For Lovers Only

Chapter 9: Mended

An orange glow filtered in through the flimsy curtains as a slight afternoon breeze trickled in from the cracked open window. The curtains danced as the wind blew cool air against the fabric, making them come alive. Horns honked and birds chirped outside, which mixed into a strange symphony of sounds.

Beca was exhausted. Her body ached in places she didn't know could even ache, but it was a good ache. A reminder of Chloe, of what she could do, especially with those hands of hers. A small groan worked its way out of her throat, goose bumps tingling over her arms and legs at just the memory of Chloe's hands. The gentle back and forth motion of her fingers as they ghosted down her spine almost felt... real.

That's when she realized it was.

Opening her eyes and cocking her head over her shoulder, the sheet slid down her chest, becoming exposed, as she caught Chloe's gaze. Beca smiled at her, while her hand continued its ministrations and traveled up and down her back in smooth rhythms, the motions relaxing and hypnotic.

"Hi," Chloe greeted. "You dozed off for a bit there. Did I wear you out?"

She was smug. God, why was it so attractive, though?

Smirking, Beca let out a sigh as she let Chloe's fingers take her to heaven. "Is that even a question?" She shot back, eyes closing. "I'm sore in places I didn't even know could be sore."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should. Very talented hands you've got there, Miss Beale."

That made Chloe chuckle. "So do you, Miss Mitchell. So do you. Besides, I just had to return the favor."

"Consider it returned and paid in full."

Beca then rotated on her side so that she now faced Chloe, her hand reaching up to fiddle with the redhead's hair. For some reason, she always seemed to be touching it or playing with it. Didn't know why. She just liked it, and from the low sigh Chloe let escape, she did too.

A heavy weight soon pressed down on Chloe's shoulders. She couldn't not be truthful with Beca. Pressing a kiss to her lips chastely, Chloe opened her heart to the woman in her arms. How could she not after everything that's happened in the last 24 hours?

"This is crazy," she began, propping herself up on her arm, elbow digging into the mattress. She could feel Beca's hand encompassing her waist, thumb swirling over the soft skin.

"What is?" Beca whispered. "Us?"

"Yeah, us."

Brow knit in confusion, she tilted her head to the side. "What about us?"

"That we're an us– that we're here, together. It's like, I was hoping to never see you again, and then at the same time wanting to see you every single morning I woke up. I- does that make sense?"

Beca nodded. "Actually, it does. Complete sense, because I felt the same way. Wanting to see you, but not wanting to see you."

"Good." Chloe shook her head on a sigh, "Because nothing else does."

Shifting slightly on the bed, Beca gave her middle a squeeze. "I know... I woke up this morning the happiest woman in the world. Nothing could have changed that. And on the way to pick you up, I was racking my brain, thinking about all of the moments we had and didn't have together, and I realized just how lost I was before. I went through the motions.

"But then I realized that all of those missed moments led up to this, to us. Everything. Every twist and turn led straight back to you, Chloe." Beca took her hand in hers, placing a single kiss upon it. "I didn't feel complete, as cliché as that might sound, when you left. I wasn't the same anymore. It was like I had a piece missing. But ever since I first saw you two days ago, I've never felt more complete in my entire life."