A Barson Valentine's Day
Written for the Barson Valentine's Day Fic a Thon on Tumblr. This can be read with my other Barson holiday stories or as a standalone.
Rafael Barba was a very confident man, nobody ever doubted this. There was very little he could not accomplish when he set his mind to it. Nerves were not something he was use to experiencing either in court or in his personal life. However when it came to his relationship with Olivia things were different. It wasn't that he didn't trust what was between them he just wanted to make sure he was doing things the right way. It had only been about six weeks since New Year's Eve when they had been snowed in together by that blizzard and finally admitted how they felt about each other. Now here they were at the next holiday one that carried so many implications, one that he was determined not screw up, Valentine's Day.
He really wanted to show her a special night, the problem was that he had kind of forgotten about Valentine's Day. They has been in the middle of a trial that had just wrapped yesterday. They had all been at their usual place celebrating the conviction when Finn smiled at him and made his comment.
"So I guess you and Liv will have a pretty good Valentine's Day now, right, Counselor?"
Barba felt panic start to set in he was grateful that Liv had stepped out to call and check on Noah, of course he was surrounded by a bunch of cops and they did not miss the change in his demeanor. Rollins was the first to take a jab at him.
"You forgot Valentine's Day didn't you!" She said with a laugh.
"It's not that I forgot it so much as I am just not exactly sure what day today is." He admitted sheepishly
The squad stared at him in disbelief, "It's February 13th, and Valentine's Day is tomorrow." Finn told him dryly.
"You better get to work, I've had Amanda and mine's plans for weeks now." Carisi bragged earning him an eye roll from everyone.
"Plans for what?" Olivia asked as she rejoined the group.
"Valentine's Day." Carisi answered all too happily.
"And I was telling them that the plans I have are a secret." Barba recovered quickly, drawing muffled laughter from the others.
"Oh is that so? Well, tease all you want but I have pretty high expectations." She told him with a wink before giving him a quick kiss. "I've got to run, Noah's not feeling well, see you all tomorrow."
"I can come too" Barba offered quickly partially because he wanted to escape the endless teasing of her team.
"No, stay finish your drink. I'm just going to go home and get him settled." She said shaking his head.
"Ok, I will call you later." He have her another quick kiss ignoring the groans around them.
Everyone waited until Olivia had left the bar before the teasing began.
"Nice save counselor." Rollins started
"Yeah, but now he has to deliver." Finn added.
"Good luck on that with on such short notice." Carisi laughed.
Determination over took Barba, "I promise you Liv will have a Valentine's that she will never forget." He said before throwing down enough cash to cover everyone's drinks and heading out on his way to save Valentine's Day.
He quickly found himself in a department store among all the other last minute boyfriends and husbands. He scoured the store moving from department to department trying to decide on the perfect gift. The giant stuffed animals were not Olivia's style but he did pick one up for Noah a giant dinosaur with a bow around it along with a picture book about dinosaurs which were his latest obsession. Dragging the dinosaur along he moved to the jewelry department but wondered if it was too soon in their relationship for jewelry. He saw several men browsing the lingerie department but didn't think this was the time for that either. He was about to give up when a sales lady approached him.
"Can I help you Sir?" She asked him.
"I'm trying to decide what to get my girlfriend for Valentine's Day?" He admitted
"I see, first one?" She asked
Barba looked at her in confusion, "No, I've had other girlfriends."
The sales lady laughed, "No, I meant your first Valentine's Day together."
Barba blushed slightly with embarrassment, "Yes, sorry."
She smiled, "And let me guess you started dating after Christmas?"
Barba nodded again, "New Years, we got snowed in together, but we have worked together and been good friends for several years. "
The woman smiled at him again, "Come with me I think I can help."
She lead him to a section of the store that he had somehow missed it was almost a separate room, it had big pink hearts and a sign that said, "Cupid's Workshop".
"We use it for Santa at Christmas time but we also help people put together the perfect Valentine's Day gifts. Fill out this questionnaire about your girlfriend, take a number and cupid will call you when it's your turn." She explained handing him a clipboard.
Barba was a bit unsure but decided at this point he had nothing to lose at this point. He read through the questions realizing he did not know the answers to several. Dress size? Bra size? Underwear size? He had no clue, Olivia's body was absolutely perfect whatever size she wore. He was about to get up and leave when "cupid" called his number.
He hesitantly made his way to the table where another bight, perky young sales woman was waiting to help him. He nervously handed her the questionnaire and told her some more about Olivia. She nodded happily and said she had the perfect idea, one of their custom gift baskets. She helped him around the store selecting items, body wash and one of those mesh things he had seen Olivia keep in the shower, a bath pillow, some new pajamas that would be nice but not something that would be overly suggestive. The woman suggested a nice bottle of wine and a pair of glasses to go with it. Barba new he couldn't go wrong with wine.
"Now how about jewelry?" the woman asked.
"Is it too soon?" Barba asked.
"No, not for some earrings or a nice watch maybe?" She suggested.
Barba nodded as they made their way to the jewelry counter and they selected a new watch for Olivia. When the returned to the workshop Barba realized that cupids did not work from the generosity of their heart.
"All right Mr. Barba that will be $700 plus delivery." She told him with a peppy smile.
"$700 this is some kind of extortion you are pulling on boyfriends and husbands that are helpless." He practically yelled.
"You should have read your question are carefully Mr. Barba." She said pointing to the bottom where he had signed agreeing to pay fifty dollars an hour and an extra twenty percent on all items to pay for cupid's services.
Barba rolled his eyes wondering how he had be outmaneuvered by a department store. He handed her his American Express along with the dinosaur and book he had been dragging around for Noah. He glanced at the rows of baskets behind the counter and wondered just how many other men had been swindled today.
Barba called Olivia first thing the next morning, "Happy Valentine's Day Mi Amor."
"Good morning and Happy Valentine's Day to you, I missed you last night." She told him as they spent more nights together than apart.
"I missed you too, how is Noah feeling?" He asked.
"He's still coughing a lot and has a bit of a fever, I'm going to stay home with him today. I'm sorry but I guess whatever you planned is going to have to take a raincheck."
Barba sighed with a bit of relief since after the gift buying experience he had forgotten to make any actual plans.
"No problem, how about I just pick up dinner and bring it over?" He offered
"That would be nice, thank you for understanding."
"Oh, also you should be getting a delivery today something for you and Noah, hopefully you can enjoy it later. " He told her thinking that after caring for a sick child all day a nice bath, fresh pajamas, and wine would probably be nice.
"No other clues, Counselor you are such a tease." She laughed.
"I'll see you tonight Liv, I love you." He laughed.
"I love you too, Raf."
Several hours later Liv had just gotten Noah down for a nap when she heard the buzz from the outside of the building.
"Delivery for Lieutenant Benson" the voice came through her speaker and she let them up. She smiled when she opened the door and was greeted with giant dinosaur. She took it and the book from the delivery guy and pointed to the table where he could place the basket he was also trying to carry it. As soon as he left she hurried over to it to see what Barba had sent her. He mouth fell opened as she looked over the contents. Was this really what he sent her for Valentine's Day? It wasn't really their style, but maybe they could give it a try.
As promised Barba brought dinner from their favorite Italian place and her favorite bottle of wine. Noah, still not feeling well had gone to bed early and they had enjoyed dinner to themselves.
"Hey, I see Noah got his dinosaur and book, did you like your basket?" He asked her as they were finishing dinner.
"I did, I was really surprised by it." She said honestly.
Barba smiled proudly, "Well let me clean up this and you go enjoy some of it." He said before giving her a long kiss, which Olivia read as more suggestive than he meant.
Oliva slipped back into the bedroom examining the contents of the basket as she laid them on the bed. The lingerie, if that's what you called it was all black, there was a blindfold, handcuffs and other "accessories". She took off her clothes and had just slipped on the "outfit" when she heard Barba coming into the room and instinctively she threw her bathrobe over it.
"Hey, you doing all right? Do you need anything?" He asked wondering why he hadn't heard her running a bath yet.
"Yes, I was just getting ready, some of this is new for me." She said hesitantly.
Barba looked at her in confusion, "Liv, its bath wash, pajamas, and wine."
It was now Olivia's turn to be confused and she slowly stepped away from the bed revealing the "accessories", watching the red creep over Barba's face feeling some relief that a mistake must have been made.
"Liv, I didn't send this I promise, I wouldn't, well not that I wouldn't want to but I wouldn't assume or pressure you, or…" He stammered
Olivia smiled and crossed the room to him placing a kiss on his lips, "I trust you."
Barba breathed a sigh of relief as he quickly pulled out his phone, "I'm calling that cupid right now!"
"Cupid?" She questioned.
A sheepish look came over Barba as he sat down on the edge of the bed a confessed the whole story, how he had forgotten what day it was because of the trial, how the squad had teased him and he felt the pressure to make Valentine's Day perfect. He then told her about the department store and how he had been entrapped by the Cupid Department. By the time he was finished Olivia had tears running down her face from laughing.
"Barba, until you said something in the bar yesterday I had forgotten what day it was too." She admitted.
Barba looked at her in disbelief, "You couldn't have just told me that?"
"And ruin your perfect plans?" She teased to which he rolled his eyes. Then she smiled a somewhat wicked smile at him, "Well we do have all these things now and it would probably be a shame to let them just sit here."
Barba's eyes grew big as he suddenly wondered what was under her robe he reached across the bed pulling her closer and undoing the belt of the robe. His eyes and other things growing at the same time when he saw what was beneath it.
"You better not be teasing now." He said pulling her onto his lap letting her robe fall to the floor. She answered by kissing him until they fell back against her bed ensuing they both had a Valentine's Day they would remember.
The End