How long is always?

Chloe - Part 1

Beca Mitchell doesn't trust anyone. She shuts everyone out because that way they can't make promises to her and they won't ever get broken.

She's had enough of Always.

~~~~

Beca was in her own world. She barely registered even getting to Barden, only remembering some creepy guy singing to her when she got out of the taxi and then suddenly being in her new room. She unpacked her mixing equipment first, making sure everything was set up properly and it was all in the right place. She had an annoying and awkward conversation with her dad, then managed to escape to the activity fair with her roommate.

In some ways, she was grateful for her dad pissing her off so much. If she hadn't got annoyed at him, she would never have used the activity fair as an excuse to leave, meaning she would never have gone to the fair and would never have met her.

Her. Chloe.

~~~~ 

Pain. A lot of it. It overwhelmed her. Beca couldn't feel anything else. She shoved the last remaining t-shirt in her suitcase and tugged the zip shut, practically throwing it on the floor in front of her. Beca picked up her passport. She was about to get on the first flight back to LA. She needed to get out of there. After all, they'd finished the tour - it wasn't like the Bellas needed her hanging around them any longer. She might as well start her new job straight away.

She hadn't even cried yet - she was in too much pain to use the effort to cry. She hadn't even cried when she saw it, merely crossing her arms and smirking, just like anyone would expect her to do when she stumbled across her best friend making out with a military dude in uniform. They would say she's happy for Chloe, her best friend finally being happy and with someone she deserves. Best friends are meant to be happy for each other, aren't they? 

But Beca wasn't happy. Not the slightest bit.

She wished Chloe happiness - tons of it. She wished she could be that happy with someone, anyone. She wished many things, but there was one wish she wanted the most.

She wished, more than anything, that Chloe could be happy with her.

Not as 'just friends'. As something more.

~~~~

Beca jumped out of her skin when she heard knocking on the door. 

"Shit." She mumbled, shoving her suitcase under the hotel bed. She hadn't told anyone she was leaving yet; she didn't exactly want them to find out from seeing her suitcase fully packed.

The person knocked again. It was soft. There are only two people she knows that knock that softly.

Chloe, and...

"Legacy?" Beca exclaimed, opening the door on the younger Bella.

"Er yeah, Becs. Is this a bad time? Cause I can come back another time if you..."

"No... sorry I just thought you were... someone else."

"Ah." Emily said. "Chloe?"

Beca looked up. She saw the tall girl standing in front of her. Gone was the normally awkward and shy Emily Junk and in her place was a confidence Beca had only ever seen in the girl when she was either singing or reciting facts for her exams.

And this was one fact Emily knew to be truer than 2 + 2 = 4.

Beca was in love with Chloe.

Beca slowly nodded.

Despite what Fat Amy was constantly saying about her, Emily was not dumb. She really was a lot more observant that the they gave her credit for. The only other person to realise Beca's undying love for the ginger was Beca herself. Of course, the other girls knew there was something going on between the two and sure, they made jokes about it, but they never noticed just how madly in love Beca was with Chloe. Beca had know the moment she lay eyes on Chloe. Emily had known since the first time she met Beca. She watched the way the brunette looked at Chloe all throughout her first college party. She watched how Beca looked out for Chloe and took care of her when she was drunk.

Hell, Emily knew from years before that when she was in high school and spent her free time watching YouTube videos of the Bellas performing live. She always noticed, even then, the way Beca looked at Chloe. She had even thought they were dating until she found out Beca was with Jesse. They were always hugging and touching; Chloe wasn't afraid to ignore Beca's personal space and Beca wasn't afraid to let Chloe do it. 

Emily smiled at Beca.

"I know." Emily said.

Beca merely nodded again. It was only now that she let herself cry. 

"How did you know?"

"I was there. In the background. I was trying to find you to ask you where Fat Amy put my teddy pyjamas but then I saw Chloe... and Chicago... and I saw your face. It was worse than when you two fought in my freshman year. Remember? At the retreat?"

Beca scoffed. "How could I forget? The bear traps? 'Death defying team building trust exercises'? It was a nightmare."

"No. What was a nightmare was you two ignoring each other. I can't have my aca-moms fighting!  So please don't do it again. Don't shut her out. And whatever you do, please don't just up and run away from it all cause we all know how much you love to do that."

Beca turned to look at her suitcase tucked neatly under the bed. She couldn't tell her. Not now.

"Of course not." She whispered.