Hi folks! I wasn't planning on writing this but I was thinking about these two and scenes for an epilogue a little bit later down the road sprung to my mind.
I haven't written in the past tense in a long time so excuse any mistake, some present tense might have slipped in there. All mistakes are mine.
This is officially the last chapter of this series (I know I've said that before, but I mean it this time ;) )
With each step Chloe took up to her apartment, the more she felt the need to give in to the tears screaming to get out.
Today had been her first day back at the hospital. The first day after six long months mostly spent at home, volunteering at the local homeless shelter, or spending time with Beca.
The moment she stepped through the ER door this morning, Chloe had been the subject of every glance and whisper. She tried to ignore them throughout the day, choosing to focus on doing her job and nothing else, but the fact that she was supervised made it harder to pretend everything was still the same.
She felt like a medical student again, who had to explain everything she did to her supervisor and ask for someone else to go to the hospital pharmacy for her as she was banned from it for the next six months. She felt, no, she knew she was starting from square one and had to prove herself to the entire team and her chief once more.
Truth be told, Chloe didn't know how she was going to go through those six months if every day was as difficult as this one had been.
Reaching the top-step, Chloe partially hoped Beca wasn't home. She knew her breakdown was inevitable from the way her throat felt trapped by the emotions bubbling up from her chest. She didn't want to cry in front of Beca as she was aware Beca blamed herself for her suspension.
Chloe slid her key into the lock and pushed the door open. Jazz was there to greet her mere seconds later, tail waggling and tongue lolling out as he happily greeted her with a lick to her palm and a nudge of the nose against her hand.
She heard her girlfriend before she saw her, the soft humming of a tune drifting into the hallway from the kitchen.
"Hey Chlo," Beca greeted with a smile thrown over her shoulder, which Chloe returned.
"Are you making dinner?"
"Yeah. Vegetable stir fry with rice and soy sauce."
Chloe stepped closer to kiss her lightly. Her day had just gone from awful to slightly less so. "That sounds amazing, baby."
"How was your first day back?" Beca asked, sliding her hand into one of Chloe's.
"It was alright," Chloe lied. "I just have to get back on track."
Beca observed her for a brief moment, as though she was onto her quievering emotions. Eventually, she smiled and kissed Chloe's cheek. "I'm sure you will."
A sob surfaced at the edge of Chloe's throat, threatening to barrel past her teeth. "Yeah. I'm going to take a shower before dinner okay? I feel gross."
Beca eyed her for another stretch but didn't say anything other than, "Okay."
Tears leaked out of Chloe's eyes the moment she turned around in the direction of the bedroom, and the sobs made her body silently shake the second she shut the bathroom door behind her.
She didn't know how long she spent in the shower, her hand propped against the wall as she let the slightly hotter than usual water hit her back.
Long enough for the water to turn lukewarm and her skin to become pruny.
Long enough to question her career and her abilities to practice medicine.
Long enough to worry Beca.
A soft knock on the door cut Chloe out of her musings. She reached out to turn off the water just as Beca spoke.
"Are you okay? You've been in here for a long time."
Chloe cleared her throat, hoping her voice wouldn't betray the fact that she had been crying for the last... five minutes? Half-hour? She wasn't sure.
"Yeah, um, I'll be out soon."
"I'm, uh, going to take Jazz for a walk. I'll be back in a little bit."
Chloe frowned; that was something they usually did after dinner to catch up on their respective days, but Beca's footsteps had already departed by the time she wanted to mentioned it. Chloe took her time drying herself off, then put on her comfiest sweatpants along with a long sleeved shirt, and padded to the kitchen to take a beer from the fridge.
The apartment was unusually quiet without Beca, Tom or Jazz, so she settled on the couch, choosing a channel at random to fill the white noise as she thumbed through her phone while taking occasional sips from her beer.
When the second episode of The Office ended and Beca still wasn't back, Chloe sat up and checked the time. It had been more than a hour since she left the apartment. Their walks usually lasted twenty-five minutes, half-an-hour at the most.
She sat back and tried not to worry too much but, given Beca's heavy past, that was a difficult thing to do. Even though Beca had been completely clean for just under six months, she still felt the itch to use on bad days. She told Chloe about it one night a couple weeks ago as they laid in bed and while Chloe knew it was part of the process, she remembered feeling her heart drop into her stomach.
The front door opened a couple minutes later and Chloe heaved out a gush of air in relief when Beca rounded the corner.
"Hey, I was starting to get worried," she said softly as she stood up, watching Beca unclip the leash from Jazz's collar and patted his head before he walked to his water bowl.
Beca looked at Chloe and shuffled closer, hands toying with the rope leash in her hands. "Sorry. I needed time to clear my head."
Chloe remained silent, not sure what to do with that piece of information. She had the inkling her first day back to work and Beca needing some time to think were linked.
"Are you okay?" Chloe asked, sitting on the armrest of the couch as Beca stepped closer. The brunette set the leash on the coffee table and came to stand right before Chloe.
"Are you?" she directed instead, eyes soft as she gently held Chloe's face with one hand. "Because you look far from okay."
Despite how much she tried to hold it back, a tear escaped Chloe's eye to run down her cheek, curl around her chin and drip onto her lap. "My, uh, my day wasn't so good. I felt like the circus freak, everyone kept staring at me and..." a sob ripped itself from her throat, and her hand shoot up to try and contain the following ones. "It was awful."
"Baby," Beca whispered, catching a few more tears with the pads of her thumbs. She pulled Chloe against her, cradling her head to her chest as Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca's waist to tug her impossibly closer. She felt Beca's warm lips into her hair and let her eyes flutter shut. "I'm sorry."
Chloe knew Beca wasn't saying that because her first day back didn't go well. She was saying that because, just how Chloe had feared, she felt guilty, and Chloe's heart squeezed painfully in her chest.
"It's not your fault," Chloe murmured back once she had gathered a semblance of composure. Pulling away, she wiped the remainder of her tears and sniffled. Beca looked uncertain, eyes running away from Chloe's. "It's not."
Beca stiffened, hands dropping back to her sides. "You lost your job because of me."
"I lost my job because of my decisions."
"Decisions that you had to take because I screwed up and asked you for your help with Benji in the first place."
Chloe could nearly see the walls around Beca's heart standing back up. She released a slow breath and counted to three in her head in order to weight her words.
"I could have said no. I could have walked away because, truth be told, you were kind of a bitch back then," Chloe cracked a small smile, but it faded away the second it wasn't returned.
"Beca," she said firmly, slipping both hands in Beca's to try and stir her girlfriend's attention away from her irrational thoughts. "I already said it to you in that car when we went home from the hospital six months ago and I'm going to say it again now, and I need you to believe me."
She waited until Beca's fleeting eyes met hers timidly. "I knew what I was risking when I took those drugs from the hospital pharmacy. I knew it, yet I still went through with my plan. And if I were given the chance to go back to that day, I would make the exact same decision. I don't regret it, because even if my career took a blow, what came out of it; having you in my life, is worth a lot more."
She waited a handful of seconds for her words to settle within Beca before adding, "Okay?"
"Yeah, I..." Beca sighed, letting her shoulders drop, as though now free from the invisible weight pressing down on them. "I'm sorry for making this about me. You are the one who had an awful day and needs comfort, not the other way around."
"Hey, listen to me," Chloe requested, trailing her hands up Beca's arms to cup her face. "I'd rather you talked to me about this than drowning in your feelings. And if you can't talk about it with me, with anyone else that will listen. I don't want you to..." Chloe faltered, the words too bold to make the leap past the barrier of her teeth.
"I won't," Beca said, destroying the unspoken doubt suspended in mid-air. "I won't do that. I promise."
Chloe blew out a breath, nodding. "Okay."
"I love you," Beca murmured, stepping closer to wind her arms under Chloe's and around her back. She bent down to press a gentle kiss to Chloe's lips, then to her nose and forehead. "You are my heart."
Chloe melted into her body, lids falling shut as Beca's lips skipped over her face in feather-light kisses. A lone tear resting in the corner of her eye slipped out and she felt Beca wipe it away tenderly with a swipe of her thumb.
"I love you, too. So much."
"I know," Beca's soft, smiling tone made her open her eyes. "You show me everyday just how much, Chlo."
Chloe stood on quivering legs and pulled Beca into her, burying her face into the crook of her neck, letting the anguish and exhaustion of the day be chased away by the warmth and comfort provided by Beca's embrace.
"Dinner?" Beca asked softly after a while, stilling her swaying. Chloe backed away and nodded, smiling at Beca as she pushed strands of hair away from Chloe's face to tuck them behind her ears. "And then we can take a bath maybe? Or watch one of those stupid sitcoms?"
Chloe giggled. Sitcoms had never been Beca's things, but she endured them about once a week, admitting it was for the couch cuddles included in the package. "I'd like that."
As the relaxing evening progressed, Beca's attentive ministrations made Chloe forget about work and the fact that she had to go back in the morning.
By lunch time the next day, Chloe was looking forward to taking a break. She slid her chart into the appropriate rack at the reception desk and smiled at Amy, who, along with Stacie, had been nothing but supportive.
"Your girl is here to see you," Amy let her know with a smirk and a wink. Sure enough, Chloe's eyes followed Amy's line of sight to fall on Beca's figure. Beca waved at her and smiled from her spot next to the sliding doors, Jazz patiently sitting by her side.
Grinning, Chloe walked to her and let Jazz nuzzle her hand in greeting. "What are you guys doing here?"
"We're taking you to lunch." Beca stated with a lopsided smile, hands jammed in the pockets of her leather jacket. "Are you free?"
"Yeah," Chloe confirmed. The doctor shadowing her was on his lunch break so there was nothing she could do until her returned, in about an hour. "I'm free."
"Cool. Do you need your jacket?"
"No, it's warm enough out." Chloe stepped closer and lightly pecked Beca's lips in greeting. "Hi,"
Beca grinned and dipped in for another kiss, keeping it chaste given their surroundings. "Hello."
Chloe's happy demeanor faltered as she caught the pair of nurses standing by the staff room in the corner of her eye. She glanced at them to confirm the fact that they were gossiping about her, causing Beca to follow her line her gaze and frown.
"Hey," Beca called out loudly, catching their attention. They looked over like two deer caught in the headlights, visibly thrown off by Beca's scowl and menacing glare. "Don't you have something else better to do? This is a workplace, not the fucking afternoon tea."
Chloe's heart fluttering in her chest. While she didn't need Beca to defend her, it felt satisfying to watch them scamper off with their tails between their legs.
"My knight in shining armor," she murmured to lighten Beca's mood. Beca rolled her eyes and shrugged.
"Anytime."
Chloe couldn't resist kissing her again.
"Quit making-out, it's disgusting."
Chloe giggled against Beca's lips and turned her head to see Stacie look at them with a fond smile while on her way to the staff room. Beca flushed a deep crimson, eyes falling to the ground while Chloe watched on endearingly.
"Good to see you, Beca. How is that album going?"
Beca cleared her throat and smiled at Stacie. "Steady. Cynthia-Rose hopes for a release beginning of next year."
"That's amazing news. I'll be the first in line to buy it."
"Um, excuse me," Chloe scoffed and Beca chuckled.
Stacie rolled her eyes. "Oh come on, you're banging the girl. I know you'll get to listen to it before anyone else because I have no doubt you're amazing in bed, with that body and flexibility."
The blush Beca had managed to get rid off crept back onto her face, making Stacie cackle.
"Stop trying to give my girlfriend a heart attack, Stace."
Stacie lifted her hands in surrender. "I'm done. See you after lunch. Bye Beca."
"Bye, Stacie."
/
Beca hadn't stopped fidgeting since they got into the car to the airport. It was endearing at first, but fast-forward five hours later as they drove to her parents' house in their rental vehicle, Chloe was starting to be concerned about her girlfriend.
Her complexion had turned as white as a ghost and her hand was tapping a nervous rhythm on her thigh. Chloe slowed her car down to a stop behind her parents' in their driveway and turned to face Beca.
"Hey," she reached out to tap Beca's hand gently. Beca's nervous dark blues snapped to her. "Stop worrying, baby."
"Stop worrying?" Beca echoed uncertainly. "It's your family. I've- I've never met anybody's parents before, this is a big deal."
Chloe smiled and wove her fingers through Beca's. Beca's palm was sweaty against her own. "My parents are chill, I promise."
Beca tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, nibbling on it for a few seconds, then releasing it. "What if I mess up?"
Chloe refrained from rolling her eyes. "You won't mess up. And even if you do, they love you already from all the things I've been babbling about you for the last eight months."
"Okay," Beca's eyes flitted back to Chloe's parents' house. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay."
Chloe leaned across the console to kiss her for good measure. "Come on."
Sure enough and per Chloe's request, Chloe's parents acted as chill as they could (given the fact they were meeting the first person Chloe had ever brought home, ever) when they stepped inside the house. Chloe's mom didn't hug Beca, even though Chloe could tell she was dying to, and settled for a handshake, along with a warm smile and a comforting squeeze to Beca's forearm.
"It's, uh, it's nice to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Beale."
"Please," Chloe's father predictably corrected. "Call us Mike and Alice. And it's very nice to meet you too, Beca."
Beca nodded and before an awkward silence could settle in the hallway, Chloe's dad led her to the living room, already asking her about baseball.
"Hi honey," Chloe smiled and melted into her mother's embrace. She hadn't seen them in almost a year and forgot how good it felt to be home. Alice pulled away and squeezed her shoulders. "You look good. How is work?"
It had been two months since Chloe started work again and while she was still ticked off and frustrated about having her every move scrutinized, her relationship with her co-workers was almost back to normal.
"It's getting better, mom, don't worry." Chloe shrugged, lips curving into a smile as her father's laughter drifted from the living-room. "My career is not my whole life anymore, y'know?"
"I know, and I'm glad for that," Alice stated with a beaming grin. "Beca seems to be an amazing person."
Chloe wondered if the love reflecting in Beca's eyes whenever she gazed at Chloe was as obvious to other people as it was to her.
She nodded, her own smile widening as a handful of butterflies started acting up in her belly.
"She is. I'm really happy, mom."
Beca and her dad were still talking about sports when Chloe and her mom walked into the living-room a few minutes later, and Beca sent her a quick wink to wordlessly assure her she wasn't so nervous anymore.
They cooked dinner all together, Beca cracking a few jokes now and then as she gradually relaxed around Chloe's parents. They shuffled up the stairs towards Chloe's childhood home not too long after, both worn our from the day of travel.
"Did you text Tom about Jazz?" Beca asked as Chloe slipped back into her room after washing up. Beca was already in her sleep shorts and cotton shirt, laying on top of the covers with a book open in her hands.
"Yes." Chloe replied with an amused smile as she walked to the bed and knelt on her side of the mattress. She forgot how soft it was and wondered how she slept on it for nearly ten years without complaining. "He's fine, he's surviving without you, babe."
"I know," Beca responded with an eye-roll, "I just don't like to leave him."
"I know." Chloe echoed softly, shuffling closer. She plucked the book out of Beca's hands, who whined quietly because she didn't have time to look at the page number, and haphazardly tossed it over her shoulder onto the mattress as she moved to hover above Beca, bracing her weight on both hands. She dipped down to capture Beca's lips in a slow, thorough kiss, swallowing Beca's groan. "Hi,"
"Hello," Beca grinned, draping an arm over her shoulders. She looked away from Chloe to let her eyes drift to their surroundings. "So this is your room."
"Yep." Chloe shrugged. "There isn't much to it."
"Those cheer-leading pictures are worth a visit all the way down to Florida."
"Yeah?" Chloe grinned, kissing Beca again.
"Definitely. Do you, um," Beca started toying with the hem of Chloe's shirt as her face turned red in prospect of voicing the rest of the question. "Do you still have that cheer-leading outfit?"
"I might," Chloe husked out, licking her lips in anticipation of wearing it for Beca. "You want me to look for it now?"
"No," Beca said, hands moving to hold Chloe's hips. Heat bloomed in her cheeks as she broke eye-contact. "We're not – we're not going to have sex with your parents sleeping next door. I was... thinking you could maybe pack it when we go back home."
While she knew Beca was most likely to stand by that, Chloe still pouted and batted her eyelashes. "So no sex for an entire week?"
Beca shrugged. "I guess so."
She didn't seem unfazed at all, but Chloe had a few tricks up her sleeve to change her mind in the days to come.
Chloe hummed doubtedly but settled for a kiss before she moved off Beca. "Very well, then."
"I mean, I'm not opposed to making-out," Beca rushed out, making Chloe laugh and kiss her. Beca smiled, nudging Chloe's nose with hers. "Hey, I didn't mean to, but I overheard you and your mom talk earlier as I was going to the bathroom."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I just... I just wanted to let you know that you make me very happy, too."
Chloe grinned and brushed her lips against Beca's. "Good. I love you,"
"I love you, too, Red."
/
Beca's release party was a lot to take in, especially for Beca herself. She met a lot of people, took a lot of pictures and Chloe could tell those were things she wasn't very comfortable with yet; being the center of attention.
It wasn't until she got onto the stage in the bar where the party was held that Beca relaxed. Performing in front of people was something she had mastered over the eight years she spent living on the streets. The shyness and awkwardness vanished the second she got her hands on her guitar and stood behind that microphone; she let her raw emotions carry her and captivate the audience from the first lyrics.
Chloe had heard her songs countless of times by now; on the streets that night she recognized Beca, during that day at her apartment while the blizzard was raging outside, and in the last few weeks preceding the album release.
Yet, it didn't matter how well she knew the melodies and the words. Watching Beca pour her heart out in those lyrics that told about her hardship never failed to tug at her heartstrings.
Over the following week, Beca promoted her album, Mountains, in different stores, spending afternoons signing copies and taking pictures with the base of fans she had already made after the release of her first single.
The response was unparalleled for a first album, with thousands of copies sold over the week. Even after a month following the release, Chloe still found unsettling to come across Beca's name on pop-ups in different stores and never failed to take a selfie with a row of her albums.
Chloe [5:09 PM]
Look who I found at Morton Williams. What a hottie! 3
Beca [5:09 PM]
Unfortunately, that hottie is taken by an amazing girl.
Chloe [5:10 PM]
Dang.
Beca [5:10 PM]
I guess I can make an exception for you ;)
Beca [5:10 PM]
Are you home soon?
Chloe [5:10 PM]
Yeah, just picking up some groceries. See you in a bit.
Chloe got home an hour later, to Beca thumbing through her phone, a bottle of something bubbly chilling in an ice bucket, two glass flutes and a bouquet of lilies -Chloe's favorites- sitting on the kitchen island she stood by.
"What's all this?" Chloe asked, cocking a curious eyebrow as she set the two paper bags she carried on a stool.
If she didn't know any better, she thought Beca was going to propose. However, she knew the date and felt her heart settle in her chest from the look of pride in Beca's expression.
"I got this today," Beca said softly, clearing her throat as she slid something across the table. Chloe's eyes glanced down to the bronze Narcotics Anonymous recovery coin, then back to its holder. Beca blew out a breath, a small smile tugging at her lips. "One year."
Chloe beamed and walked around the table to wrap Beca up in a bone-crushing embrace. "I'm so, so proud of you, Bec."
Beca's hand slid up her back to rest between her shoulder blades, keeping her close. "Thank you, baby. I'm proud of myself, too."
Even if Beca didn't necessarily talk about it, Chloe knew some days were hard. When the pressure got to be too much for her shoulders, or when old ghosts lurked in the shadows, Beca's resolve teetered, but never broke. The road ahead was still long and tricky but Chloe knew that getting to the first-year mark meant leaving the hazardous cliff in the rear-view mirror.
"So we're gonna have to do a lot of drinking tonight, because," Chloe chuckled as she stepped away, reaching in one of the bags and pulling out a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne. Beca had also decided to quit drinking any kind of alcohol, not wanting to fall into the trap of substituting drugs with alcohol and risking getting dependent to it. "I bought this to celebrate."
Beca gaped for a good five seconds, eyes moving to meet Chloe's. "You remembered?"
"Of course I did." Chloe said fondly, melting into the kiss Beca placed upon her lips. "So proud."
Beca smiled against her mouth and kissed her once more. "I love you."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Both women broke apart upon hearing Tom's voice, finding him awkwardly hovering in the kitchen doorway. "I didn't mean to interrupt whatever is going on."
"You're right on time," Beca said, turning around to grab an additional glass from the cupboard above the counter. Tom picked up the coin from the table and nodded, impressed.
"Congratulations, Beca."
"Thank you. You, um, you had your part in my recovery, too, and I'm very grateful to you."
"Don't mention it," Tom waved his hand dismissively. "I'm just happy the hardest part is over."
Beca poured some champagne in the three glasses and they all toasted to another great year to come. After quickly finishing his glass, Tom bid them a good evening and retreated to his bedroom, no doubt to give them some privacy.
"I, uh, I also got my first real check today with Cynthia-Rose, from the single and album sales." Beca started, running a finger over the rim of her glass absentmindedly. "I would like to take you out tonight. That was a promise I made to myself that day at the rehab when I said I would cook for you instead. I didn't have the means back then but I do now, so..."
Chloe's mind felt dizzy with countless of happy sensations winding together, so much that she couldn't voice a reply before Beca spoke once more.
"And since I'm bound to get more of those checks that will enable me to be comfortable for a good while, I was thinking that, uh," Beca looked down, her fingers now fiddling with the foot of the glass. "That, if you wanted, we could, um, move into our own place?"
Chloe would be lying if she said she hadn't been thinking about that for a few months. She didn't want to be the one to initiate it, because she had always been the eager one in the couple serious relationships she had before her job took over her life.
Being with Beca however, changed that. No matter how comfortable she had grown to be around Chloe, she was still insecure and wary about relying on someone and Chloe wanted to respect that and let Beca take that step whenever she felt ready.
Chloe tried to keep her excited heart from jumping out of her chest and gave in to the beaming smile threatening to split her face.
"Are you serious?"
"Well, yeah." Beca shrugged with her signature lopsided smile. She wound both arms around Chloe's waist and kissed her. "I want to make a home with you."
Chloe grabbed the counter to steady herself now that her legs were close to bucking underneath her.
"Are you okay?" Beca asked through a tiny laugh.
Chloe nodded, exhaling slowly. "I want that, too."
"Good," Beca grinned and kissed her again. "I'm guessing you want to order take-out and start looking now?"
Giggling, Chloe pecked Beca's lips and shimmied out of her hold. "I'll go get my computer."
Beca was on the couch when Chloe got back after switching from her scrubs to comfy sweatpants and an over-sized sweater. She was on the phone ordering Chloe's favorite, Jazz rolled in a ball at her feet, as Chloe plopped down next to her, balancing her laptop on her thighs.
"Your pad thaï will be here in half-hour," Beca said as she hung up and snuggled closer, her hand curling around Chloe's forearm.
"Thanks, baby," Chloe murmured, twisting her head to press a kiss across Beca's temple. "Okay, so we're looking for something ideally close to the studio and the hospital, right?"
"Yeah."
"Two bedrooms? The additional one can be for friends staying over and an office."
"Yeah, that sounds good. And a park nearby," Beca added, glancing down at her dog. "For Jazz."
Chloe smiled. "Of course."
"And maybe then we can get a couple other dogs so he's not too lonely when we're at work."
And come home to a destroyed apartment. Chloe stifled a laugh.
"A couple? You realize that means we'll be outnumbered by dogs."
"For a little while maybe, yeah."
Chloe blinked, not sure if those were words produced by Beca's mind or just a figment of imagination created by hers. Leaning forward to set her computer on the coffee table, Chloe then pivoted to face Beca.
She cleared her throat to make sure her voice was still somewhere within reach. "What, um, what?"
Apparently her brain wasn't.
"Sorry. What I meant by that is that we're bound to have a baby someday, right?"
Chloe felt her own eyes widen. She knew she wanted kids, of course she did. Ever since her first babysitting gig at the age of twelve, Chloe was positive she wanted to become a mother.
That Beca did, too, was however brand new information. They had yet to have that talk and again, Chloe was too scared to move too fast or push Beca into a corner by even mentioning it.
"A baby?" she echoed with another blink. She locked eyes with Beca's surprisingly steady ones. "You want kids?"
"I, uh, I never thought I would, but then again, I never thought I would be able to get into the music business again, or even off the streets. That changed when you walked into my life and showed me what love was about and..." Beca paused, waving her fingers through Chloe. "...having a baby with you, a product of our love, is something that would make me unbelievably happy."
Chloe whimpered, trying to blink away the tears that had gathered in her eyes as she listened to Beca.
"Not, um, right away of course. I want to..." Beca cleared her throat, eyes focusing on their bound hands. "I'm not stable. I'm not- I don't entirely trust myself yet because I can still feel that craving and I have to get there before being entrusted with someone else's well-being."
"I know," Chloe offered with a reassuring smile, hand sliding up Beca's thigh. "And there's no rush, you know. We have only been together for a year and a half and I intend on keeping you all to myself for a little while before we start thinking of having a little monster."
"I know. I just wanted to let you know that I want the same things you do."
Chloe took a deep breath, welcoming the rush of warmth wrapping around her lungs as she let Beca's words echo within her. Her hand hiked up to cup Beca's neck and tug her closer until their lips locked into a slow kiss that spread the heat to every corner of her body. A quiet, drown-out moan flit out of her mouth as Beca tilted her head to deepen it, fingers sinking into Chloe's hair.
Somewhere during their lip-lock and without really registering it, Chloe ended up straddling Beca's lap, Beca's hands firmly set on her hips.
"What about," Beca managed between light nips when Chloe's hands sneaked under her shirt. "the apartment hunt?"
Chloe moaned as Beca's lips lefts hers to skip down her neck. "Tomorrow."
"And dinner?" Beca breathed out against her skin, goosebumps pebbling to the surface.
"Later."
Squealing when Beca abruptly stood up, Chloe wrapped her legs around her waist and cupped her face to pull her into a searing kiss.
"Bedroom?"
Beca's half-lidded, lust filled eyes would have made her legs buck had they been holding her up.
Chloe smirked. "Bullseye."
/
Beca had been acting weird for a few days; nervous, fleeting, and completely unfocused. Chloe had started to look for physical signs of relapse, but couldn't find any. Yet, her mind wasn't at peace and she knew she had to ask Beca what was going on before she did the irreparable of going through her stuff to see if there was any drug hidden anywhere.
Beca was working on her computer at the kitchen island when Chloe got home from work. They had moved into their new place six months ago, a bright two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn with a park across the street.
Jazz greeted her at the door as always and as always, she spent a minute petting him before shuffling towards her girlfriend, who sent her a small smile over her computer.
"Hi," she murmured, coming to a stop behind Beca. She wrapped her arms around Beca's shoulders and pressed her lips to her cheek.
"Hello," Beca replied, laying a hand on top of Chloe's arms. She twisted her head and smiled softly. "How was your day?"
"Same old," Chloe answered absentmindedly, brain entirely focused on something else. "Listen, can we talk?"
She realized it wasn't the best conversation starter, as those words were known as the universal break-up opener. She felt Beca tense in her arms and loosened her hold for Beca to spin around on the stool.
"Is everything okay?"
"I think I should be the one asking you that," Chloe countered softly, wrapping her fingers around Beca's. "I'm worried about you because you've been fidgety lately and – and as much as I don't want to jump to conclusions, I..."
"You think I'm using again," Beca finished with a hard swallow, shoulders dropping in defeat or in disappointment, Chloe couldn't tell.
"I'm sorry," Chloe whispered, blinking away the unnecessary tears filling her eyes. "I don't want to believe that but somewhere in the corner of my brain, I'm afraid that something is stressing you out and that using might be your escape."
"I'm not using, Chlo." Beca said, with an incredible patience and understanding as to where Chloe was coming from that spoke volumes of how far she had come; she wasn't the defensive person she used to be whenever she was on drugs anymore.
"Okay." Chloe closed her eyes briefly, both in relief that she was wrong and in shame for ever doubting Beca. "I'm sorry for asking, I... I just got scared."
"It's, uh, it's okay. I'm sorry for being agitated, too. I wanted – I wanted to wait until tomorrow night to do it but..." Beca shook her head, as though to focus on whatever her thoughts were obsessing over. "Can you hold on a second? I-I need to go get something."
Frowning, Chloe slowly nodded and accepted the quick kiss Beca planted on her lips, as a form of reassurance, she guessed. Beca was back a mere minute later, hands slightly shaky as they slipped into Chloe.
"I, um, hadn't planned on doing this in the kitchen, but..." Beca gave her a small, nervous smile and Chloe felt her eyes widen and her heart pick up to a tremendous pace in both realization and anticipation.
"Oh, my god."
"Chloe, you're my everything. You came out of nowhere with those blue eyes, that dazzling smile but most importantly, that unwavering faith in me that felt so foreign and scary at first. But you managed to tear down the walls I had spent so many years building in just a few months and made me trust you like I hadn't trust anyone since my mom's death."
As Beca paused, Chloe freed one of her hands to wipe the tears that has already fallen down her cheeks.
"You saved my life, both figuratively and literally. Not only that, but you encouraged me to look for the light at the end of the tunnel, to seek for a better life. It seemed so far away and I stumbled catching a few hurdles, yet you remained. Kind and strong by my side through it all and I know for a fact I couldn't have done it without you."
Beca took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "You reminded me what it felt like to be loved unconditionally and to love in return. I know my heart belongs to you and I... I was wondering if you were maybe ready to take the next step, because I know I am."
"Yes," Chloe sputtered out through a sob.
"Chlo," Beca chuckled affectionately, squeezing her fingers. "I think I need to ask the question, first."
"Right, right," Chloe laughed and cleared her throat. Her whole body was tingling in overwhelming glee. "Get on with it, then, because I can't wait to call you my fiancée."
Beca whimpered quietly at that, inhaling shakily as she fished out a square velvet box from the pocket of her hoodie. Lowering herself on one knee, she smiles up at Chloe as she opened it. Chloe's eyes dropped to the simple but beautiful sparkling princess cut diamond nestled inside.
"Chloe Beale, my love, will you be my wife?"
A sob got stuck in Chloe's throat as she nodded several times. "Yes, of course I will."
As much as she wanted to tug Beca up and pull her into a long kiss, Beca had apparently decided to propose by the letter. She plucked the ring out and slid it onto Chloe's finger.
"I love you," Chloe mumbled against Beca's lips, which she immediately captured with her own when Beca finally straightened. "I love you so, so much."
"I love you, too, Chlo." Beca said as she pulled away, brushing Chloe's tears away from her face and tucking a few strands of hair behind her ears in the same process. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."
Letting out a watery, happy laugh, Chloe pulled Beca into an embrace.
It had started raining outside, the soft and steady pitter patter of the drops hitting the window bathing the room in a soothing, intimate mood.
Chloe pressed her smiling lips into Beca's neck and closed her eyes, heart full with unparalleled love and happiness.
-fin-
Beca's album title Mountains is in reference to Dr. Seuss Oh, the Places You Will Go that Beca's mom used to read to her when she was a kid (chapter seven).
Hope you enjoyed it. Feedback is always appreciated, lovelies.