bechloe short stories

Physical contact

I hate physical contact of any kind. Hand holding, cuddling, spooning, hand on leg, leaning against each other all lovingly. All of it. I hate all of it. Or at least that's what I want people to think. Truthfully...I don't mind it when some people touch me. I love it when Chloe puts an arm around me while we're walking, or holds my hand during movies, or uses the key I gave her to come into my apartment and crawl into bed with me when she isn't sleeping well. So why do I protest physical contact when I'm actually starting to like it? I'll tell you why. It's the principle of the thing. If I don't grumble when Chloe shows affection...then people will start to think one of two things, that I'm NOT a bad ass...which is definitely not the case, or worse...that I'm whipped, which is actually true. Not that I mind being whipped. If I was going to be whipped by any person, man or woman, I would most definitely prefer it to be Chloe Beale.

Red hair, blue eyes, adorable bubbly personality...what's not to love? Just to be clear, that was a rhetorical question, but if it was a real question the answer would be nothing. But of course, because I'm me, I now have a problem. I grumble about physical contact and romance and mushiness out of the principle of the thing. I protest my parent's failure of a relationship by refusing to accept the happiness of being in a relationship. Wow that makes me sound like an asshole...let me explain. It's not that I think love sucks, or that it doesn't exist or anything. My belief of love is that it's really split into two parts...there's the happiness: the cuddling, the great sex, the feeling that you're the only two people in the whole fucking world, and then there's the realistic part of love: you're not always going to get along, there's going to be fights, but eventually you'll just learn to live with each other without trying to kill each other. Toleration.

But of course, since Chloe is the most beautiful, amazing, inviting person on the fucking planet I'm finding myself on the receiving end of the happy side of love. But I don't want to forget that the ugly side is still there. So I feel like if we become one of those couples that are just completely absorbed in their own happiness and in showing it to the world...then we'll have a harder time with reality. I hope that makes sense. Otherwise I just seem like that weird alternative girl with the creepy ear spikes who happens to be the only person on the planet who doesn't love love. But anyway...back to the problem...the problem is that I told all this to Chloe and she actually understood it. So now she's completely okay respecting my personal space and accepting the reality of love with me. Which is amazing. I've never been with someone so supportive and accepting and wonderful...but now I'm really horny and I want to cuddle. And I think she knows it too. Last night we were watching a movie together and she didn't try to hold my hand...or put her hand on my leg...or put an arm around me...or anything. And that's basically what I asked for...I'm not sure what I was hoping to accomplish by telling her that I protested her physical contact because I felt like it was evading the reality of what love is...but I wish I'd kept my big opinionated mouth shut. Now...I have to take it back. And I know she's going to say I told you so.

I picked up my phone and dialed the way too familiar seven digit number. She answered on the 4th ring "Hey Becs!" her voice sounds a little rough. Her nodes had been getting way worse with all the added practices Aubrey was putting us through to prepare for the semi-finals...and of course...I was worried about her

"Hey babe" I replied, smiling like a dip. Ugh...I just remembered that I also told her I didn't like pet names that much. God, I'm such a jerk. I love it when she calls me babe...or Becs...or anything. "Do you want to come over and watch a movie tonight?" I paused and bit my lip slightly...knowing I had to pull out all the stops if I wanted her to not to be completely smug over the fact that she was the one to make me like...mushy things. "I'll cook you dinner." I could almost hear her smile through the phone

"Sounds great." She told me "what time should I come over?" I checked the clock. It was only four o'clock and I needed to go to the DVD rental place and the store since the only thing in my fridge was...actually I had no idea. I got up and walked to the fridge...which was unfortunately a whole 10 feet away from the couch in my apartment's "living area" which was actually just a room containing a couch, a TV, and all of my mixing equipment. I opened the fridge door and scanned the shelves. I had a container of mustard, a bottle of red wine, and an orange.

"Say...six o'clock?" I also needed to go through my closet and decide which outfit would be best for telling my girlfriend that she'd broken through my barrier of sarcasm and body jewelry to expose the true Rebecca Jade Mitchell...who actually liked cuddling and holding hands and sweet talk...I also needed to find the right moment to tell her that I'd gotten another tattoo...

So I went to the DVD rental store and browsed the shelves for a movie that Chloe would like and that at the same time wouldn't make me want to die. I debated calling Jesse for advice due to the hundreds and hundreds of movies on shelves surrounding me. Then I came across an indie-film about a guy who goes to find himself on a road trip to Canada.

Then I hit up the grocery store by my apartment for the ingredients to make lasagna. Chloe's favorite.

Sure enough there was a knock on my door at exactly...I squinted to see the clock without putting my glasses on 5:59pm. I smiled to myself and pulled the lasagna out of the oven to cool. I laughed to myself...Chloe has most definitely domesticated me...and damn it if I don't love it. I opened the door. She looked amazing, of course, wearing a pair of jeans tucked into a brown leather boots with a long sleeved blue v-neck that matched her eyes.

"Hey" she said with a smile. I didn't respond, I just stepped forward and wound an arm around her waist, pulling her to me, and let the other one grasp the back of her neck, connecting my lips to hers. The kiss started out soft and then deepened. After a long moment we pulled apart with Chloe gawking at me. "Wow." She said, clearing her throat. She winced slightly, her hand going to her throat, no doubt at the pain she felt from her nodes.

"Come on in." I said, placing my hand at the small of her back and ushering her inside. Chloe made herself comfortable at the table in my kitchen which was only supposed to fit four...though it's fit around 8 on a regular basis since the Bellas love inviting themselves over for dinner after Chloe spilled that I could actually produce meals that were edible. I put on hot water for tea. Chloe's nodes have been bothering her way more than usual. "How's your throat?" She pulled a face

"They've gotten a lot worse...I'm going to remove them as soon as this season is over. I scheduled an appointment." I could feel my eyebrows raising in surprise. Semi-finals was in a few days, and if we didn't make it to the next round then our season was over.

"Oh." I poured her a cup of tea and added a generous helping of honey to help her throat. "Are your parents coming in town for your surgery?" she shook her head.

"They're too busy." I slowly sank into my seat across from her. Should I tell her now or wait until after dinner?

"I can be there." I blurted. So much for thinking this through. "If you don't mind." she smiled and took a sip of her tea

"You don't have to, Becs, I know you don't like couple-y things."

"Well I don't give a shit anymore." She cocked her head at me

"What?" She questioned, one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows lifting towards her hairline. I chuckled awkwardly and tried to stand up.

"Ready for dinner?" I asked hurriedly, trying desperately to change the subject. She grabbed my wrist, successfully putting me back into my seat.

"What was that about you not giving a shit, Mitchell?" she asked me, the slightest hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

"You have to promise not to laugh." I insisted. she stroked her thumb over the back of my hand, her blue eyes boring into mine intensely.

"Becs, We both know I can't do that." she told me. It was true.

"Then I'm not telling." I threatened, pulling my hand out of hers.

"Fine." she gave in with a smile and a wink, taking my hand across the table again.

"Fine." I sighed awkwardly, trying to find the right way to word things. "Chloe...I like couple-y things with you. Cuddling. Hand-holding. Baths. Dinner dates. Movies. Everything. The only reason I complain about it is so other people think I don't like them so I still seem..."

"Still seem...what?" she prompted, giving my hand a slight squeeze

"Bad ass." I admitted.

"Babe, you've never been bad ass with me." she said with a loving smile "You've been a teddy-bear since day one." I frowned slightly, torn between my pleasure at being called babe and my distaste at being called a teddy-bear.