Author's Note: Bend it Like Beckham is one of my favorite movies (a guilty indulgence of sorts) for a number of reasons. One of them is that despite Gurinder Chadha's original intention of making a lesbian couple of Jules and Jess, she instead chose for them to break one more stereotype (as a female athlete, I can attest to the truth of having to deal with rumors of lesbianism). However, as much as I respect her choice and recognize the movie as canon, the chemistry between the two main characters cannot be denied and do warrant some speculation. Jess and Jules will always and forever live on in my imagination as a couple.

So if you haven't gotten the hint by now, the pairing of this story is f/f. If you cannot handle lesbian relationships, I advise you to look elsewhere for entertainment.

Disclaimer: Bend it Like Beckham and its characters are not mine and this minor piece of fiction does not generate any revenue. Take that.

The Best Moments

by L.Freyja

They had been assigned to different rooms their first year. That was, Jules had thought, easily the worst thing about having to adjust to this new world. Because that's what California was, really. A new world. And Jess was supposed to be her link to home. Both of them had just assumed they would share a dorm room, but it seemed that campus administration had something else in mind. Jules vaguely remembered her RA explaining the assignment situation- something about "diversity" and some other nonsense.

Thankfully, that was two years ago. Two years, two birthdays, one boyfriend, and countless games ago. After that first year- during which Jules suspected that Jess had never actually become acclimated to dorm life- the two managed to make sure they were able to have the same room. Even though it took some adjusting, it was infinitely better than living with a stranger.

"Jules?"

So much better...

"Yeah?"

"D'you think you might quiz me for my organic chemistry exam?"

Jules looked up from her own notes and saw a pair of chocolate brown eyes watching her and critically noting the papers and books spread out on the bed. Jess always worked at her desk while Jules liked to lounge on her bed and use the entire mattress as a workspace. In fact, the only things on her own desk were a pair of shoes and a balled up jumper. Their friends often commented jokingly that it was a wonder one so tidy and the other so messy managed to get along.

Of course, Jules knew the truth of that. They'd had their share of arguments over whose dirty laundry went where, what times music could and couldn't be played, when it was and wasn't okay to have company over. But they'd always managed to smooth out the bumps. They did make quite the pair.

Jules smiled inwardly at the thought and shook her head. "I don't mind at all," she said.

Before Jess could open her mouth to thank her, Jules bounced off of her bed and navigated the small, dimly lit room to grab her desk chair and drag it over to Jess. The two sat closely together, one blonde head bent down to look at her friend's study guide and one dark head tilted to the side, eyes half closed in concentration.

After only a few minutes, Jules found herself glancing up now and then to take in the sight of the unaware Indian girl. It was times like this that she cherished the most. The two of them together in their own little world, in mismatched pajamas with their hair messily held back or let down.

And right then, watching as Jess shifted and a wave of that dark hair spilled over her shoulder, Jules fought the urge to reach out and tuck some of it behind her friend's ear. Because that's all they were.

Friends.

The sound of someone stomping down the hall broke her reverie and she realized Jess was staring at her.

"Hullooo. Earth to Jules. Are you alright?"

Jules smiled and lied. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." She waved off her friend's concern and picked out a new question from the study guide.

No, she wasn't fine, and she knew it. Sure, she had adjusted much more quickly to life in the States than Jess had, but that didn't mean she lacked her fair share of personal problems. It was only a matter of time before her dirty little secret reared its ugly head and she lost a friend. She had managed to keep it under wraps so far, what with the occasional date and all.

At first it was easy enough to convince everyone that her interests were the same as most every other girl's. All she had to do was look at a man once in a while and comment on his hair or legs, and then scoff and look experienced whenever someone slyly asked if she'd ever done it before. That didn't last long, unfortunately, and Jules realized the best way to throw off suspicion was to flirt. Flirt as if her life depended on it. That eventually gave way to her first and only real boyfriend, which, despite being a relatively short-lived relationship, deflected most questioning looks.

Jules hated those looks. The ones that said, "Um, hi. How are you? Listen, I was just wondering if you... you know. Because it's totally okay if you are. I mean..." All she wanted was for one of them to get the nerve to come out and say it, to just open their mouth and say, "Excuse me, I don't mean to intrude or anything, but are you a lesbian?"

To which she only hoped she could get the nerve to come out and say, "Yes." And then follow that with, "And I'm in love. With my best friend."

But those were thoughts best packed away and hidden like a childhood crime, only to be revealed during the inevitable blunder or drunken confession. Whichever came first.

Jess answered the last question on the study guide- correctly, of course- and Jules smiled and handed the sheet to her friend. "I think you're more than ready for that exam," she said.

Shrugging, Jess tossed the sheet onto her desk and met Jules' eyes. Jules blinked. Those eyes always looked as if they could read her thoughts. Sometimes, Jules believed they could. If they could, would they take note of all the times she would watch Jess pull her socks up over her shaped calves before a match, or how Jules felt her chest tighten when Jess grabbed her hand or hugged her? She hoped not.

"Nah, you're totally ready." There was a moment of silence and then: "So, have you heard from Joe?" Jules almost regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.

"Not recently, no," said Jess. "Not since that birthday card."

A wicked, gleeful hope alighted in Jules and she immediately felt ashamed. "I'm sorry." And she really was.

"Don't worry about it."

Jess stood and rubbed her bare arms. Jules imagined her own hands rubbing Jess' arms, her fingertips grazing the ticklish spots at her friend's waist. A blush threatened to takeover her face and she quickly adverted her gaze.

"Why is it always so damn cold in here?" Jess grumbled. "And why can I never find my hoodie?"

Jules turned in her chair and reached back into the closet, grabbing for one of her many sweatshirts. She tossed the blue bundle to Jess, who caught it and proceeded to tug it on over her head. Her arms went over her head, lifting her T-shirt up and baring a teasing portion of stomach.

"Ah, thanks."

"No problem." Jules smiled and added, "Besides, I do get a kick out of watching you swim around in clothes that are far too big for you."

Jess gave her a playful shove and scowl and Jules laughed. Yep, she liked moments like these, too. And then the moment took an odd turn.

Pushing back her chair, Jules stood to shuffle back to her bed when Jess said thoughtfully, "You know, you're always taking care of me. Especially since we've come here."

Jules shrugged and tried not to let Jess see how the sound of her voice or the smell of her hair affected her. She wiggled her bare toes on the cold linoleum floor. "It's no big deal."

"Well sure it is," Jess insisted. "I do wish I could really thank you for everything. Starting with inviting me to play and everything since."

Jules ran a hand through her short hair and turned, prepared to remind Jess that not all of her behavior since they'd met had been wholly angelic. But the words were lost when she realized how close they were standing. They were too close, in fact.

"It's... It's nothing. Besides, you've done plenty yourself. Making me take my classes seriously and all."

Smiling, Jess reached out to take one of Jules' hands in her own. "Hey, it's what friends do. Right?"

Friends. Yeah. Right.

But Jules didn't want to let that hand go. She unconsciously ran her thumb back and forth across her friend's knuckles. It had been more than a couple of years since Jules realized that she wanted to be more than friends.

Jess seemed to notice the change in mood and continued to look up at the taller girl. Oh how Jules was tired of pretending. To hell with it. Damn the consequences.

"Yeah," Jules murmured so low she wasn't sure Jess could hear. "It's what friends do." And before she could convince herself it was a bad idea, she leaned down to make contact.

It wasn't a kiss, really. More of a brushing of lips, to be honest. A soft, innocent gesture that quickly became a heated expression of pent-up emotions spilling out into the open. Jules felt Jess stiffen at first, then she relaxed. The blonde laced her free hand through the other's hair to cradle the back of her head and pull her closer.

It was heaven. The feel of her smaller body, just a little softer than her own, made Jules' pulse race. The taste of her was enough to make Jules feel heady and hypnotized. Jess released her other hand, which came to rest on her hip. The two began to move until Jess was backed up against a wall and Jules imprisoned her between the wall and her body.

Jules broke off abruptly, her eyes wide and face flushed with embarrassment. "Oh God. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She took a step back. "I... I didn't mean to..." Glazed eyes met her own, and Jules felt a moment of pure panic.

"Jules." Jess looked away and smiled ashamedly. "You don't need to apologize."

And that was all she needed. Jules descended upon her mouth again, capturing her swollen lips and once again backing her up to the wall. Her long fingered hands began a trail from those dark shoulders down to Jess' hands, lifting them up from their sides and pinning them against the whitewash wall. There was panting and the rustle of fabric as sweaters were discarded, and surprised gasps when Jules led a trail of kisses down Jess' neck to her collarbone and back up to her earlobe.

Jess squirmed, trying to even the score. She ran her hands up and down Jules' back, then under her thin shirt. Jules shivered at the feel of those small, warm hands pressed against her bare skin and began to tug impatiently at the drawstring of Jess' pajama bottoms. A pair of socks and Jules' own shirt somehow found their way to the floor, along with Jess' bottoms. If Jess thought everything was moving too fast, she gave no indication. Jules, for her part, was too driven to care.

Somehow, between discarding her shirt and Jess' socks, she found herself leading Jess to her bed and guiding her down to the mess of pillows and sheets. The books and notes were shoved carelessly to the floor. Jules leaned over Jess, supporting her weight on her elbows as she looked down at the figure beneath her. Unlike Jules, who was still in track pants and a sports bra, Jess was left in nothing but an old T-shirt and panties. Jules watched her own fingers as they lifted that T-shirt and pulled it over Jess' head.

There. That was a much better view.

Jules put her weight on one arm, took one hardened nipple in her mouth and placed feather-light touches on the other. Jess, who had watched as Jules leaned down, let her head fall back against the mattress as she released a moan. She started and gasped when that manipulative hand left her breast and traveled down to her thighs, and then between them to graze the damp surface of her plain cotton panties. And then those delicate, tortuous fingers slipped inside her panties, and then inside her.

"Jules!" came the strangled cry.

"Shh!"

Jess gripped the sheets. "Ah! Ah, Jules..."

"Yes."

And Jules knew she was babbling nonsense, but that didn't matter because she was making Jess gasp and moan, reach up to grasp at her shoulders and arch her back just so. Jess' hips came off the bed and Jules quickened her motions until she felt her best friend shudder and then softly cry out.

Jules listened to her panting as she removed her own clothes and lay down next to Jess, watching the sheen of sweat that covered her body. Gradually, Jess' breathing returned to normal and she turned to look at Jules.

"And now I have another reason to thank you," Jess whispered.

"Oh really?"

"For finally making a move."

"You've felt the same way?" Jules asked, unbelieving. "This whole time?"

"Yeah. It took you bloody long enough to notice," she said, laughing as she rolled on her side and leaned forward to begin her own exploration of Jules' lithe body.

Jules forgot about the pressures of her little secret. Let them talk. They couldn't ruin this. Because this moment definitely topped all those that came before.