Yes! More fluff! Apparently it's what I'm good at, so suffer all you Angst lovers!
They weren't hiding their relationship. Not really, anyway. Chloe couldn't even pinpoint the moment that it shifted from friends to more. One day they weren't kissing, then it graduated to a kiss on the cheek here and there, then to full on necking whenever they could get time alone.
They fully intended on telling their friends and family. Sneaking around was just fun, and Beca honestly hated the idea of a big announcement. So it continued. They were best friends, roommates (cough* yeah, roommates) and they pretty much did everything together. Which is probably why no one was surprised when Beca invited Chloe to Easter brunch with her father and the step monster.
Beca decided to make a weekend out of it. She and Chloe would fly out of LAX on Thursday night, then spend the weekend holed up in a hotel room until they had to drive to her dad's house on the Sunday morning. The plan was foolproof. Was.
"Dad… No! It's fine, you… Chloe says she doesn't want to inconvenience you and Sheila…"
Chloe could see Beca getting frustrated with the conversation. Sure, blame the tag along best friend, Chloe thought. Beca must have caught the smirk and threw the crust of her toast across the breakfast bar before hitting the speaker button on the phone.
"Beca, it really won't be that big of a hassle. You and Chloe are more than welcome to stay in your old room. I don't want you having to pay for a hotel at this time of the year. You know they put the prices up on holidays."
Beca rolled her eyes, "Dad, you realise that cash flow is not an issue here, right?" It sounded cocky, but since Beca had scored a pretty decent gig with one of LA's premier production studios, the statement was valid.
"Yes, Beca, I understand. But we invited you so that you'd be able to spend quality time with us. Sheila's parents are flying in from Quebec on Wednesday because they want to see you again."
Beca groaned, "Dad, why? I thought you said it was just a family brunch?"
"I did, and then you told me that you were flying in on Thursday and not Saturday." Mistake number one, Beca thought bitterly. "Come on, Beca! It'll be fun!" Chloe giggled at the hopeful tone in Dr Mitchell's voice. Mistake number two. "Oh! Is Chloe there?"
Beca gave Chloe a pointed glance and gestured at the phone, "Yeah, how's it going Dr Mitchell?"
"How many times do I have to ask you to call me Warren, Chloe? Maybe you can talk some sense into that best friend of yours. She's turning down free accommodation because she's stubborn."
"I heard. But you know how Beca is. Once she has an idea in her head, she very rarely changes her mind," Chloe said.
"I think she's worried about the rooming arrangements mostly." Beca started waving her arms around, silently begging Chloe to end the conversation.
"Oh? She hadn't actually mentioned any of that. Just that you offered us room," Chloe grinned as Beca began taping her head against the counter. Mistake number three? Giving Chloe the phone. Shit.
"Oh, well, Sheila's parents are flying in as well. Sheila mentioned that Becs was coming for Easter so they decided that they'd fly in to see her as well. So the plan is slightly different. We can organise a trundle bed for Becs old room if you're worried about sharing." Beca watched the smirk bloom on Chloe's face. It was unnerving. She was up to no good.
"Don't go to any extra trouble just for us. I have no problem with sharing a mattress for a few days. She's tiny," Chloe said, winking at Beca.
"Well, I'm glad you've seen reason, Chloe. This way we can make a weekend of it, instead of only seeing the brat for half a day…"
"I heard that!" Beca added loudly.
"It's settled, Beca. I'll pick the two of you up on Thursday. I have a lecture to give in an hour, so I'll have to let you go. See you girls Thursday."
"Bye Dr Mitchell."
"Bye Dad," Beca hung up the phone and glared at her girlfriend who was leaning innocently against the kitchen bench. "You are a traitor. There will be swift and severe punishment for this betrayal."
Chloe scoffed, "What are you gonna do? Withhold sex? We both know you have next to no self-control…"
Beca thought for a moment, Chloe did have a point. Maybe playing the romance card would work. "I thought the whole point of getting the hotel room was so we could have a romantic weekend with no interruptions…"
"Come on, Becs. I love you, but you are the romantic equivalent of a sea sponge. It was so you wouldn't have to spend more than four hours with your dad. Who, might I add, is actually a really nice guy. I happen to like your family, so guess what? We are staying with your dad and Sheila."
"You're going to pay for this, Beale…"
"Better than paying for the hotel," she answered smugly.
The week passed by uneventfully, Beca leaving it until ten pm on Wednesday night to pack her weekender and failing to dish out whatever swift and severe punishment was supposed to befall Chloe during the week. It wasn't until the plane was halfway to Atlanta that Beca even brought up the topic of their accommodation.
"So… I figure you should probably know something…"
Chloe watched Beca suspiciously, she was far too nervous. "What did you do?"
Beca's left hand began to tap, a sure sign that she was nervous, "It's more of a What-didn't-I-do type thing…"
"Beca…"
"So you know how we decided to wait to tell our parents about us and the whole Yeah-we're-kinda-together thing?"
Chloe stared Beca down, she knew where this conversation was heading, "Let me guess… You forgot to actually tell them after I specifically asked you to make sure it wasn't a problem for them."
"Yes."
Chloe's shoulders slumped, "You're the worst, Becs! What if Sheila's parents have some underlying homophobic beliefs that have never been brought up because they think you're straight?"
"Then it's a good thing that I have the hotel on speed dial? Chlo, it's not a big deal ok? Just roll with it. We'll just keep the PDA's to the bedroom. It's not like anyone else knows yet." Beca took Chloe's hand and threaded their fingers together. "I guess I was worried that if they had a problem, one of us would be banished to the couch. And you know I don't sleep well on couches."
Chloe smiled, "Sneaking around isn't exactly new to us, I guess. We'll be fine."
Chloe was right. They were so adept at hiding their relationship that no one was any the wiser. Well, almost no one. Chloe was certain that Sheila had a good idea of what her step daughter was hiding, and it became apparent when Chloe offered to help with brunch while Beca, Warren and Sheila's parents sat out on the back patio.
"So how long has this been going on?" Sheila asked with a smirk.
Chloe fumbled with the pear she'd been peeling in the sink, Great sneaking skills, idiot. "Going on? Beca and I have pretty much been inseparable since her freshman year. She's a great friend."
If anything, the infernal smirk grew, damn it Chloe, pick up your game. "Yeah she told us that, she was thrilled when you got the teaching position in LA. I don't think I've ever heard her that excited. It must be nice having such a close friendship."
Tread carefully, Chloe, she thought. She could see Beca glancing through the window, a worried look on her face. Chloe smiled, reassuring both Beca and herself that she could, in fact, handle the interrogation. "Yeah, we really bonded over our mutual love of music."
"She does love her music," Sheila said, not looking up from the berries that she was stewing. Chloe felt her cheeks heat up, there was no way that they'd been caught. Beca had been so careful. "So, Chloe, any boyfriends on the cards? A pretty girl like you should be beating the off with a stick…"
And there it was, the obvious yet subtle request for the status of Chloe's sexuality. Well played, Sheila. Well played. "I'm really just focussing on my career right now. I don't know if Becs mentioned it, but I teach music at a private school fairly close to the apartment. I also hold workshops at the local homeless shelter once a fortnight for kids who've been kicked out of home. That keeps me fairly busy."
"I had actually heard that. It's wonderful, what you do for those kids. Becs is so proud of you. Can you just quarter the pears and pop them on the roasting tray? Beca has never been able to cook this dish…"
Chloe chuckled, "She's pretty useless in the kitchen. I've pretty much banned her from ours after the last time she tried to make pancakes…"
"Pancakes, huh?"
Chloe felt a prickle on the back of her neck, danger flags were popping up everywhere at Sheila's tone. "Yeah, I'd had a rough week at work and Bec's thought it'd be a nice gesture… Until she set the bench on fire."
"Mm-hm."
"You sounded surprised that she'd make pancakes…"
Sheila let out a laugh, almost as if she'd been waiting for the query, "Pancakes aren't really a thing in this house unless the night before was… Well, they're not something that Beca would make for just anyone, if you know what I mean." Sheila leant against the counter, one arm crossed, the other casually stirring the coulis in the saucepan. Chloe lifted the tray into the oven and quickly washed her hands. There was no way she was getting out of this without a confession.
"Do you mind if I quickly jump in the shower while those are in the oven?"
Chloe cringed at the triumphant grin on Sheila's face, "Sure, Chloe. I'll send Beca up to grab you when it's ready."
Shit.