#sketchywave

[colin-crossing]

is she playing halo?

[eulersfeverdream]

rules: without naming them, post a gif from ten of your favorite films and then tag ten people to do the same.

Tagged by @inversetwilight Thanks for tagging me <3

Tagging: @sketchywave @sweetnachoearthquake @toastymojo and anyone else who would like to do it.

[ridiculously-over-obsessed]

LEAVE YOUR MARK ON MY SKIN

Rating: T

One Shot

Pairings: Bechloe

Summary: Beca wakes to find Chloe tracing over the tattoo on her wrist.

No moodboard for this one because I could not POSSIBLY top the beauty that is this artwork by @sketchywave which inspired this fic!! S/O to @lilhan to for putting the request in, I hope this fic does your awesome art justice 🥺🥺

[beca-mitchell]

Hey hi I just had this horrible terrible toxic thought of what if in the exclusive dvds they.. They add some new "unseen" scenes and what what what if what if they add...... It.....

Like what are the chances that we win* what if what if we finally get this blooper in proper quality

If they do that for us I will literally watch bumpers stupid show for them. Not legally, but I'll watch it.

*chances are very, very low, I know.

waves it is an honour to see you in my ask box. but why do you insist on torturing me

i mean WE CAN ALWAYS HOPE AND DREAM

[green-eyed-weirdo]

CREATOR TAG MEME

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

Tagged by; @beyond-bechloe @chloebeale @sketchywave & @pan-de-queer - Thanks so much friends.

I have not written that much this year, but I’ll go for it. Also, sorry this is so laaaate 😩

1. If you took a sip for every broken promise, you’d end up with an empty cup - AO3 link The one with Skip. Chloe is dating a married man and Beca is having a hard time with it. Written for Bechloe Week 2020, prompt ���cheating’. 

2. Chick Magnet - AO3 link The one with the chick and the duck. Chloe brings home some unexpected house guests. Written for Bechloe Week 2020, prompt ‘baby farm animals’.

3. Mornings aren’t that bad with Chloe - AO3 link The one with Beca having an internal freak out when waking up in Chloe’s arms.

I was hoping to add something to this list for christmas but that unfortunately did not happen. I’ll save the idea for next year tho.

To complete the list (and to push myself a bit)

4. I have an outline ready for a one shot; as a Bella’s bonding night, Chloe and Stacie organize a Ladies Night party. Beca does not yet know what a Ladies Night party is exactly.

5. I’ve been wanting to write a collection of one shots based on different Friends episodes.

I’m tagging; @ridiculously-over-obsessed @aubreyposenesquire @incredibeale @bechloebeale and who ever wants to do this!

[inversetwilight]

🌈🌊🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸 and bonus👶

🌈 – gay vibes

🌊 – chill vibes

🌸 – soft vibes x 5

Omg I am not that soft, Waves lol. Everything else seems accurate though.

And I hope baby means something good in this context lol

[becasbelt]

I give you a .23 you're too soft

i really wish i could deny it... but you're right 🥺

[lespetitesmortsde]

One-Sided War, part four

An ending, @sketchywave

Whatever Chloe had expected Beca to pick her up in, that lean silhouette on the back of a Honda Shadow motorcycle was not even on the list of possibilities. She watches as Beca parks the bike and whips off her helmet, giving one of those sexy hair tosses that only seem to happen in commercials.

“Hey Chloe,” Beca greets, tucking her helmet under one arm. “It’s no problem if you don’t want to ride on this thing, we can Uber or something instead.”

Chloe shakes her head and starts walking towards Beca, “No, it’s totes fine. As long as you have another helmet for me.”

Beca breaks out into a grin and goes for a saddlebag, pulling out another helmet, just like her own, only in a dark metallic grey. “Of course,” Beca says, holding it out to her. And then she winks, “After all, safety first.” Chloe fights a swoon as Beca helps do up the strap on her helmet, staring intently into Chloe’s eyes as her fingers work beneath Chloe’s chin. Then she pulls on her own helmet, slides a leg across the bike, and holds out her hand to help Chloe up behind her, pointing out the rests where Chloe can place her boots.

“Don’t worry,” Beca assures her, voice slightly muffled with the helmet on. “I’m not taking you too far. I don’t want your butt to get numb.”

A dozen different, filthy thoughts flicker through Chloe’s mind, but she doesn’t say a single one. She just feels her cheeks warm inside the helmet as she smiles into the padding under her lips.

True to her word, Beca doesn’t take them far. It’s maybe ten minutes before Beca pulls over to the side of the road, and parks in one of those small edge spots reserved for motorcycles. She helps Chloe off the back seat, and then gets off herself. Chloe tries to take off her helmet by herself, but however Beca had done it up eludes her nimble fingers until Beca’s laughing in front of her and reaching up to push Chloe’s fingers out of the way.

When Chloe pulls the helmet off, she notices that Beca swallows noticeably, and can’t help feeling pleased at the reaction she elicited. She waits impatiently for Beca to tuck the helmet away before looping her arm through Beca’s, “So where are you taking me this evening?”

Beca pulls Chloe a littler closer. “Now I hope you won’t be mad,” Beca begins, leading Chloe along the sidewalk. Chloe stops abruptly.

“Why would I be mad, Beca Mitchell?”

Beca winces comically at the falsely unhappy voice Chloe uses. “Well, you mentioned being a famous author, so, naturally, I Googled you.”

This doesn’t sound that bad, so Chloe resumes walking and lets Beca continue to lead. As far as she knows, there’s nothing particularly bad about her online.

After looking around, Beca darts down a sidewalk between buildings, pulling Chloe along. “And I couldn’t help but go down a bit of a rabbit hole when I saw that one of your early author bios spoke about your time in university...” Beca stops in the middle of the sidewalk and gestures to the building fairly hidden behind some fake palm trees. “As part of the a cappella sensational group, the Barden Bellas.” She sweeps some of the fronds out of the way to reveal a sign that makes Chloe burst out laughing so hard that tears almost make it to the corners of her eyes.

Steve’s Karaoke Bar.

“Oh my God, Beca, I can’t do karaoke here with a literal music genius,” Chloe says, gesturing at all of Beca.

“Hey, we can go somewhere else if you don’t like it, but I thought it might be fun for you to relive those sing-along glory days,” Beca smiles, tucking her hands into her pockets. Chloe can’t see a shred of malice in her face, and it kind of really warms her heart that Beca put in this much effort despite being a very big deal who probably could have had someone else organize this excursion for her.

“If it helps,” Beca offers, “I wasn’t going to sing. So no need to feel threatened.” With this, Beca smirks and pulls open the door, holding it for Chloe to walk through.

Of course, that only serves to ignite the competitive streak in Chloe, so she marches right up to Beca, leans in close to whisper into her ear, “Oh, I’ll get you to sing, Becs,” and then walks right into the place, heading straight for a table for two pointed out to her by the guy behind the bar.

“Jesus,” Beca whispers, her mind short-circuiting briefly at how attractive Chloe sounds, before following her date into the bar.

Things Chloe’s learned after three hours which included forcing Beca into two duets and two solo songs each:

1. Her eyes are more gorgeous in dim lighting than the light of day. The flames kind of dance along the edges of the irises.

2. Beca does a version of R. Kelly’s “Ignition” remix that could drop Chloe’s underwear, and probably every other woman’s in this bar.

3. She’s a responsible driver, only sharing one drink with Chloe at the beginning, and then indulging in a couple of Coke Zeros - not, apparently, because Beca counts calories (she doesn’t) but because she actually likes the flavour.

4. She’s witty, and not just with the mildly seductive one-liners. There are those, for sure, and boy are they great to be on the receiving end of, but she listens to Chloe’s stories and throws in a few clever comments, too.

5. Yeah, that’s right, she listens.

6. She’s adorably started calling Chloe “Chlo” and it makes Chloe’s insides all warm and fuzzy.

7. They sound really good when they turn “Titanium” by David Guetta and Sia into a duet.

8. Beca asks good questions. She asks about what Chloe likes and dislikes about her life, the whys, the details. She doesn’t let a conversation die with monosyllables.

9. It’s safe to say Chloe is more than a little in love at this point.

When they step back outside into the crisp night air, Chloe’s still laughing about a comment Beca made, as Beca digs into the saddlebags to draw out their helmets. Again, she helps tighten the strap beneath Chloe’s chin, and maybe it’s the three drinks Chloe indulged in over the course of the evening, or maybe it’s the way the buzzing neon reflects off Beca’s irises - but as Beca’s fingers brush against her neck, Chloe says, “Wait.”

Immediately, Beca’s fingers drop away from Chloe and she takes a half-step back, “I’m sorry, did I do something?” but Chloe’s fighting to loosen the straps and finally, finally takes off the helmet. She steps forward towards Beca who’s still looking confused, even a little worried, and she puts left hand on Beca’s cheek.

“You did everything,” Chloe says, and then she’s pressing forward, closing her eyes, and they’re kissing.

The street isn’t busy, if anything, it’s deserted, despite the occasional rowdy echoes from Steve’s. So they kiss, the helmet falls from Chloe’s fingertips as she brings her right hand up to cup Beca’s other cheek, and trail her fingers into Beca’s hair. Beca’s still holding onto her helmet, but her free hand has come around to press lightly against the small of Chloe’s back.

It’s not a fervent kiss, they’re not winding up for a home-run adventure - it’s soft, gentle, exploratory. Chloe learns that Beca likes to have her lip tugged carefully by Chloe’s teeth. When they finally pull away, they’re both wearing smiles, and even in the low lighting, they can tell that the other is flushed.

“What did I do to deserve that?” Beca asks. Chloe doesn’t think she’s flattering herself to think that her voice might even be a little breathless.

“Like I said,” Chloe wraps her arms around Beca’s neck. “Everything.”

Beca laughs. “That’s pretty cryptic, Chlo.”

Chloe shrugs, and bends down to bury her head in Beca’s neck.

“Luckily for you, I wouldn’t mind spending a lot more time to figure you out,”  Beca adds.

“Good,” Chloe murmurs. “I won’t lie - I could pretty easily see myself falling for you.”

She feels Beca smile against her cheek. “Don’t worry - I’ll catch you.”

[143bc]

❤️ BeChloe 🌹

LITERALLY SOBBING over the BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT fanart that @sketchywave made showing Chapter Five of my story Basic Bitches in which Beca and Chloe go to a football game (because secretly Barden University looks a WHOLE lot like my alma mater, Auburn University) and then hook up in the bathroom (oops.)

Absolutely BLOWN AWAY by how this fandom and how generous, EXTREMELY FUCKING TALENTED, and perfect everyone is.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[supergirlpolls]

suggested by @sketchywave

[euphoricmood]

thank you @krimprim!!! I do love you and talking about myself

: tag nine people you want to get to know better!

Favourite colour: dark forest green, no hesitation. it's vibrant! it's green, like my eyes. it's nature! leaves! trees! bushes! clovers!

Currently reading: I'm in between books rn. I finished this week end the Bluest eye by Toni Morrison and holy shh it was disturbing but in such a smart way, after reading the song of Solomon I feared all her books would be too heavy for me. It was, but the narrating made it accessible.

Last song: Leave my room by DBFC, my father is pestering me about work so it does seem fitting. also I'm ready to go berserk at any time , real soon.

Last series: I watched the first episode of Physical, a apple original, about a woman in the 80's suffering from an eating disorder and generally dissatisfied of her life as a housewife. the synopsis sound unimpressive but I liked this episode. she is relatable, I love this actress, and her self loathed inner voice almost monotonous feels very real to me. the whole eating disorder thing can be triggering.

Last movie: The Suicide Squad haha, so much violence. a nice movie overall, I love ratcatcher and harley quinn outfits. Pete Davidson's character die very quickly.

Sweet/savoury/spicy: usually I would say sweet but lately I keep eating jalapeño. but I do add too much sugar in everything and can't go a day without chocolate..

Currently working on: the start of school is coming soon, so I'm updating the program of what I'll teach my students. little babies who don't know yet how dictatorial a drama teacher I am. bouhaha. jokes aside they love me dw

tagging :

@martyrdom9 , @occasional-owl , @sweetlittleoreo , @whimperandabang , @kishi-no-kaze , @sketchywave , @maryshelleygf , @schrodys-cat , @securemoon

[suituuup]

On this first day of 2021, I wanted to round up my favorite fics/art works of 2020 in a masterlist! I wish I had the time to read every single fic out there but unfortunately there are only so many days in a year. There are obviously many more amazing creators than the ones mentioned here! Thank you to every single one, for all that you bring to this fandom!

favorite holiday fic

Christmas Eve with the Bellas

by @snowflake19-things​

Beca is roped into spending Christmas Eve with a redhead she doesn't know, and her group of friends, whom she also doesn't know. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. It turns out, however, they're pretty okay. Weird, but okay. 

favorite fluff fic

it's 3 AM (I must be lonely)   

by @becasbelt

It really is getting late, and Beca knows that she really should be getting to bed, but Chloe really is cute and her essay isn’t done anyways.

Or, a gradual love story told over math problems and note cards.

a fun one

Dammit, Zsa Zsa!

by @scylla-ramshorn

Sheila’s naughty poodle sneaks something valuable from Beca’s suitcase during an important family affair. Chaos ensues.

my favorite series

Walk Along Side of Me by boatstoesta 

Teacher AU - Beca Mitchell starts her teaching career at a new school in the middle of a semester. There's one teacher that rubs her the wrong way- Miss Chloe Beale.

a fic i’m excited about

I have several!

'cause you weren't mine to lose   

by @chloebeale

Back in college, Beca was so in love with Chloe Beale. She never told her, though. She never told anyone. So, when Chloe shows up, years later, on Beca’s doorstep, drunk out of her mind after a bad breakup, Beca is not going to turn her away. She does the decent thing and invites her in to get sobered up…

The next morning, she realizes she maybe should’ve just heard her out last night.

Broken Clocks by @anastasia-93-daybidaylove

Beca lives in LA; she's a music producer, about to release her first solo album, succesful and accomplished. The life she'd always wanted. Chloe lives back where they used to; she has a completely different life than Beca's, quiet and peaceful. The life she'd always wanted. It's been a long time since the were Beca and Chloe; whatever that means anymore. But life has decided to bring them together once more. How much will it succeed?

With Storm and Fury by @scylla-ramshorn

In an alternate America where witches ended their persecution by cutting a deal with the U.S. government to fight for their country, 19-year-old Fixer witch Beca Mitchell reports to Fort Salem for basic training in magical combat.

Presque Vu by thetoneofsurprise

Suffering from severe career burnout, Beca’s Mom convinces her to journey back home to Portland for some overdue recovery time. Reluctant but obliging, Beca stays home for the holidays. But going back to where you grew up means going back to all the things you left behind, no matter how much things have changed… or how much might have been forgotten.

other faves in no particular category:

just a legacy to protect by @chlobeales

darling, so it goes (some things are meant to be) by boatstoesta

Cheeseheads by @notsoawesomenerd

your heart is glowing (and i’m crashing into you) by @snowonebutyou

everyone loves a brat by @ aca_bhlo_me

You're My Favorite by sunshine_and_raincloud

The Photographer and the Bridesmaid by @anotherbechloeshipper  

Chick Magnet by @green-eyed-weirdo  

Counting Cards by @redlance

Love at First Flight  by @ear-monstrosities

life's too short to even care at all  by @snowonebutyou

resisting my own defense by @chloebeale

as soon as she leaves I say I love you (under my breath)  by @becasbelt

how far do i have to go? (to get to you) by @bechloehuh

To Get Over You  by @ aca_bechloe47

Somewhere Beyond by @snowydot​

i’m only me because of you (you know me better than i do) by @mcrololo​

No Matter The Timeline by @massivedrickhead​

favorite artworks:

this hot piece by @thehorriblyslowmurderer

this adorable one by @golden-goldfish

this also hot one by @redpadawanjedi

family fluff by @ninth-on-eight

and the kiss!! by @sketchywave

another take on the kiss that i love by @shikariix​

And:

and this amazing poem by @ridiculously-over-obsessed​

can’t forget the amazing @pitchslapped​ for creating a really cool Bechloe podcast!

[beca-mitchell]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[green-eyed-weirdo]

Helloooooo! Fog, cider and spice? (✪ω✪)/🌈

Hi wavesieeeee!

Fog - how well do you think you’d do in a zombie apocalypse scenario?

I think I would do very well to be honest. I’ve watched all seasons of the walking dead and I know what to do. My best friend and I have a plan ready just in case. 😆

Cider - a food that you disliked as a child but now enjoy?

I was a picky eater as a kid so I didn’t like a lot of things. One thing I distinctly remember not wanting to eat was fish. I live for sushi now. 🙈

Spice - have you ever encountered a house that you believed to be haunted?

I try to stay away from places that are supposedly haunted because that scares the crap out of me.

I did experience something kinda weird once. The night before one of my friend’s bachelorette party me and the brides sister slept over in their childhood home (because we had to leave very early). In the middle of the night I woke up and saw a man standing by the door of the room. In my sleepy state I thought it was the dad or something and went back to sleep.

In the car the next day, we were talking about the night before and I told them I saw someone in the room last night. Their mom said “dad wasn’t home last night, he was working the nightshift”. So I started describing the man I had seen and saw my friends give each other a weird look. So I was like “whaaaaat?” And the mom told me my friend never wanted to go upstairs by herself when she was a kid, because there was a man standing in the hallway. My description was exactly the same as hers. 😧

Asks from this list

[inversetwilight]

Hi I feel like being nice too ily youre so soft

ily too, Waves ❤ Hope you have an awesome day/night.

[lespetitesmortsde]

One-Sided War, part three

Part three! @sketchywave

Except Beca does win a third time, because she works there and gets in before anybody else and stakes her claim on the spot before anyone else even has the chance.

It sparks Chloe’s irritation anew and the injustice forces it to grow. Emily can almost see the flames behind her eyes as she takes Chloe’s order and money and gestures her over to the pick-up area.

The old man is right behind Chloe, and she watches what he’s going to do as he gets his regular drip (in a white non-refillable mug) and she waits for her espresso.

To her surprise, as soon as Beca sees the man, she gets up and helps him into the chair, playfully wrapping her blanket around him and shaking his hand before walking past Chloe and into the back room of the cafe. When she emerges only moments later, Chloe’s picking up her drink, and Beca stays behind the bar, sliding easily into the rhythm Emily and Tom have set up.

Chloe slips into the same chair she had yesterday, deftly avoiding the weird bulge, and sits quietly across from the man. He reads his newspaper, and drinks his coffee, and Beca clearly isn’t coming back before he leaves, so Chloe sets up her computer. When she navigates back to her document, she cringes at the lack of work she did yesterday.

She needs to stop letting Beca distract her, so she dives right in and tries not to think about the mysterious new addition to her cafe.

Her plan doesn’t exactly go smoothly, though, because around 6:45, Beca wanders over with a mug of coffee, white this time, and sets it down in front of the old man. She swipes away his empty coffee mug and walks right back to the counter to help her coworkers.

When the old man reaches for his coffee next, after putting down his newspaper, she can almost see the chain reaction in his mind: reach for mug, oh wait there’s no coffee left, wait why is there a new mug here…

He looks up and looks around and looks imploringly over at the counter. Like she has a sixth sense, Beca looks over at that moment, sends him a smile and a wave, and then goes right back to work. Chloe can see the corners of her mouth are still slightly turned up.

“Thank you, Beca,” he calls out across the coffee shop, and Beca waves him off again.

“No problem, Rick, enjoy.”

Oh Jesus, Chloe thinks. Her anger dissipates almost entirely. She’s sweet and her voice is sexy. Chloe glances down mournfully at her computer, already admitting defeat, already knowing that today is the day she’s going to talk to Beca.

She’s also disappointed in herself. Since when does she get so irritated over small things like a chair in a coffee shop? And why doesn’t she know that the nice old man she used to switch chairs with is named Rick, when she’s been here longer?

It feels a little like she’s lost herself somewhere along the way in the past few years, settling into what she thought was a routine of adulthood, but now that she thinks more critically, seems more and more like a rut.

When did she stop making friends everywhere she goes and get so… so self-involved?

She shudders and takes a comforting sip of her macchiato. The more she thinks about it, the less she likes discovering what she’s brushed aside as the naivete of youth. She vows to be better.

Glancing over at the brunette, who’s now working the till instead of the frother, she nods to herself and even though she has almost half her drink left, she downs it quickly. She waits a moment for all the new liquid to settle into her stomach before she gets up and joins the back of the now nine-person-deep line, almost out the door.

“Hello there, can I get you another caramel macchiato?” Beca asks as Chloe approaches the counter.

Chloe beams, “Yes, please.”

“Caramel macchiato, half-sweet, for Chloe,” Beca calls over her shoulder, already ringing through the refill charge.

“Wait, how did you-”

Beca chuckles. “Emily says you’re here every day and you always get the same thing.”

Sure enough, when Chloe glances over at her usual barista, Emily gives a little wave before going right back to steaming milk.

“Well, thanks,” Chloe says, holding out her hand so Beca can pour coins into it. “Beca,” she adds.

Beca smirks. “No problem.”

Chloe steps away, toward the pick-up counter, and watches Beca interact with the next customer, and then the one after that, before she’s able to pick up her coffee and head back to her new spot.

Rick’s coffee is already three quarters gone, and he’s pushed his newspaper aside to just stare out the window instead. Normally, Chloe would’ve left him alone, but now that she’s trying to get back to college Chloe, she’s on a mission.

She sits down across from him, puts down her drink, and leans forward in her chair. “Hi there!” she greets brightly. He turns to look at her and smiles a little.

“Hello.”

“So your name’s Rick? My name’s Chloe. I see you in here a lot. Nice to finally meet you!” And Chloe sticks out her hand.

Rick takes it and gives it a good one-pump shake. “Nice to meet you, too.” He shifts a little in his seat. “You’re here early today.”

Chloe blushes a little at this. “I was trying to scope it out and see why Beca kept beating me to inheriting your chair, but now I understand.” She settles back into her new spot. “And this chair is pretty good, so long as you avoid the bump.”

That gets a laugh out of the man, and it’s so nice to have an innocent conversation with someone that it strikes Chloe how much she’s missed it.

“It doesn’t come pre-warmed though, does it?” Rick asks, playfully.

She laughs softly, “No, it doesn’t, but I guess I’ll live.” Chloe sighs a little for dramatic effect and Rick practically glows at the attention.

He drinks the last of his coffee, and looks a little forlornly at the mug. Chloe looks at him questioningly, but when Rick catches her eye, he just shrugs. “I’m not supposed to have more than one cup of coffee per day,” he admits. “Doctor said something about all the caffeine.”

Suddenly, Chloe’s good will toward Beca wanes.

“Oh, no!” She says, wringing her hands. Already, she’s thinking of ways to talk to Beca about potentially harming the health of one of her customers.

“Don’t worry about it,” a voice interjects, and Chloe turns to see Beca smiling at Rick. “It’s decaf, old man, so it’s got all the flavour and none of the crap.”

Chloe almost swoons.

Beca’s changed out of her cafe shirt, instead donning some sort of dark blue tank top with a red plaid shirt overtop, and still on top of that, a black hoodie.

“Thank you, Beca,” Rick says, as he gets up from the chair and folds his newspaper under his arm, blanket falling off of his shoulders as he goes.

“Like I said, no problem, Rick,” Beca smiles, taking a step to the side. “Have a good day!”

Rick nods, “I will, thank you, you ladies, too.” Chloe feels a little pleasurable spark at being included with Beca. He walks off and Beca drops into the chair, wrapping her blanket around herself. She reaches into her bag to pull out her headphones and Chloe realizes that her window for a conversation is vanishing as she watches.

“Hey,” Chloe says, an edge of panic to her voice. Beca pauses in her movements.

“Hey…?”

“So do you own this place now, then?” Chloe asks, the question pouring out of her. She’d meant to check if Beca was, indeed, new in town, and then try to use that as a segue to meet up with Beca outside of the coffee shop.

Beca laughs. It’s not just an amused chuckle or a couple of ‘heh’s; it’s a full on chortle, like it’s the funniest thing she’s ever heard in her lifetime. Chloe just sits there confused and patient.

“No, I don’t own the place. I’m just helping out for a few days. I’m friends with the actual owner, Jesse. He needed some help, I was passing through, so why not, you know?” Beca pulls her headphones onto her lap and reaches into her bag again, drawing out her laptop.

Chloe knows Jesse, has met him a bunch over the time she’s spent sequestered in what is now Beca’s chair. And she doesn’t mean to be rude, but, “How do you two know each other?”

Almost anyone aside from Chloe would’ve blushed at pressing for information, but Chloe just leans forward a little bit in her chair to show she’s interested, and smiles warmly.

Beca shifts her headphones so they lie on top of her closed laptop, and picks up her coffee instead. She scoots back, like she’s settling in for a lengthy conversation, and wraps her hands around the mug.

“We went to the same music finishing school.”

Chloe grins, “I love music! What did you two do there?”

Beca takes a sip before responding, “Jesse pursued thematic scoring; he’s really into movies. I took a degree in music engineering.” Chloe nods along as Beca speaks.

“So, now Jesse owns a coffee shop and you…?”

“I produce music. I’ve also been known to DJ a little on the side, but it happens less often these days.”

Bobbing her head, Chloe asks, “Anything I might’ve heard?”

Beca tilts her head like she’s thinking about it. “On the production side, yes, if you listen to the radio. On the DJ side, only if you find mixes in the furthest corners of the internet.”

Chloe just stares at her expectantly.

Beca sighs into a chuckle. “You know Halsey?”

Wide-eyed, Chloe nods quickly. Beca shrugs like it’s no big deal.

“That’s so awesome, Beca! Wow! She’s got some sick beats,” Chloe compliments. Beca tries to hide her pleasure at the compliment behind an awkward smile.

“Thanks.”

“Whom else?”

“Um, I’ve done some stuff with Justin Timberlake, a couple with Ed Sheeran, once I was graced to help Beyonce, and there have been a few others.” Beca fidgets with the edges of her blanket.

“Damn,” Chloe whistles. “So, you’re like, famous hey?”

Immediately Beca is shaking her head, “No, no, no, I just play with some buttons and dials and stuff. I’m not famous.”

But Chloe will not be put off. “What’s your DJ name?”

Beca blushes hard. “Oh, um, it’s just Beca Mitchell. Or DJ double B. Or DJ B. I never really wanted a DJ-something name, though. If David Guetta doesn’t need one nor do I.”

Chloe freezes. “Shut. Up.”

So Beca stares uncomfortably.

“Shut up!” And then Chloe’s vibrating with glee, talking animatedly, “I love your stuff, oh my God, you’re not as hard to find as you think you are. How did you come up with the “Bulletproof” and “Titanium” mashup? The “500 Miles” one? You did a whole slew of Halsey mashups; it makes so much sense now!”

Beca swallows audibly. “Whoa. Okay. Calm down. Still shitty temporary barista Beca.”

But Chloe ploughs on, relentlessly, “Is that what you’re doing on your computer? I knew you couldn’t be writing, but I thought maybe you were doing accounting stuff for this place. Now that I know what I know, though, is it true?”

“So you’ve been watching me?”

That stops Chloe in her tracks. “Oh, um, well, I-”

Thankfully, Beca laughs. “Relax, Chloe. Yes, I’m working on some new mixes and mashups. I don’t perform much anymore, but I still release the stuff I make in my spare time.”

Chloe visibly relaxes. “How long are you here for, then, Ms. Badass Producer Lady?”

“Well, I’m covering for Jess for another week, and then I’m heading back to LA for a few sessions. Then, I dunno. I’ll be around.”

Beca’s eyes drift down and notice that Chloe’s cup and her own are empty. She shakes off her blanket and takes them over to the counter, washing her hands before making their drinks. This time, she doesn’t make herself a black coffee because Chloe watches her pour steamed milk into both of their mugs, not just hers.

When she walks back, Chloe asks, “What’d you get this time?”

Settling back into her blanket, Beca shrugs. “Same as you. I don’t usually go for the sweet stuff, but I only added half the sweetener you get. It’s halfway okay.”

“Rude,” Chloe states, taking a sip and smiling.

“That’s what people keep telling me,” Beca agrees.

There’s a brief silence over the two of them as they both grip onto their warm mugs and just kind of settle.

“Oh wait,” Chloe exclaims quickly, putting down her cup and shoving a hand into her jacket pocket. “I owe you $2.95 for the refill.”

Beca just waves her off, “It’s on the house. Don’t worry about it.”

“Are you sure?” Chloe hesitates to put her change back into her pocket.

“I’m sure, Chloe. It’s fine. I’m the boss remember? At least for the week.” Beca glances around for a second before setting her gaze back on Chloe. “So what do you do here all day? Em says you’re here basically all day every day.”

It’s Chloe’s turn to flush lightly. “Oh, I’m a writer.”

Beca grins, “Anything I’d know?”

Chloe screws up her nose a little in thought. “I generally write historical fiction or non-fiction, and you don’t strike me as the type.”

Laughing, Beca nods, “Yeah, I barely read, but when I do, it’s generally a YA novel Jesse’s recommended or books about music.”

“The music bit is a little predictable, Becs,” Chloe informs her, leaning back comfortably in her chair and taking a sip of her drink.

“What can I say, I’m an open book,” Beca jokes. “Seriously though, what’ve you written? Maybe I’ll try it out.”

“You’ll be here tomorrow, right?” Chloe asks, changing the subject.

A little confused, Beca replies, “Yeah, why?”

“I’ll bring some of my books. If you want to read any of them, you can just have them,” Chloe says. She leans down to dig into her bag for her pad of sticky notes, grabs her pen from the tabletop, and writes herself a note so she doesn’t forget.

“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that,” Beca attempts to backpedal.

Chloe waves her off. “Show me some of the stuff you’re working on, but haven’t finished, and we’ll call it a trade.”

“Deal,” Beca agrees, “but only stuff that’s my own.” She shrugs. “Confidentiality contracts and all that jazz.”

“That’s so cool,” Chloe says a little dreamily.

Beca raises an eyebrow and takes a sip of her coffee while Chloe blushes lightly. “Sorry.”

But Beca just shakes her head with a small smile. “What are you working on right now, Hemingway?”

Chloe giggles briefly as she hits a few keys on her laptop. “Not quite the right genre, but I’ll give it to you,” Chloe answers. “As long as you don’t think I’m an alcoholic.” She turns the screen towards Beca.

Shrugging, Beca scoots forward in her seat to get a better look at Chloe’s screen as she replies, “Eh, we don’t know each other well enough yet. I’m reserving judgment.”

“So you think we’ll get to know each other more?”

Beca’s cheeks redden. “Maybe just hoping.”

Chloe smiles widely and gestures to the screen. “Right now I’m working on an article for National Geographic about territorialism in domestic animals,” Chloe explains. “Maybe you could help me with the human angle?”

Beca moves her gaze from the screen to Chloe’s face, confusion evident. “How am I supposed to do that?”

Chloe grins, happy that Beca’s taken the bait. “Well, for example, I’m very territorial about my coffee shop seat,” she trails off as she watches Beca’s confusion deepen.

“Okay…?”

“And for the last three days,” Chloe smirks, “a certain brunette best friend of the manager has been stealing it.”

Beca’s mouth drops open in a soft ‘o.’ “Oh my God–”

“Which is a clear breach of my territory, however, like animals in the wild, I can be appeased,” Chloe explains helpfully, cutting off what she assumes will be an apology. “Say dinner tonight? 7?”

She watches as Beca’s face flows from confusion and apologies to slow realization, and finally, through to a smile.

“You’re good,” Beca acknowledges, and tips an imaginary hat.

Chloe almost purrs at the compliment. “Thanks.”

Beca pulls a small notebook out of her bag, rips a page out, and writes on it. When she hands it to Chloe, she shrugs, “I don’t usually carry my phone on me, but you should probably text me an address or someplace where I’ll be picking you up.”

Excitedly, Chloe takes the slip of paper and makes a big show of entering the number into her phone, which is almost always on her. “Thanks!” she says brightly. “I’m Chloe Beale, by the way,” she waves Beca off as she opens her mouth. “We already know your last name, so I thought I would level the playing field.”

“Well, thanks, Chloe Beale,” Beca replies, playing with one of the ear cushions on her headphones. Then she gestures down at Chloe’s laptop. “When’s your deadline?”

Immediately, Chloe winces. “Like… two days ago?”

Beca’s laughter is immediate and full, even though it’s quiet to match the coffee shop’s atmosphere. “I’d be so dead if I was that late.”

Blushing, Chloe defends herself, “It’s kind of, like, a thing in the publishing industry. Writers are late. Even when we try not to be!”

“Oh really?” Beca asks, amusement evident, disbelief clear.

Chloe nods emphatically. “Oh yeah, my editors have a policy where they give all writers early deadlines so that they can afford the extra time when the writer’s late.”

Beca just raises her eyebrows.

“Yeah,” Chloe admits, “I’m not supposed to know in case I abuse the safety net they’ve created for themselves, but it still works! I just feel less bad when I’m late.”

“So how much of a cushion do you have?”

“Like a week?” Chloe says, tilting her head to the side. “Something like that.”

Beca hums. “And how close are you to being finished?”

“... Not very,” Chloe says and she meets Beca’s inquisitive stare.

The two of them hold eye contact for a moment.

“Okay, well, you work on your book, and I’ll work on my music so that A. I meet my deadline because in the music industry, you cannot be late. If you’re close to the deadline, you’re considered late. And B. So that when I take you out later and blow your mind with awesomeness, I won’t feel guilty about pulling you from your responsibilities.”

“That sounds good, Becs,” Chloe smiles.

Beca smirks. “That’s how I roll,” she says and slips on her headphones, sending a wink Chloe’s way before focusing her eyes on the screen in front of her.