"You're such a weirdo."

One second after their lips meet for the first time, she knows it's special. She can feel him smiling into their kiss as she responds, smiling back. Her heart is pounding and she feels her stomach drop and her insides clench as she feels his hands move to her waist.

One minute after that kiss, she's sitting a row behind him with the Bellas, and he's with the Treblemakers. She resists the urge to run her hands through his hair, or poke him in the shoulder to divert his attention back to her.

One hour after they kiss, the Bellas have hoisted her up on their shoulders while their shining National Championship trophy waves triumphantly over her head. She scans the room and sees his proud gaze meet hers, and it's the best moment of her life to date.

When the hugs and the cheering and the congratulatory remarks subside and the crowd around her finally dissipates, she sees him standing on the sidelines, patiently waiting for her just like he always has. Her heart skips a beat, and she can feel the butterflies churn in her stomach as he slowly approaches her, his eyes alight with questions.

"Walk with me?" she asks him, and he nods.

They exit the theater and find themselves on a crowded New York City street in the early hours of evening. Beca is unsure of what to say, how to begin, and she nervously crosses her arms across her chest as they walk.

Once the crowd begins to thin a bit as they turn onto a less busy street, Jesse turns to her. It seems that for once, he too is at a loss for words. "So," he begins hesitantly, "Did my ears deceive me or did you just serenade me in public, for the entire world to see?"

"The ICCA's are only shown on some random cable channel," she counters, sighing, "And only you know the meaning of that song."

"Oh, do I?" he questions. "I mean, I know it's from the most amazing movie ever, but wait…did you actually watch it finally?"

"Yes," she admits.

"And?"

"And I cried like a baby, ok?" she smiles, punching him teasingly in the arm.

"She does have a heart!" he exclaims, continuing their banter as usual, but she freezes at this remark, and he turns around to look at her.

"Jesse," she breathes, and her voice is so soft he almost can't hear it over the ambient noise of the city. She doesn't meet his gaze as she takes a deep breath, "You asked me why I push everyone away and I said I didn't know. I do know."

They've walked about a block or so from the theater, and found themselves entering Central Park. She's started walking again, and he doesn't comment as he follows her.

"I told you my parents are divorced, but I haven't told you why. My dad, he left when I was 10. He left my mother and me for another woman. For Sheila, my now step-monster. I knew that my parents had been fighting. I knew they weren't happy. But I thought my dad still loved me. And then one day he just wasn't there anymore."

She feels Jesse's hand grasp her own as she continues, "My mother went into a depression. For a while I felt like I was taking care of myself. I started getting into music then because it was the only thing that made sense to me. I could lose myself in it and not think or feel. My mom slowly became herself again, and my dad tried to act like nothing had happened. I didn't speak to him for a long, long time."

She doesn't notice that they're now sitting on a bench, their bodies turned toward each other, their knees touching. He hasn't let go of her hand.

"He called constantly, and visited, and begged me to visit him. But I was stubborn and just so angry. I mean, how could he leave me? I was his only daughter. He was supposed to love me, right? And I was angry at myself for still loving him, for still wanting to make him proud. So one day he came to my house and told me that if I went to Barden for one year and gave it a real chance that he'd support me if after that I still wanted to go to L. A. to DJ. He said I could go for free since he teaches there. And so, I went, because I couldn't afford to go to L. A. without his help.

"I wanted to hate it, and I did at first. But then I met you and I joined the Bellas, and I actually liked it. It was starting to be fun. And you know me, I'm a destroyer of all things fun," she quips, laughing to herself. She's gazing out at the park, still not looking at him.

"Being alone has worked for me, all this time. But when I lost the Bellas and you, I just—I watched your movie and I cried. I cried because it's about people that don't belong together but somehow fit. I cried because it was equally beautiful and sad," she says, echoing his words. She can feel him staring at her, "I cried because it reminded me of you," she finally whispers, turning to meet his gaze.

"Why?" he asks quietly.

"Because!" she suddenly exclaims, "Because you're you! You're persistent, and happy, and confident, and just everything I'm not. Your family is like an 80's sitcom. You don't need my drama, my freak-show of a life to mess all that up. Don't you get it? I'm broken," and he sees her deflate next to him.

"You are not broken," he replies, "You're the most amazing, intriguing person I've ever met."

"There you go again, with the flattery," she shakes her head.

"It's not flattery, it's the truth. Seriously Beca, how can you not see how aca-awesome you are?" he smiles his award-winning dorky grin at her, and she can't help but smile in response.

"Jesse," she whispers, and he silently vows to do whatever it takes to make Beca Mitchell say his name that way always. Her eyes are pleading with him, asking questions she has yet to voice, wanting to know if everything is going to be ok.

He leans forward slowly and presses his lips to hers. The kiss is slow and deliberate this time, and when his tongue seeks entrance to her mouth, she allows it. He runs a hand up through her hair, toying with the ends of it while his other hand reaches around her, holding her to him. She has one hand on his knee at first, and as she relaxes into the kiss she moves both to cup his face before reaching behind his neck to pull him even closer to her. When they finally break apart, Jesse leans his forehead on hers.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he tells her.

"Since you first saw me get out of a taxi?" she jokes.

"Yes," he says sincerely, and she rolls her eyes.

"Jesse, be serious," she counters, but that familiar sparkle in her eyes that he loves is back.

"I am serious," he replies, "I told you, we were going to end up best friends and/or lovers."

She blushes a little at that, glad for the darkness that hides her from him. "Well, that's because you're a total nerd," she quips.

"Yes, but I'm your nerd," he whispers into her ear, and she shudders involuntarily. "Cold?" he asks.

She stands abruptly, "We should be heading back now," she tells him, "If we miss the after-party everyone is going to start rumors about us."

"Oh right, and I'd hate that," he replies sardonically, grinning wickedly at her. She shakes her head, taking her hand in his.

"Come on weirdo," she pulls him up off the bench and they walk back to their hotel hand in hand.

They slip into the after party and mingle as if nothing had happened. The Bellas pounce on Beca, begging for gossip, but she just shakes her head and says that they're friends again. Nobody really believes her, especially when they catch Jesse staring at her from across the room. And they really don't believe it after they see them dance to a slow song, with no discernable space between them.

His arms are clasped behind her back as they sway to the music. Her head leans on his chest and as she makes out the faint beat of his heart, she decides that it's here in his arms that she finally feels safe.

They leave the party separately, but Beca is waiting for him this time, leaning against the corridor wall trying to appear casual as he passes by with Benji. He stops and Benji nods, bidding them goodnight as he disappears into their shared hotel room for the night.

"I just wanted to say goodnight," she says shyly. She's never done this before, had a boyfriend. She doesn't know what it's supposed to be like.

She reaches up to pull his head down to her level before kissing him soundly, nipping at his bottom lip with her teeth before her tongue pushes into his mouth. And he has to resist the urge to scoop her up and take her to his bed, never mind the fact that Benji is in the next bed.

She pulls away and smiles up at him, "Goodnight," and then with a grin, "You know for a dork you're a fantastic kisser." And then she turns on her heels and disappears out of sight.

Jesse knows it's going to take him a long while to fall asleep. Just as he's finally settled in bed, he hears a quiet knock on his door. He rubs his eyes and gets up to open the door, wearing only his boxers and a t-shirt, to reveal Beca. She's not wearing any makeup and her earrings are all missing, and she's dressed in a tank top and very short shorts.

"I couldn't sleep," she admits.

"Me neither," he replies softly, and takes her by the hand and leads her to his bed. She curls into his side with her head on his chest and relaxes into him. His heart is pumping loudly in his chest and he hopes she can't hear it as he plants a kiss to the top of her head.

"Much better," she sighs, and he smiles in the darkness.

One day later and they are on a plane returning to Barden. Jesse has switched seats with Stacie so they can sit together. She falls asleep with her head on his shoulder, their hands clasped together.

One week later and they are spending most, if not all of their free time together. Kimmy Jin just rolls her eyes at them as she leaves with her posse of friends each night when Jesse shows up with a DVD and popcorn in hand. And it's the same as it was before, with them hanging out, except there's a lot more kissing, and touching, and talking.

They talk about everything. And she tries, really tries, to be as open as she can. She still doesn't like talking about her past or her childhood, because it just makes her feel angry and sad –two emotions she'd rather not feel when she's with Jesse. And when he talks about his childhood and his family she thinks that maybe, just maybe happy endings do exist.

They're on her bed watching Little Miss Sunshine one night. Kimmy Jin is out for the night, having gone home for the weekend. Beca is actually watching this movie. It's funny, and serious, and filled with fantastic music. As the score begins playing she feels the tears prick at her eyes, and she can feel his gaze on her.

"You're missing it," she tells him.

"I've seen it already," and she can't help but notice the hushed tone of his voice that sounds so incredibly sexy.

"It's just—the music, it's so," she sniffs, "Beautiful."

"You're beautiful," he replies, shifting towards her. She turns her head in time for his lips to collide with hers. His kiss is desperate, filled with emotion. She fists one hand in his hair and the other begins tugging on the thin material of his tight-fitting t-shirt. She pulls him down so that he is hovering over her, supporting his weight as she opens her mouth to kiss him more deeply.

And then it happens, she says his name. "Jesse," she purrs into his ear, and he instinctively pushes his hips against hers. She shifts underneath him, pushing him off her for a second, but before he can question her she's pulling her shirt up over her head and grasping at his and both garments end up in a discarded heap on the floor.

When she's completely exposed to him for the first time, she tries to cover herself. "Don't," he tells her. "You're perfect," he adds, and he means it.

They can't help but notice how they fit together perfectly. He savors every inch of her body, and she learns how to nibble on a spot right under his ear that drives him wild. And later, when they're lying in the darkness of her room, he traces the outline of each of her tattoos.

As he reaches up to skim the flowers on her shoulder she mutters sleepily, "I got that one for my mother."

"Really?" he asks, wanting her to continue.

"Yeah. Kind of like a tribute, because she's always been there for me. She's the one who stayed. And she works really hard so that I can have the things I need in life. Most of these other things I did to annoy my dad," she gestures to her ear spike and dark makeup, "But that one is for her."

As Jesse presses a soft kiss to the tattoo, he feels his heart constrict for her and everything she is.

One month later and the semester is over. Everywhere they look students are carrying luggage and boxes, and they know that soon they will have to be apart for months. Beca has been fighting an internal battle all week over something, but she hasn't let on to Jesse what's bothering her. He hopes it's just because she's going to miss him, because God knows he's going to miss her. A lot.

They're at the station, completing their final shift of the year. He's trying to make her laugh by mocking the various CD's and albums they're stacking. And she's smiling, but there's still something behind her eyes that he can't quite put his finger on yet.

"Come on Becs," he quips, "This is grade A material here. You know my dorkiness is all part of my charm."

"I know," she sighs, "It's one of the reasons I love you."

"What?" he breathes out, as her jaw drops with the reality of what she just said.

"I mean—I," she stutters, turning away from him, unable to look him in the eye.

"Beca," he's using that tone she loves. He steps closer to her, turning her around to face him. He sweeps a stray piece of hair out of her face and looks into her eyes. "I love you too," he says simply.

"You do?" she squeaks, unsure.

"God yes," he says, "I've been wanting to tell you for so long now."

"Since when?" she asks him.

And he tries to pinpoint the exact moment he knew, but a million little things enter his stream of consciousness, and he doesn't know precisely when. "Since always," he decides on his answer.

"You're an idiot," she tells him, "There's no way that you could have loved me always, you didn't even—" he silences her with a kiss filled with passion. She doesn't even realize she's moving backward until she comes into contact with something solid behind her. He's trailing kisses down her neck and she's losing all ability to think coherently.

"What do you say we break Luke's rule, give him a little something to remember us by?" Jesse chuckles in her ear seductively.

She hops up on the desk, "Come here, nerd," she laughs into his lips as clothes are discarded once more.

They race out of the studio, hand in hand, still laughing about Luke's expression when he came in to find them disheveled and in a partial state of dress after lunch. When they left he was mumbling something about 'stupid immature interns' while going to get some cleaning supplies from the back. And when they finally stop running Jesse's mumbling something under his breath about a 'damn six-pack' when Beca silences him with a kiss.

One year later and they've just tied for second place at the ICCA's. Beca has taken over the Bellas and Jesse the Treblemakers, and they're relieved to see an end to their rivalry. It was all in good fun, of course, but they work better when they're on the same side. Their time is split between his room in the Treble house and her now single dorm room across campus.

She's sprawled across his bed, with only a sheet to cover her naked form when she hears music playing outside the window. She curses inwardly before opening her eyes to glance at the clock. It's 7:15 in the evening. She must have dozed off after their early afternoon activities. Speaking of which, where was Jesse?

She jumps up, pulling her clothing back on as she leaves the room in search of him. She hears the Trebles practicing the backbeat to David Guetta's Without You in the shared common room downstairs. She hops down the steps, and then she hears it, his voice.

He's singing, and when he finally comes into view he's staring directly at her. It's then that she notices the rest of the Bellas are there too. He's serenading her in front of everyone. When the song finishes, she has tears threatening to spill out as she pulls him into a hug.

"Jesse, what—" she starts.

"Happy One Year together, Becs," he explains, kissing her softly.

"You're such a weirdo," she smiles into his lips, pulling them back down to hers once more.