Becemily oneshots// 2018

❤️ tall glass of water ❤️

Chapter Text

The second Amy whispers "giraffe legs" the only thing Emily can think is God, not again.

She'd started seventh grade at only four foot six, and ended it at five foot four. Her mom called her beanstalk for a year until she realized that her daughter hated the nickname, and after some prodding, she found out that the reason she hated the nickname was because of the kids at school.

Their nicknames were unoriginal but they still hurt Emily. She's always felt a little too much a lot of the time, so obviously the names hurt. Pencil, Leggy, Gulliver, Lankenstein. They were dumb, and so were the kids picking on her, but they still got to her.

High School wasn't as bad, but she was the tallest in her class and kids are assholes. For the most part, Emily liked her height. She liked that she could see over people's heads, and she liked that she looked older than she was, and she liked that people asked her for help when they needed her to reach something.

By the time she graduated high school, the nicknames had all but stopped, save for some annoying boys that Emily has always disliked. She'd desperately wanted to respond when one of them had called her Giantess on graduation day - desperately wanted to respond with something harsh about how one of the boys' voice hadn't cracked yet, or how one of them had acne all over his face - but Emily knew that wouldn't have been right. Just because she'd been bullied for the most of middle and high school, doesn't mean she should become the bully. Her parents hadn't brought her up that way. So instead Emily ignored them and left to find her mom and dad, praying that the graduation ceremony would be over quick.

She was sad to leave high school, but she wasn't sad to leave everybody behind. She was excited to go to college, where people are more mature - where people are adults! - and join the Bellas and go to parties and have the best experiences of her life. After all, that's what her mom said would happen.

She does join the Bellas, and the second Amy whispers "giraffe legs" the only thing Emily can think is please for the love of God, don't.

But it only happens once, which is okay. Sure, Amy called her dumb and stupid and a child, but that's okay. She knows none of them are true.

Half way through Freshman year, she realizes that her feelings for Beca Mitchell, co-captian of the Bellas, are less platonic admiration, and more wow, I really want to hug you and kiss you all the time.

"Hey Em?" Emily looks up from where she's sitting at the table in the kitchen, her bio book in front of her and a pen tapping on the table.

"Yeah?" she responds to Beca, who is stood next to the fridge, the cupboard beside her head open.

"Um, you think you could reach the lucky charms for me?"

Emily is standing up already, smiling as Beca explains that they're Amy's but Amy steals her food all the time so it's okay, but to promise to not tell Amy about this exchange anyway.

"My lips are sealed," Emily says with a smile, handing Beca the cereal box.

"Thanks, Legs."

She feels something inside her crack at the nickname, and she should've known that college wouldn't be any different. Should've known that Beca wouldn't be any different.

She later realizes - a whole month later, but she still realizes - that she needs to call Beca out on it. Because Beca calls her more than just 'Legs', though that nickname is the most popular besides Legacy. She calls her Skyscraper, Bean Pole, Stretch, Sasquatch, Top Shelf, Groß (that's a new one, and it takes Emily a while to realize that Beca is calling her tall in German, not gross.) At one point she even calls her smalls, which ticks Emily off the most.