DAY 25 - I'LL HAVE A GREEN-EYED MONSTER CHRISTMAS
Prompt from Tumblr User bubbleliciousxo: Chloe receives a Christmas present from a coworker who has a huge crush on her, and Beca (as Chloe's girlfriend) gets jealous.
"Hey, Stacie," Beca said as she walked into the dance studio. "Can you let Chloe know I'm here for our lunch date?"
"She's in Studio 2 with Chicago," Stacie said. "You can go on back."
"Thanks," Beca said as she started to walk away. "Wait," she said and looked at Stacie. "Who's Chicago?"
"Some guy Aubrey hired to teach self-defense," Stacie said. "He started yesterday."
"Oh. Okay," Beca said. "Thanks."
Beca walked toward Studio 2, humming the song she had been working on in her studio earlier. She smiled when she heard Chloe laughing; she loved that sound. Beca approached the opened door, and Chloe saw her.
"Babe!" Chloe called out as she ran over to Beca. She kissed Beca and took her hand, walking her over to the man she had been speaking with. "Beca, this is Chicago Walp. He's teaching self-defense classes in the mornings and evenings. Chicago, this is my girlfriend, Beca Mitchell."
"Nice to meet you," Beca said, holding out her hand.
"Likewise," Chicago said, taking and squeezing Beca's hand a little too tightly.
Beca looked at him with a raised eyebrow and smirked as she pulled her hand back. Chicago gave her a tight smile and turned to Chloe.
"I'll see you later, Chlo," Chicago said, running his hand down her arm.
"Okay," Chloe said, as Chicago left them alone.
Chloe turned to look at Beca and saw the questioning look on Beca's face. "What?"
"What the hell was that?" Beca asked.
"What was what?" Chloe asked.
"He called you Chlo and then ran his hand down your arm," Beca said. "He likes you."
"Everybody calls me Chlo," Chloe said with a cheeky grin. "And everybody likes me."
"No, I mean he likes you as in he wants to get into your pants," Beca said, and Chloe giggled. "Me not liking the fact that he wants to get into your pants is a joke to you? Or are you giddy over the fact that he wants to get into your pants?"
"God, Beca, could you not make such a big deal out of him flirting with me?" Chloe said with a heavy sigh.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Beca said. "I didn't realize how much you like it. Maybe I should leave so you two can get back to it."
"Beca, stop it," Chloe said sharply. "I can't help what he wants. All I can do is tell you that I love you and am not the least bit interested in him. Don't you trust me?"
Beca swallowed and looked down at the ground. She lifted her head and looked Chloe in the eye. "Of course, I trust you, Chlo. It's him I don't trust."
"I'll give you that," Chloe said, pulling Beca to her. "And I promise to shut him down if he tries to flirt with me again. Okay?"
"Okay," Beca said.
"Are we good?" Chloe asked.
"Yeah, we're good," Beca said. At Chloe's skeptical look, Beca added, "I'm over it, okay?"
"Good. Can we go to lunch now?" Chloe asked. "I'm starving."
"Sure," Beca said, giving Chloe a quick kiss. "Let's go."
~ Day 25 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~
Beca arrived home that night to find Chloe on her sofa, reading a book.
"Hey," Beca said, flopping down next to Chloe and giving her a quick kiss. "Did I forget we had a date tonight?"
"No," Chloe said. "I was bored and thought I'd come over and wait for you to get home so we could have dinner together."
"Do you want to go out?" Beca asked.
"No, I already ordered pizza," Chloe said. "I thought we could stay in and cuddle."
"Does this have anything to do with me getting jealous because that Chicago guy was flirting with you?"
"Maybe," Chloe said, laying her head on Beca's shoulder. "I should have said something to him about it the first time."
"I told you I was over it," Beca said. "I love you, and I trust you. But don't think for one second I'm not going to get jealous when someone flirts with you. Especially in front of me."
"I love you, too," Chloe said, moving to staddle Beca's lap. "And it's hot when you get jealous."
Beca went to kiss Chloe, and there was a knock on the door.
"Hold that thought," Beca said as Chloe moved so Beca could answer the door.
While Beca got the door, Chloe went to the kitchen to get them each a beer. She came from the kitchen as Beca opened the pizza box.
"Want to watch TV while we eat?" Chloe asked, setting the beers in front of them.
"Sounds good," Beca said and handed Chloe the remote.
"Before I forget," Chloe said, looking at Beca. "Aubrey's having an employee Christmas Party in a month, and you're invited, of course."
"Send me a reminder text so I can put it on my calendar at work," Beca said.
"And here," Chloe said, pulling an envelope out of her pocket and handing it to Beca.
"What's this?" Beca asked.
"We're doing a Secret Santa gift exchange," Chloe said. "This is who you're Secret Santa for. I asked Jessica to pick a name for you and put it in an envelope, so it remains a secret from everyone until the party."
"What do I have to do?" Beca asked as she opened her envelope.
"Buy a gift that's less than fifty dollars," Chloe said.
Beca grimaced and rolled her eyes when she saw she got Chicago's name. She quickly put a smile on her face, hoping Chloe didn't see her rolling her eyes.
"Wrap it and put their name on the gift," Chloe said and pointed at the envelope in Beca's hand. "Most people use that as the name tag. Then you have to sneak it under the tree before the party."
For a moment, Beca thought about asking Chloe to switch names with her. She then thought better of it because she knows how personal Chloe likes to make her gifts. She did not want Chicago to think Chloe's thoughtful gift meant more than it was. She was going to have to come up with a better idea.
~ Day 25 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~
A few days later, Beca was in the dance studio, looking for Stacie.
"Stacie," Beca called out as her yoga class was ending.
"Hey, Beca," Stacie said, wiping her neck and shoulders with a towel. "What's up?"
Beca pulled Stacie to a secluded corner and faced her.
"Will you swap your Secret Santa name with me?" Beca asked.
Stacie squinted her eyes at Beca and tossed her towel over her shoulder. "Why?"
Beca looked around to make sure no one was listening. She sighed and said, "I got Chicago, and I don't know the guy."
Stacie looked at Beca for a moment. Beca looked down at the floor and wouldn't look at Stacie.
"What's the real reason?"
Beca huffed. "Fine. I can't stand the guy; he's always hitting on Chloe. And I don't know him well enough to give him a decent gift. Not that I'd want to give him anything anyway."
"You're in luck," Stacie said. "I got Aubrey, so I'll switch with you. She already knows she'll be getting gifts from me."
"Thanks, Stacie," Beca said. "And I promise I'll get her something nice."
"Okay," Stacie said. "Come with me, and I'll get the paper with her name on it from my bag."
Beca walked with Stacie back into the yoga room.
"Beca!" Chloe called out, smiling. "I didn't know you were coming by today."
"I was nearby and thought I'd surprise you," Beca stammered.
"Beca, nice to see you again," Chicago said as he stopped to stand next to Chloe.
"Chicago," Beca said.
Chicago put his hand on Chloe's back and slid it down to her waist. Chloe looked at him as he started to speak.
"Hey, Chlo, I was wondering if you wanted me to show you those defensive moves we talked about? I have some time now."
Chloe knew Beca saw where Chicago's hand was and was trying to figure out how to make him move it without causing another scene with Beca.
"Maybe later, Chicago," Chloe said as she stepped away from him and next to Beca, causing his hand to fall away from her. "I'm talking to Beca now."
"Right," Chicago said. "The girlfriend. I guess we'll do it later. See you around, Beca."
Beca held her tongue as she watched Chicago walk away. She looked at Chloe but didn't say anything as she turned and walked over to Stacie.
Chloe let out a sigh.
"That was a heavy sigh," Aubrey said, causing Chloe to jump. "What's wrong?"
"Beca doesn't like the way Chicago keeps hitting on me," Chloe said. "He just put his hand on my back and slid it down to my waist. I stepped away, but Beca saw it, and she didn't say a word. She just walked over to talk to Stacie. I don't know what to do."
"Do you want me to talk to Chicago?" Aubrey asked. "I am his boss, and I can't have my employees sexually harassing each other."
"No," Chloe said. "I don't want to make a big thing out of it."
"Okay," Aubrey said. "I'll leave it for now. But, if he keeps hitting on you, or anyone else, I will have to say something."
Chloe nodded, and the two friends walked over to their girlfriends. Chloe kissed Beca on the cheek, and Beca turned to smile at her.
"Hey, are we still on for dinner?"
"Of course," Chloe said, sighing in relief. She knew Beca was upset but was glad to see she wasn't letting it get to her. "Shall I pick you up around seven?"
"Bring an overnight bag, and it's a date," Beca whispered.
"Someone's gonna get lucky tonight," Stacie said with a laugh.
Beca blushed, and Chloe laughed.
~ Day 25 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~
A month goes by, and Chicago was still flirting with Chloe. Or at least it was whenever Beca came to the studio.
Today was the day of the dance studio's Christmas Party, and Beca managed to sneak in and put Aubrey's gift under the tree without getting caught. She went looking for Chloe, only to find her in a corner with Chicago.
Beca took a deep breath and let it out before walking over to them.
"Hey," Beca said, squeezing between the two to stand next to Chloe.
"Hey, babe," Chloe said, causing Beca to look at her.
They stood uncomfortably for a minute or two before Beca couldn't take it anymore.
"Is everything okay here?" Beca asked Chloe.
"Yeah," Chloe said. "Let's go back to the party."
Beca let Chloe lead her over to Aubrey.
"Seriously, Chlo," Beca said, stopping her before they reach Aubrey. "What was going on back there?"
"It was nothing," Chloe said.
"Nothing?" Beca asked. "Okay, I'll pretend I believe that. I'm going to go find Stacie."
Chloe didn't say anything, so Beca walked away to find Stacie.
"Whoa, what's wrong?" Stacie asked when she saw Beca coming at her like a raging bull. "What happened?"
Stacie looked over Beca's shoulder and saw Chloe watching Beca with a furrowed brow.
"Nothing," Beca mumbled.
"Come with me," Stacie said, grabbing Beca by her jacket.
Stacie led Beca to her office and closed the door.
"Are you okay?"
Beca let out a breath and ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah."
"Now say it so I'm convinced you're okay," Stacie said.
"That Chicago guy is really getting under my skin," Beca said. "I trust Chloe, and I don't want to be jealous, but he's always around her and touching her. It's not really inappropriate touching, per se, but it's close, and he makes sure I see him doing it. When I came in, they were talking in a corner, and when I asked Chloe about it, she said it was nothing. It didn't look like nothing."
"Feel better now that you got that off your chest?"
"I guess," Beca said. "Thanks for talking me down. Chloe would have killed me if I had made a scene."
"That's what friends are for," Stacie said. "To keep you from doing something stupid."
"Really?" Beca said as they walked out of the office. "Because I seem to recall that you instigated most of the stupid things I've done."
"Why, Beca Mitchell," Stacie said, putting her hand over her heart. "You wound me."
Beca laughed and looked up to see Chloe talking to Aubrey. She walked over and put a hand around Chloe's waist.
"Hey, Beca," Aubrey said.
"Hi, Aubrey," Beca said, before turning to Chloe.
Chloe smiled and kissed Beca. Just then, Chicago came up to the small group.
"Aubrey, this is a great party."
"Thank you, Chicago," Aubrey said.
Chicago looked Chloe up and down, saying, "Chlo, have I told you how lovely you look today?"
Chloe shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Beca. Beca grit her teeth and put on a fake smile.
"Just today?" Beca asked, looking at Chicago.
"Excuse me?"
"You said Chloe looks lovely today, but you're wrong, dude," Beca said, causing Chloe to look at her with a raised brow. Beca smiled at Chloe and said, "Chloe looks lovely every day."
"Smooth talker," Chloe said, blushing.
Chloe put her arm around Beca's shoulders and pulled her closer and kissed her. Aubrey smiled as they continued kissing as if no one else was there.
Chicago cleared his throat. "Um, yeah," he said. "I'm going to go mingle."
Chicago walked away, and Aubrey laughed. "Do I need to get the hose out for you two?"
Beca and Chloe laughed as they stopped kissing.
"Sorry," Beca said.
"I'm not," Chloe said with a big grin.
~ Day 25 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~
Beca and Chloe walked around, talking to Chloe's coworkers and their significant others. Every time Beca went to speak with Stacie, or Aubrey, Chicago was immediately by Chloe's side. Beca tried not to let it get to her, but she was really starting to hate this guy.
"Okay, everyone," Aubrey called. "The caterers have dinner set up, so if you'll all follow me to the conference room, we can eat."
Everyone followed Aubrey and Stacie. Beca made her way to Chloe only to be 'accidentally' bumped aside by Chicago.
"Take a seat anywhere," Aubrey said as she and Stace sat.
Beca went to sit with Chloe but noticed there were only two seats left on that side, and Chicago was leading Chloe to them. She thought of rushing over and grabbing one of the seats but instead started to walk over to the other side. She stopped when she felt a hand on her arm.
"Trying to sneak away from me?" Chloe asked as she continued walking with Beca.
"I thought you wanted to sit with Chicago," Beca said.
"Nope," Chloe said. "I let Fat Amy sit there. They're both single. Who knows what might happen."
After dinner, the group moved back into the studio and moved chairs to sit near the Christmas tree for the Secret Santa portion of the party.
"Okay, everyone, let's settle down," Stacie said as she stood in front of the tree. "It's time for the Secret Santa. I'm going to grab a present from under the tree. Whoever gets it will open it and see if they can guess who gave it to them. First up, we have, Aubrey."
"Thank you," Aubrey said as Stacie handed Aubrey her present.
Aubrey opened the gift and took it out of the box. "This is very nice," Aubrey said as she held up a gold necklace with a cursive A charm on the end of it. "Um, I going to guess, Jessica?"
Jessica laughed and shook her head no. "It wasn't me."
"Um, it was me," Beca said.
"Thank you, Beca," Aubrey said sincerely. "I love it. It looks expensive. Did you stick to the rules?"
"I promise, I did," Beca said with a laugh.
The next gift was given, and soon it was Chloe's. Stacie picked up the gift and handed it to Chloe. She tore into the wrapping paper like a little kid. Beca sat next to her, smiling at her excitement. When Chloe lifted the lid of the box and moved the tissue paper aside, she frowned.
"Oh, um," Chloe said and blushed.
Beca looked over into the box. When she saw what was in there, she looked around the room. Her eyes landed on Chicago, who was sitting next to Chloe, wearing a smug smirk.
Beca jumped up and stood in front of him. "Did you give Chloe that?"
"Beca!" Chloe grabbed Beca's arm and tried to pull her back to her seat.
"I had Chloe's name, yes," Chicago said, standing from his seat with the smug smirk still in place.
"Beca, sit down," Chloe hissed, grabbing Beca's arm. "It's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal?" Beca turned to her. "You're okay with this? You think what he gave you is appropriate?"
"Just sit down," Chloe said. "You're making a scene. I'll handle it later."
"That's what you said about his flirting and hitting on you," Beca said. "Look where that's got us. So, excuse me if I don't believe you will handle it later."
A guilty hurt look crossed Chloe's face, and Aubrey quickly stepped over to Beca.
"Beca, calm down," Aubrey said quietly, trying to defuse the situation. "Chloe said she'd take care of it."
"Fine," Beca spit out, turning to Chloe. "Give me a call when you've taken care of it."
Beca turned and walked out of the room.
"Beca," Chloe called out and followed her, but Beca had already made it out the front door.
Chloe rushed outside but didn't see Beca anywhere. It was as if Beca had vanished into thin air.
~ Day 25 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~
The next morning, Beca woke up after a restless night on the sofa in her office at the studio. She knew Chloe would go to her place looking for her and wasn't ready to speak to her yet.
Beca grabbed her phone off the table and saw several missed texts and phone calls from Chloe, as well as Stacie. She checked the time and decided to call the lesser of two evils.
"Beca?" Stacie's voice came over the phone. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Stacie," Beca said.
"Well, we've got one very pissed off redhead on our hands here," Stacie said.
"I'm not sure I have it in me to care right now," Beca mumbled.
"Come on, Beca," Stacie said. "She's, um, yes, we have openings in our beginner's yoga class."
"Did Chloe just come in?"
"Yes, that's right," Stacie said, holding a finger up to Chloe. "Could I ask you to hold on for a moment?"
"Yeah."
"Sorry, Chloe," Stacie said. "What do you need?"
"I, uh, was wondering if you'd let me know if you hear from Beca."
Stacie gave her a soft smile and muted her phone. "Don't get mad, but she's on the phone right now."
"She called you?" Chloe asked with tears in her eyes.
"Yeah," Stacie said. "I'm going to get back on the phone with her, and I want you to say goodbye and pretend to leave. I'll put her on speaker, but you need to be ready for an angry Beca."
"Can I just talk to her? Please?"
"She's still upset," Stacie said, shaking her head no. "Let's see what she has to say. This is the best way for now."
"Okay," Chloe said sadly.
Stacie unmuted the call and put in on speaker. "I'll talk to you later, okay, Chloe?"
"Sure," Chloe said and opened and closed the door.
Chloe stood quietly as Stacie got back on the phone with Beca. She wanted to leave, but she was curious to hear what Beca would tell Stacie.
"Sorry, Beca," Stacie said into the phone. "Chloe's really upset."
"Is she okay?"
Chloe smiled softly at that.
"She will be when you two start talking to each other," Stacie said.
"I know," Beca's voice said softly through the phone. "I'm mad, hurt, and embarrassed by my behavior last night. It's just-." Beca let out a heavy sigh. "Chloe promised she was going to put a stop to Chicago hitting on her and she didn't. She promised! And it hurt that she let him flirt so blatantly with her right in front of me. And seeing that gift just sent me over the edge. I know I'm acting like an idiot, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. Why would he give her something like that? And why didn't she say something about it being inappropriate right then?"
Chloe looked as if she was going to say something, and Stacie put her hand up and glared at her. Chloe's mouth snapped shut.
"You know nothing was going to come of it," Stacie said. "Chloe is not into Chicago. She loves you."
"I know," Beca said. "But did you see the gift he gave her? Lingerie is something a boyfriend gets for his girlfriend, not something you get for a coworker. Especially if you know that coworker is in a relationship."
"I saw it. Chloe showed it to us," Stacie said. "Aubrey really laid into Chicago about it. She told him if he didn't stop harassing Chloe, she was firing him."
"She did?"
"Yeah, she did," Stacie said. She looked right at Chloe and said, "She also told Chloe she was being an idiot."
Chloe glared at Stacie.
"That's kind of harsh," Beca said.
"You're the one who walked out and hasn't called her," Stacie said. "Don't you think that's harsh?"
"I left, so I didn't say anything I couldn't take back," Beca replied. "I love Chloe, and I didn't want to fight with her. Plus, I couldn't stand to see that smug look on Chicago's face when Chloe got mad at me because I said something about his gift being inappropriate. Why didn't she yell at him?"
Chloe crossed her arms, and Stacie could see she wanted to jump in. Stacie mouthed, "Don't say anything."
"Chloe said she didn't want to hurt him and was trying to find a way to let him down easy," Stacie said.
"She didn't want to hurt him?" Beca asked. "She had almost a month to shut him down. And what about hurting me? You know what? I'm done with this conversation, and I don't want to talk to you anymore. And if this is the same shit Chloe's going to spout off at me, I don't want to talk to her either."
"Beca," Chloe whined. "Please?"
Beca interrupted, yelling into the phone, "Are you fucking serious right now, Stacie? You let Chloe listen in?"
Before either Chloe or Stacie could respond, Beca ended the call.
"Beca!" Stacie yelled into the phone. "Dammit!"
Chloe let out a sob and flopped into the chair behind her, putting her head in her hands.
"I fucked up again."
"You both fucked up," Stacie said. "You should have stopped Chicago's flirting the minute you knew it upset Beca. And, Beca is too stubborn for her own good. You need to make her talk to you, or you are going to lose her."
~ Day 25 of 2019's 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases ~
A few days later, it was Christmas Eve, and Chloe was lying on her sofa with tears in her eyes, staring blankly at her Christmas tree. She hasn't heard anything from Beca since the call she listened in on between Beca and Stacie.
Chloe sat up and let out a heavy sigh. She checked her phone for the time and saw that it was almost Midnight. She stood to go to her bedroom and was surprised by a knock on her door. She got up and slowly walked to the door looking through the peephole to see who it was. She quickly pulled open the door.
"Beca?"
"Hey," Beca said, standing outside Chloe's door looking nervous. "Can we, um, can we talk?"
"Beca," Chloe said, her eyes stinging with tears. "I messed up, and I'm sorry. I don't want Chicago; I want you. You have to believe that. I love you so much, and I hate that we're fighting over this."
Beca was a bit surprised by Chloe's apologetic outburst. She stepped inside and pulled Chloe into a hug, using her foot to close the door. Chloe held onto the front of Beca's shirt, laying her head on Beca's shoulder.
"I'm sorry, too, Chloe," Beca said. "I let jealousy cloud my better judgment. I trust you, and I know nothing was going to happen between you and him. I want to do whatever I have to so we can put this behind us. Okay?"
Chloe responded by turning her head and nodding her head into Beca's neck. They stood, holding each other for a minute or two. Beca was the first to speak.
"I love you," Beca said. "I was hurt when you didn't put a stop to that guy flirting with you, especially when he blatantly did it in front of me. And I'm sorry I flew off the handle over it, but I was scared."
"Scared?" Chloe asked, raising her head to look at Beca. "Scared of what?"
"Losing you," Beca said softly as a tear ran down her cheek. "I mean, he's tall and good-looking. And you two looked so damned good together that I-"
"Stop," Chloe said, covering Beca's mouth with her hand. "I love you. Not him. Not anyone else. You. I don't care how tall he is; you are the perfect size for me. I don't have to strain my neck to kiss you."
Beca chuckled and kissed Chloe's fingers. Chloe pulled her hand away from Beca's mouth.
"And good-looking?" Chloe continued. "Don't get me started on how good-looking I think you are. No, not good-looking; I think you're beautiful. And I've got it on good authority that we look damned good together. But, you have one thing going for you that Chicago will never have."
"Oh, yeah?" Beca sniffled and smiled. "What's that?"
"Me," Chloe said and leaned in to kiss Beca.
Beca pulled back from the kiss with a laugh. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Chloe said, moving her hands up and around Beca's neck. "And I'll say it and prove it to you every day for the rest of my life."
"You mean that?"
"I do."
Beca smiled and stepped back from Chloe. Chloe furrowed her brow; her eyes shot open wide in surprise when Beca reached in her pocket and then got down on one knee. Beca opened the box and held it up to Chloe Chloe gasped and put her hand to her mouth.
"I was going to do this tomorrow," Beca said, looking up at Chloe. "But now seemed like the perfect time." Beca took a deep breath and let it out. She cleared her throat. "Chloe Beale, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life telling you and showing you how much every single day. Will you marry me?"
Tears were streaming down Chloe's face. She dropped down to her knees and put her hands on Beca's face.
"Yes," she whispered, and she leaned in to kiss Beca.
Beca put her arms around Chloe and pulled her deeper into the kiss. They both pulled back, wiping their tears. Beca took Chloe's hand and, with her hand shaking, placed the ring on Chloe's finger. She brought Chloe's hand to her lips and kissed the ring.
"I love you," Beca said.
"I love you," Chloe replied, and they moved together into another kiss.
"Merry Christmas, Chlo," Beca said.
"Yes, it is," Chloe said, laying her forehead against Beca's.
A/N: YES! There it is, Day 25 (finally)! I hope you enjoyed my 25 Days (which turned into 60 calendar days. What are you gonna do? Life happened).
As a side note: If you submitted a prompt and I didn't use it, I'm sorry. It's not that they weren't good, it's that they were all good. I only needed 25, so I used the ones where I was able to come up with a story quickly.
I'll gladly take prompts any time, so you don't have to wait until Christmas to submit one.