Hey, guys! I’m back… but just for now. Just to post a valentine fic. Enjoy!
Barden University, Atlanta, Georgia
"What kind of flowers do you like?”
Beca looks up from her computer with a raised eyebrow. “Sorry, what?” The track that she’s been working on for the past hour is softly playing in the background and she’s sure she heard it right, but just in case, she lowers the volume some more.
“What kind of flowers do you like?”
She actually thinks about it for a hot second when she meets Chloe’s gaze. The redhead is looking at her expectantly, like this question is something everyone has considered at least once in their lives before.
Does she have a favourite? No. Does she even like flowers? Maybe. To look at? Sure. To give? Depends. To receive? Probably.
But there’s so many variety.
“Anything.” She settles with that, finally. “Any kind is fine.”
She looks back down at her computer screen and hears a, “That’s good to know.”
Neither of them talks for a minute and Chloe’s response hangs in the air. She doesn’t have anything else to add to her answer but she figures the redhead wants to hear more. “Like, I guess I like the one that makes me look more badass. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do when I’m handed a bouquet, ya know? Am I gonna carry it around with me all day? I got places to be. And I would rather be hands-free.”
Her hands then starts tapping on her keyboard. Maybe she can use the first minute of Disclosure’s Flow on this mix, and maybe it will work well with the other song she was thinking of. What was it again? Oh, well, maybe Chloe has some ideas. Or Chloe can also tell her what flower she likes. She can ask, too, she thinks. It’s not weird. The other girl has asked her first. No big deal. Just her crush asking her about things she likes.
Well, Chloe is her friend first (amongst other things) so it’s totally normal to be asked about things she likes.
It’s a Chloe thing to do to ask.
She’s learned it early on, since they met. The fair. The showers. After auditions. After initiations. Chloe has inquired of her from as common as “Which hall is your dorm at, Beca?” (which was helpful, since she and the rest of the Bella’s were able to wait up for her after her jail time) to as weird as “So when will I really know how high your belt go for real?”
Why is she so distracting… distracted?
“What about you?” Beca isn’t sure why that came out so unlike her, as if she sounds shy. She has tattoos and ear cuffs, black eyeliner that screams tough guy, and conversing with a girl gets her all shy? “I mean, like, what flowers do you like? Or whatever.”
Chloe smiles from across her and answers without a beat, “I’m so glad you asked! Everything.”
“Not surprising.” She is quick to reply.
“No, seriously. I like everything.” Chloe reaches over to give her arm a joking slap. Suddenly, Beca notices how small her bed is even though they’re both on each end, legs slightly tangling in the middle. The ginger leans back and continues, “I’m more of an intent kind of gal. I like everything especially if it’s given to me with purpose. That they thought of me when they saw the flowers and they just had to give it to me. You know?”
“Yeah, of course. With your very sunny disposition, you could seriously have a garden by now, dude.” She’s rewarded with a certified Beale smile-and-wink combo and a gentle blush creeps up from her neck. Fortunately for her, Chloe picks up her study notes (the actual reason why she’s there with Beca at her dorm in the first place) and busies herself with catching up with her lessons.
She can’t concentrate enough on making a new mashup. So she grabs her headphones buried underneath her pillows and plugs it in her computer. When it’s all fit and snug over her head and the pads are comfortably hugging her ears, she opens her repeat playlist and Nelly’s Just A Dream starts playing.
And she sneaks a glance up at Chloe.
——////——////——////——////——
This is the first February 14 they’re spending together in their studio apartment.
And she’s just on her way home from work.
At 7pm! Her boss just had to make her stay an extra hour, add the commute of another hour, and she finds herself walking the last 3 blocks to her home.
She knows Chloe has no plans on going out tonight, not that it matters to her if she goes on a date with someone anyway, but she’s just realizing that’s it’s her first Valentine’s Day with Chloe ALONE. And they’re both single.
Her cheeks flush at the thought and she tries to blame it on New York weather. Honestly, why is it still winter? And why is her small body shivering even though she’s wearing thermal socks, a sweater, a cardigan, and a thick jacket? And where is that sweet smell coming from?
Not far from where she’s dragging her feet is the new pop-up shop tailored specifically for the holidays. Usually, Beca’s not really into this kind of stuff, it’s just a ploy to sell something for far more expensive than normal and she’s also not made of money. She’s barely making any and she’s already splitting rent with Chloe.
She remembers that Chloe likes flowers. If Beca is being honest, her crush for her (now) best friend didn’t really go away. Now is a perfect opportunity for her to at least show Chloe that she loves her. (She says it back whenever her best friend tells her “I love you.” But this is different.) At least, if that feeling is unrequited, she can just pass it off as a platonic gift, because of course, friends do Valentine’s Day, too. Just a friend giving her friend flowers.
She detours to go inside the pop-up shop. It’s exactly what Beca had imagined it to look like from the outside. It’s filled with all sorts of mushy romantic things ranging from stuffed animals to food and sweets. And of course, flowers. All of them are somehow arranged almost identically though and Beca isn’t convinced there’s anything here that screams Chloe. Until her eyes catch something interesting from the sweet section.
She immediately purchased it, not caring about how cheesy it is for her to be carrying a box home to her… well, to Chloe. She brushes off the weird thought that maybe it’s odd that she’s giving something to Chloe. An actual gift that she thinks Chloe will like and appreciate. The past 3 years in the Bella’s house had just been cards mostly. She did send Chloe a playlist that one time, but it wasn’t because it was Valentine’s Day. It just happened to be that day. Just a coincidence.
She fumbles with her key for a bit before she’s able to fully open the door to their apartment. What she did not anticipate is Chloe standing right in front of her, as if she’s been waiting there the entire time.
“You're home!” Beca is greeted with a big smile. But no hugs? She usually gets a hug as soon as she enters.
She tries to ignore it and plops down her bag on the floor. “Hey, you weirdo,” her foot kicks back the door to close it, “have you just been standing there?”, her eyes narrowing on Chloe’s hand that is unusually behind her back, “whatchu got there, huh?”
“I got you something.” Chloe slowly retreats her right hand from behind her to reveal a small bouquet. “Ta-da!”
Beca’s expression is a mix. Chloe got her something? Today? And they’re actual flowers. She’s never given Beca flowers before. “That’s..” she trails off. Friends give friends flowers, too, she reminds herself.
“I thought since it’s our first Valentine’s Day together in New York, I’d get you something.” Chloe says when Beca accepts, like it’s the most natural thing in the world to be given flowers. “And since you like anything that screams badass, I thought why not dried flowers. And I wanted to give it to you here, at our home, so you don’t have to carry them anywhere else.”
Chloe’s eyes are following Beca’s hands, her fingers gently playing with the petals and leaves. “Chlo, this is..”
She doesn’t want Chloe to think that she doesn’t like them but her words are failing her right now. So instead, she cradles her flowers like a newborn baby and bends down to take something from inside her bag. “I actually got you something, too. Hang on, it’s a little… stuck. Okay… I got it.”
With her free hand, she offers Chloe the box. As soon as she sees her best friend’s face, she can’t help but smile as wide as she can.
Chloe’s eyes are wide and her mouth parts. She holds out both her hands when she takes the box from Beca. After slowly lifting the lid, her jaw drops. “Beca,” she gasps and squeals. “Chocolate flowers!”
“I passed by that pop-up shop we saw last week. Remember you were watching that lady make those chocolates from the window? And I thought the same thing as you, it’s our first February 14 together so I thought why not. Also, since you’re literally the sweetest person I know, and I remember you saying your favourite flower is ‘everything’, so here you go.”
Chloe quickly places them on the table (it’s a small apartment so it’s literally just an arm away, Chloe didn’t even have to take a step) and rushes to give Beca a hug.
She melts into it instantly and finally feels like she’s at home. Her one hand is still gripping the flowers, which she managed to save from being crushed by chloe, and her other snakes around Chloe’s waist.
She hears Chloe say, “Beca Mitchell, badass in the streets. Sappy in the sheets,” and laughs. She laughs, too.
“You’re lucky you're allowed to say that.”
The taller girl’s hands start to roam behind Beca’s back. And she shivers when she feels Chloe brush up and then, down slowly creating a pattern. “Thank you for the chocolate flowers. We didn’t even talk about getting each other something today. Did we think of each other at the same time?”
“I literally think about you all the time.” She thinks.
Chloe pulls away a little, just enough so she can see Beca’s face. “Nothing,” she says.
In a moment of confidence and courage, she meets Chloe’s eyes and says, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Chloe.”
Another smile tugs at Chloe’s lips. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Beca.” And she quickly leans in to give Beca a kiss on her cheek.
At that exact same time, Beca tries to blow a strand of hair away from her own face so she moves. Chloe’s kiss landed right at the corner of her mouth and her eyes widened.
Her best friend doesn’t seem to notice or if she did, she doesn’t mind at all. She’s already by the table, popping one of the chocolate flowers in her mouth and offering Beca a piece.
“I’m good for now, thanks.”
“Can you come sleep on my bed tonight?” Chloe asks.
Beca rolls her eyes and chuckles, “What’s your excuse this time?”
“I want to cuddle with you.”
And honestly, Beca can’t think of any better way to end this day so she nods.
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