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lets-talk-appella · 6 years

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Here it is, folks... an absolute monster of a fic that was never meant to be this long. I’ll update the master post soon, but this follows Expectations, in which Bechloe decide to wait for intimacy. Now, the wait is over.

Note: This is split by POV - the first half is Beca’s POV, and contains no smut, just heavy making out. If you don’t like smut, stick to the first half!! The second half is Chloe’s POV. Smut abounding.

Summary: Beca and Chloe figure out life as a couple and prepare for their First Time. Then, once they’re both ready, it happens.

Timeline: About a month after they get together as a couple.

Words: 23,715 (really. it’s excessive)

Rating: M

On a03 and FFN.

Beca’s POV

“Well, it’s about time the little goblin pulled her head out of her ass.”

“Aubrey!” Chloe reprimanded.

“No, it’s okay,” said Beca nonchalantly. “I deserved that one. It did take me way too long.”

Aubrey nodded, “See? She agrees with me.”

Chloe covered her eyes with both hands and replied, “Okay, but you didn’t have to call her a goblin.”

Beca grimaced and said, “Yeah, that was a little low, especially since it’s over Skype where I can’t punch you.”

“What, and go back to jail for assault?” Aubrey fired back. “That’s a great way to kick off your relationship with my best friend.”

“Oh my God, it was one time!” Beca replied indignantly before Chloe made a shushing noise, halting their argument before it could truly begin.

“The point is,” she said, giving her laptop’s webcam (and therefore Aubrey) a hard stare, “Beca and I are together now, and we thought we’d start telling people.”

“Don’t listen to Bree,” came Stacie’s voice from off camera. “We’re both very excited for you!”

Beca leaned closer to the laptop resting between her and Chloe on their bed as if trying to get a better view of Aubrey and Stacie at the Lodge of Fallen Leaves. “Thanks, Stace!” she practically shouted, making Aubrey wince. “But where are you?”

“Beca!” Chloe reprimanded lightly, tugging on the back of Beca’s shirt to draw her away from the laptop.

With a laugh, Stacie came on screen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “It’s okay, I’m right here! Seriously, congrats you two. It’s been a long time coming.”

Aubrey nodded distractedly; she hadn’t taken her eyes off Stacie since she’d walked over.

“Yeah,” replied Chloe dreamily as she turned to stare at Beca. “It has. We couldn’t be happier.”

Beca smiled back at her girlfriend, warmth filling her chest at the adoration in Chloe’s gaze. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to seeing how much Chloe loved her. They’d only been together for a couple of days, but she’d been so happy it was almost gross. Sure, there had been a big misunderstanding at the start, but now… everything was absolutely perfect.

“Um… we’re still here!” came Aubrey’s impatient voice.

Beca tore her eyes away from Chloe, refusing to be embarrassed about their lapse in attention. “Yeah, well,” she fired back at Aubrey, “I noticed that you two seem awfully friendly. Care to share something with the class?”

Beside her, she heard Chloe stifle a giggle as Aubrey’s face immediately became an impassive mask and Stacie looked toward the ceiling in an effort to hide her face.

“Oh, it’s –” Stacie began at the exact time Aubrey said, “She was in –”

There was an awkward pause while they looked at one another. Beca’s grin grew into one of wicked triumph while Chloe merely watched on as if viewing her favorite TV drama.

Aubrey cleared her throat, then continued. “Stacie was in town, so I invited her to stay here instead of having to pay for a hotel.”

Stacie nodded enthusiastically.

“Riiigghhttt,” Beca drew out, “So you’re saying –”

“Beca,” Chloe interrupted, “what they do is their business until they decide to make it ours.”

With a sigh and a regretful stare at the laptop screen, Beca replied, “Fine. Anything you say, dear.”

Chloe, Stacie, and Aubrey all had to laugh at Beca’s dramatics.

“Man, Chloe,” said Stacie, “you’ve got her wrapped around your finger.”

“Well… not yet,” said Beca, earning herself a swat on the arm from Chloe.

Aubrey threw her hands over her years and yelled, “No! I don’t want to hear it!” while Stacie tipped her head back with a laugh. Beca smirked and winked at Chloe, enjoying the sight of the light blush that had taken over her cheeks.

“Anyway,” Chloe said pointedly, “they don’t have to tell us anything they don’t want to.”

Beca opened her mouth to complain, but at that moment, the buzzer to their apartment sounded, startling them both.

Sighing, Chloe stood from the bed and said reluctantly, “I’ll get it. I bet it’s the package I ordered.”

“Don’t leave me with Aubrey,” Beca pleaded, once again making Aubrey scoff and Stacie laugh.

“It’ll be quick, babe, I promise!” said Chloe, already moving to leave the apartment.

As soon as the door had swung shut behind her, Beca watched as on her laptop screen, Aubrey turned to whisper something in Stacie’s ear. Stacie’s eyes widened and she stood up with a “Good luck, Beca!” before hurrying away out of sight.

“What was that about?” asked Beca, bemused.

“Nothing major,” Aubrey replied easily. “I only asked her to leave so I can give you the talk.”

Rolling her eyes, Beca responded, “Thanks, but I already know about the birds and the bees, and I’m not sure that applies here anyway, so…”

Aubrey threw her a withering glare and said, “No, Beca, not that. The best friend talk.”

When Beca continued to look confused, Aubrey sighed impatiently and continued, “The if-you-hurt-her-I-swear-to-god-I-will-hunt-you-down-and-make-you-regret-the-day-you-were-born talk.”

Beca’s eyes widened. “Oh!” she said. “Right. Well, you don’t have to worry about that. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good,” said Aubrey forcefully. “Chloe is the nicest person I know, and you’ve already put her through years of pain. If you so much as look at anyone else or do anything to hurt her, you will pay for it. Chloe may be my best friend, but my shotgun is my soulmate.”

“Calm down, Rambo,” Beca said, trying to hide how freaked out she really was. “I was a blind idiot before, but I swear, I love Chloe more than anything or anyone on Earth. She’s my everything, and I’d die before I hurt her.”

“Yes. You would,” replied Aubrey before staring at her intently. After a few seconds of that, Beca awkwardly shifted in place. Was she supposed to respond to that, or…?

Finally, Aubrey nodded, apparently satisfied. “I believe you. And, of course, if you need any advice on your relationship you can come to me.”

Beca nodded vaguely, privately thinking that she’d rather put her head in the oven before admitting weakness to Aubrey. She was saved from having to reply by Chloe’s reentry into the apartment.

“I’m back!” Chloe called, placing the small, unmarked box on the counter before jumping back to her spot on their bed. “Did I miss anything?”

“Well –” Beca began.

“Nothing major,” supplied Aubrey hastily. “Stacie just had to use the bathroom, but she should be back soon.”

“Great!” enthused Chloe. “I’m glad we’re doing this, it’s so nice to see you both!”

“Hmm,” mused Beca. Then, seeing the dangerous glint in Aubrey’s eyes even through Skype, she decided to take the conversation a different direction. “What’s in the box?” she asked, pointing to it.

“Oh, nothing major,” replied Chloe with a wave of her hand. “Just a little outfit for myself.”

However, Beca noticed that a light pink tinge had appeared in her cheeks. Unable to resist teasing, she said, “Oh, really? So, do you want to try it on and show us?”

“Oh, uh, that’s really not necessary,” rushed Chloe, cheeks growing steadily redder.

“Everything okay there, Chlo?” asked Beca, her grin widening. “You’re looking a little –”

“Stacie!” squealed Chloe loudly. “We missed you!”

Beca turned back to the laptop and saw Stacie had indeed resumed her place next to Aubrey. “Yep,” Stacie said, “I’m back. Now before you two get all cutesy again, I have to ask; how exactly did it all happen?”

Beca’s expression softened and a content smile grew over her face, completely sidetracked from her teasing. She loved telling the story of when she’d realized she was in love with Chloe. With a quick glance at Chloe to make sure it was okay, she began. “Okay, so, we were walking in Central Park and there was this caterpillar…”

As Beca told their story to Aubrey and Stacie, she felt her right hand become encased in Chloe’s left and butterflies – the good kind – flitted around in her stomach. She was still in awe that Chloe could love her as completely as she loved Chloe. She already knew that what they had was a forever type of deal, and as she paused in her story to look into beautiful blue eyes, she knew that Chloe felt the same.

They stayed on Skype with Aubrey and Stacie for nearly another hour, getting caught up on new developments in each other’s lives. Beca actually enjoyed talking to Aubrey; somehow, over the course of several years, they’d managed to become friends. Beca figured it was all because of the redhead seated next to her.

Beca and Chloe decided to share the news of their new relationship with friends and family over the next few weeks, preferring to do it in person or over Skype when possible. After Aubrey and Stacie, the next person they told was Amy upon her return from vacation at “not Bumper’s.” She’d been thrilled with the news and had shouted “Viva la Bhloe!” before adding a stern, “No sex while I’m in the house,” and going to play on her phone.

They’d wanted to surprise the other Bellas with the news as well; however, it seemed that after they told Amy, the rest of the Bellas already knew, though they all did their best to act surprised when Beca and Chloe finally did tell them. Beca suspected foul play in the form of a hidden group chat, but Chloe told her she was being paranoid.

Nevertheless, the Bellas were beyond ecstatic. Emily had squealed so loudly over the phone that Beca had worried for her speaker; they had met Flo in person, and she had been perhaps the worst at feigning her surprise, but assured them that she was incredibly happy for them; over Skype, Cynthia-Rose had merely said, “Tell me something I don’t know,” and then had immediately yelled for Amy to pay up her $40; they almost forgot to tell Ashley and Jessica, but were able to Skype the pair of them before too much time had passed. They never managed to reach Lilly, but received a congratulatory card from her in the mail even before they had told Aubrey and Stacie over Skype.

Their families were also pleased with the news. Chloe’s parents were thrilled and insisted that she and Beca visit them as soon as reasonably possible. The thought of that future interaction made Beca pause; what if they didn’t think she was good enough for their daughter? But Chloe was quick to sense Beca’s nerves and easily put her mind at peace. She said that if Beca made her happy, that would be good enough for her parents.

Beca’s family struggled slightly more with the news, though her father and Sheila did their best to be supportive. Warren Mitchell, though by no means conservative, was surprised to hear that Beca was even attracted to women; it seemed she’d never managed to come out as bisexual to him or Sheila, so they needed a moment to absorb the amount of new information. However, once they’d had a few days, Beca got a text from them expressing their congratulations. They’d always liked Chloe and had largely credited her with Beca’s happiness at Barden.

The person Beca had been most anxious to tell was Jesse. Though their friendship had strengthened over the months since their breakup, she’d worried about his reaction. She’d put it off as long as she could, until Chloe finally had to step in. “He’d rather hear it from you, Bec,” she’d said. “I think he’ll be more okay with it than you’re imagining.” So, wondering if Chloe somehow knew more about Jesse’s feelings than she did, Beca had found the courage to call him one evening and share the news. To her pleasant surprise, he’d been incredibly happy for her.

“I’m glad you’ve found this with her,” Jesse had said over the phone. “Really, Beca. I know how happy she makes you, and that means the world to me.” He’d also asked to talk to Chloe briefly, which had taken her aback. Their conversation had been relatively short, and when Beca had asked about it later, Chloe merely said that he gave her the best friend talk. Beca again wondered if Chloe knew something she didn’t, but wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Before Beca knew it, she and Chloe had been together for just over a month. It had easily been the happiest month of her life. Chloe’s warmth and sunshine seemed to cast a glow over everything else. Beca found that little daily annoyances that used to build up no longer bothered her as much. She found herself smiling and laughing at simple things, and every text she got from Chloe while she was at work filled her heart with joy. Even the colors surrounding her looked more vibrant, making her wonder how she’d ever navigated such a dark world before Chloe.

There was a small part of her mind still cautioning her to be careful; Chloe was so completely engrained in her life that if anything were to happen, if Chloe were to leave, Beca wouldn’t recover. However, she couldn’t bring herself to fear losing Chloe, not when every touch, every kiss, every whisper they shared only cemented for her that they were permanent. Being together felt effortless, as natural as laughter.

Beca had never really believed in soulmates; she didn’t buy into the idea of there being some spiritual connection between people meant to be together. No, Chloe wasn’t her soulmate. Chloe was simply her forever.

One result of Beca’s newfound joy in life was that she no longer wanted to work such long hours, preferring to spend more time at home with Chloe. Unfortunately, her work load didn’t change with her relationship status, so she typically found herself taking work home with her and spending a few hours in the evening on her laptop while Chloe read or watched her.

One evening, she was laboring over a particularly stubborn project. She’d been staring at her laptop for hours at their kitchen table, headphones on, tongue poking out from between her teeth in concentration. There was still something off about the piece, something that she didn’t like, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

“What are you working on?” Chloe’s voice drifted over the sound of the music in her ears, but she was only half listening.

“Um…what, sorry?” asked Beca several seconds later, tugging her headphones off to look at Chloe, who’d been perched on their bed, reading.

Rather than being annoyed, Chloe sent her a bright and understanding smile. Beca knew she’d always loved to watch her work on mixes, but she couldn’t see why. Surely, there were more interesting things to see than just her, gazing at a screen and playing with different settings?

“I asked what you’re working on,” repeated Chloe. “You’re doing that thing with your tongue again.”

“Oh,” grinned Beca, “you know me too well. Um, it’s just a song for work. The artist is new and has a lot of promise, but I’m having a hard time finding good balance on the sound.”

Chloe hummed thoughtfully before standing up to move behind Beca. She bent down and wrapped her arms around her, resting her chin on Beca’s shoulder to look at the laptop screen. Beca relaxed into her touch, leaning back into her and resting her temple against Chloe’s. She felt the tension and stress leak away until all that was left was the solid presence at her back.

Pressing a kiss to Beca’s cheek, Chloe said confidently, “You’ll get there, Bec. I know it.”

Beca smiled at Chloe’s unwavering belief in her and replied gratefully, “I hope so. I really want to get it right. This artist deserves it – they haven’t had it easy getting this far.”

Chloe reached out to gently turn Beca’s face toward her own. Once Beca was looking at her, she leaned in to kiss her soundly on the lips.

“What was that for?” asked Beca when Chloe pulled away again. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“I love that you care so much about other people,” Chloe responded. “It’s one of the reasons I fell for you in the first place.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Beca, trying hard to ignore the blush she knew was rising in her cheeks. “I’m a badass. I don’t care about other people.”

Chloe’s smile widened. “Your secret is safe with me.”

Rolling her eyes, Beca scrunched up her nose as Chloe pulled away to sit on their bed again to watch her work. Beca put her headphones back on but left one ear free so she could hear Chloe if she said anything else. She continued to work on the song for several more minutes, only vaguely aware that Chloe was still watching her.

“I’m ready,” Chloe said suddenly into the quiet.

“Hmm?” said Beca, turning her face to Chloe but leaving her eyes locked on her laptop. “Oh?”

Chloe took a deep breath, making Beca finally tear her gaze away from her screen to give Chloe her full attention. Chloe was looking down at her own lap, but then made eye contact with Beca, seemingly resolute about something.

“I’m ready,” she said again. “For us to…you know…sleep together. I’m ready for us to take that step.”

Beca’s stomach knotted. She’d been thinking about being with Chloe in that way frequently over the last month, ever since they’d decided to wait on the first day of their relationship. Neither of them had been ready for sex then, but it seemed as though Chloe was ready now.

“Oh…” trailed off Beca, taken aback by the sudden proclamation. “Like. Right now? Or…”

She swallowed. She knew she wasn’t quite on the same page as Chloe yet. Almost, but not yet. She was still too nervous about disappointing Chloe to feel really relaxed and ready.

Seeing her concern, Chloe quickly replied, “No, not now! You’re busy. And you have to be ready too.” Beca sighed, relieved, as Chloe continued. “No. And I’m not pressuring at all, I just wanted to let you know, so that whenever you’re ready, we’re in the same place. I will absolutely wait.”

Beca watched her as she spoke, then they sat in silence. She needed time to absorb the information. Chloe was really being wonderful about this, Beca thought. She didn’t feel any kind of pressure to be ready soon. Chloe had only made it clear where she was at with everything, which helped Beca a lot. Beca had always needed extra time to think and prepare herself for big changes, and this next step in their relationship was no different. The fact that Chloe understood that about her and was this patient sent a sense of calm security through Beca’s chest.

“Okay,” Beca finally said. “Thanks for telling me. I’ll, uh, keep you posted?”

Chloe nodded, beaming with her impossibly white smile. “Okay,” she said. “Now get back to work. You have music to make.” And with a final flirtatious wink that sent heat rising in Beca’s neck, she returned to her book.

Beca turned to her laptop, not seeing the screen in front of her as she considered what Chloe had said. She’d been kicking herself for the past month over how nervous she’d been about the idea of sex when they’d first gotten together. At times, she’d felt guilty over making Chloe wait, but then Chloe would touch her arm or envelop her in a hug or give her a quick kiss on the lips and Beca would remind herself that they both hadn’t been ready then. It would have been wrong to sleep together so soon. Now, though, Beca knew they were in a much better place. Chloe was ready, and Beca almost was. Thinking about sex with Chloe still made her nervous but had also started to make her feel excited.

The only thing holding her back was the doubt that she wouldn’t be good enough. She wanted to give Chloe the best of everything, so the thought that their bedroom activities could be sub-par because of her was paralyzing.

“Beca,” Chloe’s serious tone ripped Beca from her dark thoughts. “Stop overthinking.”

“I’m not –” Beca tried.

“Yes, you are. I know that look.”

Beca smiled sheepishly at Chloe, who was looking at her with so much tenderness it was kind of unbelievable.

“There’s no pressure,” Chloe said. “Really. I could wait for years if you need me to. And in case you’re scaring yourself again, don’t. You are perfect. Nothing,” Chloe shook her head, “and I mean nothing, will change that.”

“I don’t want to disappoint you,” Beca whispered, unable to look away from Chloe’s intense gaze.

Chloe’s already open and loving expression softened even further into one of absolute adoration. “You literally can’t,” she said gently. “I’ve never been with a woman either. I’ve said it before, but I’ll keep saying it until you believe me – knowing I’m with you is already amazing.”

The tension left Beca’s shoulders and she exhaled her anxiety in a big puff. Chloe always knew what to say. They complimented each other so completely that she knew it should be scary, but it wasn’t. It only reinforced her sense of rightness.

Nodding, Beca responded, “I believe you. You’re pretty perfect, too, you know.”

With the smirk she’d picked up from Beca, Chloe fired back, “Yeah, I’m pretty confident about all this.” And she gestured grandly down her body with a playful wink.

A smile spreading over her face at the memory, Beca said her usual line. “You should be.”

The tension gone and her worry set at ease, Beca fully returned her focus to her work while Chloe resumed reading her book.

Beca knew she’d be ready soon. Just, not yet.

As it turned out, soon was about one week later. Beca came home from work earlier than her usual time to see Chloe alone at the stove, chopping vegetables likely meant for a waiting pan. The whole apartment smelled like Beca imagined Italy would smell, and she knew Chloe’s signature lasagna must be in the oven. Chloe’s cooking playlist (made for her by Beca) was reverberating through the apartment, transmitted by Beca’s Bluetooth speaker. Amy wasn’t home yet from her street performing job, and Beca wondered vaguely whether that night’s routine had involved fire swallowing again.

Chloe turned to greet Beca with a “Hey, beautiful. You’re home early.”

Dropping her bag on the floor and hanging up her jacket, Beca replied, “Yeah, I was feeling spontaneous and I wanted to see you.”

Her focus back on cutting up their veggies for dinner, Chloe answered, “Wow, Beca Mitchell making spontaneous decisions…that’s new.”

“I guess that’s what you do to me, Beale,” Beca said easily as she moved to stand behind Chloe, stretching to her tiptoes to wrap her arms around Chloe’s waist and press a kiss to the side of her neck.

“Mmm, I like it,” sighed Chloe as she turned her head so that Beca could kiss her on the lips.

“Me too,” agreed Beca, resting her chin on top of Chloe’s shoulder to watch her hands slide the chopped onions, broccoli, and carrots into a pre-warmed pan. The whole thing felt incredibly domestic, and Beca couldn’t imagine anything better.

Chloe’s cooking playlist changed to Dance with Me Tonight by Olly Murs, which Beca knew was one of Chloe’s favorites. She started to sway her hips side to side in time with the beat, her hands guiding Chloe to the music along with her.

“Dance with me?” she said softly into Chloe’s ear.

“But dinner…” said Chloe, sounding reluctant.

“Can wait,” insisted Beca.

Chloe chuckled and relaxed into Beca’s touch, allowing her to move her hips to the music. “You’re such a bad influence.” Nevertheless, she placed a lid on the vegetables so they would stay warm without her.

“Thanks,” Beca replied with a grin, knowing she’d won. She turned Chloe around gently and tugged on her hips, pulling them flush against each other. Chloe squeaked in happy surprise, Beca delivering a peck to her lips.

“Dancing time,” she said, moving her hands up to grab both of Chloe’s.

Beca led them in a sort of jerky swing dance, moving back and forth, side to side as best they could in the minuscule kitchen. They took turns spinning each other, hair whirling. Chloe nearly backed her into their table once but quickly apologized with a glint in her eye that Beca had learned meant that she loved her, so Beca forgave her immediately. After Chloe spun her one final time, Beca brought their bodies close again and carefully dipped Chloe as the music reached its conclusion. The dip didn’t really go with the song, but Beca couldn’t care less. All that mattered was that the woman looking up at her from within her arms was laughing and it was all because of her.

The playlist switched to Adele’s Make You Feel My Love, so Beca pulled Chloe back to standing and wrapped her arms around Chloe’s waist, feeling Chloe’s arms slide around her neck.

Their dancing changed automatically to slow, pivoting movements as they turned on the spot. Chloe looked stunning in that moment, all casual attire with her hair loose around her shoulders. Her eyes ensnared Beca’s soul, and she felt herself falling even more deeply in love. Beca couldn’t keep the smile off her face; she’d never imagined a life like this with the love of her life, and yet here she was. Unexpected, maybe, but she wouldn’t change a single thing.

Beca moved further into Chloe, resting her cheek on a shoulder and turning her face into Chloe’s neck, feeling Chloe’s head tilt against the top of hers. Beca closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of Chloe’s perfume. A wave of peace washed over her. Chloe was holding her securely, and she knew Chloe would never let go.

Finally, she thought.

It was Chloe. It had always been Chloe.

She felt safe in Chloe’s arms. She felt loved. She felt at home.

She also felt a growing tension low in her stomach.

Oh.

Beca’s eyes flew open and she stared into a thicket of red hair. She wanted Chloe. She needed her. And Chloe wanted her, too.

She knew instantly what had changed. Her fear drained away. Her complete trust in Chloe had shifted the world; she was no longer afraid of messing up or disappointing Chloe, because she finally understood what Chloe had been telling her for weeks. Their greatest strength was their ability to support each other, laugh at their fumbling mistakes, and move on together.

Beca felt her fear slip away as the knowledge settled within her. Chloe had her. Chloe would never let her go.

The intimacy wasn’t going to be perfectly executed, but it didn’t matter. They would be together. They’d almost certainly fumble around, would almost certainly mess up once or twice, but they’d be able to laugh it off and try again. They were learning together. That’s what their whole relationship had been about from the very beginning. It would be okay. With Chloe, everything would be okay.

She stopped their dancing and pulled away, keeping her hands on Chloe’s waist. Blue eyes looked at her questioningly.

Beca only smiled softly and said, “I’m ready.”

She knew that Chloe had immediately understood what she’d meant; her eyebrows shot up and her mouth opened slightly in surprise. The arms around Beca’s neck tightened.

“Yeah?” came Chloe’s response.

“Yeah,” Beca nodded.

Chloe blinked rapidly, then said, “Are – are you sure?”

Beca nodded again.

“You’re one hundred percent sure? It hasn’t been that long yet, and –”

Beca surged forward and crashed her lips against Chloe’s, cutting her off. It wasn’t particularly graceful; their teeth clicked together before Chloe managed to reciprocate the kiss, but Beca didn’t mind. She tried to pour everything she’d realized into the kiss, tried to convey how much Chloe meant to her and how very ready she was for the next step.

Needing to come up for air, Beca broke the kiss to look at Chloe, whose eyes fluttered open, cheeks already tinged pink.

“You’re my everything,” Beca said slowly. “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”

That was all Chloe needed to hear.

Hands slid from Beca’s neck and into her hair, urging her forward to meet Chloe’s lips. Chloe’s tongue was immediately in her mouth, driving Beca wild. Chloe exhaled noisily through her nose, and Beca was overwhelmed with Chloe, Chloe everywhere.

She needed more.

A frustrated whimper escaped her throat, and Chloe must have understood. She was guided backwards blindly, stumbling but trusting Chloe to catch her, until her back hit their front door with a resonant thud.

Chloe’s hands moved to her hips, pressing her there, holding her in place as she dropped to give attention to Beca’s neck. Beca didn’t remember moving her arms, but found them wrapped around Chloe’s back, angled up so that her hands were on her shoulder blades. She needed to feel more, so she began smoothing her hands down and back up, trailing her fingers over the dips and curves of Chloe’s spine, over her sides, and back up to run her nails lightly over Chloe’s shoulders.

Chloe switched to the other side of her neck and pressed even closer, her hips jarring into Beca’s. The temperature spiked and Beca’s chest heaved at the intensity of Chloe’s onslaught, not that she really minded. But she needed to taste Chloe’s lips again, so Beca dropped her head forward and slid one hand to the back of Chloe’s neck to angle her face upwards and once again their lips crashed together.

Beca took control this time, letting her tongue flick teasingly at Chloe’s before pulling back. Chloe whimpered and Beca gave in, snaring Chloe’s lower lip between her teeth, biting gently, and pulling back slightly before releasing it. Chloe shivered under her hands and released a gasp that sent desire shooting through Beca.

Her hands dropped to the small of Chloe’s back, clutching, massaging, and Chloe again broke away to press open-mouthed kisses along her jaw and to her ear. Beca’s eyes rolled back when Chloe flicked her earlobe with her tongue and then bit down on it delicately. Her hands dropped still further to Chloe’s backside and she pulled Chloe to her, hips automatically bucking forward in search of contact.

She needed even more.

Chloe moved impossibly closer and slipped a thigh between Beca’s, pressing forward. Beca’s head fell back against the door with a thump and she moaned embarrassingly loudly. She vaguely wondered if their neighbors were in but stopped caring the instant Chloe’s hands on her hips tugged her forward and onto her thigh. Again. And again.

Chloe’s hips rolled into her own, matching her every thrust. Chloe gasped at one particularly forceful rock, her mouth still right next to Beca’s ear. It was possibly the hottest moment of Beca’s life and she heard herself growl.

In one smooth motion, Beca brought one hand up to grasp Chloe’s arm and flipped their positions so she was the one pressing Chloe into the door. She lost some of the wonderful friction between her legs but knew it had been worth it when Chloe keened at the feel of Beca’s tongue on her neck.

Beca resumed rolling her hips into Chloe’s, feeling the tension low in her belly build. By the way Chloe’s hands began clutching at her back and shoulders, she knew Chloe was getting there, too.

Automatically, Beca’s left hand went down to the side of Chloe’s right thigh, lifting it so Chloe could wrap her leg around her hips, drawing them even closer together. Beca pressed into Chloe, earning another groan before she swallowed it with her lips over Chloe’s.

Chloe broke away after a moment, breathing raggedly, and choked out, “Bec.”

Hearing her name fall from Chloe’s lips like that sent Beca into overdrive, and she suddenly needed to try something. She’d do anything to get Chloe to say her name like that again. She reached behind herself to find Chloe’s arms and moved them securely around her shoulders, wanting Chloe to latch onto her. She then dropped her right hand to rest on the outside of Chloe’s left thigh and paused to look into Chloe’s eyes, to make sure she understood.

“Hold on tight,” she breathed, and Chloe nodded, her eyes dark and lips swollen.

She pressed Chloe firmly into the door, sliding her hands under Chloe’s hips to support her weight as Chloe lifted her other leg off the ground to lock behind Beca’s hips. Once Beca was sure they were stable and that she could hold Chloe, she stepped cautiously away from the door. Arms tightened around her neck and Chloe’s chin moved to lock over Beca’s shoulder as she turned away from the door, carrying Chloe.

She’d originally intended to take Chloe to the bed, but decided it was too early yet, so she veered instead to the small amount of counter space they did have in the apartment. By some miracle, she made it there without dropping Chloe, who was surprisingly light. She set Chloe down on the counter and moved her hands to the tops of her thighs as Chloe immediately started kissing her again, tangling her fingers in her hair to angle Beca’s face up to her.

“That was so hot,” Chloe breathed against Beca’s lips, her legs still hooked around Beca.

Beca groaned and deepened the kiss.

She needed more.

It was becoming unbearably hot in the apartment. Beca desperately wanted to be wearing less. More than that, she wanted Chloe to be wearing less.

Her hands moved up Chloe’s thighs and around to ghost under Chloe’s shirt and she reveled in the soft, warm skin she discovered at Chloe’s lower back. She felt goosebumps rise under her touch and Beca’s fingers curled, digging slightly too hard into Chloe’s skin. She knew she’d probably scratched her, but Chloe didn’t seem to mind; her legs locked even more tightly around Beca, pulling her in and against her.

“Take it off,” Chloe gasped out, sending a jolt through Beca and making her body ache.

Beca removed her hands from Chloe’s back to brush at the hem of Chloe’s shirt, only to change course and reach instead for her own shirt. Quick as a flash, she’d lifted it off over her head, making Chloe blink down at her in surprise.

“I thought it wouldn’t be fair if only one of us had a shirt,” Beca explained breathlessly before reaching for Chloe’s.

“Can I?” she asked, even though Chloe had already said it was okay.

Chloe nodded and Beca lifted, marveling at every inch of taut abdomen revealed, Chloe helping by pulling the shirt off her head and casting it aside on the floor.

Beca couldn’t help it; she stared at Chloe’s chest, watching as her bra moved rapidly with each breath she took.

“They’re just breasts, Beca,” came Chloe’s amused voice, though Beca noticed that her gaze was focused in on her chest as well.

“What can I say?” managed Beca cheekily. “I’m a boob-man.”

Chloe laughed and reached for Beca’s face, cupping her cheeks as they resumed kissing. Beca’s skin burned where Chloe’s almost naked upper body pressed into hers; she couldn’t believe how it felt to move against Chloe like this, pressing and shifting. They fit together like puzzle pieces. Beca ran her fingertips up and down the expanse of Chloe’s back, skipping over her bra clasp with each sweep.

Chloe’s hands were doing the same behind her, her fingers tracing over the material of Beca’s bra.

“Is it okay if I touch you?” Chloe broke away from the kiss to ask after a minute of exploring.

Beca almost died right there, feeling as though she was about to melt into a puddle. She wanted nothing more than for Chloe to touch her. She immediately replied, “Yes, go for it. Them.”

Chloe snorted at her, eliciting a small smile from Beca they moved apart slightly.

Chloe’s hands didn’t leave her, but instead merely slid along the sides of her bra to hesitate at her ribs. Beca wondered if Chloe could feel how hard her heart was beating. Cerulean eyes flicked up to meet her own and Beca nodded. “It’s okay,” she said. “I trust you.”

Biting her lip in concentration, Chloe’s eyes focused back on Beca’s chest and her right hand moved agonizingly slowly to lightly trace over Beca’s left side. Beca’s eyes fluttered at the sensation and she exhaled a huge rush of air, trying to gain some control over herself. Above her, Chloe also sighed, her hand moving to cover Beca entirely. She paused, allowing Beca to get used to the sensation.

After a moment, Chloe’s other hand moved to touch Beca’s other side, starting similarly with light touches before resting there. Beca watched Chloe’s face, amazed that Chloe seemed to be enjoying this as much as she was. A furrow appeared between Chloe’s eyebrows and Beca was momentarily concerned until Chloe ever so slightly squeezed.

Beca swore and arched forward into Chloe involuntarily, making her stop her movement immediately.

“Was that bad?” Chloe asked frantically.

“No!” Beca was quick to reassure her. “It was… really nice,” she sighed shakily. “It’s okay.”

After a beat, Chloe’s hands continued moving against her, fingers tracing over delicate areas, making fireworks explode in Beca’s mind each time. She fought to control her breathing, fought to restrain her whimpers, but only to limited success. After another minute, she adjusted to the feel of Chloe’s hands on her, and she was overcome with desire see what Chloe felt like.

With all her willpower (because she really didn’t want Chloe to stop), she lifted her hands from Chloe’s thighs to instead rest them on her wrists, halting Chloe instantly.

“Can I touch you, too?” she asked.

“Oh!” Chloe said, looking as though she’d forgotten that she might also benefit from such a thing. “Yeah, definitely,” she said, removing her hands from Beca to rest them on the counter.

Beca’s eyes dropped back to Chloe’s chest, clad in her simple green bra. It really was enticing. She hesitantly lifted her left hand to brush her fingers against Chloe’s right side, trying to replicate what Chloe had done for her. The reaction was immediate – Chloe drew in a huge gasp of air and her eyes widened almost comically.

With a smirk, Beca stopped to cover her breast, waiting for Chloe to get used to her presence there. She was floored by the enthralling feel of smooth material and the soft warmth it covered. Daringly, she gently squeezed then ran just her thumb over where she thought Chloe’s peak would be.

Chloe’s groan startled her, and she nearly jumped away but got a grip on herself at the last second. She looked up into blazing eyes watching her intently and swallowed hard. Not breaking eye contact, she repeated the motion and saw Chloe’s eyes slam shut. She kept working and moving her hand until Chloe’s eyes opened a crack to look at her.

“I do have two, you know,” she said, her voice strained.

Oh. Yeah. That’s right.

With an apologetic cringe, Beca wasted no time in raising her right hand to give Chloe’s other side equal attention. Chloe’s eyes slid closed again as she leaned into Beca, pressing into her hands so much that Beca was momentarily afraid that Chloe was going to topple off the counter and right onto her.

Chloe’s hands snaked around Beca’s back to trace over the strap and clasp on her bra. She hesitated, biting her lip, before she asked, “Is it… can I take this off you?”

Heat shot to Beca’s center and she felt her knees quake. It was more than okay.

“Yes.”

Chloe’s hands reached for the clasp and Beca felt her grab at the material, preparing to tug the sides apart when –

EEEEEEEEEE!

“Gah!” Chloe startled, lurching backward.

Beca jumped violently and stepped away from Chloe automatically only to slip on a discarded shirt on the tiled floor. As if in slow motion, she fell hard, landing on her elbow and hip.

“Ugh…” she rolled to her back to stare at the fire alarm on the ceiling, which was the source of the horrible screeching noise.

“The veggies!” cried Chloe, sliding off the counter and jumping around Beca to get to the smoking pan on the stove.

“I’ll get the alarm,” muttered Beca as she sat up painfully. She knew her elbow would have a lovely bruise on it by the morning, as would her hip. Standing up, she grabbed the morning’s newspaper from the table and fanned it under the fire alarm to dissipate the smoke while Chloe took the pan off the burner and stirred its charred contents.

Before long, the electronic wailing turned off and Beca huffed out a sigh of relief. Setting the newspaper down again, she turned to see Chloe looking at her sheepishly, still without her shirt and holding the pan far away from her body.

After a beat of silence, Beca broke; she started grinning, then laughing, and before long, she and Chloe were doubled over with laughter, because of course something like this would happen.

Finally calming, Beca straightened up and wiped at her eyes. “So… where were we?” she asked Chloe, valiantly trying to get them back on track.

“Um, I think we have to call it for now,” Chloe said with a small smile.

“The fire’s out, though,” Beca pointed out. “Well. The one on the stove. The one between us, however…” she trailed off suggestively.

Chloe pointed to the oven, ignoring Beca’s lame flirtation, “But the lasagna’s done too, I bet.”

Sure enough, the timer on Chloe’s phone beeped at that moment. Chloe grimaced at Beca apologetically and opened the oven, pulling out a perfect lasagna.

Beca sighed and hung her head in defeat. They’d been so close… she really hadn’t wanted to stop… in fact, she’d been desperate to keep going.

“Besides, Amy will be back soon, so maybe it’s a good thing we were interrupted,” added Chloe as she bent down to grab both of their tops from the floor.

Hearing the whine in her own voice, Beca said, “I mean… we could ask Amy to leave for the night?”

Chloe shook her head no, handing her a shirt. “We can’t do that, Bec. It’s not fair. This is her home, too.”

“You’re right,” sighed Beca as she tugged the shirt Chloe had handed her over her head. She poked her head out of the collar to see Chloe had gotten dressed as well.

Chloe nodded and said, “It’s okay, it’ll happen eventually, yeah? I was really enjoying what we were doing.”

Beca’s body tingled at the memory of Chloe’s hands on her. “I was too,” she hummed, “but talk about blue balls…”

Chloe wrinkled her nose with distaste, but before she could respond, the jingle of keys signaled the arrival of their roommate.

“Hey, guys,” Amy said when she opened the door. “Are you aware that it smells like smoke in here? And why are you wearing each other’s shirts?”

Beca looked down at herself to see with some horror that Amy was right. She hadn’t been paying attention to the top Chloe had handed her but had just put it on, and now she found herself clad in a turquoise shirt with polka dots that definitely did not belong to her. And sure enough, when she looked up, she saw Chloe staring back at her, wearing in a simple black T-shirt.

Beca had to admit Chloe looked good in her clothes.

“Um…” Chloe started to say into the awkward silence, but Amy waved a hand to cut her off.

“I don’t want to know. I’m assuming that’s why you’re holding a pan of charcoal?”

Beca knew her face had to be glowing. She hated being caught, but strangely, she didn’t feel like hiding. Rather, she felt a weird sense of pride.

“No, that’s for smoky flavoring. It’s a new recipe,” Beca sassed right back.

Amy laughed and said, “Woah there, short stack, it’s all good. Just don’t have sex on my bed, yeah? And not while I’m here,” she added.

Beca opened her mouth to respond but Chloe interrupted, “Dinner’s ready, so let’s, uh, eat I guess?”

“You sure you’re still hungry?” Amy asked snidely. “Didn’t already fill up on the appetizer?”

Beca choked.

Shortly following their somewhat awkward dinner, prior to which they’d changed into their correct shirts, Beca sat at the table working on her laptop. She was searching over multiple travel websites to find some nice bed and breakfast getaways that would take them for the weekend. If they couldn’t have privacy at their apartment, she’d make sure to find a comfortable place for them.

She eventually narrowed her search to a few promising options but wanted Chloe’s input before she booked anything.

“Chlo, can you come here for a sec?” she called to Chloe, who had just finished in the shower and had changed into her pajamas.

“Sure!” she chirped back and moved to stand beside Beca. “What’re you looking at?”

“Some B&Bs, I thought we could maybe stay at one this weekend? You know, for alone time?” she added quietly, gesturing to where Amy was typing away on her phone from her own bed.

From the way Chloe pursed her lips, Beca knew she’d understood. In the next second, however, Chloe’s expression fell and she looked down at her feet.

Beca frowned at the unexpected response. “What’s wrong?”

Chloe looked back up at her almost guiltily. “It’s just… you’re being so unbelievably sweet about it… but I’m not sure a B&B is really our style?”

Beca turned to look back at her laptop screen in surprise, then grimaced. She hoped she hadn’t overstepped some kind of line by assuming that Chloe would want that. She’d still been buzzing from their impromptu session earlier and it hadn’t occurred to her that Chloe wouldn’t want to continue as soon as possible.

“Oh,” she said, trying to keep the disappointment from her voice. “So, do you not want to do that? Because it’s okay if you don’t, we don’t have to.”

Chloe scrunched her nose and replied, “Maybe not for our first? I’m worried that it might add pressure, and I think we’d be more comfortable here. And besides,” Chloe added, leaning to whisper in Beca’s ear, “do you really want our first time to be in a bed that dozens of other couples have used?”

“Ick,” said Beca, grossed out. Then, she exhaled in relief. It wasn’t the timeline that was a problem, but the location. Okay, she could work with that.

“Yeah,” agreed Chloe. “But we could definitely do that in a few weeks? For a nice vacation? Maybe for now, we just have a date on Friday?”

Beca nodded, relieved. “Okay, yeah, sounds good.” She shifted uncomfortably in her chair and looked back up at Chloe. Trying to be quiet, she whispered, “Um, but what about –”

Amy’s voice cut over her; clearly her whisper had travelled in the small apartment. “Don’t worry your horny little minds,” Amy said, “I’m headed out this weekend to see a boyfriend that is definitely not Bumper.”

Beca craned her neck to glare at Amy over her laptop. “Did you say ‘little?’ Was that a short joke?”

Amy shrugged at her and replied, “That’s up to you.”

Before Beca could really get an argument going, Chloe interrupted. “Thanks, Amy!” she said, giving Beca a look that clearly said If you make her change her mind I will kill you.

“Yeah… thanks, Amy,” Beca deadpanned.

“I’m not paying rent for this weekend, then,” Amy added, making Beca grit her teeth.

With a deep, calming breath, Beca returned her attention to the screen in front of her. “So,” she said, “now we can pick the place for our vacation. Any preference?”

Chloe pulled up a chair next to her and they spent the next half hour debating the choices Beca had found before finally picking one they both liked. With just a few clicks and a credit card number, Beca had booked them a B&B for three weeks later as a nice getaway.

Beca realized, as Chloe pecked her once on the lips before moving to their bed for the evening, that she was actually quite looking forward to it. As long as she didn’t think about the scores of people that had stayed in the room before them. Maybe she’d request a deep-clean prior to their visit…

Beca and Chloe surfed on a strange tension throughout the rest of the week, both anticipating the weekend. Beca noticed that Chloe touched her even more than she usually did, sometimes brushing her entire body against Beca’s when passing one another in the apartment. She’d often look up from her laptop to see Chloe staring at her in a way that made her mouth go dry. Their kisses had become both too much and not enough. Sleeping next to each other in the same bed was almost unbearable. She was constantly on edge, worried her body was going to shatter under Chloe’s next touch or wink.

She knew they were preparing, both more than ready for the next step. It wasn’t until the week continued that she realized the full extent of their preparations. On Wednesday morning, while Beca sipped her usual black coffee for breakfast, she was watching Chloe sit up and stretch in their bed when –

“Wax or trim?” Chloe asked suddenly.

Beca set down her coffee and looked at her, her mind muddled and confused by the early morning.

“Huh?” she asked.

“You know…” Chloe said and gestured downward. “Wax or trim?”

Beca’s face and neck became warm and she shifted in her chair. She knew if she’d been mid-sip just then, the coffee would have been sprayed across their kitchen table, and Chloe would never have let her forget that one. She wondered if it would be possible to sink through her chair, through the floor, and disappear. She couldn’t believe Chloe had asked her that so casually while Amy slept in the bed next to them, hidden by only a clothes rack.

She returned her attention to Chloe, who was looking at her expectantly. After the initial shock wore off, she supposed Chloe had a point. It was important to talk about this now and be prepared rather than worry about it later.

“Honestly, dude, no preference. Um, like, you do you, you know? Do what you’re comfortable with,” she said somewhat awkwardly. “Um. What should I… what would you like me to…?” she shifted again in the chair. This was so weird.

Without hesitation, Chloe chirped back, “Same, whatever you’re feeling!”

Beca gaped, astounded by how conversational Chloe was being. She shook her head a little, debating if she could still be asleep and in the middle of a particularly odd dream. For a moment, she wondered exactly how her life had turned into discussing such things as if talking about the weather. But then, as she continued to blink dumbly at Chloe, her memory was cast back through the years to an intruder in her shower and how somehow that invasive stranger had become the person she loved most.

Life is strange like that.

The following evening, while Chloe was on her own laptop and Amy took a shower, Beca began to sympathize with Chloe’s desire to prepare when she found herself creating her first ever custom sex playlist. Well, the first one she’d ever made herself. She figured that with their shared love of music, it might be beneficial to have some playing during their time together. She hid her laptop screen from Chloe, wanting it to be a surprise when the time came. She had figured that as a mature, wise, and functioning adult, she should be able to devise a bedroom playlist without issue.

She was wrong.

She’d wanted to create their own playlist, something that was purely them, rather than using a pre-made selection, but had completely blanked on good songs to make love to. She became annoyed with herself; she knew music. She lived and breathed music, but she could not think of any songs beyond Titanium by David Guetta and Sia to add to the list. To make things worse, she had been utterly horrified to find that Spotify knew exactly what she was doing; even giving the playlist the subtle name “For us,” it threw suggestion after suggestion of lewd song at her until she was blushing just looking at the screen. The songs weren’t even good ones.

She huffed impatiently, frustrated by how long it was taking. Jesse had made theirs, and even though she’d positively despised his music taste, she hadn’t complained much because it meant she hadn’t had to make one herself. However, things were different between her and Chloe. She knew Chloe’s taste in music as well she knew her own and finding the perfect songs for them both was proving to be challenging.

Beca furrowed her brow in thought, staring at but not seeing the box Chloe had gotten in the mail a month ago resting on Chloe’s nightstand. A new soundtrack wouldn’t be the only thing different about their experience. On a whim, and with a glance up at Chloe to make sure her attention was still focused on her own laptop, Beca opened Google and prepared to type. She got halfway through her first search before she panicked and closed the tab.

Closing her eyes, Beca pulled a deep breath through her nose. This was stupid. She should be able to look up how have sex with a woman without feeling weird about it. It’s not like the sex police were going to show up at her door and make fun of her for wanting more information on how to do certain things. It’s not her fault that no one in her life had talked to her about how to be with a woman like that. For her, sex ed had been simple and heteronormative. It wasn’t her fault she didn’t know exactly what to do.

Beca opened her eyes, determined. There was no shame in wondering about certain things and wanting to be educated in them before attempting to perform them. She wanted Chloe to feel good, and to do that, she’d appreciate some advice.

Eyes flicking once again to Chloe and ears straining to make sure Amy was still in the shower, Beca looked back to her screen. She pulled up Google once again. She hesitated, then decided to open an incognito tab. Just in case.

She spent the next twenty minutes bouncing to several web sites, discovering various methods and techniques, some of which sounded just plain weird and mildly alarming, but most of which seemed as though they could be fun and were things that she’d consider trying. She found a few explicitly instructional pages, which were helpful without making her uncomfortable. There were even a few tips that she filed away for later use, but not for their first time. She closed her browser feeling much more confident and calm, glad that she had decided to shove aside her discomfort and learn from others.

As she returned to compiling her playlist, which had finally started to gain some substance, Beca once again looked up at Chloe to see her still staring hard at her laptop, uncharacteristically quiet. Her mouth quirked as she wondered if Chloe was doing the same thing she had been. It wouldn’t surprise her; they were both being incredibly methodological with all this.

It wasn’t anything like her experiences with Jesse. With him, there hadn’t been nearly as much prep, planning or buildup, it had simply sort of happened. Beca reached to her nearby glass and took a sip of water as she thought. To some extent, she and Chloe were being almost excessively, ridiculously methodological. Perhaps it would have been better if that fire alarm hadn’t interrupted them and they had done it then. But, thought Beca, maybe the planning would make them both more comfortable when the time did come. Doing things this way, while it eliminated some of the spontaneity, almost ensured that they would both feel confident and prepared.

Beca smiled to herself. She had always needed time to process and get used to things, and Chloe, in encouraging the planning and buildup, was giving her that time. Beca knew she wouldn’t panic at the last minute because the way they were going about it was taking care of all of her questions and fears, even those she hadn’t known she’d had, beforehand. Her chest filled with affection for Chloe and at how slowly they were taking things.

Besides, thought Beca as she put the finishing touches on their playlist, the added buildup only meant that she was becoming increasingly antsy by the day. She figured that was all part of Chloe’s plan, too.

On Friday, the day of their date, Beca could barely focus on her work. She physically bumped into several of her co-workers as she was walking, her head in the clouds. She put salt in her coffee instead of sugar and only noticed once she was more than halfway finished with it. She kept tuning out on conversations with others and was called on it several times. Only when she accidentally attempted to open and edit a sound file that she’d finished working on three months prior rather than the file for her latest client did Beca realize that it was perhaps better for her to go home a little early.

She wasn’t nervous for the date. She was beyond excited.

She had planned what would hopefully be an amazing evening for them. It was a little unorthodox and didn’t fit with their typical dates of fancy dining and romantic walks. No, the night she’d planned involved a trip to Jane’s Carousel for a ride, then a walk to the beach for making sandcastles, a casual dinner at their favorite Chinese restaurant, and round of mini-golf before heading home. She knew Chloe was going to love it because it was different, fun, and stress-free.

She sort of forgot that they were probably going to have sex afterward. After all they had done to prepare, she had become was so supremely relaxed about it that it had completely slipped her mind.

Well. Okay. Maybe not completely slipped her mind. She was really, really looking forward to it, after all. But she hadn’t planned their date night as any kind of build-up or pre-game to them having sex. She’d simply planned a fun night that they would both enjoy, and, well, if they ended up being intimate after it, that would be even better.

Leaving work early, Beca rushed home to begin getting ready for the evening. Chloe was already home too, as was Amy, so it felt somewhat crowded in their small apartment as she and Chloe weaved around one another, getting changed into date clothes and overall preparing themselves for a night out.

Beca ended up in the bathroom, attempting to style her long hair into something casual and yet still different from its everyday standard, when her eyes fell on a pair of nail clippers left on the sink. She smirked, but took the hint and trimmed her nails neatly, filing the edges. She’d been becoming irritated by their length anyway.

When she came out of the bathroom, her hair pinned up at the sides, she saw Chloe smoothing out the comforter on the freshly-made bed. She caught Beca’s eye and winked, a mischievous grin sliding over her features.

“Okay, that’s it, you could cut the tension in here with a knife,” Amy’s complaint brought Beca back to reality sharply. “I’m headed out for the weekend, so try not to smash the table, yeah? And if you smash on the table, use Clorox wipes to clean it.”

Beca shot a glare at Amy, not missing that Chloe had turned to look at the table thoughtfully. God no. Her back would be sore for days if they did that.

“Have fun, Amy,” Beca said, knowing she was blushing. “Where are you headed again?”

“Oh, the usual,” Amy replied. “Just another boyfriend.”

“Bumper?” threw in Chloe, trying to catch Amy off guard.

“Uhhhhhhhhh… n-no. Definitely not Bumper,” Amy said, her eyes darting around the room. Beca stared at her in disbelieving silence.

Amy recovered quickly and shot back, “But enough about my sexy ass, you two have fun. Just stay on your side of the room and use protection.”

Beca gaped at her and choked out, “Yeah, um, strangely, not an issue here Ames.”

Amy raised her eyebrows, looking between Beca and Chloe, and responded, “Listen, proper hygiene is important. Maybe wash your hands first, or, you could –”

“AMY. You don’t want to be late,” Beca said firmly through gritted teeth, glancing at Chloe who was openly laughing at the exchange.

Amy shrugged and moved to the door, opening it and heaving her overly large suitcase into the hallway. She turned around one last time and called out, “Oh, and don’t forget to let the other Bellas know when you do it in the group chat. I’ve still got twenty bucks on this.”

Beca picked up a pillow and threw it at Amy, only for it to hit the door as she slammed it shut behind her with a cackle. They heard her make her way down the stairs, swearing at her suitcase, until eventually the sounds faded.

There was a beat of awkward silence before Chloe said brightly, “That was fun!”

Beca grimaced back.

“Oh, come on, Bec,” Chloe soothed, “She’s just excited for us. And she’s right, proper cleanliness is really important –”

“Are you ready to go?” Beca cut her off firmly. She was all well and good with cleanliness, as Chloe put it, but she didn’t really need to have an in-depth discussion about it before what was going to be a fun and light-hearted date.

Chloe beamed back at her, sunshine streaming out from her face, and she replied, “Yep! All set.”

“Me, too,” Beca said, “So…after you?” she moved to the door and pulled it open, gesturing grandly outside.

Chloe plucked her purse from the floor and made her way out of the apartment with a “Thanks, m’lady!”

Beca rolled her eyes as she followed Chloe – her Chloe – out into the hall, locking the door behind them. She’d planned a fantastic evening that she knew Chloe would love. What’s more, she knew that whatever happened after their date, she was ready.

Chloe’s POV

Chloe found herself completely blown away by how amazing Beca Mitchell was.

It definitely wasn’t the first time it had happened; it wasn’t even the first time it had happened since they’d started dating. In fact, she’d been awed by Beca just about every day they’d known each other.

The past several weeks since they’d become a couple had been pure bliss. At least once per week, she’d woken up in the morning, sure that it had all been a dream because it had been so perfect. She’d always felt the loss wash over her in crushing waves, needing her dream to be a reality, until her sleep-fogged brain would finally register that Beca was lying in her arms, holding on to her as tightly as she was holding onto Beca. That was usually when she realized that her reality had somehow become even better than her dreams.

If you had told her a year ago that the little “alternative” girl she’d been captivated by at the activities fair so long ago would someday be hers and only hers, she’d never have believed it. She’d have wanted it to be true but wouldn’t have been able to let her hopes rise. But now, having experienced what was almost certainly the best date of her entire life, all of it planned by Beca, she couldn’t imagine anything having turned out any differently.

It had been an unusual date for them, Beca having kept everything a surprise until the last possible second. Chloe envied her ability to keep things a secret; she was dreadful at surprises, often too excited over them that she’d inevitably end up telling the person all about it.

Though, Chloe reflected as Beca led her by the hand up the stairs to their apartment, she’d been getting better at keeping certain things a surprise. Perhaps she’d never had the proper motivation before. Now, though, she couldn’t wait to see Beca’s expression at her latest surprise. There was nothing she loved more.

Well, except for Beca herself.

“Did you have fun tonight?” Beca glanced back to ask her before returning her focus to the stairs, for which Chloe was grateful. They’d tripped up those stairs before when too enraptured with one another and she wasn’t eager for a repeat.

“It was the best,” Chloe responded sincerely. And it had been. The carousel had been cute, even though there were lots of kids around, and the sandcastles had been a wonderful reminder of her former life in Florida. Their Chinese food had been exceptional as always. What had most surprised her was the mini-golf. She loved playing mini-golf, but knew that Beca wasn’t too fond of it, so it had been incredibly sweet of Beca to take her. Though, she could have done without seeing exactly why Beca hated it so much.

“I’m not sure you really had to yell at the inanimate objects at golf, though,” Chloe added.

“I told you,” Beca said somewhat heatedly, “they aren’t inanimate, they plot and they move directly to where I’m hitting the ball. It’s a conspiracy.”

“Hmm,” Chloe mused. “It was a tad much to threaten the kid working the course with violence, don’t you think?”

“He was making fun of me and you know it.”

Chloe did know it, and she didn’t blame him. Beca had looked ridiculous when she’d had to tug off her shoes and wade into the little pool to retrieve her ball.

Chloe smiled at the memory, falling more in love with the dork holding her hand with every passing second. With Beca, everything felt easy. She’d fallen in love with her as easily as she breathed. It had happened without conscious thought, without her even being aware of it until it had been far too late to do anything about it. Without even trying, Beca had become her lifeline, her home. Her everything. It had always been simple. Except it really wasn’t, at least not until Beca had finally loved her in return.

They’d reached the door of their apartment, but before Beca could open it, Chloe pulled her around to place a soft kiss on her lips, feeling Beca’s arms circle loosely around her waist.

“Thank you for the date,” Chloe whispered when she pulled back.

Beca smiled at her, all love and tenderness. “Anytime,” she responded, holding her gaze for a moment before returning her attention to opening their apartment.

Once inside, Chloe hung her jacket and purse on the stand by the door and turned to watch Beca lock the door behind them. It wasn’t until Chloe glanced at the bed that she remembered their potential post-date plans and her heart shot to her throat.

She’d completely forgotten that they’d basically planned on having sex following their date. Everything had been so relaxed and casual and normal between them that she’d been too focused on the moment to contemplate their night alone together. Maybe that’s what it’s supposed to be like, she thought, when you’re with the right person. It’s supposed to feel natural and right.

They hadn’t really talked about a set timeframe. Chloe had figured that if the moment felt right, they would both know. She preferred it this way; everything else had been so carefully planned that leaving the timeline open had kept things exciting, had ensured she was always just a little on edge.

She loved the thrill.

“So, I’ll have to keep carousels and mini-golf in the regular date rotation,” Beca said conversationally, moving closer to her and interrupting her thoughts.

“Yeah, I think that’d be…” Chloe trailed off, stunned into silence by the look in Beca’s eyes.

She looked different. She was staring at Chloe as though she’d never quite seen her before. Her gaze was unwavering, her head leaned forward slightly, her lips gently parted. There was no hint of the awkwardness or uncertainty that typically surrounded Beca, but instead a calm confidence.

That’s when Chloe knew. It was time.

She threw herself forward, immediately attaching her mouth to Beca’s and threading her fingers into Beca’s soft hair.

Beca made a surprised noise but wasted no time in returning the kiss as Chloe opened her mouth to let their tongues meet. Chloe’s knees weakened, and she fell further into Beca, knowing she’d support her effortlessly. Beca was such a good kisser.

Before she knew it, Beca’s hands were resting lightly on her bare lower back, having passed under the material of her shirt like it wasn’t even there. She whimpered when Beca tugged her impossibly closer, their bodies flush and touching in all the right places.

Wanting to gain some control, Chloe broke from Beca’s lips to move down to her neck, pressing kisses against her pulse point and trailing them down, down to her collarbone.

“Chlo…” Beca gasped at the sensation, and Chloe felt something hot coil low in her stomach. She needed Beca to keep making noises. She needed Beca to keep saying her name.

She needed Beca.

Without even thinking about it, Chloe flattened her tongue against Beca’s neck and dragged it up, causing Beca’s hands to curl on her back, lightly scratching her, making her body shudder against Beca’s. She didn’t care. Beca’s skin felt too amazing under her tongue for her to care.

Beca groaned and ducked her head, snaring Chloe’s lips with her own. Their kissing became frantic as the air around them seemed to heat up and crackle. Chloe didn’t want it to stop, encouraging Beca with small hums and whimpers of her own that made Beca respond with tighter hands, harder breathing, and light shivers.

Suddenly, Beca pulled away, bringing their kissing to a shuddering halt. Chloe’s eyes fluttered open, confused and dazed at the loss of contact. She was about to ask Beca if something was wrong when Beca cut across her.

“Is it okay if… do you want to?” Beca’s eyes flicked between both of Chloe’s as if looking for any sign of unease or hesitation.

Chloe was surprised by the rush of desire that overtook her at the question. She knew what Beca was asking. However, she also wanted to be absolutely sure before they took things any further; they’d had misunderstandings before.

“Are you asking if I want to have sex?” Chloe asked, feeling a little ridiculous but wanting to make certain that she and Beca were on the same page.

Beca’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink and she awkwardly rubbed at the back of her neck. Chloe had to stop herself from leaning forward to kiss her again because she looked so adorable.

“Uh. Yeah. That’s what I’m asking.”

Chloe searched Beca’s face for any discomfort. It was essential that Beca want this as badly as she did, or everything would be ruined. However, it seemed as if Beca’s previous fears had disappeared and resolve stared at her from Beca’s eyes. Resolve, and a deep wanting that sent Chloe’s heart into overdrive.

“Yes,” she whispered simply. “Yes.”

A nervous smile came over Beca’s face and she said, “Well, okay.”

Swiftly, Beca leaned forward to capture Chloe’s lips again, kissing her more slowly and sensually than she had been earlier. A tongue flicked against her own and Chloe whimpered; Beca was kissing her as she’d never kissed her before.

Beca’s hands dropped to her hips, tugging their bodies firmly together. As Beca moved from her mouth down to her neck, Chloe’s hands went around to pull at Beca’s back, needing her even closer. Getting the hint, Beca slid a thigh between Chloe’s legs and moved her hands to her behind, tugging her onto it.

Immediately, a rush of heat shot to where her center was in contact with Beca and Chloe’s hands twitched convulsively on Beca’s back. They both groaned when Chloe rolled her hips once, grinding into Beca.

But then, Beca removed her thigh and was stepping away from her, walking backwards as she led her by both hands toward their bed.

Chloe’s chest was heaving; she couldn’t get enough air. Her body was aching for Beca’s touch, needing them to move to the bed immediately, tingling in anticipation of what was to come. However, as they moved, Chloe’s eyes landed on the box on her nightstand. The one that had been delivered to their apartment several weeks ago during their Skype call with Aubrey and Stacie.

“Wait!” she said breathlessly. “I forgot something!”

Beca stopped in her backward path to their bed and looked at her questioningly.

“Um,” said Chloe, a little embarrassed to be putting them on pause. “Just… stay right there, okay?” she pointed to the bed. “Don’t go anywhere.”

Beca turned to glance at the spot where Chloe had pointed, then dropped her hands away from Chloe and moved to sit on the edge of their fold-out. “Okay,” she said, “but, like, this is still happening, yeah?”

Chloe nodded rapidly, feeling as though her knees had turned to water. “It’s so happening. I just need a minute in the bathroom.”

Beca exhaled dramatically and fanned her own face with a hand. “Good, because I think I might combust if it doesn’t.”

Snorting at Beca’s theatrics, Chloe moved to grab the box from the little shelf on her nightstand. “I’ll be super quick,” she said, already headed for the bathroom.

“No worries,” Beca called leisurely from behind. As Chloe made to pull the shower curtain divider shut behind her, she got one last view of Beca leaning back on their bed, using her hands to brace herself up. She was looking at Chloe with so much open vulnerability that she was momentarily stunned at the realization that Beca really wanted her as much as she wanted Beca. She’d been waiting years for that moment.

Once she pulled the curtain securely closed behind her, Chloe immediately started stripping off her blouse. She hadn’t been lying when she said she’d be quick – she didn’t want to wait much longer for this, either. It didn’t take much time for her to remove the rest of her clothes. She reached for the box while simultaneously tugging off a sock, nearly losing her balance and using the sink to brace herself. Even as she opened the box, having already slit the packing tape shortly after it had first arrived to check its contents, she wondered vaguely if she shouldn’t have saved this for their upcoming bed and breakfast trip. Perhaps Beca would have wanted to undress her their first time.

Ah, well, Chloe thought, as she pulled the lingerie out of the box. Too late now.

She shimmied into the blue lace panties and grabbed the matching bra, sliding it on. As she clasped it in the back, she berated herself for not getting the front-closure kind. The clasps on the bra were kind of small and tricky, and it took her longer than usual to put it on correctly. Finally, she picked up the sheer black “cover” to her ensemble, putting it on and checking how she looked in the mirror.

She had to admit, she’d done well. She hoped to God that Beca would like it and that it wasn’t too much to start with.

She bit her lip as she made eye contact with herself in the mirror. What if it was too much? What if it scared Beca away? They’d talked about basically everything else leading up to where they were, but she hadn’t mentioned that she’d bought lingerie, wanting it to be a surprise.

Her stomach felt fluttery.

She’d spent so long convincing Beca that she could never be disappointed by her that she’d forgotten to worry that she might be the disappointing one.

It had been so long since her last time. She hadn’t slept with anyone since she’d broken up with Tom halfway through Beca’s freshman year. Sure, she’d dated and had been physical with several guys and one woman since then, but she’d always stopped before having sex with them.

She’d been holding out too much hope for Beca to find sex with anyone else appealing. She knew who she’d be thinking about the entire time. It wouldn’t be fair to her partner; it wasn’t their fault they weren’t Beca.

So, in a way, Beca was more prepared for this than she was, having only ended her relationship with Jesse less than a year ago. Chloe really didn’t want to mess up or do something wrong. She wanted Beca’s first time with a woman – with her – to be absolutely perfect.

Oh, God. She’d never done this before, either. What if Beca didn’t like it?

Frantically, as though cramming last-second for a big test, Chloe cast her mind back to all that she had read, and yes, Googled, over the past month. She didn’t feel embarrassed that she’d looked up certain things; after all, she’d always felt better about the unknown when she was going in prepared. She really didn’t see that there was anything to be embarrassed about, because reading about what might be good to do had helped put her mind at ease.

Besides, she was pretty sure Beca had done the same thing. No way was she just working on her laptop all the time.

Glaring hard at herself in the mirror, Chloe took a deep breath to soothe her nerves. She glanced down into the sink, remembering what Amy had said. She grimaced and rolled her eyes at herself, but turned on the faucet and grabbed the soap to wash her hands.

She dried her hands on a towel, annoyed at herself. This was ridiculous. She was confident about her body, she loved Beca, and sex came naturally once you got started. Instinct would take over, surely.

Besides, she was already really, painfully turned on, and Beca Mitchell was laying on their bed, waiting to make love to her. Her heart soared at the thought. Beca, who had planned the perfect date, who had danced with her in their kitchen, who had asked her to come to New York, who had saved the Bellas, who had saved Chloe’s world. Beca, who, for some crazy reason, loved her. It was what she’d hoped for for years, and she knew anyone would be lucky to be in her place.

Chloe winked at herself once in the mirror as a final boost of confidence and turned to open the shower curtain. She lifted a hand, fully intending to rip the curtain aside to reveal herself to Beca, and –

Her hand hung in midair.

For the first time, Chloe appreciated how much courage it must have taken Beca to leave that bathroom on the first night of their relationship. Then, Beca had thought she’d been expecting sex, and been not at all ready for it. But she’d put Chloe first and had stepped into their apartment ready to give Chloe her all, her everything, because she thought that was what Chloe wanted.

It must have been the scariest moment of her life, and Chloe again felt a twinge of guilt over the misunderstanding.

But now, things were different because it was her turn, and this time, she knew that Beca was out there, and she knew they were on the same page. She wanted it, badly. They were both ready for it emotionally and mentally. She knew she was more than ready physically, too. It was time.

That didn’t mean she wasn’t nervous.

But she trusted Beca completely. She’d already given her heart and soul over to Beca. Beca was the only person in the world that Chloe trusted enough with what they were about to do.

Chloe knew without a doubt that if it were anyone else lying out there in wait for her, she wouldn’t have been able to do it. She’d have remained hidden in the tiny bathroom, never to come out.

But it was Beca, so she wanted this. She’d do anything for Beca.

With one final deep breath, Chloe pushed aside the shower curtain to reveal herself. Beca was sitting in the same spot as Chloe had left her, her eyes closed slightly and her breathing deep. However, the sound of the curtain rattling against the rod alerted her and Beca’s eyes opened fully to land on her.

She waited, absorbing every change in Beca’s expression, hunting for any sign that she didn’t like the lingerie.

There was none. Beca’s eyes widened with surprise, her cheeks flushed, and she inhaled sharply. Her gaze raked unabashedly over Chloe’s body, taking in everything. It was almost comical how turned on she looked. Chloe shifted her weight to her other foot.

Then, Beca’s expression changed into one so open and tender that it made Chloe’s chest hurt. A gentle smile appeared, and Chloe’s anxiety instantly slid away. The look on Beca’s face reminded her that she loved Beca more than she loved anyone else. Beca was the most important person in her life.

She knew then that what they were about to do would be perfect because they would be with each other. Her residual nerves drained away to be replaced with desire. Dimly, she registered the soft music coming from Beca’s speaker, placed on her nightstand.

“Is that… Glass Animals?” she asked.

Beca nodded. “I – uh – made a sort of playlist. The Weeknd is on there, and SoMo, and…Titanium.”

Chloe blinked, impressed. “Wow. You really prepared.”

Beca shrugged. “Not as much as you did,” she said, gesturing down Chloe’s body. “You look… amazing.”

“It’s not too much?” Chloe asked shyly.

“Not at all,” replied Beca, her eyes flicking down to Chloe’s chest and back up to her eyes repeatedly. “I kind of love it. I maybe should have done the same,” she added, gesturing at her own body, still clad in her date clothes.

Chloe was getting distracted by Beca’s wandering eyes. “You can look, you know,” she said. “It’s kind of the point.”

She watched Beca’s throat bob up and down and knew she must have swallowed hard. Chloe didn’t blame her; she knew the moisture in her own mouth had relocated elsewhere the moment Beca had mentioned getting her own lingerie.

“You can do that for the bed and breakfast,” Chloe replied suddenly, really needing them to get past the talking phase.

“Okay,” croaked out Beca in an unusually husky voice, and Chloe knew she was getting impatient as well.

Beca moved to her, as if tugged by a magnet. She stood up from the edge of the bed and moved to stand directly in front of Chloe, lifting a hand to trace her thumb lightly over Chloe’s cheek. Chloe leaned into the contact, her breath catching in her throat. At some point, her knees had started trembling again out of both excitement and the return of her nerves.

She wanted Beca to feel good.

Beca smiled softly at her then, and Chloe didn’t think she’d ever looked so attractive. “We can go slow, okay?” Beca reassured her.

Chloe nodded and Beca leaned toward to hesitantly press her lips to Chloe’s. The instant they made contact, Chloe felt a spark rumble through her body. Beca pulled back to change the angle, brushing their noses together before kissing her again, keeping things gentle. Chloe realized after a few moments of this that Beca was waiting for her to take control, so she did, allowing her tongue to taste Beca’s lower lip before Beca granted her access.

Beca’s arms came up to circle around her neck, and Chloe’s skin twitched at the first time they’d touched since she had changed out of her date clothes. Her hands rested comfortably at Beca’s hips, holding her steady. As their kissing continued, Chloe noticed that something was missing. Her brow furrowed, trying to figure out what it was, even as she continued to flick her tongue into Beca’s mouth.

Then she realized: Beca’s hands had remained around her neck rather than trailing down over Chloe’s near-bare body. Chloe almost laughed; Beca was being so respectful and good to her.

Chloe eased away from the kiss to rest her forehead against Beca’s. “You can touch me, if you want,” she said against Beca’s lips.

Beca hesitated, then pulled back and dropped her arms. Chloe’s eyes fluttered, expecting hands to land on her, but instead Beca reached for the hem of her own shirt, crossing her arms to lift it off over her head and cast it aside.

Beca shrugged. “I wanted it to be even,” she said, and Chloe nodded, not minding the view in the least.

Beca cautiously lifted a hand to the height of Chloe’s stomach, paused, then dropped it. She tried again right away but with the same result. She glanced up sheepishly and apologized. “Sorry, I don’t know why… you just…this is important.”

Chloe smiled, unoffended, because she understood completely.

“Why don’t we… here,” she responded, reaching for Beca’s hands and guiding them to rest on her waist, over the sheer material of her cover.

Beca exhaled slowly once her hands were on Chloe, brushing her thumbs over the material. Her eyes flicked to Chloe’s, then back down.

Chloe let her own hands trail up Beca’s arms to rest looped around the back of her neck, feeling goosebumps rise along Beca’s skin. She saw Beca’s eyes flutter at the touch, and a thrill shot through her.

The first movement of Beca’s hands, sliding up her sides and over her stomach snapped Chloe’s patience in half. She sucked in a noisy breath that only urged Beca on, making her step closer to move her hands around to caress Chloe’s lower back, up to her shoulders, then back down and around to her front to rest just below her bra.

Chloe was seized with the desire to grab Beca and lay her over the kitchen table right then and there, born, no doubt, of the seeds Amy had planted earlier, but Beca distracted her by touching her through the bra and sheer.

Chloe gasped, leaning into the touch. Beca moved closer, bringing her hands to the opening of the sheer. They made eye contact, and Chloe couldn’t believe how careful Beca was being as she slowly eased the sheer away from her body, sliding it off her shoulders to where she felt it pool on the floor behind her heels.

Chloe reached for Beca’s hips to tug her into a searing kiss. The sensation of their bare stomachs against each other sent her heart racing and her fingers tracing up and down Beca’s back, trying to bring her even closer, into her very skin. She could feel Beca’s hands on her own back, pulling shiver after shiver from her when fingers brushed along her spine.

Needing to feel Beca, Chloe moved her hands to Beca’s breasts through her black bra. Beca groaned into their kiss and Chloe found herself moving backward until Beca had her pressed into the wall near their bathroom. She kept her hands moving on Beca’s bra, marveling at how Beca arched into her with every sweep of her thumbs over the material.

Beca broke away from her mouth to press lips to her neck, moving up to her ear and down again. Chloe’s skin burned at the trail Beca left on her, her eyes fluttering and her head falling back to thud against the wall. Beca bit down lightly on her pulse point, tearing a keen from Chloe’s throat and making her stomach tighten. Instinctively, her leg came up to hitch itself around Beca.

The enthusiastic buck of Beca’s hips into her surprised her, making her grunt.

“Sorry,” muttered Beca, pulling back an inch. “It got away from me.”

Breathless, Chloe puffed back. “Don’t apologize. And don’t stop.”

A low growl escaped Beca’s throat, making Chloe’s body beg for more friction, more contact, more Beca. She used her leg to press Beca against her again, encouraging the slow rolling of Beca’s hips into hers. It felt amazing, but she needed even more and a frustrated noise escaped her.

Thankfully, Beca understood and reached behind herself to release Chloe’s leg from her waist. Pulling her by the hands, Beca moved backward until she was seated on the edge of their bed and looking up at Chloe. It wasn’t until Beca reached for her hips and pulled that Chloe understood what she wanted. Practically tingling in anticipation, she lifted one foot to place her knee next to Beca’s hip, then the other, adjusting until she was perched over Beca, straddling her lap.

Beca’s hands moved to her backside and pulled her in closer. Chloe wrapped her arms securely around Beca’s neck for balance, her muscles tensing when Beca’s tongue met one of the firm lines on her stomach and licked up. With a gasp of surprise, her hands tightened around Beca’s shoulders and she couldn’t stop herself from grinding down into Beca’s lap. Her body lit on fire when Beca’s hands tightened in encouragement; she began rolling into Beca as Beca pressed her lips to her chest and neck.

Her rhythm faltered when Beca bit down gently where her neck met her shoulder. The warmth between her legs started screaming at her to take things up a notch, so, planting her knees firmly, Chloe pushed at Beca’s shoulder, urging her down onto her back and further up the bed. Chloe followed, bracing her hands on either side of Beca’s head and dimly registering the heat of Beca’s touch on her thighs.

She leaned down, dropping one elbow to the mattress to kiss Beca, loving the feel of the body beneath hers. Even as their kiss deepened, she appreciated how well they fit together. See? she thought vaguely. It comes naturally after a while.

Chloe’s need grew, and she imagined Beca was feeling similarly. She pulled away to adjust her position, straddling one of Beca’s legs rather than both of her hips. Beca glanced down at their bodies and her eyes widened when Chloe slipped a knee high between her thighs. Chloe felt Beca’s hands move to her lower back as she once again leaned down for a kiss.

As they kissed, she pressed her knee and thigh up. Beca wrenched away from the kiss with a gasp as her entire body jerked beneath Chloe.

Pleased at the response, Chloe maintained the pressure and whispered jokingly into Beca’s ear, “Do we need a safe word?”

Beca turned back to look at her with a very sarcastic expression. “How about ‘No, that hurts?’” she asked dryly.

Chloe grinned down at her and began rocking her hips forward leisurely, driving into Beca. Beca screwed her eyes shut and her hands clutched at Chloe’s back.

“Why don’t we do something like ‘The eagle has landed?’” she purred out.

Beca groaned, but whether at what Chloe said or what she was doing Chloe wasn’t sure. Eyes still shut tightly, Beca managed to gasp out, “That’s so long.”

“Hmm,” mused Chloe thoughtfully, not intending to answer. Instead, she continued moving her hips and dropped her head to press open-mouth kisses to Beca’s neck, making Beca hiss and arch into her. When she found what seemed to be a particularly sensitive spot, she closed her lips around it and pulled it into her mouth. Beca’s reaction was instantaneous; her hands gripped at Chloe’s back to draw her nails down its length and she raised her own knee to give Chloe some relief.

Chloe moaned at the slight sting of the scratches and the feel of Beca against her center. She needed even more.

“Can I… is it okay if I touch you? Through your pants?” she asked.

Beca’s eyes snapped open and she nodded frantically, adding, “Yes, please, I – yes.”

Chloe blinked. Wow. Okay. So, she’d been teasing for maybe a little too long.

There was certainly one way to fix that.

Chloe moved her weight to her one elbow and to her knees to slide one hand down between their bodies. Her fingers trailed between Beca’s breasts over her bra, down over her stomach, and, with one final look into Beca’s eyes, her hand pressed into Beca’s crotch over her jeans.

Beca jerked again and whimpered, her eyebrows drawing together and mouth falling open. Chloe held her hand there for a few beats, reveling at the heat she’d discovered there and letting Beca get used to the sensation until she began to rub at the seam of Beca’s pants, pressing lightly.

Beca groaned again and her hands pulled Chloe down on top of her, trapping her hand between their hips as Beca tilted up into her.

Chloe was shocked. Beca was panting, straining to bring them even closer. She’d had no idea Beca had wanted this so badly. Had wanted her. It was remarkable.

Deciding not to tease any longer, Chloe pulled her hand away to tug at the waistline of Beca’s jeans. “Let’s get these off of you, yeah?”

Beca immediately dropped her hands from Chloe’s back to reach in between them and undo the button of her pants. Chloe slid off of her to stand at the end of the bed. She reached for the ankles of the skinny jeans and began to tug them down, but, as they were skinny jeans, they only made it so far before they got stuck. Beca lifted her hips to help and Chloe gave an enthusiastic yank on the pants.

Unfortunately, her enthusiasm pulled Beca right off the end of the bed with a surprised squeal to land on the floor with a loud thud.

“Shit, Bec! I’m so sorry!” Chloe exclaimed, immediately crouching and reaching for Beca to help her up.

Beca held up a hand to stop her. “The eagle has landed,” she groaned painfully.

Chloe rocked back on her heels, knowing that if Beca was joking around she was okay. Teasing, she fired back, “Yeah, with a thud that made the whole apartment shake.”

“Hey!” Beca said indignantly, sitting up to glare at Chloe.

Chloe shrugged in response and replied, “Calm down, you’re tiny. It just slipped out.”

Beca threw her a wicked grin, sending dread tumbling through Chloe’s chest. And, sure enough, Beca snidely said, “Well, slip back in, then.”

Chloe’s stomach jolted and she found herself gaping speechlessly at the still-smiling brunette, stunned by what she’d said. Flirtation was her job, but it looked like Beca had taken over. Beca laughed at her and moved to tug off her own jeans, kicking them away and to the side before climbing back on the bed.

“Come here,” Beca called to her, still amused and sat upright.

Chloe recovered enough to want revenge; she all but launched herself on the bed to kneel next to Beca and started kissing her feverishly. It was different, more intense now that they were both only in their underwear. Her hands ran over the smooth skin of Beca’s back, fingers sliding over her bra strap again and again. She had just started to hate the garment for being in her way when Beca pulled back from their kissing.

Beca’s eyes met hers and Beca said softly, “I love that bra on you, but I’d like it to come off. Is that okay?”

Wondering if Beca was a mind reader, Chloe responded, “Yes, that’s okay.”

Beca gave a single nod and determination filled her expression. She reached behind Chloe, her fingers following the strip of lace, until she found the clasp connecting the two sides. Chloe watched Beca’s face closely as her eyebrows drew together in concentration and her tongue poked out a little between her teeth. She could tell Beca was struggling with the tiny clasps on the bra, fingers scrabbling against her skin. Chloe mentally kicked herself again for not going with a front clasp but instead finding what had to be the most irritating bra of all time.

“Um, just give me a sec,” Beca insisted, looking adorably frustrated.

“It’s okay. They’re small hooks, if you want I can just –”

But in the next moment, Chloe felt the bra give as Beca managed to unhook it.

“Ah ha!” cheered Beca excitedly, easing the bra from Chloe’s shoulders before whirling it over her head like a lasso and launching it away to fly across the room.

Chloe raised her eyebrows. How had she fallen in love with this person? “You’re so weird.”

“Thanks,” Beca replied automatically with a huge smile. That is, until her gaze dropped to look at Chloe’s bare chest. Unexpectedly, butterflies erupted in Chloe’s stomach. No one had seen her bare like this for a long time. Beca’s expression became tender again, and she glanced back up to Chloe’s eyes.

“You’re beautiful,” she said sincerely, making Chloe’s butterflies vanish and her heart warm. “Take mine off?”

Chloe didn’t hesitate in reaching around behind Beca to find the clasp of her bra. That one was standard, and she was relieved to be able to unhook it within a few seconds of trying. She helped Beca out of it, then dropped it onto the floor next to the bed.

She allowed her own eyes to drop to Beca’s breasts, taking in as much detail as she could. Beca was stunning. “You look perfect,” she said, looking back up to see that Beca’s eyes had definitely been on her chest again. Not that she could blame her; Beca was a self-admitted boob-man.

Chloe reached forward to cup Beca’s cheek and drew her in for a brief kiss. Their chests were pulled against each other, breasts brushing, which was new and exciting. Chloe loved the feel of Beca against her but wanted more.

She lifted her hands to rest lightly on the sides of Beca’s breasts, feeling Beca inhale sharply against her lips. Taking that as a good sign, Chloe slowly moved her hands over soft skin, captivated by the warmth, until they covered Beca completely, the peaks pressing into her palms. Beca sighed and arched toward her, enthralling Chloe so much that she barely noticed when Beca’s hands landed on her. However, she was jolted sharply back to herself when Beca’s thumbs brushed over taut skin and she gasped into the feeling.

“Lay on your side?” Beca asked her softly.

A shudder went through Chloe at the suggestion. She had a pretty good idea of what was next, and she knew she was more than ready, maybe embarrassingly so. She let Beca guide her down so that they were on their sides facing each other. Beca tangled their legs together and pressed forward into her, causing one of Chloe’s hands to latch onto her hip and continue the movement. They resumed kissing, chests pressed together and working into an easy rocking rhythm that drove Chloe more insane with every cant of Beca’s hips into hers.

Much too soon, Beca paused her movements and Chloe balked, wondering if Beca had changed her mind.

“Just say the word, we can stop,” Chloe said urgently.

But Beca shook her head. “No, it’s just… lay on your back? Um, if that’s okay?”

Chloe blinked in surprise at Beca taking control but found that she enjoyed it. Like, a lot. She reclined, using the hand on Beca’s hip to help move Beca on top of her. Beca positioned herself to straddle one of Chloe’s legs like Chloe had done for her earlier and leaned down on an elbow to place a kiss against her lips. Chloe exhaled shakily when she didn’t stop there. Lips trailed over her jaw, down her neck, and across her chest. Chloe’s hands weaved into Beca’s hair, urging her on.

The first kiss pressed against her breast made Chloe’s eyes slam closed and her breathing increase. She felt Beca hesitate over her, and wanted to ask her why, but then a tongue nudged the peak of her breast and her mind went blank. Beca’s mouth dropped to enclose the straining skin, tongue prodding and soothing over and over while her hand gave attention to the other side. Chloe squirmed, hearing herself whine loudly when Beca sucked on her skin. Beca eventually released her, allowing her to relax for only a second before her mouth moved to the other side. Chloe’s hands tightened in Beca’s hair, then released to drop to her shoulders to hold Beca against her as she arched up desperately.

Unable to take any more, she scrabbled at Beca’s shoulders to pull her up and away. She was panting, craving Beca everywhere, needing her more than she had ever needed anything. Beca must have seen the need in her eyes, because without further preamble, Beca rocked forward into her, applying the friction her body had been craving.

A firework erupted in her mind. Chloe swore loudly and her hips bucked up, making Beca gasp in response. She needed that. Repeatedly. Her hands clawed at Beca’s back frantically, seeking more. Getting the hint, Beca swiveled her hips down and into Chloe again and again, Chloe rising to meet her each time, propping up a knee to give Beca some friction of her own. It wasn’t until Chloe felt Beca against her own thigh that it occurred to her that Beca must be able to feel exactly how much she wanted this. The thought only spurred her on and the moaned at a particularly pointed tilt of Beca’s hips.

Beca reached down to hoist Chloe’s free leg over a hip, giving her more room to work against Chloe. Chloe squirmed; the contact was almost but not quite, and she knew exactly what she needed.

“Bec,” she gasped, her hands digging much too hard into Beca’s back to pull them together.

Beca nodded and asked, “Is it okay if I touch you? Like, without anything between us?”

Chloe almost sobbed in relief; she felt like she was going to shatter if Beca didn’t touch her. “Yes,” she managed. “God, yes.”

Beca’s eyes darkened and she moved so that Chloe could lift her hips and shimmy her own underwear down. Beca gasped quietly when she was revealed and, brushing Chloe’s hands aside, hooked her thumbs under the hem of the blue lace to cast it from Chloe’s body.

Completely exposed, Chloe lay there as Beca stared up and down the length of her body. She wiggled somewhat uncomfortably. While she appreciated Beca taking her time and enjoying the view, she really needed attention on one specific spot, thank you very much.

Beca’s eyes found hers and she placed a hand lightly on Chloe’s knee. “Spread ‘em, Beale.”

Chloe almost died at how casual Beca was being, but obliged immediately, bending her legs at the knee and separating them to allow Beca to climb over and rest between them. This new position allowed her to feel Beca against her, driving her arousal even higher as Beca put some of her weight on top of her. Chloe reveled at how amazing Beca felt against her, and she hadn’t even touched her with her hand yet.

Stooping down for one more kiss pressed against swollen lips, Beca whispered to her seriously, “If anything doesn’t feel right, let me know right away, please.”

“I will,” Chloe promised, her hands moving to rest on Beca’s back once again. Beca leaned in for another kiss, resting on one elbow as she lifted a hand to move between them, mimicking what Chloe had done earlier. Chloe’s core throbbed in anticipation and she couldn’t stop her hips from tilting up into Beca.

Fingers trailed over her stomach, down the side of her hip, brushing along her inner thigh, moving to trace immediately below where Chloe wanted her, only to come back up the same path and rest low on her stomach, just above short, neat curls. Feather light touches traced the line, back and forth, slowly, carefully, making her stomach muscles twitch until Chloe wanted to scream at Beca to get on with it. She tutted impatiently, making Beca laugh quietly before she finally lowered her hand to press lightly into Chloe’s center.

They both groaned at the first touch. Chloe knew she was louder, her eyes sliding closed.

She risked opening her eyes a crack, needing to see Beca in that moment to reassure herself of her realness. Beca hovered above her, her own eyes closed in concentration. Yep, it was really Beca that was making her feel like this. It was really Beca touching her. That was all Chloe saw before Beca’s hand moved against her and her eyes rolled back.

Fingers slid upward, feeling and exploring carefully. They reached the top only to pull down and repeat the motion, making Chloe’s hands clamp down onto Beca’s back.

“You’re so…” Beca murmured from above her.

“I know. It’s all because of you.”

Beca made a small noise of awe at that and her movements became more confident. Chloe knew that a slew of quiet sounds escaped from her throat, but she couldn’t help it as Beca circled around, obviously searching for a specific bundle of nerves. She brushed so close to it that Chloe’s hips jerked, but then she missed it again, driving Chloe to desperation.

“It’s – unnh – a little – left,” she managed to pant out.

That did the trick. The instant Beca’s fingers nudged her bud, Chloe saw stars. She moaned and lifted into Beca, her head thrown back against the pillow.

“God, yes, that’s – yes, Beca,” she cried out, unable to form coherent words, but Beca seemed to understand. She continued her stroking movements, going up to circle around the bundle tightly, adding light pressure with each pass before easing down again. Ever the musician, Beca soon found a comfortable rhythm that had Chloe teetering on the edge much sooner than she thought she would be, her hips moving to match Beca’s pace.

Beca’s fingers circled around once more, then dropped lower to trace her entrance. Chloe’s eyes flew open, needing Beca to keep going.

Already having been watching her, Beca asked once more, “Are you sure?”

In response, Chloe pushed herself further down the bed until Beca’s hand was pressed against her. “Completely,” she said breathlessly, her voice slightly hoarse.

“Keep talking to me,” Beca replied and Chloe nodded, knowing that Beca would need to know that what she was doing was okay.

Slowly, Beca found her opening with her middle finger and delicately eased inside. Chloe moaned and her toes curled against the mattress as she processed the idea that it was Beca inside of her, making her feel so good.

“Yes, that’s – right there, Bec,” she gasped, knowing it would reassure Beca.

Beca eased in and out, slowly at first, but then with more confidence, adding a second finger. Chloe’s entire body jerked and lifted, her hands clutching desperately at Beca’s back, sides, shoulders, anywhere she could reach as Beca continued moving in and out, curling her fingers occasionally to hit the perfect spot.

“You’re amazing,” Beca whispered reverently, making Chloe whimper.

“So are you,” Chloe managed between breaths.

She panted, and her hands clenched on Beca’s back, incoherent noises mixed with Beca’s name spilling from her lips over and over. Beca twisted her hand to press her palm into Chloe even as her fingers continued moving, using her hip to drive into her more firmly.

Chloe’s entire body tensed and she writhed, pushing herself downward. “Bec – don’t stop – that’s – Christ – I’m –” Beca moved into her more firmly and dropped her mouth onto Chloe’s, kissing her sloppily and roughly, making Chloe’s muscles tense until she was pushed off the edge, crying out incoherently.

Waves crashed over her and her jaw locked as she arched into Beca, shuddering over and over. Beca kept her hand where it was, helping to hold her steady.

At long last, Chloe relaxed, melting into the bed. She felt Beca remove her hand and shift as if to move off her, but she reached up instead to pull Beca down into a tight hug, needing Beca to be as close as possible. She lifted her head to bury her face into Beca’s neck, inhaling the scent of her skin and shampoo.

“I’ve got you,” Beca whispered into her ear. “I’m not going anywhere.”

To Chloe’s embarrassment, her eyes pricked and she had to hold back tears, knowing that if she cried Beca would think she’d done something wrong. But that wasn’t it. Beca had done everything right. Chloe clung to her, feeling as if she would float away without having Beca to ground her. Beca had always kept her together, and it was no different then.

“I love you,” Chloe said into Beca’s shoulder.

“You’re my world,” Beca replied simply, making Chloe sigh and finally relax her arms.

Beca moved so that she was no longer on top of Chloe but instead was lying next to her on her back, their arms and legs touching. Chloe brought herself back under control, struggling to calm her breathing.

“Bec, that was…wow.”

Beca glanced at her. “Yeah? I’m glad. I wanted you to feel good.”

Chloe nodded back, smiling warmly. It had felt absolutely perfect. Now, though, she wanted to show Beca how much she loved her rather than tell her.

Sitting up, Chloe turned and swung a leg over Beca, settling down over Beca’s hips. Beca blinked up at her in surprise at the sudden motion.

“Oh, it’s okay if you don’t want to, I can wait or, like –”

Chloe leaned down to silence her with a kiss. “I really, really want to,” she murmured against Beca’s lips, delighting in the sharp intake of breath her words elicited. “Are you okay with that?”

Beca’s hands found purchase on her back as she twitched under Chloe. “I mean. If you insist.”

With a grin, Chloe moved her hips against Beca, pressing down, trying to replicate what Beca had done earlier that had made her feel so good. She seemed to be doing okay; Beca whined and tried to lift her own hips into Chloe but was held in place by Chloe’s weight.

Smile widening, Chloe started trailing her lips and flicking her tongue over Beca’s neck and down her chest, again mimicking what Beca had done for her. She felt Beca’s hands move to stroke at her shoulders and an idea popped into her head.

She instantly moved her mouth to Beca’s breast, attempting to flick and nudge with her tongue, sucking lightly. Hands wound into her hair, though not too tightly, and she marveled that Beca was being mindful of her even then. She listened to the heavenly sounds Beca made to judge what she liked the most, then switched to the other side to practice her technique all over again. She was fascinated by Beca and loved the taste of her skin, which was even better than she had imagined it to be.

After a while, she became aware of knees on either side of her and wondered dimly when Beca had opened to her. It didn’t really matter, though, because hips were rising to meet hers and Beca was suddenly pressing up and pulling her down and saying her name over and over. Chloe knew exactly what she wanted. She could never deny Beca for long.

Removing her mouth from Beca’s chest, Chloe looked up and was astounded to see how flushed Beca looked already, her pupils totally blown. Chloe almost stopped everything she was doing right then, distracted by the knowledge that Beca wanted this so much, that she liked what Chloe was doing. Chloe bit her lip, wanting to ask but unsure how.

“Um, is it okay if… can I take these off you?” she let her fingers trail over the side of Beca’s hip, brushing against her underwear.

“Yep, anytime now,” Beca puffed back, blinking up at Chloe in a daze.

“Okay, um,” Chloe said, slightly nervous again as she moved off Beca and hooked her thumbs under the waistline of the garment. “Same as earlier, for you. If something isn’t what you want, or if you change your mind…”

A hand landed lightly on her wrist before Chloe could start pulling down, and she looked up to meet Beca’s intense stare. “I trust you,” Beca said calmly.

Chloe’s nerves drained away to be replaced with near-ecstasy. When she’d first met Beca, she’d been an angry loner with walls higher than the Empire State. Yet, somehow, she’d reached that moment, about to become naked under Chloe’s hands. Beca’s trust meant the world to her,

Coming back to herself, Chloe nodded, reassured, and Beca’s hips lifted as she slowly slid the underwear down her legs and off. Perhaps selfishly, she took her time and enjoyed the moment. She’d thought about doing that so many times and now she was actually doing it. Her movements seemed almost surreal as she cast the fabric down to the floor.

Like Beca had done with her, Chloe took time to look over Beca’s body, admiring every curve, every freckle, the lines of her tattoos, even the small birthmark that she didn’t know existed on Beca’s left hip. Her eyes finally reached Beca’s face, and she almost flinched under the immense amount of love she saw reflected back at her.

Not wanting, or not able, to wait another second, Chloe positioned herself to settle comfortably between Beca’s legs. Now that they were both bare, feeling Beca pressed against her was otherworldly. They both sighed and whimpered at the contact, Chloe experimentally wiggling into Beca, able to feel how ready Beca was. It was intoxicating.

She leaned down to snare Beca’s lips in her own, kissing her carefully while moving her hips, wanting Beca to understand how much she meant to her. Beca’s hands stroked up and down her back, her nails running lightly over the skin and making her shiver.

They moved together, kissing, for a few moments before Chloe desperately needed more. She needed to touch. Shifting her weight to an elbow, she slowly trailed a hand down Beca’s body, brushing over the peak of a breast and making Beca arch into her again. She felt the warm skin of Beca’s stomach under her fingertips, then down, down, until her fingers met softness, tracing over the line, waiting for permission to continue.

Continuing their kiss, which had become somewhat sloppy on Chloe’s part as her focus was elsewhere, Beca merely hummed her consent and Chloe knew she was okay to keep going. Excitement and curiosity filling her mind, Chloe allowed her hand to continue its journey until the first sensation of slick heat met her fingertips.

Beca broke their kiss with a gasp at the touch and Chloe looked down at her face before allowing her fingers to feel and explore. Beca felt amazing against her hand, all warmth and soft wetness, and Chloe felt momentary guilt at making her wait this long. She watched Beca’s expression carefully as she glided her fingers up, around, down, and up again, memorizing every crease between her brows and clench of her jaw. Beca’s eyes had closed when she’d first moved against her, but Chloe could see them moving under her eyelids.

She found what she was searching for quickly, tightly circling the bundle of nerves with a finger before trailing away and back. She’d liked when Beca had done that for her, so she tried to make Beca feel the same way. Wanting to know what would happen, she experimentally touched the nub fully and pressed gently.

Beca sucked in a huge gulp of air, her hips flying upward and dropping back down with a deep moan, but not until Chloe was sure she had scratches on her shoulders now as well.

Hmm. Interesting.

She needed more.

“Can I…?” she trailed off as her hand dropped lower, a finger circling.

“God, Chlo, yes, just, yes,” Beca panted, her eyes tightly screwed shut.

Chloe bit her lip in concentration and slowly slid her middle finger into heat. She knew she’d done the right thing when Beca’s hands dropped to pull on her backside, urging her in further.

Okay. She could do that.

She took stock of things, then carefully added her index finger, curling and moving in and out like Beca had for her. Beca threw her head back against the pillow so hard that her throat was completely exposed; Chloe couldn’t resist placing a feathery kiss on it as she continued moving her hand.

Beca felt unbelievable against her hand. Chloe had never experienced anything like it, the warmth around her fingers, feeling Beca’s muscles tighten and relax. She focused all her energy on copying what Beca had done, taking the time to understand Beca’s reactions. A twist this way drew a gasp, a press here made Beca moan, this speed made her claw at her back while this other one made her arch up. Chloe was learning what Beca needed from her and she had never felt so captivated by another person.

Except. It was taking a lot longer than she thought it would. She knew it had been quite a while already from the burn in her forearm and the tension in her hand. Everything she did seemed to make Beca feel good, but it still wasn’t enough yet.

“Is this working?” she asked hesitantly, wondering if Beca needed her to do something else.

“Yeah, it’s just…” Beca’s eyes fluttered open to look at her. “Sometimes, it takes a while. I’m sorry, it’s not you.”

Chloe frowned lightly. “Don’t apologize, we’ll get there together, okay?”

Beca looked at her gratefully, allowing her eyes to slide closed again.

Okay. Chloe could do this. She’d just have work a little harder at it. “Let me know if you need me to switch it up at all,” she told Beca.

She tried for a while longer, moving in and out, pressing, twisting her palm to brush Beca’s bud, swiveling her hips more. She was sweating, but so was Beca, so she figured it was okay. She started to feel bad about how long it was taking. Beca had managed to take care of her so quickly…

But then, Beca’s noises began to run together until an intelligible slew of sounds fell from her mouth. Chloe moved faster, pressing harder, and she felt how close Beca was. Only a few more seconds…

“Can you…” Beca gasped brokenly, snagging her attention immediately. “Can you – try, like – Chlo, ah – wiggling around – down there.”

Chloe obliged immediately, rapidly fluttering her fingers, moving them in a figure eight, and swiveling into Beca harder. Instantly, Beca’s hands gripped onto her back, her muscles tensed, and she arched up. Without thought, Chloe dropped to press her lips to Beca’s neck and that’s when she felt it happen.

Beca’s mouth fell open with a cry and she rocked into Chloe repeatedly. Chloe could only stare, enthralled, keeping her hand against Beca to help her ease down.

It was probably the best moment of Chloe’s life.

When Beca finally relaxed beneath her, she gently pulled her hand away, causing Beca’s eyelids to flutter. Navy eyes stared up into hers and Beca reached to pull her down into a searing kiss. She was surprised by the fervor with which Beca kissed her but returned it excitedly.

“Was that good?” she asked once they had to break for air.

Beca smiled at her and replied, “Yeah, I’d say that was pretty top notch. You?”

Chloe rolled off to lay beside Beca again and replied, “I think I went to heaven a few times.”

Beca laughed, a contagious sound that had Chloe following along a moment later. Chloe knew happiness must have been oozing out of her; she absolutely adored that she and Beca could go from serious to laughing so easily.

After their laughter faded, they lay there quietly. Chloe relived every second of the night in her head. She was looking forward to repeating it as much as possible.

“Can I try something?” Beca’s voice, stronger than she had been expecting, cut over the sound of her memories and the music still crooning out of Beca’s speaker.

Chloe rolled to her side to get a better look at Beca, who remained flushed in the face and chest, her hair a mess, and her eyes still impossibly dark. The mere sight of her sent a new wave of heat shooting between Chloe’s legs.

“Sure,” she replied easily. “That’s what we’re doing with all this, right?”

Beca smiled back at her, looking so open and happy that it made Chloe’s heart throb. God, she loved Beca.

“True,” Beca agreed. “Let me just…” and she reached an arm forward to push at Chloe’s shoulder, guiding her until she was once again on her back with Beca hovering over her, hands on either side of her head and legs straddling her hips. Involuntarily, Chloe’s hips bucked upward and into Beca, almost throwing her off balance.

Laughing at the near mishap, Beca leaned down to say into Chloe’s ear, “Trying to throw me off the bed again?”

“Sorry...” mumbled Chloe, slightly embarrassed at her body’s reaction to Beca being on top of her.

“It’s okay,” Beca said softly, brushing a hand over the side of Chloe’s face. “It’s a big turn on.”

Before Chloe could even breathe, Beca moved down to her forearms, their chests pressed together, and began to trail open-mouth kisses from her ear down her jaw. Chloe squeezed her eyes shut, her hands flying to Beca’s back again to grasp at the soft skin she found there. When Beca’s mouth dropped from her jaw to her neck, she couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped from her throat as she ran her fingertips over Beca’s back, feeling the small scratches she’d already left there.

Beca tensed above her for a moment, then breathed a little laugh and a broken, “God, Chlo, you’re going to be the death of me.”

“How do you think I feel?” Chloe managed before Beca’s lips came crashing down on hers again, their tongues immediately meeting. Chloe’s hands skimmed up over Beca’s back, moving to grip her shoulders as their kiss continued. Beca eventually brought it to a gentle end, slowing her pace and leaving pecks on Chloe’s lips. It drove Chloe absolutely wild, how Beca controlled the situation so cleanly. How she ever worried she’d disappoint Chloe was beyond understanding, and they were barely getting started as far as she was concerned.

“I love you,” Beca whispered against her lips. “So, so much.”

Chloe opened her eyes to see Beca’s stunningly dark ones staring down at her, full of love and sincerity, and Chloe’s entire body ached under the intensity. She had to hold back tears again, her heart so full that it was borderline painful.

“I love you, too,” she replied. “You’re my forever.”

Beca smiled tenderly at her before leaning down again to kiss her face, moving from her lips to her nose to her forehead.

“Now that we’re clear on that,” Beca said huskily, “If I could try…?” and she ground her hips down against Chloe’s.

“Yes…” Chloe groaned, arching into Beca. “God, yes.”

Beca shifted above her, once again placing one knee high between her legs. Chloe throbbed in anticipation, and Beca started rocking into her slowly.

“Okay,” Beca said, “if this isn’t what you want, or if something isn’t right, tell me right away, yeah?”

Chloe nodded rapidly, amazed that Beca could speak so conversationally while doing that.

Beca again lowered herself over Chloe, maintaining the thrust of her hips as she kissed her slightly sore lips gently, carefully. Her mouth moved down Chloe’s neck and left collarbone, leaving a trail of fire where it had touched. Beca continued, down Chloe’s chest until she reached the swell of her left breast.

Chloe waited, while Beca paused over her. She could hardly breathe already and Beca had barely touched her. She felt like she’d never had relief. How was she going to survive –

Without warning, Beca’s mouth descended and surrounded the peak of her breast, her tongue flicking and nudging its tip. Chloe moaned and her hands moved to the back of Beca’s neck and into her hair, holding her in place. All the while, Beca’s hips continued their swiveling.

With barely a break, Beca switched to her other breast and Chloe arched into her again, desperate for more contact. She lifted her hips into Beca, trying to make her point. Beca’s eyes flicked up to hers even as she continued her ministrations and Beca reached a hand down push at Chloe’s leg, opening her to increase the friction.

Chloe’s eyes rolled back and she dropped her head to the pillow. God. Beca was amazing. But what had she wanted to try exactly? As far as she could tell, this was basically what they’d already done, but performed with more confidence.

That is, until Beca’s mouth left her breast and she began trailing kisses downward, over her stomach, toward her belly button. Chloe’s brow wrinkled. Why had Beca stopped rolling into her?

She lifted her head and looked down her body to see Beca backing away from her, moving down their bed, still kissing down her stomach, past her belly button, clearly headed toward…

“Wait!” hissed Chloe, more sharply than she had meant to.

Beca froze immediately, lifting her head from Chloe so they could make eye contact. “Do you want me to stop?” she asked seriously.

“What are you… were you going to –?”

Beca nodded, moistened her lips, and replied, “I mean, yeah, I thought I’d try it. I thought you might like it. I’m so sorry, I guess we never talked about it, and I should have asked before… do you want me to stop?” she repeated.

Chloe exhaled and closed her eyes briefly. She wanted it. She wanted Beca to be there, to do that for her. She’d imagined it countless times before. But…

She reopened her eyes to look down at Beca, who was still frozen, hovering over her lower body.

“It’s… okay, it’s just that – uh, I’m not sure…” she trailed off, embarrassed.

“Hey,” said Beca softly, moving back up and off her body to lay beside her. “I don’t have to if you don’t want me to. It’s something that I thought we’d both like, and I thought would make you feel good. Was I wrong?”

Looking into Beca’s wide eyes, Chloe saw that she had scared her by stopping so abruptly. Her throat tightened with anxiety. She needed to explain so that Beca knew she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“No, you weren’t wrong,” Chloe replied slowly. “I think I would like that. It’s just… no one has ever done that for me before.” She felt her cheeks warm at the admission, humiliated by her lack of experience.

Surprise crossed Beca’s face. “No one?” she asked. “Really?”

She could only nod while Beca blinked at her. This was so embarrassing.

“Wait, uh, that came out weird,” Beca backtracked rapidly. “I didn’t mean – like, it’s nothing that you should feel bad about. It’s not – I know guys don’t always do that. Which is fine, everyone can do what they like with sex stuff, I guess, it’s not like everyone has to –”

“Beca,” Chloe said firmly, trying to calm her down. Beca stopped rambling at looked at her apologetically, which made Chloe’s chest flutter. She was so adorable.

“Sorry,” huffed Beca. “It’s something I, uh, I read about and thought might be fun?” Her cheeks reddened and Chloe knew she was embarrassed about admitting to researching things beforehand.

Chloe reached out to touch the side of her face, pushing a strand of chocolate hair behind her ear as a silent gesture to continue. There was no reason to be embarrassed, and she told Beca that.

“So, I thought I’d do it for you, because it’s something that’s supposed to feel good. And I want you to feel good,” Beca continued, “And, I’ve never, you know, uh, performed it before so I can’t say if I’ll even like it. But I’d like to try. Only if you’re okay with it.”

The jolt of pure desire that shot through Chloe caught her off guard. She shifted her legs, suddenly really needing some sort of relief, and wondered why she’d even stopped Beca in the first place.

“Okay,” she said, looking into Beca’s eyes. “Yes. Let’s try.”

Beca’s breathing increased and she scooted close to Chloe, whispering, “Okay. Stop me if you change your mind at any point.”

Chloe barely got her agreement out before Beca was on top of her again, straddling one leg with her knee placed high between Chloe’s. Beca kissed her lips hard as she began rocking into her, working to wind Chloe up again.

Chloe let herself relax, driving her hips up to meet Beca’s, enjoying the rising tension low in her belly. Beca didn’t need to build up as much now and they both knew it. She dropped from Chloe’s mouth to immediately meet her breasts, licking and sucking lightly. Chloe whimpered, her fingers again finding purchase on Beca’s shoulders and in her hair, gripping harder than she meant to but unable to stop.

Beca paused for a moment at looked up at her as she reached a hand down between them, slipping past Chloe’s stomach, over her thighs to press delicately at her core. Chloe’s entire body jumped at the contact and she knew she was more than ready for Beca.

“Bec,” she groaned.

“It’s okay,” Beca soothed. “I wanted to make sure.”

Chloe nodded frantically, knowing what she needed. Beca. Beca’s mouth.

Beca removed her hand, placing it beside Chloe’s hip for balance as she resumed kissing down her stomach, past her belly button. Finally, Beca had made her way down her body and was sitting up to move off her legs.

“Could you…?” she asked, gesturing to Chloe’s legs.

“Oh!” said Chloe. Duh. She immediately scooted further up the bed and parted her legs, giving Beca room to settle between them while still remaining mostly on their bed. Self-consciousness took over briefly when Beca had settled and was suddenly up close and personal with… down there. Chloe was a confident person, but still.

However, her momentary unease evaporated when Beca looked up to make eye contact with her and said, her voice full of awe, “Chlo… you’re so beautiful.”

With a rush of heat that was like a bolt of lightning, (which Chloe was sure was incredibly obvious to Beca) she suddenly needed Beca to be there.

“Beca,” she panted again, “Would you get on with it, please?”

“Right!” replied Beca, “Um, do you wanna, maybe, go like…” and she carefully hooked her arms under Chloe’s thighs to rest her hands on her hips.

Chloe’s eyes widened and she didn’t think she’d ever been so turned on in her life.

“Okay, Beale,” said Beca, “Try not to kick me, yeah?”

Chloe fully intended to respond with a sarcastic jibe, she really did, but her brain short-circuited at the feel of Beca’s breath on her core. Beca blew on her gently, just for a moment, and it had stunned her to silence. With one more glance up at her, Beca scooted up even closer, opened her mouth, then –

“Oh my God.”

Chloe moaned loudly at the first swipe of Beca’s tongue up through her and to the little bundle of nerves at the top. Beca hummed in response as she repeated the motion.

“You taste so good,” Beca groaned into to her, making Chloe’s hips buck up, begging for more contact, only to be held in place by Beca’s hands.

“You – ah – that’s – you feel – good,” Chloe managed to choke out as Beca continued her movements. This was so different from what they’d done before, much more intimate. Beca was everywhere, her tongue flattening and sweeping, then lightly flicking, not yet finding a set rhythm.

Chloe felt like she was floating somewhere up above her body, watching this happen from Cloud Nine, as Beca continued, relentless. Chloe had no memory of how it happened, but her heels had crossed over on Beca’s back, trying instinctively to draw her closer. One hand had tangled its way into Beca’s hair, and she knew she was pulling too hard, but she wasn’t sure how to stop. Her other hand knotted into the bedsheets, tightening and relaxing with Beca’s every motion.

She was nearly thrown over the edge when she picked up her head to look right into Beca’s eyes. Knowing that Beca had been watching her, gauging her reaction, almost did the job right then. That it was Beca doing this, Beca the love of her life, Beca, whose tongue danced on and sometimes in her, drove her wild.

“That’s – ah – Bec – I’m almost –”

Beca redoubled her efforts, holding more firmly to Chloe’s hips and her tongue sweeping and flicking more rapidly, finally moving with regular purpose. Chloe writhed, desperate, panting, needing some kind of release or she was going to die – and then Beca closed her lips over Chloe’s sensitive skin and sucked and Chloe was gone.

She knew she yelled. She knew she had kicked into Beca’s back slightly like she’d been warned not to. She knew her thighs had clamped around Beca, holding her there, rocking into her. And she knew that she hadn’t felt anything like it in her life.

When Chloe finally relaxed, she immediately dropped her legs, releasing Beca. However, Beca didn’t seem in any hurry to move; she gave a few more long, slow licks, chuckling softly as Chloe shuddered and whimpered at each one, before finally sitting up to wipe her mouth and crawl her way up the bed to lay beside Chloe.

Chloe lay, breathing hard and staring at the ceiling. She knew Beca was watching her, a satisfied grin on her face. Damn her cockiness.

After a moment, Beca said into the semi-darkness, “So… that was okay?”

Chloe turned her head to look at Beca in disbelief. “Okay?!” she half-shouted. “Are you sure you’ve never done that before?”

Beca smirked at her and slid closer, leaning against her side. She propped her head on one hand to look down at Chloe, her other hand coming to rest gently over Chloe’s stomach. “Never,” she said. “But I might have read some tips.”

“Holy shit,” Chloe breathed. “I think we can add that to the list. For future reference,” she said, looking into Beca’s face.

Beca nodded solemnly. “Noted.”

“Good. Now come here.”

She reached out a hand to Beca’s face, guiding her down into a searing kiss.

When they finally broke away, Chloe traced her index finger down Beca’s cheek and jaw, caressing her face. “God, I love you,” she whispered, “So much.”

Sunlight seemed to wash over Beca’s expression in the dim room and Chloe couldn’t remember ever seeing Beca look so blissfully happy as she did in that moment.

Then, because she’s Beca, she ruined it by saying, “I knew you only wanted me for my body.”

Chloe snorted and shoved her away by the shoulder. “Yeah, that’s it,” she said sarcastically. “You figured it out.”

Beca grabbed her own chest, pretending to be hurt, which made Chloe laugh again and roll her eyes. Their legs brushed together, giving Chloe flashbacks to what it felt like to have Beca’s mouth on her. She bit her lip, thinking. She’d love to do that for Beca. She wanted to taste Beca so badly that it hurt.

With a pang, she realized that Beca must be desperate, waiting for her. “Bec! I’m so sorry, you must be dying, I’m being so selfish!” she exclaimed, turning to look at Beca, mad at herself for neglecting Beca’s needs.

“What?” asked Beca, looking utterly bewildered. “Why?”

“Well…” said Chloe slowly, confused. “Don’t you want me to return the favor?”

She felt Beca stiffen and knew immediately by her stricken expression that she’d said the wrong thing.

“Chlo, it wasn’t a favor,” Beca said urgently. “I wasn’t expecting you to do it for me just because I did it for you.”

Chloe’s eyebrows raised in surprise; she’d never had someone do something for her in the bedroom without expecting something in return.

“Yeah, don’t feel like you have to make it even, or whatever,” Beca continued. “Seriously, I wanted to make you feel good. Just because I… look, I didn’t do it because I wanted you to do it for me. That didn’t even cross my mind, honestly. I did it because I wanted to do it for you.”

Yet again, Chloe’s being filled with love for Beca and at the realization that everything Beca had done for her so far had been just that – for her. Never had anyone treated her with so much respect and love, and Chloe found herself wondering exactly what she’d ever done to deserve Beca.

“Besides,” added Beca, “is that even something you’re comfortable with? Because I get it, it’s kinda weird the first time, and if you never want to do it, that’s completely fine!”

Chloe jumped in, needing to reassure Beca. “No, I do want to!”

Beca looked at her intently and said, “I don’t want you to do it for me because you feel like you have to. I want you to want to do it.”

“Trust me, I do! I really, really do,” replied Chloe eagerly.

“Okay, then,” said Beca, apparently satisfied that Chloe wasn’t feeling pressured. “But, if it’s okay, I’d prefer if we didn’t tonight.”

“Oh.” The air rushed from Chloe’s lungs and she knew her hurt had flashed over her face before she could control her expression. She didn’t understand why Beca had said no. Did she think that because this would be her first time with it that she couldn’t do it well enough?

Beca reached out to touch her face and said quickly, “No, wait, it’s not you! I promise, it’s not you. It’s just, I’m not sure I could, you know...”

Chloe raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding.

Beca sighed impatiently, and Chloe knew she was struggling with her words. She waited, wanting Beca to be able to express what she wanted to.

“Okay,” Beca started again, slowly. “I’m, like, honestly worn out. And, you know, it took me a while to, uh, finish before, and I’m not sure I’d be able to right now. This has already been perfect with you, and I want it to end with a bang. So to speak,” Beca said wryly, smirking. “Is that okay?” she added.

Chloe nodded back thoughtfully. She understood now what Beca was worried about, though privately she didn’t think it would have been an issue. However, she wasn’t going to force anything on Beca, obviously. Sure, she was a little disappointed, but she could wait as long as Beca needed. Beca’s comfort was her priority.

“Of course, that’s okay,” Chloe responded. “We don’t have to.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I definitely want to,” Beca shifted on the bed. “Um, yeah, really, really want to. Just, not now?”

“And I really want to for you. Later?” Chloe clarified.

“Yeah. Thanks for not pushing it. Um, if I’ve left you all worked up, I can help that out?” Beca asked somewhat awkwardly.

Chloe was tempted. But Beca was right; their night had already been perfection, and they had the entire weekend. Actually, they had their entire lives, because as far as Chloe was concerned, what they had was permanent.

“I’m good,” she replied.

“Okay. In the morning?” Beca asked, sounding hopeful. “I bet by then, I could…”

Chloe’s mouth went dry at the thought. “Definitely in the morning,” she replied eagerly.

If she had it her way, they were going to practice and practice until she could get Beca there as quickly as Beca had gotten her there. She fully intended to dedicate her life to learning all of Beca’s tics.

Beca hummed and moved toward Chloe, poking her until she’d turned on her side facing away from Beca. An arm found its way under her pillow and another appeared around her waist to give a gentle tug, pulling her into the center of their bed and flush against Beca’s front.

Lips pressed against the side of her neck and grazed the shell of her ear, making Chloe shiver. Beca only held her more securely as she whispered, “I love you, too, and I promise, I’m never letting go.”

Even though she knew Beca couldn’t see it, a smile overtook Chloe’s face. Her heart was lighter than air, a balloon rising in her chest, full of contentment, joy, and an overall sense of rightness. She pushed herself further back into Beca until they were touching as though fused together along their entire bodies. Beca hummed in contentment, pressing one last kiss to linger against her still-bare shoulder.

She and Beca had been through so much to get to where they were. Chloe wasn’t sure she believed in soul mates, but she did believe that she and Beca were always meant to be together. That belief had been at her essence for the past five years, and it was why she would have waited for Beca forever.

As she felt herself drifting to sleep, lulled by the feel of Beca’s fingers tracing lightly over her stomach and by soft puffs of air on the back of her neck and shoulders, Chloe could only think one thing.

Finally.

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