Let me fix the broken pieces

The sunlight on her hair

Beca couldn't feel her hand anymore and they had only walked one block. She didn't care about it though, her mind was full concentration in Chloe's wellbeing. When they were waiting for the traffic lights permission to cross the street, she turned to the side to check on the redhead. Chloe's face was pale and she was looking around the crowded streets with wide eyes.

"Hey, are you feeling alright? Do you want us to keep going?" Beca asked with a reassuring smirk. Chloe nodded trying to smile and Beca decided to break the tension. "Ok we'll keep walking then, but you might consider leaving my hand some space for blood to do its job?" She pointed at her squeezed hand with the free one, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Oh, sorry" Chloe said, immediately loosening the pressure. Both friends chuckled and just then the traffic lights turned green so they could cross.

Luckily the park where Beca wanted to take Chloe wasn't too far from the apartment and they managed to get there with no further complications than a numb hand. The brunette checked on Chloe again and saw she was still looking around but smiling this time. A few steps more and they had reached the perfect spot. In fact Beca usually walked through that park every day, she really liked the fresh air and it wasn't too crowded at that time of day, and she imagined having a picnic there with the redhead too many times. Smiling brightly, she sat down on the grass leaning against a big tree. Chloe finally let go of her hand and sat down across of her. They both laughed and Chloe mumbled "I'm sorry" again when Beca massaged her hand dramatically.

"So you like this place?" Beca asked while opening her bag and taking out a cloth and some wrapped food. "I brought sandwiches. I love sandwiches. And also juice boxes and fruit, because I think you like fruit, right? Also the chocolate, of course" She realized she was talking too fast and her friend hadn't answered the first and most important question yet. She paused all her actions to look at her. Chloe was looking straight in her eyes with a lovely smile. The sun on her hair made her look brighter and more beautiful than usual even. Beca was in awe.

"Yes I really like this place, you found a beautiful spot." Chloe said in a low calm voice.

"You are beautiful" Beca blurted out, and stared like a dork until she realized there was a weird silence upon them. She cleared her throat and Chloe snapped back to reality too, breaking eye contact and mumbling a shy "Thank you"

Beca mentally slapped herself, she had to be really cautious. What would she do if Chloe had another panic attack right there? Aubrey gave her some instructions but Beca wasn't good with instructions at all. She was sure that if anything like that would happen, she wouldn't even manage to dial Aubrey's number on the phone correctly. So better was not risking anything. She put on the sweetest smile she could get, and offered a sandwich to Chloe, who grabbed it and brought it to her mouth in one move.

"Hungry?" Beca asked with a wink, and Chloe nodded with her mouth full. "I made them with my own hands!" Beca added, as if it was something that would happen only once in a year. Chloe looked impressed and once she swallowed she said it was a really good sandwich, which caused Beca's ego to increase.

"I really like this cloth with all the musical symbols... how are your mixes going, by the way?" Chloe asked, visibly trying to concentrate on Beca and stop looking around all the time.

"Hmm I kind of stopped mixing for a while... for fun I mean, I have to keep doing for work but..."

"Really? No way, you're too good! Why did you stop?" Chloe was so surprised that she almost spitted out the apple juice she was drinking.

"Yeah well..." Beca got nervous and looked down cutting grass with her hand. "Since I broke up with Jesse." She looked up searching for Chloe's eyes, and found them a bit sad. "Mixing music is my way to express my feelings, you know that. And I haven't had time since then to just sit down and express my feelings... except to write a few letters" Beca winked.

Chloe chuckled with that and took another sip of her juice.

"Yes the letter... or letters... they were beautiful, Beca. Thank you for that." The redhead said.

"Anything to bring the old Chloe back" Beca said. And she truly meant it.

The ginger got visibly nervous and started to look around again. Beca saw the beautiful blue eyes moving from one person to the other. People were running, laughing, playing... The park was getting crowded. She didn't know what to do, Chloe was starting to breathe heavily and left her juice box on the grass. One of her hands was running through her hair while the other was placed on her chest, worried.

A second later the redhead felt Beca's hand on her cheek, pushing her softly to make eye contact with her. Beca's other hand was placed on Chloe's knee, squeezing gently. The brunette was kneeling in front or her, really close.

"Shh Chlo, it's ok. Look at me." Beca whispered, trying to stay calm so Chloe could calm down too. Her friend's eyes showed she was scared. "Don't be scared, ok? I am here with you. These people are not going to hurt you. I am not going to hurt you. Hey, look at me." She lifted Chloe's chin when the redhead broke eye contact. When her eyes met her again they were not scared anymore, but upset and guilty. Beca opened her mouth but nothing came out.

"Hey girl, can you give me my ball?" Someone shouted, and Beca looked in that direction confused. A little girl was standing a few steps away from them pointing at a ball that was on their cloth. Beca moved reluctantly and threw the ball to the girl, not even bothering to fake a smile. Realization hit her while kneeling in front of Chloe again.

"Listen Chloe" She started, placing both hands on Chloe's knees because the redhead was already keeping the eye contact. "I understand you are afraid of going back to your old self again" Beca paused looking for the right words and Chloe took a deep breath. "I know you want to protect your heart behind a wall so it can't be hurt anymore. I understand that because I do that too. But you know? Even if you try your hardest, the feelings can climb the wall and jump to the other side... and I don't know if what I am saying makes any sense, but I am here now, and I will be here always to catch the feelings that jump away and give them back to you" Beca's furrowed eyebrows together with her uncommon speech made Chloe giggle in amusement. Beca let out a nervous little laugh and ran a hand through her hair. At least her friend was calming down.

"What I am trying to say is that you can let yourself be the old Chloe again without fear because this time I am staying right here. I'm not going anywhere Chlo"

Beca couldn't help it, while she spoke her face was getting closer to Chloe's and by the time she finished their foreheads almost touched. The brunette realized just in time and tilted her head to the side and then she placed a lingering kiss on Chloe's cheek. Time seemed to have stopped for god knows how long and after that their eyes met again, this time keeping the distance and smiling. Beca felt so proud of herself for knowing how to calm Chloe down, for being brave enough to speak about feeling with a weird but effective speech, and mostly she felt proud because she could control her urge to kiss Chloe on the lips. It wasn't the moment yet, she didn't even know if Chloe would ever want her back romantically, but she was going to keep hope up.

And thinking of keeping hope up, she stood up and helped Chloe stand up too. She handed the redhead the box of chocolates so she could take one, but Chloe grabbed the whole box instead and stepped back with a smirk.

"Come on Mitchell they are MY chocolates! If you want some, come and get them" and she winked before running away. Beca just stood there at first, eyes and mouth open in surprise and feign offense. She glanced at her bag and rest of things hesitantly, and then back at Chloe, who was hiding behind a tree and showing her tongue shaking her head funnily.

"Dammit" Beca muttered smiling, and she ran towards the redhead.