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Somewhere between being bombarded in the communal showers at the beginning of the year and winning an ICCA Title by the end of the spring, Beca realizes she’s sort of, possibly in love with Chloe Beale.
And she thinks to some degree, she’s always known. Everything’s always been different with Chloe. Chloe somehow pushed her way into Beca’s life whether Beca wanted her to or not, and even worse, Beca finds she doesn’t mind.
Chloe sings at all times of the day and Beca doesn’t hate it. She drops by Beca’s dorm unexpectedly, making herself at home and either asking Beca to play a new mix or doing her homework like she’s lives there too and Beca doesn’t kick her out or yell or glare; she just works alongside Chloe, not minding at all when the girl strikes conversation.
(Kimmy Jin notices and watches them.
She doesn’t say anything, though.)
Beca surprisingly doesn’t yell at Chloe for being one of those people who texts in a string of texts rather than just all in one or two messages, and she only merely rolls her eyes when Chloe replies to her in keyboard smashes and uses too many emojis.
Chloe also gets her. She knows when Beca wants peace and quiet and also knows when there’s something she wants to get off her chest.
She’s broken down several walls within the time of Beca’s freshman year and it may scare the brunette just a little, but also...it’s kind of nice having someone to talk to?
So yeah, Chloe’s always been different.
But she’s Chloe Beale and Beca knows by that alone she stands no chance.
Not when Chloe is a senior and is graduating and will be long gone.
Not when Chloe has boys and girls all over her at any given moment.
Especially not when out of pure adrenaline and safety, Beca kisses Jesse after their set at Lincoln Center and Chloe comes over a few minutes later giving her a hip check paired with a knowing smile.
So essentially, Beca’s just fucked.
Stacie Conrad doesn’t do relationships.
She hates the domesticity and soft nature of it all.
Sure, cuddling isn’t so bad - she actually likes it, sometimes - and having someone you can always count on to be down for sex is cool.
But the baggage of a relationship is something she’s just not going to settle for. Suddenly it’s only one person she’s allowed to flirt with and you have to be like, committed to them and there are expectations.
Quite frankly, relationships sound like a shit show and Stacie doesn’t want to be the runner of that specific show.
Plus, The Hunter likes to try new things.
Sure, he’ll be satisfied for awhile, but what happens when he wants something new? Being in a relationship would mean having to breakup with someone literally because she wants to have sex with someone else.
So really, relationships are just out of the question for Stacie.
Except as her freshman year at Barden University goes on, she almost starts questioning everything about her philosophy on life and love.
It all has to do with Aubrey Posen.
When she saw Aubrey at auditions, she knew she had to sleep with the hot blonde.
And she tried - God , did she try. She shamelessly flirted with Aubrey that night of aca-initiation, but Aubrey thought she was just drunk and laughed it off, even if her cheeks were a bit flushed and Stacie knows it wasn’t from the alcohol.
It’s not until she sees Aubrey the following morning for rehearsal that she realizes Aubrey’s definitely not a “just fuck buddies”-type of person. She’s in control, always has a plan, and is determined to figure things out on her own.
So yeah, probably not down to fuck a freshman on her team.
Stacie backs off then - she’s already hooking up with a guy in her chemistry class anyway - and decides to lay low.
She does not mean to fall for Aubrey.
Not at all.
It’s not her fault she finds Aubrey in the library one day, busy glancing between her book and her laptop. It’s not completely her fault Aubrey cautiously invites her to sit and looks surprised when Stacie’s actually there to do homework - and that she finds out that, surprise, Stacie’s really smart. It’s not her fault at all when they end up spending three hours in the library together, working quietly save for the small breaks where they engage in conversation.
And it’s definitely not in any way her fault that the library kind of becomes their place outside of Bella-related activities. Not when Stacie gets most of her work done at the library anyway and Aubrey always invites her, even starts texting her to ask when she’ll be there and offers to drive Stacie back to her dorm after. Not when Stacie flirts with Aubrey every once in awhile just to see what happens and Aubrey gets flustered and looks away, a shy smile dawning her lips. Not when they bring snacks and help each other study and Aubrey tells Stacie she’s so amazed by how smart and knowledgeable she is.
No, this was definitely none of Stacie’s doing.
But Aubrey Posen is a relationship-type girl and Stacie has too much respect for her to come and undo that.
Plus, Aubrey’s graduating at the end of the year and Stacie doesn’t want to get wrapped up in the complicated mess of “what do we do now” because one thing she hates more than relationships is long distance relationships.
Even if her breath catches when Aubrey looks at her sometimes, or her insides warm at the sound of Aubrey’s laugh. Even if Aubrey tells Stacie that she’s not at all what she expected and she doesn’t mind at all.
And anyway, it’s not like Stacie has a chance with Aubrey.
Aubrey is looking for stability and someone who has their life together and Stacie is certainly not that person.
She’s kind of convinced Aubrey’s straight, anyway.
(Though it should be noted that Stacie doesn’t believe anyone is 100% straight.)
Except Stacie doesn’t have time to worry about this because they’ve just won an ICCA Title and Stacie has finals to study for soon.
Aubrey will graduate and move and Stacie will be back to normal.
She’s just got a few more weeks to deal with this mess.
Stacie has taken four shots of tequila with Chloe, downed a shot of vodka with Jessica and Ashley, and has had a random combination of mixed drinks at this post-ICCA party the Bellas have found themselves at.
All of the other teams are here - Trebles included - and she’s not quite sure how they’ve got this room in the hotel to themselves because plenty of them are definitely not 21 or over, but she’s not questioning it.
They just won an ICCA Title, dammit. She’ll enjoy it.
She’s on her umpteenth mixed drink that some guy from the team with the bath robes gave her - she gave him a smile and a thank you before excusing herself to “find the other girls” - when she spots Beca leaning against the wall like the little loner she used to be. She’s got a red solo cup in hand and with the way she drinks it easily, Stacie knows Beca is definitely already drunk.
Stacie strolls over to her casually, leaning against the wall next to her as she says, “You know these are social events, right?”
Beca looks at her and asks, “You know I’m weird at this stuff, right?”
Stacie lets out a laugh, shaking her head. Beca had actually been her first real friend on the Bellas. As odd as it may have seemed, the pair worked. It started because they both lived in Baker Hall and would often walk back to the dorms together. Yet Beca found herself amused with Stacie’s confident and out there personality while Stacie found Beca’s edgy attitude and ripped right through it to see Beca as a big softie.
Beca would kill her if she said that out loud, but Stacie won’t say anything. She swears.
“So I saw you and Jesse earlier,” Stacie starts, then grins as she adds, “Actually we all saw you.”
The tiny brunette grimaces, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. “Oh god, please don’t bring that up.”
Stacie’s grin only widens at the reaction. “Aw come on Beca, it’s okay to get some, you know. I mean, personally I think you can do better than Jesse because he’s kind of weird, but if that’s what you’re into then-”
“It’s not!” Beca immediately informs her, eyes wide with panic. “No - God, I always complain about him, Stace. You know that.”
“Yeah,” Stacie hums, taking another sip. “But I thought it’d be one of those ‘turned out he’s kinda cute in a weird way’ things.”
Beca scrunches up her nose. “Dude gross,” she frowns. “But no. We’re not - I uh, I’m not into him like that. That wasn’t - It was just the moment and everything was crazy and-”
“Beca,” the leggy brunette laughs, putting a hand on her shoulder to calm her. “It’s fine. A kiss can be just a kiss. I know that.”
“I told him that it wasn’t like... that. I’m not into him.”
Stacie nods, patting her shoulder before dropping her hand. “It’s fine Beca, you’ll find someone soon enough.”
Beca sighs wistfully and Stacie knows her comment has hit a chord.
“Whatever dude,” she mumbles, eyes fluttering across the room as she continues to sip on her drink.
Stacie quietly follows her line of sight and she doesn’t find anyone she recognizes until she sees Aubrey and Chloe yards away. They’re dancing and giggling, Chloe holding on tightly to Aubrey’s hand, with Jessica and Ashley near them. Aubrey’s hair falls past her shoulders and she doesn’t have a care in the world as she dances with Chloe. Her eyes are bright and her lips continue to let off laughter and Stacie thinks Aubrey is the most beautiful person she’s ever seen.
It makes her guts twist in a telling way.
But she looks back to Beca, notices the way her eyes follow Chloe and only Chloe even as she sips her drink again.
Stacie’s not an idiot. She knows Beca well enough to know what this is.
“So is our favorite redhead over there the reason you aren’t into Treble boy?”
Beca sputters into her cup, coughing as she looks up at Stacie with wild eyes.
“What?”
It’s probably one of the most uncool moments in Beca’s life and Stacie stifles her laughter, a smirk forming on her face.
“Come on Beca, friends don’t lie to friends,” she teases.
“What? Dude, no. Chloe isn’t - Jesse - I don’t like Jesse because he’s Jesse, ” she manages to say, a small glare in Stacie’s direction.
“While that’s very valid and probably accurate, that doesn’t address Chloe,” Stacie points out.
“What about Chloe?”
Stacie shrugs, taking a sip of her drink before she replies, “Oh you know, just how you guys always hang out. She’s like, always in our freshmen dorm building with you.”
“Whatever, she invites herself over,” Beca grumbles. “I don’t ask her to come.”
“But you don’t kick her out,” Stacie shrugs. “And you let her do things like hug you or grab your hands or just...use physical contact anywhere near you.”
“So what? It’s Chloe, she’d, like, die if she wasn’t allowed to touch someone.”
Stacie laughs, shaking her head. “And you hate physical contact. You don’t even let me hug you.”
Beca opens her mouth, but her answer must not be good enough because after a moment’s hesitation she says, “Whatever. Fuck you.”
It only further proves Stacie’s point and she’s smug about it when she tells Beca, “You’re so into her.”
“You’re delusional,” the DJ deadpans.
“You should go for it,” Stacie adds, looking at Beca expectantly.
Beca looks at her like she’s crazy as she asks, “Are you kidding me? No, no way.”
“Why not?”
“Dude it’s Chloe. ”
“Yeah, and Chloe flirts with you.”
“Chloe flirts with everyone, ” Beca sighs.
Stacie frowns. Beca’s got a point there. She turns to see - as if on cue - Chloe laughing at something one of the guys from the bath robe team says, hand falling to his arm so gently.
Dammit, Chloe.
“Okay point taken,” Stacie begrudgingly admits.
“She’s graduating anyway,” Beca mumbles against the rim of her cup. “There’s no point. Just like Aubrey.”
Stacie lets out a soft sigh.
Poor Beca has the unfortunate luck of having to hear about Stacie’s Aubrey-related troubles for months now. Because really, outside of the Bellas, there’s no one else Stacie can talk to about it because they don’t know Aubrey.
And maybe Beca and Aubrey hated each other for most of the year - which didn’t help because Beca would often tell her that Aubrey’s got a stick shoved up her ass and Stacie’s wasting her time falling for her - but Beca still listened, albeit the eye rolls her eyes and there.
So yeah, Beca knows.
She’s kind of in the same boat.
They both turn to watch Aubrey and Chloe again, the way they’re carefree and on top of the world because after their shitshow of a year - and travesty at last year’s finals - they’ve got an ICCA Title to their name and are leaving their beloved Barden Bella legacy in good hands.
Stacie watches Aubrey smile and laugh and dance.
Beca watches Chloe light up the whole room.
“Don’t catch feelings, they suck,” Stacie says after a moment.
Beca chuckles, raising her cup to bump it against Stacie’s. “I’ll drink to that, dude.”
They both knock their drinks back and before Beca can protest, Stacie’s dragging her to the bar.
“Shots. Now.”
“Stacie! I don’t-”
Stacie turns to her with a look. “We need them.”
Beca doesn’t protest.
This is how they end up knocking back another three shots of vodka - because Beca refuses to do tequila unless it’s hidden in Chloe’s infamous “jiggle juice” - and stumbling back to their shared hotel room, giggling and holding onto each other as if their lives depended on it.
This is why, when Beca’s clumsy ass trips onto Stacie’s bed and Stacie falls with her, they pause, Stacie hovering over Beca.
This is why Stacie looks at Beca for a long moment, noticing the way Beca’s chest rises and falls, before she’s kissing Beca.
And when she looks back at this, she still isn’t able to pinpoint what exactly made her decide that kissing Beca was the best move at that given moment.
She doesn’t understand it right away, but Stacie knows: misery loves company.
It surprises her when Beca kisses her back, leaning up to meet Stacie, and wraps an arm around her neck to pull her closer.
Stacie knows Beca isn’t this type of girl, that she’s standoffish and pretends that she doesn’t need anybody.
But right now? She thinks this is exactly what they need.
She shifts so she’s straddling the smaller girl completely, trapping her underneath. Their kisses are becoming sloppier and needier with every breath they take and Beca’s showing now signs of stopping, not when Stacie bites her bottom lip and Beca lets out a small whimper.
Beca’s hands are now tangled in Stacie’s hair, gripping tightly and elliciting a moan from Stacie into her mouth. Stacie’s hands are flying everywhere, up and down Beca’s sides and rubbing against Beca’s skinny jean-clad leg. Her hands find their way under Beca’s tank top and onto cold skin, feeling the way Beca shivers underneath her touch. She grins into Beca’s lips as she lets her hands run up Beca’s stomach and the way she feels the muscles clench underneath. She moves so one of her legs is in between Beca’s, and she applies pressure just as her hands reach the underwire of Beca’s bra.
Beca lets out a moan, pulling away from Stacie’s mouth to let her head lean back against the headboard.
“Is this okay?” Stacie murmurs, hands pausing right by the clasp of Beca’s bra.
She meets Beca’s navy eyes, finding a storm swirling inside of them, something Stacie’s never seen before.
She nods.
It’s the only confirmation Stacie needs before she’s unclasping Beca’s bra and tossing it along with Beca’s tank top to the side. She does quick work of unbuttoning Beca’s jeans - call her an expert, maybe - and tugging them down with force and before Beca knows it, Stacie’s trailing kisses down her body, starting at her chest and going down. Her hands are delicately following, fingertips ghosts along Beca’s skin.
Stacie can hear Beca’s shallow breathing, can hear the way she murmurs “God” under her breath as Stacie’s lips run down her stomach. She does her best to to let her smug smirk appear, instead focusing on the way she reaches the line of Beca’s underwear.
As her fingers run along the waistband of Beca’s underwear, she looks up again.
“Are you sure?”
Beca lifts her head, looks at her with those hooded eyes again.
“Please,” she whimpers.
Stacie knows this might totally screw her over in the morning, but she goes through with it anyway.
Beca wakes up with a pounding headache and sheets messily covering her body.
She quickly realizes she’s got no clothes on and her eyes are wide open.
Maybe having all those drinks last night wasn’t a good idea. Oh no, what did she do? She’s going to kill Stacie as soon as she-
Wait.
This isn’t Beca’s side of the room.
She turns, finds her bed empty and still neatly made from when room service came in and cleaned while the Bellas headed to Lincoln Center.
Her clothes are messily strewn on the floor between the beds. It suddenly clicks that this is Stacie’s bed and that makes absolutely no sense because if she’s in Stacie’s bed then where is Stacie?
She hears the water running, knows Stacie is here, and she knows Stacie will grill her when she gets out about her wild night.
Beca desperately tries to remember the events of last night.
She remembers winning and - unfortunately - kissing Jesse. She remembers telling Jesse that kiss was an accident and totally not about her having feelings for him. She remembers pregaming in Chloe and Aubrey’s hotel room and getting to the party and drinking by herself. She remembers Stacie coming up to her and their dumb conversation.
And then...oh.
Oh no.
She definitely slept with Stacie Conrad.
Beca rolls over onto her back, her hands flying to her forehead because what the fuck is happening?
Sure, Stacie’s known for hooking up with lots of people. That’s fine. Beca doesn’t have a problem with it.
But Beca hooking up with Stacie?
Big problem. They’re friends. Beca doesn’t even think of Stacie like that.
(Well, she has eyes, but Stacie just isn’t her type.
They’ve had this discussion before. Not that Beca willingly invited that particular topic into the open. That was Stacie’s doing.)
Beca’s immediately scrambling to her side of the room, picking up her clothes on the way and grabbing the first clothes she can out of her suitcase and putting them on immediately. She’s in sleep shorts and a t-shirt when the water stops running, and she reaches over for her phone.
By the time Stacie wanders out of the bathroom with a towel on her head, she’s pretending to scroll through her phone.
“Good morning champ,” Stacie greets with a tease in her tone, as usual. “You drink too much last night?”
Beca decides to play it cool. Maybe Stacie will think she’s forgotten.
“If I did, it’s definitely your fucking fault,” Beca glares at her.
Stacie laughs as she shakes the towel out of her hair. “That’s why I left you aspirin and water on the nightstand, dummy.”
Beca turns to look at the night stand between their beds to find that Stacie had left those two exact items for her. In her panic, Beca must not have notice.
“Oh,” she says dumbly, reaching for both of them. “Thanks.”
Stacie hums a response as Beca quickly pops the aspirin in her mouth and washes it down with water.
Beca thinks she’s in the clear. Stacie definitely would’ve brought it up by now.
The tall brunette is casually moving towards her suitcase when she says, “By the way, I definitely didn’t take you for being so loud in bed.”
Beca’s immediately choking on her water, sputtering much like she did last night. It devolves into a fit of coughs and Stacie’s immediately running over. She pulls the glass of water out of Beca’s hand and rubs her back until her coughing fit comes to a stop.
“Dude!” Beca cries when she’s finally calmed down.
Stacie has that shit-eating grin on her face that Beca hates. She throws her hands up in surrender and adds, “I just didn’t know you were like that.”
Beca closes her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Can we, like, not bring it up, please?”
Stacie shrugs, tossing her towel to the side. “Come on Beca, having sex isn’t a bad thing.”
“Stacie.”
“I’m serious,” Stacie presses. “Especially when the sex is good. Which,” she looks up and looks at Beca in approval. “It was, by the way.”
“Whatever,” Beca says through clenched teeth.
Her cheeks are flushed and she avoids making eye contact with Stacie.
“I’m going to shower now,” she mutters, sliding off of her bed and walking towards the bathroom with her eyes firmly on the ground.
“Don’t worry Becs,” Stacie calls after her, making Beca turn around as she reaches the bathroom door. “It can be our little secret.”
When Stacie gives her a wink and a smirk, Beca lets out a loud groan and shuts the bathroom door firmly.
It doesn’t help that when she’s finished showering and opens the door again, Stacie’s immediately sitting up and saying, “So, I’ve been thinking-”
“That’s never a good thing,” Beca deadpans as she moves towards her bed.
Stacie only rolls her eyes before she continues, “Last night wasn’t a bad idea.”
Beca quirks an eyebrow. “Um, why? I mean - not, I don’t regret that, but - uh, why?”
“You’re hung up on Chloe, right?”
“I wouldn’t say those words exactly,” Beca frowns.
Stacie takes it as confirmation anyway. “And I’m all...gross and soft for Aubrey.”
Beca snorts because that’s such a Stacie way of saying that she has genuine romantic feelings for someone that go beyond wanting to bang them.
“Where are you going with this?” she asks.
“Well,” Stacie says, swinging her legs over the bed so she’s facing Beca’s side of the room. “I mean, they’re graduating in a few weeks and until then we’re obviously going to be seeing them and stuff. So, you know, to help relieve stress or just distract each other, it could work.”
Beca raises an eyebrow. “So you’re telling me you want to hook up with each other to get over Aubrey and Chloe?”
Stacie nods. “It’s the perfect solution, Beca. Think about it: did you have any other feelings last night for me besides pure lust?”
The question makes Beca blush a little, but she knows her answer right away.
“Nope.”
Stacie eagerly smiles. “Good, me either!”
Beca thinks Stacie’s a psycho. Who gets excited over this stuff?
“It’s perfect,” Stacie repeats, jumping up and walking over to Beca. “We get good sex and deal with our unrequited crushes.”
“I don’t know…”
“Come on, it’s just sex. We’ll still be friends,” Stacie promises.
Beca can’t believe she’s even considering this.
“We don’t have to like, tell anyone right?”
“No, it’s just our little agreement,” Stacie shrugs.
Beca looks at Stacie for a long moment.
On one hand, Stacie sounds insane.
On another...it does help get rid of sexual frustrations and also distracts Beca from the fact she can’t have Chloe. That Chloe’s just always going to be out of her reach.
She really can’t believe she’s doing this.
“Fine.”
“Yay!”
“Don’t get excited about this, dude. It’s weird.”
But Stacie’s still grinning, and Beca wonders if she’s crazy for doing this.
Stacie thinks she’s found the best possible solution for her and Beca.
And really, she’s just looking out for her friend.
She’s only known Beca since September, but even she can see that Chloe’s something that Beca has never expected to hit her so hard. She can tell by the way Beca’s scowl disappears around Chloe, and how even when she tries to keep it, she’s smiling before she knows it. She can tell by the way Chloe comes over all the time and she spends hours in Beca’s room and Beca doesn’t kick her out, she just lets Chloe leave as she pleases. She can tell by the way when she hangs out with Beca, the small brunette will chuckle at a text on her phone and Stacie knows it’s Chloe’s text she’s reading.
Beca Mitchell is in love with Chloe Beale and Stacie knows it.
So yeah, she’s doing her friend a favor.
Falling in love is terrible.
Plus, their arrangement works out pretty well. Stacie’s roommate is almost never around - more so during finals time - so Beca oftens finds her way there a lot.
Most of the time, it’s not just sex.
They watch movies or study or listen to music and just talk.
So really, nothing changes.
Except now Stacie knows how to make Beca moan and scream in pleasure.
It’s cool, really.
Stacie almost spills this to Aubrey when they’re studying in the library.
Aubrey is working on a final paper while Stacie studies organic chemistry. She thinks about saying it because quite frankly she doesn’t hide her hookups from Aubrey, but she stops herself because this time Aubrey actually knows the girl she’s hooking up with and it’s Beca and Stacie really doesn’t want to have this conversation, so instead she flips the page of her textbook and keeps her mouth shut.
Aubrey takes a break from her wild typing and cross-referencing and whatever else the fuck she’s doing on her computer to look at Stacie.
“Can we take a break?” Aubrey whispers. “I’m starving.”
Stacie grins, holding up her student ID. “On campus lunch on me?”
Aubrey laughs softly, giving a nod. “Let’s go.”
Stacie gladly leaves her textbook and notes as she and Aubrey leave the library for fresh air. If their shoulders brush as they walk and Aubrey leans a little too close when she laughs at one of Stacie’s jokes, then so be it.
When Stacie pays for Aubrey’s lunch the blonde tells her, “This is why you’re my favorite.”
Stacie tries not to let that get to her head.
She’s immediately texting Beca as soon as Aubrey drops her back off at her dorm at the end of their study session.
The idea isn’t as terrible as Beca first thought.
Stacie’s, like, really good at sex - not that Beca’s surprised - but she’s also a good support system.
It’s almost relieving having someone else know that she’s smitten with Chloe. She hates feelings and dumb things like that and Stacie does, too. Stacie doesn’t pity her or try to give her wise advice. She just fucks her until Beca’s convinced she can’t walk and then they order dinner or watch a movie or Stacie even convinces her to study for a little bit.
Overall, it works.
For those few hours, Beca doesn’t think about Chloe. She doesn’t think about how Chloe’s literally unattainable for someone like her, or how Chloe’s graduating and it’s actually really sad because Chloe’s like, the highlight of her day.
But Chloe graduating and moving on is what Beca needs. She can’t be sitting here pining over Chloe for the next three years of her life - because yes, she does decide to stay at Barden for the entire four years instead of move to Los Angeles like her dad promised.
She actually kind of likes these nerds.
So it comes as a complete surprise when she’s on the quad with Chloe one day as finals loom and Chloe says, “So, um, I have to tell you something.”
This makes Beca shrug her headphones off her ears completely and look up from the mix she was working on.
(It’s supposed to be a graduation present for Chloe.
Chloe doesn’t know that yet, though.)
“Is everything okay, Beale?” she asks hesitantly.
Chloe bites her lip, something Beca knows means she’s nervous. Her eyes don’t shine like they usually do, and Beca knows something’s very wrong. She braces herself for what could possibly fly out of Chloe’s mouth.
“I might not graduate.”
That is the last thing Beca expects.
She blinks. “What?”
Chloe plays with her thumb ring, twisting it as she explains, “I may have...stopped doing my assignments for Russian Lit when we got called back into the competition.”
Beca lowers her laptop screen and puts it on the grass beside her as she looks at Chloe with concern. “Chlo, why would you do that?”
Chloe shrugs, looking at Beca helplessly. “I wanted that ICCA title,” she sighs. “And, with you and Aubrey finally getting along I knew we could do it. I just...I did everything I could to make sure we’d kill it at Lincoln Center.”
And Beca knows Chloe loves the Bellas. She’s never seen anyone more passionate about a collegiate a capella group. Chloe knows all the rules for competition like the back of her hand. She knows their competition’s strengths and weaknesses. Even further, she knows what it takes to uplift her teammates. She knows when their voices are tired and when they’re about to collapse from too much choreography.
So really, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.
It’s just that now there’s a lump in Beca’s throat because what happens if Chloe doesn’t graduate?
“What about the final?” she asks weakly.
Chloe shakes her head, a look of defeat. It’s something that Beca knows rarely comes across Chloe’s expression.
“Not even an A on the final can save me,” she says sadly.
Beca frowns, and she thinks about reaching out and grabbing Chloe’s arm, but decides it’s too forward and stays put.
“What are you going to do?”
Chloe sighs. “Hope for an A,” she shrugs. “But really I’ll probably be here at least another semester.”
“Oh,” Beca says dumbly. “Will you...still be a Bella?”
At this, Chloe’s smile comes back and her eyes brighten just a little. “Guess you can’t get rid of me yet, Becs.”
“How wonderful,” Beca says dryly, but on the inside she’s panicking.
As soon as Chloe heads out for a different final, Beca’s immediately walking back to Baker Hall and barging into Stacie’s room.
“You know I could’ve been studying,” Stacie starts, but Beca doesn’t let her finish.
“Chloe’s not graduating.”
Stacie sits up in her bed, phone flying to the ground. “What?!”
“She’s not graduating,” Beca repeats frantically, tossing her backpack onto the ground as she paces. “She totally spaced out on Russian Lit once we got back into the competition and not even an A on her final can save her.”
Beca stops in front of the other girl at the edge of her bed, looking at Stacie with wide eyes. “Stacie, she’s not graduating.”
“I heard you,” Stacie says quietly.
“God,” the DJ groans, throwing her head back in frustration. “I can’t - what does that even mean? She can’t just - she can’t do this to me, Stace. This just isn’t fair!”
Stacie frowns. “Beca.”
“Like who did I piss off for this?” Beca asks, wildly gesturing with her hands. “What did I do?!”
“Beca,” Stacie says louder this time.
Beca stops and stares at Stacie.
“What?”
“Shut up and let me fuck you.”
(After, when Stacie decides to take a nap, Beca escapes to her bedroom and finishes Chloe’s mix in the late hours of the night.
She sends it to Chloe three days later, when the redhead texts Beca after her Russian Lit final and tells her there’s absolutely no way she got an A.)
(Chloe tells her she loves the mix and that Beca’s the best.
Beca tries not to think about it too much.)
Somehow, a sorority gets kicked off campus and Chloe’s immediately asking for the rights of the house to be given to the Bellas.
Somehow, probably with the help of Aubrey, it quickly gets approved.
Somehow, Beca and Stacie are roped into helping Chloe sign paperwork and wrangle in the Bellas to turn in all the necessary forms and documents.
Somehow, Aubrey helps when she’s not worrying about graduating days from now and Stacie tries not to think about it.
Somehow, Beca’s thinking about how adorable Chloe is when she talks about the new Bella House and how they’re gonna set it up and all the movie nights and breakfasts and dinners they’ll have together.
Yeah, they’re both still screwed.
Aubrey graduates and all the Bellas still around are in attendance.
Even Beca goes, mainly because Stacie and Chloe talk her into it.
(“I need you there,” Stacie whines to her after they hook up after Beca’s last final. “Please!”
“Please come! We can sit together,” Chloe grins.
It’s hard to say no to both of them sometimes.)
Beca’s finds herself between Stacie and Chloe in the stands, watching as people Beca doesn’t really care about go up and receive their diploma.
“Graduation ceremonies are so dumb,” she grumbles. “We’ve been here for hours all for Aubrey to walk across the stage for like thirty seconds.”
“Hush,” Stacie murmurs, elbowing her side
Chloe looks at Beca with fake hurt. “So you wouldn’t come to my graduation?”
Beca can feel Stacie smirking at the back of her head and it takes a lot for her not to turn around and tell her to fuck right off because why is Stacie here again?
“I didn’t say that,” Beca tells Chloe.
“So you will?” Chloe asks, eyes bright and smile wide.
Beca can’t help but smile at the sight.
“Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
“Wow smooth,” Stacie mutters.
This time Beca whips her head around and gives her a hard glare.
Stacie only smiles.
Aubrey is finally called onto the stage and they all - even Beca - get up and cheer, Stacie and Chloe being the loudest. Chloe’s tearing up and Beca shakes her head because Chloe just cares so much about other people it’s ridiculous.
“I’m just so proud of her,” Chloe sighs, wiping at her eyes
Stacie’s wearing a smile that tells Beca that she’s definitely got it bad for Aubrey Posen.
“Yeah, me too.”
They all make their way out of the stands as soon as the ceremony ends, trying to find Aubrey in the crowd. Chloe tells them Aubrey’s dad couldn’t make it at the last minute and it makes Stacie sad. Aubrey’s talked about her father a few times, but it’s obviously such a sensitive subject that Stacie doesn’t pry.
Aubrey finds them, still wearing that dumb graduation cap and gown, and Stacie’s face breaks into a smile because Aubrey still looks adorable.
Chloe’s immediately clinging onto Aubrey like a koala. She’s wailing about how proud she is and how beautiful of a graduate she is and Stacie can’t help but agree in her head.
“Hey,” Beca murmurs, tugging on Stacie’s dress. “You’re drooling.”
Stacie responds by shoving Beca playfully.
Aubrey makes her rounds, even giving Beca an awkward hug that lasts all of two seconds, before she makes it to Stacie.
“Congrats grad,” Stacie grins, pulling Aubrey into a hug.
Aubrey smells like vanilla and lavender wrapped into one. She holds Stacie tight, hand running back and down her back before she pulls away.
Stacie misses her touch already.
“I couldn’t have done it without all our study sessions in the library,” Aubrey tells her, winking.
And Stacie wonders how someone can look so hot wearing a Barden green robe and a graduation cap that is falling off her head.
Chloe’s immediately suggesting they all go out for a late lunch and they’re all filing out to split between Chloe and Aubrey’s cars.
Stacie decides to go with Aubrey, and the two of them hang behind the rest of the Bellas, led by an excited Chloe who's dragging Beca with her.
“How does it feel being a college graduate?” Stacie asks.
Aubrey pauses before she answers, “Scary.”
“You’re scared?”
“I don’t have a job,” Aubrey sighs.
Stacie shakes her head. “You don’t have a job yet, ” she corrects. “Aubrey, you’re - God, you’re so smart and determined. You’re going to be just fine out there in the real world.”
Aubrey smiles at her, looping her arm through Stacie’s as she says, “You’re my favorite.”
Stacie grins at her, trying not to take note of how close she is and how Aubrey doesn’t let go until they’ve reached her car. She tries not to focus on the way she can smell vanilla and lavender so strongly with Aubrey this close.
“Don’t tell Chloe that,” she jokes.
Aubrey laughs, full and content. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Stacie’s on cloud nine the rest of the day, especially when Aubrey sits next to her at lunch and leans into her when she laughs too hard.
She really, really hates this.
“Didn’t Aubrey look so good today?”
“Stacie you’re literally - Oh fuck - inside of me right now.”
“But didn’t she?”
“I’m not - Jesus - answering.”
“Ugh fine. You were probably too busy staring at Chloe anyway.”
“Stacie!”
With the new house for the Bellas, Stacie decides to stay in Georgia for the summer. She gets a job at the gym a few minutes away.
Luke graduates and officially hands off the radio station to Beca, who was originally going to stay with her father and Sheila so she can run the station, but opts to stay with Stacie in the Bella house. No one’s bedrooms have been sorted, so they just stay in separate rooms of the house for now.
Chloe and Aubrey’s lease isn’t up until July, but Chloe works kids’ camps over the summers in the Atlanta area - apparently she does it every year - and Aubrey doesn’t have a job lined up just yet so she’s sticking around until she’s hired.
And, they reason, with the new house, they can stick around and help get it ready for the rest of the Bellas.
Beca and Stacie are still very much screwed.
Beca spends most of her time at the radio station. Jesse went home for the summer and they don’t have any new interns yet, so it’s Beca’s show.
She doesn’t really mind; alone time is nice and it keeps her busy rather than having Stacie drag her to the mall or rope her into some dumb activity. It also gives her time away from Chloe, who is usually at the Bella house when she isn’t in her apartment with Aubrey or working a camp.
Beca hates that she finds herself enjoying the fact Chloe’s around a lot. It’s the best and worst part of her summer, really. Because as much as she loves hanging out with Chloe, she hates the way Chloe makes her feel. Beca doesn’t do feelings, and she’s certainly not about to start. Not when she watched Chloe flirt endlessly with people at that ICCA party, and not when Chloe tells her things like “I knew we were gonna be fast friends.”
Sometimes though, Chloe will drop by the station because she knows Beca will sometimes forget to eat when she’s there all day. At first it alarms Beca, but she realizes that she’s usually texting Chloe for most of her shift at the station anyway, so it’s not a surprise that Chloe’s picked up on her habits.
“I can’t believe you forget to eat,” Chloe gapes one day when she stops by with fries and a burger.
Beca shrugs. “I just do.”
Chloe decides to make sure Beca eats after that, bringing her food when she’s free and staying for a few hours and watching Beca run the station.
“This is so cool,” Chloe murmurs as she watches Beca work one day.
Beca chuckles softly, one hand holding one of the headphones to her ear. “You say that every time you’re here.”
“Because it’s true,” Chloe insists. “You’re just so talented.”
Beca’s never known what to do with compliments, and Chloe’s are no exception by any means. So she looks away shyly and murmurs a “Whatever you say dude,” as she continues to line up her track for the next hour.
“You know, I’m kind of glad I didn’t graduate this year,” Chloe says a few minutes later after Beca’s finished messing with her equipment.
Beca quirks an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Because I get to spend at least another semester with you.”
Chloe is looking at her with those impossibly bright eyes and she looks so honest that Beca’s got no defense. She hates this about Chloe, hates how she says what she means and always looks at Beca like she’s one of the most important people in the world. She hates how Chloe’s words make her stomach twist and how Chloe looks so kissable right now.
Beca makes a face instead of doing that last thing. “That was cheesy.”
It elicits a giggle from Chloe, who beams as she says, “Thanks, I know.”
Beca only rolls her eyes and pretends she’s not trying to stop a blush from creeping up her neck to her cheeks.
“Chloe Beale is going to be the death of me,” Beca announces as she plops on to the couch with Stacie.
They’ve each got their respective tubs of ice cream in hand, Stacie flipping through channels as she tries to find something for them to watch.
“Another visit to the radio station?” Stacie guesses.
Beca nods. “You’d think she’d get bored.”
“Chloe’s always unpredictable.”
“Don’t I know it,” Beca mutters, shaking her head.
Stacie finally settles on Chopped and tosses the remote to the side, digging into her ice cream. After a spoonful in her mouth she asks, “Need sex to make you feel better?”
Beca snorts, taking in the way Stacie looks right now. She’s got a mouthful of ice cream and she’s hunched over her tub of Ben and Jerry’s like it’s her child.
“As much sex appeal as you have right now,” she begins with a chuckle. “I think I’m good for now.”
And it’s still kind of weird for Beca, to talk about having sex with someone she considers a really good friend so casually like this. She isn’t sure how she feels about it really, but she knows with Stacie she feels comfortable and the leggy brunette helps her forget about Chloe for a little. So, she lets it be.
“Okay,” Stacie drawls out, scooping out another spoonful of ice cream. “But I want cuddles so we’re cuddling later.”
“No,” Beca immediately says.
“Don’t make me tickle you into submission,” Stacie threatens.
Beca only growls in protest.
(They end up cuddling anyway.
Beca doesn’t complain once Stacie’s steady breathing evens out an hour later from the way Beca plays with her hair.)
Stacie finds herself tagging along with Aubrey to Ikea on a Thursday afternoon.
She got off work early and when Aubrey texted her asking if she wanted to come help buy furniture for the Bella house because Chloe’s at working a camp, she couldn’t say no.
So here they are, at Ikea with Aubrey pushing the cart as they look for furniture to fill the Bella house with.
It’s entirely way too domestic for someone like Stacie Conrad, but she can’t find it in herself to hate it because she’s with Aubrey.
God, who is she?
“Chloe was saying we shouldn’t worry too much about the bedrooms since you guys haven’t figured out the rooming and all of that,” Aubrey says as they move past the bedding aisles.
Stacie nods in agreement, a hand on the shopping cart as she looks around. She’s been to Ikea before, sure, but that was with her parents and she would go wander around and find cool things to play with. Being here with Aubrey makes her feel more like...an adult.
It’s weird, but she doesn’t hate it.
(Not when it almost feels like Stacie and Aubrey are like, shopping for their own place.
Jesus Christ, who is she?)
They quickly detour to kitchen appliances and things of the sort because as of now, Stacie and Beca have been living off of microwavable meals and stealing plastic utensils from the dining hall. Their only saving grace is when Chloe or Aubrey invite them over for dinner.
Just as Stacie’s grabbing a set of plates, she hears Aubrey say, “So I talked to my dad the other day.”
It perks Stacie’s interest immediately. She turns and places the set in the cart as she responds, “Oh, how did that go?”
“He seemed a bit disappointed that I don’t have a job,” Aubrey sighs, pushing the cart forward and looking away. “Said I should’ve had a job lined up by the time I graduated.”
Stacie almost glares. “It’s totally not your fault. It’s impossible to get a job straight out of college these days.”
Aubrey shrugs. “I put too much focus on the Bellas and didn’t take the job hunt more seriously. He has a point.”
“Aubrey,” Stacie frowns, shoulders slumping. “The Bellas mean the world to you, of course they were your priority. You’re not a failure just because the job market sucks.”
“Thanks Stace,” Aubrey says, giving her a small smile that doesn’t reach her eyes and Stacie wishes she could do something.
“Did your father say anything else?”
“He said he’ll talk to some people he knows and see if he can find me something,” Aubrey explains, shaking her head. “He just wants me to have a job, as in a real one.”
“And you’ll get one,” Stacie tells her confidently, her hand going to Aubrey’s wrist on the cart. “I know you will.”
This seems to put Aubrey at ease for the time being. She smiles - a real one this time - at Stacie and nods her head forward.
“Thank you,” Aubrey murmurs, eyes glancing down to where Stacie holds her wrist before meeting green eyes.
“Of course,” Stacie says, squeezing her wrist gently.
“Come on, Chloe’s going to kill us if we don’t get through this list.”
Stacie laughs, dropping her hand back to her side as they continue down the aisle.
And if Stacie flirts with Aubrey just to see her blush the rest of the afternoon, then whatever.
Stacie’s just having fun.
It’s a rare day when Beca isn’t at the radio station and Stacie doesn’t have work. They’re in the bedroom Stacie has dubbed as “hers” for now, cuddled up on the bed while they watch Stacie’s new show of interest on Netflix. Beca can’t remember the name of it, but it’s kind of funny so she doesn’t complain.
Stacie went for a workout in the morning and returned in time for Beca to make her way to the kitchen for cereal and orange juice before they both decided it would be a perfect day to do nothing but lay in bed.
Except now Stacie’s lost interest in her show and is pressing kisses to Beca’s neck in a lazy fashion, an arm slung slow on the smaller brunette’s waist. Her fingers are dancing along the waistband of Beca’s shorts, making Beca’s stomach clench in anticipation.
“Stacie your show,” Beca tries to say weakly, but Stacie’s found her weak spot and now Beca’s arching her neck to give her more access.
“Don’t care about it,” Stacie mumbles against her skin.
She uses her foot to kick her laptop screen shut before toeing it to the edge of the bed before she’s full on straddling Beca now, kissing trailing up her neck to right behind her ear lobe.
“Shit,” Beca hisses, eyes squeezing shut.
Stacie laughs in the shell of her ear and sends shivers down Beca’s spine. She positions herself so one of her thighs is between Beca’s legs.
“You’re too easy.”
“Stacie I swear to fucking god-”
“I’m on it,” Stacie promises, kissing the edge of Beca’s jaw softly. “Patience.”
“Is something we both know I don’t have,” Beca growls.
Stacie laughs louder this time, pulling away to look down at Beca. “You’re feisty today.”
Beca raises an eyebrow. “Don’t test me, Conrad.”
“So demanding,” Stacie tsks, leaning down as she continues her assault on Beca’s neck.
She doesn’t waste much more time though, hands sliding into Beca’s shorts and down her underwear to cup Beca’s ass. Beca all but whimpers as she arches up at the action, her fabric-clad center meeting Stacie’s strong thigh.
Stacie grins against Beca’s skin, knowing she’s got Beca right where she wants her.
“Fuck you,” Beca groans.
“Oh you will later,” Stacie assures her, her kisses now trailing across Beca’s exposed collar bone as Stacie begins to slowly pull her hands away from Beca’s ass so she can pull down her shorts.
Stacie’s bedroom door suddenly swings open and neither of them notice until the unexpected guest is speaking.
“Stacie, we’ve been trying to call you and-”
“Oh my god!” Beca yelps, hands flying to shove Stacie away from her.
Chloe is standing in the doorway, jaw dropped open and eyes impossibly wide as she takes in the scene before her.
Stacie is quickly sitting up, scooting away from Beca as much as she can. When she looks up to see Chloe her heart drops because Stacie knows the look of heartbreak when she sees it. She can hear Beca’s breathing beginning to quicken next to her.
Beca meets Chloe’s eyes and she feels something inside of her break. Chloe’s always been open about everything and her emotions are no different this time; it’s all in her expressive eyes. Beca can see the hurt and confusion on her face, can see the way she’s angry and sad at the same time.
“Chloe,” Stacie says, because it’s all she can really say right now.
It’s the sound of her name that snaps Chloe out of her emotional frozen state. She turns her head to look at Stacie before she’s quickly backing out and walking away, almost jogging down the stairs.
Beca and Stacie look at each other for a brief moment before Beca’s yeling Chloe’s name and jumping off of the bed to chase after her. Stacie stays on the bed, dumbfounded and guilty.
“Chloe, wait!” Beca cries, racing down the stairs as she adjusts her shirt and tugs her shorts up.
She makes it down the stairs just as Chloe’s walking towards the front door. Beca realizes that Aubrey is right there in the entryway, immediately concerned at the sight.
“Chloe - hey,” Beca calls out desperately leaning forward and grabbing hold on Chloe’s wrist.
Chloe spins, but she pulls her hand out of Beca’s grasp as if she’s been burned.
“What Beca?” she snaps, and Beca doesn’t think she’s sounded this cold before.
Beca hesitates for only a moment before she’s quickly trying to explain herself. “That wasn’t - we weren’t - that’s not what it looked it.”
Chloe gives her an incredulous look and it actually hurts because Beca knows Chloe doesn’t believe her.
“What? You and Stacie weren’t about to fuck?” Chloe asks, and her voice is thick with emotion and so antagonizing that Beca can’t find her own voice right away. “Because that’s what it sure looked like to me.”
“What?”
Beca barely registers the fact Aubrey is there, the way her eyes widen in shock and something else behind Chloe at the sound of her accusation.
“Oh my god,” Beca hears and turns to see Stacie at the top of the stairs, looking directly at the blonde with a helpless expression.
Beca forces herself to turn back around instead of scold Stacie because Chloe Beale is looking at her with so much pain in her eyes Beca doesn’t know what to do.
She has to fix this, even if she doesn’t understand why Chloe’s so upset.
“I mean,” she starts, trying to find the right words. “We were just - it’s not - It’s not serious.”
She regrets it as soon as it comes out of her mouth because that gives it all away. She could’ve said it wasn’t a thing, that it just happened, that this isn’t an actual hooking up situation (which, it kind of is) but not it’s too late.
Chloe looks like she’s been slapped in the face. She shakes her head fiercely and looks up at the ceiling with tears welling up in her eyes.
“I’ve just - This whole year, Beca!” Chloe cries out, looking at Beca again.
This time it’s unmistakable that Chloe is crying, Beca watches a tear fall down her cheek and wants to do nothing more than lean forward and wipe it away. She can’t though, she’s frozen to this spot trying to frantically figure out what Chloe’s talking about.
“Wh-what?”
“Please, you’re not stupid,” Chloe continues, shaking her head. “I’ve been...the whole year. I thought...I thought you were into Jesse and that was fine, I got it. But - you and Stacie?”
The pieces are place together in Beca’s mind, finally understanding what Chloe is saying.
No, oh no - Chloe, this whole time?
Beca’s quickly shaking her head and her mind is moving a mile a minute, but it doesn’t seem to be able to translate quickly enough onto her tongue.
“Chloe, please just let us explain,” Stacie tries and Beca can hear her quickly making her way down the stairs.
Chloe scoffs, stepping back - away from Beca - as tears continue to fall. “No, I don’t need an explanation or pity or whatever. I don’t...need this.”
She turns on her heel and quickly walks out of the house - their new house - and Beca’s unable to find her voice to stop her. She’s never felt so broken in her life.
Aubrey is quickly following Chloe out the door, still confused, but very angry as she begins to catch on to what Chloe walked in on.
“Aubrey please,” Stacie calls out, and it almost sounds like she’s begging.
Beca has never seen this side of Stacie before either.
Aubrey turns, only to shoot Stacie an icy glare - one Beca’s grown familiar with over the months of being a Bella - before she walks out of the house, closing the door with a resounding slam that echoes in both Stacie and Beca’s ears.
The two remaining stare at the shut door for a few moments, trying to comprehend what’s just happened and why they both feel like something’s been ripped out of them.
Beca finally turns around, finding Stacie on the last step of the staircase, hand on the railing. Stacie’s eyes meet hers and for the first time, Beca doesn’t find it comforting at all.
She narrows her eyes at Stacie, angry.
“This was all your fucking idea,” she spits out, stomping past Stacie and all the way up to the attic she’s claimed as her bedroom.
Beca is relieved Stacie doesn’t follow her, curling into her bed and wondering how bad she’s been able to fuck herself over now.
Stacie sits on the last step of the staircase, throwing her head into her hands and wondering how she found herself in this situation.
Yeah, they’re both definitely screwed now.
Stacie doesn’t dare enter Beca’s bedroom until hours later, after she’s tried calling Aubrey and Chloe both to have the go straight to voicemail. She knows Beca is supposed to do the night shift at the station tonight, and she knows Beca will kill herself later if she doesn’t get up.
She hovers at the top of the staircase to the open concept room, looking at Beca who is curled up on her bed and glaring at the wall.
“You have your shift soon,” she reminds the DJ quietly.
“I’m not going.”
“You have to.”
Beca looks up and glares at Stacie. “I said I’m not fucking going.”
Stacie sighs, the guilt riding her heavily as she takes a few steps towards Beca’s bed.
“Beca, I’m sorry.”
Beca scoffs, rolling her eyes as she turns over to face away from Stacie.
Stacie frowns, knowing that she can’t blame Beca for being mad at her all that much, and sits on the side of the bed, looking at Beca’s back.
“I’m sorry,” she repeats. “We shouldn’t have done it. It was a dumb idea from the start.”
Beca doesn’t turn around but she does mutter, “It’s not like you knew Chloe’s been into me the whole damn year.”
“I wish I did,” Stacie admits with a sigh. “At least one of us could get the girl that way.”
It’s then that Beca turns to Stacie, raising an eyebrow. “You know you can’t just fuck away your feelings for people, right? Like, that’s not how the world works.”
Stacie holds in her chuckle, raising an eyebrow right back at her friend. “And you know you can’t just run away every time something real happens? You can’t realize you have feelings for someone and shut them down, ignore them, and immediately decide you’re doomed?”
Beca lets out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “Guess we had to figure it out the hard way, huh?”
“Guess we did,” Stacie agrees, a sad smile on her face.
And Stacie still feels guilty - god does she feel guilty remembering the way Chloe looked when she walked into Stacie’s bedroom - but Beca’s not mad at her so that’s one less person she has to worry about.
The DJ decides to sit up, running a hand through her tangled hair. “Stacie, what the hell are we going to do?”
Stacie sighs, shaking her head. “We’ll think of something,” she declares, then pats Beca’s leg. “But you have to get ready for work. I’ll bring you a late night snack so you don’t die in the booth.”
Beca chuckles, playfully shoving Stacie as she stands. “You’re fucking annoying.”
“You love me,” Stacie beams.
“Sure,” Beca snorts, walking over to her closet to grab a change of clothes.
Stacie laughs, easing herself off of Beca’s bed and walking towards the staircase.
“By the way,” Stacie says as she pauses at the top, looking at Beca. “Thanks for the good sex.”
She runs down the stairs before she hears the shriek of “Stacie!” and a shoe being tossed down the stairs, narrowly missing her.
Stacie lets out loud laughter, running off to her bedroom.
Stacie heads to the coffee shop two blocks from Aubrey and Chloe’s apartment the next morning. She knows she’ll find Aubrey there; it’s where the older girl goes after her morning pilates workout.
That way, Aubrey doesn’t try to slam the door in Stacie’s face if she were to say, show up at her apartment unannounced.
She can see Aubrey through the window as she arrives, reading on her tablet with a coffee cup and a plate with a muffin to her side. Stacie lets out a sigh, reminding herself that it’s time to suck it up and stop being a child before she enters the coffee shop.
“Hey,” she says slowly, standing on the opposite side of Aubrey’s table. “Is this seat taken?”
Aubrey looks up and Stacie does her best to give her a small smile. The neutral expression on her face quickly transitions to the slight glare that Aubrey’s perfected over time.
“What do you want, Stacie?” she asks.
“I want to talk to you,” Stacie answers. “You weren’t answering my calls. Neither was Chloe.”
Aubrey scoffs. “Chloe isn’t exactly your biggest fan right now.”
“Neither are you apparently,” Stacie points out.
“And what gave you that idea?”
Stacie does her best to ignore the ice in Aubrey’s voice, instead pulling out the chair in front of her and taking a seat.
“Aubrey please,” Stacie says desperately. “It’s not what you guys think.”
“Oh, isn’t it though?” Aubrey asks, looking at Stacie with a hard expression. “Unless you just go fucking your friends for fun, because I think I missed that memo.”
Stacie runs a hand through her hair, trying not to let frustration get the best of her. “I don’t - Beca’s not - it was stupid. It was my idea and it was stupid, and if I could take it all back I would, but Aubrey listen to me - Beca and I aren’t into each other like that.”
“Stacie, I don’t care if you guys aren’t into each other, but clearly you guys are hooking up or whatever arrangement you have going on,” Aubrey tells her. “And you hurt Chloe with what you did and you also…”
Stacie narrows her eyes carefully at Aubrey, noticing the way she hesitates and decides to drop her sentence all together. She notices the way a flicker of something Stacie can’t quite pinpoint comes and goes in Aubrey’s eyes.
“And I also what, Aubrey?”
“Nothing it doesn’t matter,” Aubrey decides, straightening her posture and re-focusing on the conversation. “The point is, Chloe’s upset.”
Stacie frowns, trying to decide on whether or not she should press Aubrey for what she was about to say.
She forgoes it, instead trying to do whatever she can to fix this mess she’s made.
“You want to know why we did it? Why Beca and I were hooking up?”
“Oh so you admit that wasn’t just a one time incident?”
Aubrey sounds hurt.
Stacie frowns.
“Aubrey.”
“Stacie.”
“Can you please just listen to me?”
“Fine.”
Stacie sighs. “I...I don’t do well with feelings,” she explains. “And I usually don’t get attached to people in that way or want anything more thing a fling or a casual hook up, and that’s fine. I’m okay with that, but I...I did end up catching feelings for someone. I fell hard and unexpectedly and I totally hate that I didn’t see it coming. So, you know, me being me, I thought the best way to get out of that funk is to...get under someone else.”
“And you thought Beca would be the best person to do that with?” Aubrey asks.
“That’s what you’re focusing on here?” Stacie groans, but she answers anyway. “Beca was there and we were drunk and she was trying to figure out her feelings for Chloe because Chloe was supposed to be graduating anyway and - it was stupid, but yeah. It happened.”
Aubrey nods slowly, processing the information. Stacie watches her patiently, tries to understand what is going through the blonde’s mind.
“Why are you so afraid of having feelings for someone, Stacie?”
“Because I don’t like attachment,” she shrugs. “But...for this one person, I think I’d be willing to, you know, do everything people in relationships do for them.”
Aubrey’s eyebrows furrow in confusion. “Why don’t you tell them that?”
Stacie grimaces, shaking her head. “She’s way out of my league. I don’t deserve her, at all.”
This seems to baffle the blonde, who looks at Stacie like she’s crazy.
“And who the hell is out of your league, Stacie? You can have anyone you want, I don’t get it.”
Stacie tries to ignore the way her heartbeat quickens and the way Aubrey is looking at her and only her.
“You.”
Vibrant green eyes widen and Aubrey’s mouth falls open into a small “o” shape at Stacie’s answer. Something in her expression changes, but Stacie can’t quite pinpoint it.
Stacie hate being vulnerable, hates being in a position where she can get hurt emotionally and mentally. She’s not the type of person who lets herself be pitied, and she can’t read Aubrey’s face right now, but she’s bracing herself anyway because that’s just who she is.
“That’s - This wasn’t supposed to be about me,” Stacie says, clearing her throat. “But uh, yeah, that’s out there now.”
“Stacie-”
Stacie doesn’t want to even hear the rejection coming. She pushes her chair back and stands.
“I just, I just want Chloe to know that it’s my fault,” she says. “She can be mad at me all she wants, but don’t take it out on Beca. It was me.”
“Stacie, sit back down-”
“I’ll um, I’ll see you around,” she quickly says, the lump growing in her throat as she does.
She makes a beeline for the exit and doesn’t look back, blinking away the tears she’s beginning to form.
Stacie Conrad does not cry over people. She’s definitely not about to start now.
She’s barely halfway down the block when she feels a tug at her wrist. Before she knows it, Stacie’s being spun around and swept into a kiss that’s so sweet she could melt. She knows by the scent of vanilla and lavender that it’s Aubrey she’s kissing, and Stacie barely has time to kiss her back before Aubrey is pulling away.
Stacie’s almost afraid to open her eyes, afraid that this is a dream.
“Don’t walk away from me when I’m trying to tell you something,” Aubrey says and she kind of sounds out of breath.
Stacie risks it, opening her eyes to see a flushed Aubrey looking at her with a ghost of a smile.
“Aubrey?”
It’s all she says because, well, she’s still not quite over that kiss.
“Would it be crazy if I told you that I have feelings for you, too?”
Stacie doesn’t think she’s hearing right.
Maybe this is a big hallucination because in realistic scenario wouldn't Aubrey kiss her like that and then tell her she has feelings for her.
Aubrey Posen is a relationship-type girl. She likes people who are organized and well-put together.
Stacie is nothing like that.
“What?”
Aubrey shakes her head, the smile no longer hiding itself from her lips anymore as she adds, “Do you really think I’m out of your league?”
Stacie isn’t quite sure what the hell is happening, but Aubrey’s eyes are so bright and vivid that she can’t help but answer the question.
“Of course I am,” Stacie says like it’s obvious. “You’re - you’ve got your life together and you’re always so organized and you need someone who can be serious and keep up with you and knows what they’re doing in their life.”
A soft laugh falls from Aubrey’s lips as her hand comes up to tuck a loose strand of Stacie’s hair behind her ear. It’s one of the the softest and most endearing interactions Stacie’s had.
“Stacie,” she hums sweetly. “You’re so smart and funny, and you work so hard and are so confident with who you are and don’t care what people think. You keep me on my toes and always seem to surprise me in one way or another. How could I not fall for you when you’re flirting with me every other minute and making me feel like the most important person?”
Stacie’s breath catches as she hears Aubrey speak, as she sees the way Aubrey’s eyes light up.
“Jesus, I took you to Ikea to do things like buy kitchen appliances and talk about my dad,” Aubrey adds, shaking her head. “You were never just a friend for me.”
Stacie thinks this is too good to be true.
“Look Aubrey, if you’re doing this because you feel sorry for me-”
“I don’t,” Aubrey says firmly, and the look in her eye tells Stacie she’s not fucking around.
“I’m an idiot,” Stacie sighs.
“For someone who’s basically a genius when it comes to science, yeah, kind of,” Aubrey giggles.
Stacie laughs, leaning down just a little to give Aubrey another sweet and gentle kiss. She feels Aubrey smile against her lips and she knows this is what heaven feels like.
Aubrey pulls away, looking at Stacie with clear eyes. “Would you really do the whole ‘relationship’ thing for me? Did you mean that?”
Stacie rests her forehead against Aubrey’s, unable to keep her smile to herself. “I would do anything for you, Aubrey.”
“Even if I get a job somewhere that’s not Atlanta? You would be okay with that?”
Stacie chuckles, wrapping her arms around Aubrey firmly. “As long as you promise to visit as often as possible.”
“God, you really like me.”
“Maybe just a little.”
They laugh, hopeful and bright, before sharing another kiss in the middle of the sidewalk by Aubrey’s favorite coffee shop.
Beca sits through her day shift at the radio station miserably. Her songs of choice may be a little slower and sadder today, but she can’t find herself to care. If anyone listening notices, they don’t call the station and ask her to change it.
When lunch rolls around, she’s constantly looking through the glass window in hopes that Chloe is strolling in with food. Chloe doesn’t show, and Beca tries not to be too disappointed in that fact.
Her stomach grumbles and she hates herself a little more.
Stacie shows up in the afternoon, a smile on her face and a smoothie with fries in hand.
Beca takes it gratefully, even if she thought it was Chloe walking in at first.
“Have you heard from her?” Stacie asks.
Beca drops a fry into her mouth as she sighs. “Nope. Not answering my calls or texts or anything.”
Stacie frowns, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry dude, she’ll come around.”
“Yeah I hope,” Beca says, but it lacks conviction.
Stacie presses a kiss to her forehead and promises to see her at home tonight before she leaves.
Beca eats her fries and drinks her smoothie, waiting for the hours to pass with no Chloe to keep her company during her shift.
When Beca gets home to the Bella house that’s definitely far too big to be a home to just two people at the moment, she’s surprised to find Chloe sitting on the steps of the porch.
“Oh,” she says as she approaches. “Um, hey.”
“Hi,” Chloe says in a small voice.
“What are you - I thought you hated me or something,” Beca tells her.
Chloe wraps her arms around her knees, looking up at Beca. “Aubrey and Stacie said I should come over,” she explains. “I didn’t exactly try to hear you out yesterday.”
Beca grimaces, taking a seat next to her and dumping her bag behind them.
“And you kind of called and texted a lot, so I figured if you had something to say I might as well hear you say it,” Chloe adds.
Beca laughs nervously, feeling her palms sweat because she’s never been good at confrontation, but Chloe is here giving her another chance and Beca doesn’t want to fuck it up.
Not when Chloe pretty much told her yesterday that she’s been into Beca this whole time.
“Right. I uh, I’m really sorry, Chlo,” she begins, letting out a long sigh. “Stacie and I - it was just this dumb idea she had and it started when we were drunk and kind of just happened, but I swear to you it didn’t mean anything. Stacie and I are just friends.”
Chloe nods slowly. “She came over and apologized today,” she tells Beca. “Well, I came home to her and Aubrey making out on the couch and then she apologized.”
Beca laughs, shaking her head. “Of course she did,” she murmurs, but then she looks at Chloe again. “I don’t do well with feelings or like, anything related to emotions-”
“So I’ve noticed,” Chloe chuckles.
“-and you came out of nowhere and brought all these feelings and things with you and I didn’t know how to handle it. You...God, Chloe, everything’s always been different with you,” Beca says, running a hand through her head. “You came out of nowhere and tore down all these walls and you just get me in a way no on else does and - well, it kind of scared me.”
Chloe smiles at her in a way that encourages her to keep going, so Beca does.
“I just...I just thought there’s no way I’d stand a chance with you,” Beca sighs. “You’re...all these good things wrapped into one and I’m...not.”
“Beca,” Chloe says, reaching out and putting a hand on Beca’s knee. “You are my favorite person in the entire world.”
Beca shakes her head in disbelief. “How can I be?”
Chloe smiles, hand moving from Beca’s knee to grasp the brunette’s hand in her own. “You stand up for yourself no matter what and even after everything went down, you still came back to us. To me.”
Beca can’t help but smile, the way Chloe’s eyes are bright when she’s talking and the way she looks at Beca like she’s the one who puts the stars up in the sky.
“You’re way too good for me,” Beca admits, looking away.
Chloe is suddenly so close Beca can feel her breath against her ear when she says, “You’re perfect for me.”
Beca turns her head to face Chloe again and realizes just how close they are, realizes she can smell Chloe’s shampoo and see the way her chest rises and falls with every breath.
“I meant what I said in the booth the other day,” Chloe practically whispers. “I’m glad I get to spend another semester with you.”
She looks so full of affection and compassion that Beca’s heart might burst.
Beca’s eyes flicker to Chloe’s lips and Chloe seems to catch it because she gives the slightest of nods. Beca licks her lips and swallows in anticipation before she’s leaning in and pressing her lips against Chloe’s.
Chloe’s lips taste like her strawberry chapstick and Beca knows her own lips are probably chapped, but she doesn’t really care. Chloe Beale is kissing her on her - their - new porch, a concept Beca would’ve never thought of a real.
Chloe’s free hand comes up and holds Beca’s jaw, firm and familiar like they’ve done this before. Kissing Chloe is like coming home, something Beca isn’t quite familiar with but with Chloe it feels just right.
For the first time in a long time, Beca’s not kissing a pretty girl to help her forget.
She’s kissing the pretty girl she thinks she might be in love with.
They stay out on the porch for what seems like hours, kissing and laughing and just looking at each other.
“Did you really think I spent all those days in the booth with you because I wanted to hang out with my friend?”
“Yeah, kinda.”
“God, you’re so cute.”
“You’re talking too much.”
“Shut me up, then.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Aubrey gets a job at the Lodge of Fallen Leaves only a two hour drive away from Barden. They all gather in Chloe and Aubrey’s apartment to celebrate, Chloe and Aubrey cooking dinner while Beca and Stacie bring wine and dessert.
Stacie keeps hanging around Aubrey and pressing kisses to her cheek as she says, “I’m so proud of you.”
Aubrey only giggles and pushes her off gently, insisting she has to finish cooking.
“You guys are gross,” Beca says with a scrunched up nose.
“Don’t get me started on you and Chloe,” Stacie warns.
“We’re adorable, we know,” Chloe grins, kissing Beca’s forehead when she scowls.
Dinner is filled with laughter and conversation, and Beca thinks she’s finally found a family. She can’t believe a year ago she was graduating from high school and wishing desperately to move out to Los Angeles instead of going to Barden.
She wouldn’t trade Barden for the world.
Chloe does things like hold her hand during dinner and kiss every part of her face, even if Beca’s flushed and shy. She tells Beca she’s beautiful and does things like play Beca’s mixes while she cooks and Beca watches with a smile.
Beca is in love with Chloe Beale, and that doesn’t scare her like it used to.
“So Chloe,” Stacie says once they’ve winded down dinner and are now only sipping on wine. “I have a question for you.”
“What is it?”
“Did you expect Beca to be so loud in bed?”
Beca’s blush is quick to creep up her neck and onto her cheeks. She’s sending a hard glare across the table because she cannot believe Stacie’s asking.
“Stacie!”
It’s Aubrey and Beca at the same time. Beca sounds mortified while Aubrey just sounds shocked. The blonde nudges her girlfriend’s side, but Stacie’s too giddy at Beca’s reaction to notice.
Chloe laughs at the question and her two best friends, shrugging. “Well, it wasn’t what i expected, but I don’t hate it at all.”
Beca lets out a loud, embarrassed groan. Aubrey makes a noise of disgust and covers her ears.
“Chloe,” Beca practically whines.
Stacie goes into a fit of laughter, never getting tired of the way Beca squirms when it comes to things like this.
“I mean, I should’ve known from that time we sang in the shower together,” Chloe adds with a twinkle in her eye.
“What?” Aubrey and Stacie gape at the same time.
Beca is bright red now, turning around to look at her girlfriend with a mortified expression.
“I hate you so much,” Beca glares.
Chloe grabs her chin gently and presses a soft and quick kiss to her lips. “You don’t.”
Beca rolls her eyes. “Whatever.”
“She’s right,” Stacie grins.
“Shut it Conrad.”
Chloe only giggles, pulling Beca into her side.
Beca looks at Stacie to find the taller girl already looking at her. Stacie’s giving her a big, shit-eating grin. The best Beca can do is roll her eyes, but she’s smiling anyway.
“You’re getting soft on me Beca,” Stacie teases
Beca gives her a look, still smiling wide. “So are you.”