25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020
Day 22 - The Christmas Date
Prompt from Tumblr User Anonymous: This prompt was originally given to Tumblr User AnotherBechloeShipper (see the full prompt and an additional note from her at the end). I asked if I could use it for my 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases, and she was okay with that. I took it in a bit of a different direction than the prompt called for; I hope you like it.
Beca had just entered the Bellas House and noticed most of the girls were gone. She peeked into the living room to find Chloe sitting on the sofa, flipping through a magazine.
"So, um, Chloe?" Beca asked as she walked over to stand nervously in front of her best friend.
"Yes, Beca?" Chloe responded, not looking up from her magazine.
"I heard that you, uh, weren't going home for Christmas," Beca said.
"This is true," Chloe said, looking up at Beca. "I'm staying to work at the vet clinic to get some firsthand experience."
"Oh," Beca said. "That's cool. Cool, cool, cool."
"I agree," Chloe said with a wink. "I think it's cool, cool, cool, too."
Beca winced and looked around.
"Sack up, dude!" Beca mumbled to herself.
"Are you okay, Beca?" Chloe asked, reaching out and touching Beca's arm.
Beca's head jerked over to look at Chloe's hand on her arm.
"Oh, yeah," Beca said. "I'm fine. Everything is okey-dokey with me."
"Oh, God," Beca thought. "Why am I like this?"
"Did you want something else, Becs?" Chloe asked.
"What?" Beca shot a look at Chloe. "Why would you think I wanted anything?"
"Um," Chloe said, standing. "Never mind. I'm going to my room. I'll see you later, okay?"
"Yep," Beca said. "Okay."
Beca watched Chloe start up the stairs. Chloe paused and looked back at Beca.
"Are you sure you're okay, Beca?" Chloe asked.
"Pffft," Beca said. "Yep. I'm fine. All's good in the Beca Hood."
Beca mentally face-palmed herself as she thought, "What the fuck was that?"
Chloe gave her a funny look and said, "Some of the girls went to pick up pizza for dinner. They should be back soon."
"Sounds good, Chlo," Beca said, and Chloe continued up the stairs.
Beca fell face first onto the sofa. She had been lying there for a few minutes when she heard the front door open. She lifted her head and looked over her shoulder to see the other Bellas coming in; she let her head drop back down to the sofa.
"Hey, Beca," Stacie said as she, Ashley, and Jessica entered the living room. "We brought pizza."
"Okay," Beca mumbled into the sofa cushion. "Somebody should tell Chloe you're back. She's in her room."
"I'll get her," Jessica said and went toward the stairs.
"What's up with you?" Stacie asked.
"Nothing," Beca mumbled. "I'm just a loser laying here waiting to eat pizza."
"Beca, you're not a loser," Ashley said. "What's got you all down in the dumps anyway?"
Beca sat up and sighed.
"You know how I have a thing for Chloe, right?" Beca asked.
"Yeah," Stacie and Ashley respond.
"I decided I was going to ask her out," Beca said. "But, I turned into awkward Beca and couldn't string together a coherent sentence to ask her."
"I'm sure it's not as bad as you think," Ashley said.
"Not as bad as I think?" Beca scoffed, her voice raised an octave or two. "It's worse. She asked me if I was okay, and I said all's good in the Beca Hood."
"That's, uh, that's not so bad," Stacie said, grimacing slightly.
"You need to forget about that and try again," Ashley said. "You'll be sorry if you don't."
"She won't want to go out with a loser like me," Beca said.
"It's Chloe," Stacie said. "If she doesn't want to go on a date with you, she'll let you down easy. But you won't know if you don't sack up and ask her."
Chloe and Jessica returning to the living room kept Beca from saying anything more.
~~ Day 22 of the 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020 ~~
Later that night, Beca doesn't know how it happened, but she and Chloe were suddenly alone in the living room. Beca took in a deep breath and looked at Chloe.
"Chloe?"
"Yes, Beca?"
"Would you, um, maybe want to go out with me over Winter Break? On, a, um, a date?"
"You mean a date date?" Chloe asked, looking at Beca.
"Yes," Beca said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I'd love to," Chloe said with a big smile.
"You would?" Beca squeaked out, taken by surprise.
"Don't act so surprised, Beca," Chloe said, chuckling. "I like you, and I was trying to figure out a way to ask you out without sending you running for the hills."
"Really?" Beca asked, again taken by surprise.
"Yes, really," Chloe said. "I'll be working at the vet clinic almost every day, but I have Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off. Can we do it one of those nights?"
"Of course," Beca said. "I'll make a reservation for dinner on Christmas Eve if that's okay with you?"
"That sounds perfect," Chloe said.
Chloe stood and walked over to Beca. She bent over and kissed Beca on the cheek.
"I'm looking forward to it," Chloe said. "I'm going to bed, but I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Chloe," Beca said, grinning as she sat alone in the now empty living room.
~~ Day 22 of the 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020 ~~
Beca was excited that Chloe agreed to go on a date with her. The next morning, the first thing she did was call and make a reservation at Chloe's favorite Mexican restaurant.
Beca told Stacie about the date and had her help pick out an outfit before Stacie left for the break.
"You've got almost a week, Beca," Stacie said. "No matter how much I tell you a certain outfit is perfect, you'll worry about it and change your mind thirty times. Just go with something nice but casual."
"Chloe's something nice?" Beca asked. "Or my something nice? Because they are definitely not the same."
"Do you still have that red dress you bought to wear on Valentine's Day last year?" Stacie asked.
"You mean the dress I never got to wear because Jesse dumped me just before Valentine's Day for some girl in his music score class?" Beca asked. "Yeah, I still have it."
"Forget about Jesse," Stacie said. "Wear that dress for your date with Chloe. It's festive, and Chloe will love it on you."
"That's a great idea," Beca said. "Thanks, Stacie."
"Don't worry about it," Stacie said. "And don't worry about the date. It will be fine. Just fill me in on everything later, okay?"
"Okay," Beca said.
~~ Day 22 of the 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020 ~~
The girls were all gone, and Chloe and Beca were alone in the house. Chloe spent most of the day interning at the vet clinic, while Beca worked on her music and did her shifts at the radio station. They would meet up nearly every night and have dinner and watch some TV or a movie before Chloe would call it a night, citing having to be at the clinic early the next morning.
It was Christmas Eve, and Beca was excited about her date with Chloe. She spent most of the morning talking to Chloe about the Vet Clinic and her family. When lunchtime came around, Beca made a quick chicken Caesar salad for the two of them to share.
"I didn't want to make anything heavy," Beca said, setting a plate of salad and a bottle of water in front of Chloe. "I don't want to spoil our dinner."
"Do I get to know where we're going for dinner finally?" Chloe asked.
"I guess I can tell you now," Beca said. "We're going to that little Mexican place you love on the other side of campus. Our reservations are for six."
"La Taqueria?" Chloe asked excitedly. At Beca's nod, Chloe added, "I love that place. Are you trying to impress me, Miss Mitchell?"
"That's the plan, Miss Beale," Beca said, smirking.
They both dug into their salads as they laughed and talked. They were still sitting at the table a few hours later when Chloe said she was going to shower.
Beca cleaned their lunch dishes and made her way up to her room to get her stuff for a shower. She knew Chloe would be done quickly.
~~ Day 22 of the 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020 ~~
Chloe was ready at 5:30 and was waiting in the living room for Beca. Her breath hitched a bit when Beca broke the threshold into the living room. Chloe admired the view of Beca in her red dress.
"Beca," Chloe said as she stood, looking Beca up and down. "You look amazing!"
"So do you," Beca said, admiring Chloe. "But, then again, you always do."
Chloe blushed slightly at the compliment. Beca grabbed their jackets and held Chloe's out for her to put on.
"Thank you," Chloe said as she pulled her hair out from under the back of her coat.
"Shall we?" Beca asked, holding out her arm out for Chloe to take.
Chloe giggled and took Beca's arm; she held onto it as they made their way out to Beca's car. Beca opened the door and allowed Chloe to get situated before closing the door and hurrying around to the other side. She slid behind the wheel and smiled over at Chloe.
Chloe smiled back at Beca as Beca stuck the key in the ignition. She turned the key and. . .nothing happened. Beca's smile fell from her face.
"What the Hell?"
Beca turned the key again with the same result.
"Sounds like the battery might be dead," Chloe said.
"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Beca slammed her hands on the steering wheel as she cried out in frustration.
"Beca, calm down," Chloe said, reaching her hand across to stop Beca from slamming her hands on the steering wheel. "We can just take my car."
~~ Day 22 of the 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020 ~~
Beca sat pouting in the passenger seat of Chloe's car as Chloe drove them to the restaurant. This night was starting out badly.
Chloe put on the turn signal to pull into the restaurant's parking lot mumbling, "Becs, are you sure this place was supposed to be open tonight?"
"What the fuck?" Beca mumbled as she found herself looking at an empty parking lot. She looked toward the restaurant, and it was dark. "Is it closed?!"
"Looks like it," Chloe said, driving over to the main door of the place.
"But, I made a reservation," Beca said. "And I have a confirmation number. How are they closed tonight, and I wasn't informed? Aren't they supposed to call and let people who made reservations know they aren't going to be open for whatever reason? Why didn't they let me know?"
"I don't know what to tell you, Beca," Chloe said with a sigh. "It looks like there's a sign on the door, but I can't see what it says from here."
"Wait here," Beca said, unbuckling her seatbelt. "I'll check it out."
Chloe watched as Beca walked up to the door and stood, using the light from her phone to read the sign. She saw Beca run a hand through her hair and look back at Chloe's car. She took a moment before turning to walk back over to the car. She got in and sat staring at the restaurant.
"What did the sign say?" Chloe asked.
Beca slowly turned to look at Chloe. She let out a heavy sigh and replied, "It's been shut down by the Health Department for several health code violations."
"Oh," Chloe said.
"What are we going to do now?" Beca asked. "The whole night is ruined."
"No, it's not," Chloe said. "Let's just go to the diner. They're open, and I'm hungry."
"Okay," Beca said. "I guess it's better than nothing."
"Come on, Beca," Chloe said, gripping Beca's hand. "We can salvage this. Don't give up so easily."
"I just wanted our first real date to be memorable," Beca mumbled, looking down at her hands.
"It still can be," Chloe said, smiling as she put the car in drive and made her way out of the parking lot.
~~ Day 22 of the 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020 ~~
Beca was so bummed about her date not turning out how she wanted that she sat across the table from Chloe, not saying anything.
Chloe looked at her and waited, but Beca still hadn't spoken after five minutes of silently sitting there.
"So, um," Chloe said, looking over the menu. "I think I'm going to get breakfast for dinner. How about you?"
"Sure, Chloe," Beca said, staring down at the table. "Sounds good."
Chloe slammed her menu down with a huff.
"If you don't really want to be here with me, we can just leave."
"What?" Beca said, looking at Chloe. "No, I want to be here."
"Then act like it!" Chloe responded.
"I'm sorry," Beca said. "I'm trying so hard to give you the date you deserve."
"Stop trying so hard," Chloe said, reaching across to cover Beca's hand with hers. "Just let whatever happens happen. I promise you that whatever you think is going wrong is not as bad as you're making it out to be."
"You're just saying that to be nice," Beca said.
"So, what if I am?" Chloe asked, releasing Beca's hand as she shrugged her shoulders. "It's better than sulking over things you have no control over."
Chloe took a deep breath and let it out. She looked at Beca.
"Relax, Beca, and let's just enjoy the rest of our date."
~~ Day 22 of the 25 Days of BeChloe Christmases - 2020 ~~
The ride home was quiet. Chloe kept looking over at Beca, but Beca would not look at her; she just stared out the side window.
"I'm sorry about your dress," Beca mumbled, breaking the silence.
"What was that?" Chloe questioned. "I couldn't hear you."
"I said, I'm sorry about your dress," Beca said a bit louder so Chloe would hear her.
Beca still did not look at Chloe.
"The soda added a nice stickiness, but it's fine," Chloe said with a small smile toward Beca. "It will be as good as new once I wash it. "
Beca continued to stare out the window and would not look at Chloe. The only sounds made during the rest of the trip home were Chloe's heavy sighs.
Beca was out of the car and making her way to the front door before Chloe had unfastened her seatbelt. She hurried after Beca and caught up to her just as she reached the door. Beca made it through the door, and Chloe grabbed her by the arm.
"Go change into your pajamas," Chloe said. "I'll meet you in the living room in fifteen minutes."
"I'm going to bed," Beca said, jerking her arm out of Chloe's grasp.
"No, you're not," Chloe said, retaking Beca's arm and staring into her eyes to make sure she was paying attention. "If you're not back down here in fifteen minutes, I will come up and drag you down here. Don't test me on this because you will not win."
The look on Chloe's face let Beca know that Chloe meant business.
"Fine!" Beca said and stomped up the stairs.
Chloe followed behind Beca and went to her room. She quickly threw on her pajamas and rushed back downstairs. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a few things before going into the living room to set everything up.
Chloe waited the full fifteen minutes before going upstairs to get Beca. She had just made it to the second-floor landing when Beca came rushing out into the hallway from her room. Beca stopped short when she saw Chloe.
"You were really coming to get me?" Beca asked, eyes wide in astonishment.
"I told you I would," Chloe said. "Come on and don't make me drag you down the stairs. I have everything ready for us."
Beca meekly followed Chloe downstairs and into the living room.
"What's all this?" Beca asked, looking at the tub of ice cream and two spoons sitting on the coffee table.
"We're going to do what we always do when I get home from a date," Chloe said. "We're going to eat ice cream and talk about it."
"I get it, Chloe," Beca said angrily. "The date sucked. You don't have to tell me; I was there. Remember?"
"Of course, I remember, Beca," Chloe said sweetly. "Now sit."
Chloe sat cross-legged on the couch and pointed to the spot across from her. Beca huffed but sat cross-legged across from Chloe.
Chloe picked up the ice cream and the two spoons, holding one out toward Beca. Beca took the spoon and played with it. Chloe opened the ice cream and set it between them. She took up a scoop on her spoon and brought it to her mouth.
Beca watched but didn't say anything.
"Aren't you going to ask me how my date went?" Chloe asked.
"I already know how it went," Beca said, looking down at the spoon in her hand.
"You only know how you think it went," Chloe said, getting more ice cream but not adding anything more to the conversation.
Beca continued to look down. After a few minutes, her curiosity got the best of her, and she finally looked up at Chloe.
"How did your date go?"
"It sucked," Chloe said, laughing.
"I don't need to hear anymore," Beca said, moving to stand.
"Stop!" Chloe said. "And sit back down. Please?"
Beca huffed again but sat back down in her original position.
"Now, ask me why my date sucked."
"Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously. Now ask me."
"Fine," Beca said, spooning up some ice cream. "Why, um, why did your date suck?"
"It sucked because it started out fairly well," Chloe said. "I mean my date looked hot and she helped me with my jacket and opened doors for me. And then suddenly things went a little sideways and the Beca I thought I was going out with vanished and a different Beca took her place."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I thought I was going to be with the Beca that I've wanted to ask out for so long," Chloe responded. "Instead, I ended up with someone I don't even know. The Beca I wanted to be with is the girl who came home for the past five days and made dinner or she stopped and picked up my favorite takeout to make sure I got something to eat."
Chloe leaned toward Beca and whispered, "She's really special and knows that I miss lunch a lot of the time when I'm working."
Chloe winked as she sat back. "I wanted to be with that special girl. The one who would sit and watch a movie with me even though she doesn't like them so that I didn't have to watch them alone."
Beca shifted in her seat and took more ice cream onto her spoon, swallowing it down as Chloe continued.
"I want the Beca who gets up early every morning to make hot tea to help soothe my throat," Chloe said. "And would fill a thermos so I could have hot tea to sip on at work. That's the girl I want to date. The real Beca who is sweet and caring, not the snarky, unsure Beca that I was with tonight."
Beca took a bite of ice cream and looked at Chloe.
"That was the real Beca," Beca mumbled. "The awkward unsure girl I've always been."
Chloe frowned and shoved her spoon into the ice cream.
"Did you do something to your car to make sure it didn't start?" Chloe asked.
"No."
"Did you do something to the restaurant that made the Health Department shut it down?"
"No, how could I have?"
"Did you purposely bump into that waitress to make her spill those drinks on me?"
"No, I would never do that!"
"Then why are you so bummed about the date?" Chloe asked, searching Beca's face. "None of those things were anything you had any control over. Your attitude is why the date sucked, not what happened on it."
"I wanted to make it perfect," Beca said, looking down at the spoon in her hand.
"There's no use trying to make a date perfect," Chloe responded, picking up her spoon and taking a bite of ice cream. "There's no such thing."
Beca sat for a moment, watching Chloe eat her ice cream.
"It sounds like someone was trying way too hard to impress you."
"That's what I said," Chloe said. "And it was totes unnecessary. I'm already impressed by her, that's why I said yes when she asked me out."
"She's really impressed by you, too," Beca said a small smile on her face. "And, I know for a fact that she really, really likes you. So, do you think she'll get a second date?"
"It depends."
"On?"
"On which Beca asks me," Chloe said, grinning as she scooped up another bite of ice cream.
Beca smiled and moved the ice cream to the coffee table. Chloe watched her with furrowed brows which shot up when Beca leaned toward her. Chloe let out a surprised yelp when Beca surged forward and smashed her lips to Chloe's.
Chloe took a second but starting kissing Beca back. The kiss lasted less than a minute, and when Beca pulled away, Chloe chased after Beca's lips, capturing them for another kiss. This kiss was a bit more intense and was broken when Chloe chuckled against Beca's mouth.
"There's the confident, badass Beca I was looking for," Chloe said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Does that mean you'll go out with me again?"
"That's a definite yes," Chloe said, placing both hands on Beca's cheeks and pulling her closer. "But only if you kiss me like that again."
Beca happily obliged. They broke apart when breathing became an issue.
"And don't worry, I'll plan the next date," Chloe said, causing Beca to laugh again before leaning into another kiss.
"Merry Christmas to me," Beca mumbled against Chloe's lips.
Full prompt from Tumblr User Anonymous: Beca and Chloe finally go out on a date. But like...Beca's game is sooooo bad. Like Anakin Skywalker, Attack of the Clones bad, is Beca able to land a second date, or will Chloe be like "nah"? [I have never seen Attack of the Clones so I have no idea how bad it was (is?); I went with what came to me].
Note from AnotherBechloeShipper: Okay, I've tried to come up with something for this prompt, and I can't get a single word going. So, I'm going to just put this out here in hopes that maybe another writer can pick up the prompt. I will say I think Beca would land a second date because I see Chloe forgiving missteps, but I just can't come up with anything coherent to write for it.