with her finger, and Stacie's eyes close slowly, a muscle in her jaw twitching. Aubrey lets her hand travel to the back of her neck and brings Stacie's head down slowly until she can connect their lips.
They both moan into the kiss and Stacie cups her jaw with her hands, bringing their bodies together. She's still in her heels while Aubrey already removed her own, so Stacie towers over her and has to bend down to reach her. Aubrey nudges her and Stacie kicks her shoes off, bringing her down to a comfortable height.
Aubrey pulls back after a few more moments, and Stacie looks panicked for half a second before Aubrey tugs her hand and begins leading her toward the bedroom. She's never been gladder to not be living with the Bellas; it was nearly impossible to bring someone home to that house with everyone constantly up in each other's business.
When they reach the bedroom she pulls Stacie into her, catching her lips again and backing her into the wall. She tracks her mouth over her jaw and then down her neck, lingering over her collarbones and then burying her face in the deep neckline of the dress. Stacie's chest is already heaving and her hands are in Aubrey's hair, her head thrown back against the wall. Aubrey peels the dress down, frustrated when she finds a strapless bra. The dress is too tight for her to get her hands under so she steps back with a sigh and motions for Stacie to lift her arms.
She peels the dress up until it's over her head and she can drop it to the floor. Stacie's wearing black lingerie and Aubrey feels her mouth go dry, torn between the wish to have her naked and the temptation to keep her like this forever.
Before she can make any decisions, Stacie pushes off the wall and walks around until she's behind her. She unzips her dress slowly and lets it pool on the floor, guiding her to turn back around to face her. Stacie's eyes roam hungrily over her body, taking in her own set of lacy blue underwear.
"Is this all for Chloe?" Stacie asks lowly, slipping her fingers under the bra straps.
"Oh, definitely," Aubrey nods. "But this—" She guides Stacie's hand down her body and into her underwear. "Is for you."
Stacie groans and her fingers slick over her between her legs. She slips one inside, just for a moment, before she sets her hands on Aubrey's waist and sits her down on the bed. Standing between her thighs, she reaches down to unsnap Aubrey's bra and runs her hands over the exposed skin of her back. Aubrey leans forward, pressing hot kisses to her stomach until it isn't enough and she pushes her down onto the bed and climbs on top.
She reaches under Stacie to undo her bra and drags it slowly down her arms. She drops her head at once to take a nipple into her mouth and Stacie rewards her with a drawn-out moan that makes Aubrey grind once against her, trying to relieve some of the tension building in her pelvis. Stacie's hips jerk into her own, their legs tangling clumsily, and Aubrey allows herself to rock into her, knowing she's likely to explode if she doesn't.
"Aubrey," Stacie pants, hands scrambling for purchase on her lower back. "I can't—if you keep doing that, I'm going to lose it."
Aubrey forces herself to still her hips, but she can't pull herself away so she kisses Stacie as deeply as she can, one hand on her jaw and the other working over her chest. Finally she breaks away and begins moving her kisses downward.
She traces Stacie's collarbones for long minutes, studying the dip between the delicate ridges, and how they bridge the divide between her neck and her chest. She places a hand just below them, on the plane of skin over her heart, feeling the firm muscle and how it jumps and twitches under her fingers.
Finally she drops a single kiss there, and then opens her mouth against the skin, covering every inch of her chest in wet kisses. One of Stacie's legs wraps around her waist, but it slips away when Aubrey's mouth travels to her sternum and then over her stomach.
Aubrey feels her start to tremble, and she sinks her teeth gently into her skin, circling her hipbones and tracing the line of her underwear. Stacie's hand doesn't leave her hair, and Aubrey's name leaves her lips with nearly every breath she releases.
Aubrey presses her mouth against her just once, over her underwear, before she can't wait any longer. She drags the garment down her long legs and then finally takes her into her mouth.
She sighs at the same time Stacie gasps. The hand in her hair scratches at her scalp, urging her on and begging her not to stop. Aubrey wraps her hands around Stacie's thighs, pulling her closer and flattening her tongue against her. It's almost like playing an instrument; Stacie makes a different noise for every movement of Aubrey's mouth, and Aubrey wants to hear all of those sounds forever.
Stacie's legs start to close around her head and she pushes them apart again. She can tell Stacie is trying not to pull her hair from the way her fingers tense, and she doubles her efforts with her tongue. Stacie cries out and her legs squeeze closed again, her entire body seizing. Aubrey's ears are muffled by her thighs but she still hears her name fall from Stacie's lips, over and over until her body relaxes and she pulls Aubrey up to kiss her.
/
When Stacie rolls her over and begins to make her way down her body, Aubrey stops her. She isn't ready to stop kissing her yet; every moment that she is without Stacie's lips on her own feels like a wasted moment, somehow.
"Just keep kissing me," she pleads, and Stacie does. She leaves her left hand on Aubrey's cheek, tilting her head, and her right trails down her body and into her underwear. She pulls it down after a few moments and Aubrey kicks it away, and Stacie returns her hand to her, slipping two fingers inside of her and anchoring her hand behind her thigh.
She presses into her slowly, but her thumb rubs quick circles into her clit, the variance in pace making Aubrey's body arch up and off the bed, searching for more closeness. She has to break the kiss when she finds herself without enough air, but Stacie presses her lips to the corner of her mouth and holds steady.
She doesn't fight the orgasm when she feels it begin to creep up her spine, her body seizing. She finds Stacie's lips again, kissing her desperately and pulling her impossibly closer as she stays, suspended, not sure if she's going to pass out, or her brain is about to short-circuit.
Stacie stays patiently with her until she relaxes back into the bed, her body buzzing and mind, for the moment, free of anxiety about the coming days.
She feels like she should say something but she doesn't know what, so she stays quiet and drags her hand down Stacie's body. She's already feeling their time running out and she can't bear the thought of wasting a single moment.
/
She's exhausted when her alarm goes off at nine the next morning. Stacie says something unintelligible in her sleep and wraps herself tighter around Aubrey, lips whispering over the skin of her neck.
"We have to get up," Aubrey says reluctantly. "We only have an hour and a half until we have to leave."
"Can't we just stay here forever?" Stacie mumbles. "Who needs grad school?"
Aubrey tries to laugh but it comes out like a sob, and doesn't answer. Instead, she rolls Stacie onto her back and kisses her desperately.
/
The airport is an hour's drive away, and they spend the time singing to the radio and yelling out the window. They could have talked, or cried, or fooled around, but having one last hour of near-normalcy feels like the best thing they can do. Aubrey tries to burn the image of Stacie screaming out the window for some driver to "use your god-damn blinker" into her mind, hoping to remember the way her hair blows around her face and her arms flair ridiculously.
Stacie falls back, laughing, onto the seat, when the driver passes them and flips them off. "What a douche," she says conversationally, and reaches for Aubrey's hand. Her smile fades when Aubrey takes the airport exit off the highway, and she clutches her hand tightly. "Can't you drive slower?" she begs.
/
"Go," Aubrey says. "You'll miss your flight."
Stacie looks miserable; her eyes brim with tears and she grips Aubrey's hand so tight it starts to go numb. "I don't want to."
"You have to," Aubrey chokes. She wipes the tears away impatiently with her sleeve and pulls Stacie in for a hug. Stacie drops her hand and her arms wrap tightly around her, burying her face in Aubrey's neck and pressing a kiss to the warm skin there.
"Come with me," she says desperately, and Aubrey wants nothing more than to follow her into the terminal and all the way to Maryland, but she can't leave her work, and she knows that they won't make it if she goes.
"I can't, baby, I'm sorry," Aubrey says, pulling back a little to look her in the eye. "I have to stay here, but you're going to go there and become a kick-ass doctor, okay?"
"I'll wait for you," Stacie says brokenly.
"Don't," Aubrey says, and she hates herself for the way Stacie's face clouds and she looks away. "Don't do that to yourself."
Stacie shakes her head. "I love you," she admits.
Aubrey's chest aches and she shuts her eyes. She's angry with herself for letting this happen, because she never meant for them to fall in love with each other and she knows Stacie didn't either, but now here they are.
"I love you too," she whispers, grasping the front of Stacie's shirt and kissing her hard. Stacie presses her against the side of the car and they stay there for long moments, neither wanting to pull away because doing so will only make this that much more real.
Aubrey finally breaks the kiss, placing one hand on Stacie's shoulder and the other on her cheek, wiping away the tears that gather there. "I love you," she repeats, pressing their lips together once more before Stacie steps back and picks up her bags.
"Do you want me to come in with you?" Aubrey asks.
Stacie shakes her head. "If you do I'll never get on the plane. Just stay here."
"Okay," Aubrey whispers. She bites down on her lip and takes a step back, hoping that a few more inches of distance between them will make things easier. It doesn't.
"I'll visit you," Aubrey promises, but they both know she won't. It will only make things excruciatingly hard and they both know they can't handle going through this all over again.
"Okay," Stacie says. "Can I call you?"
"Yes," Aubrey says. She can handle a phone call. "Please."
"I will," Stacie promises. "As soon as I get off the plane."
"Yeah. And let me know how you like Hopkins and everything," Aubrey says, trying valiantly to plaster a smile onto her face. "I'm sure you'll love it."
Stacie just nods and wipes her eyes, pressing one final kiss to Aubrey's lips before she turns around and walks away, and Aubrey's left to grasp the door of the car until her knuckles are white, fighting desperately against the urge to follow her.
Maybe someday when Stacie's done with school and she finds a way to leave the lodge they'll see each other again, but for now all she can do is watch Stacie turn and walk away, trying to memorize the way she looks before she doors of the terminal close behind her and she's gone.