2025-02-14 - Baby's First Valentine

Valentine's Day.

It was a day that, to Bam, historically only meant the day before chocolate went on sale.

He always felt that if you truly felt that someone was special, you should show them every day. And if you didn't have someone special, well, who needs a day to feel extra shitty about that?

But that was before he met Avery.

That was before he found someone special enough to want to spend the day with.

And before he knew someone who actually would appreciate that day, as he suspected Avery would.

He had been trying to think of what to do in order to make the deal special. His room at the theatre was littered with crumpled up balls of paper in and around his waste basket like it was an old movie. He wracked his brain trying to think of the most perfect dramatic thing to do for Avery.

Finally, as he stares at the 37th idea that he felt might go awry, he laughs to himself.

He did not need to do anything surprising or dramatic.

He just had to be himself. That was what Avery loved about him.

And so without any surprise, or pretense, or any other way to take away from the actual act itself, Bam just did the mature, grown-up thing to do.

[Text to Avery] Hey, I made reservations for us on V-Day at Port and Portal, at 6:30pm. Let me know if that time isn't good for you, or if you'd rather go somewhere else. I'm really looking forward to being your Valentine. <3

It was not the sort of thing he was used to doing, to be sure. But Avery had been bringing out something in him that he didn't know he had.

Actual maturity.

And so here he stands, dressed in the best formal outfit he has, which is a suit, decent looking at least, waiting outside of her apartment, a bouquet of flowers in his hand, knocking on the door.

Tonight, he would just be himself. Only dressier.

Avery stared down at the text from Bam. For several beats, she just stared and tapped her forefinger against the side of her phone in thought. Was he doing this just for her? They'd never talked about Valentines or being each others Valentines because... well, she just imagined that Bam didn't care about any of that stuff. At least the Bam that she knew as her friend. The Bam that has become her boyfriend...., she blinked at that word in her own mind, he was becoming increasingly more romantic and... she didn't hate it.

Smiling, she started typing on her phone.

[Text to Bam] Oh, Hello Valentine. Nice to meet you. 6:30 works perfectly for me.

After the text was sent, Avery then started to wonder if she had something to wear. Something that Bam hadn't seen that might be considered "New" even though she'd never went shopping. For NYE she'd gone all out and bought the special underwear and dress... But, she'd really not thought Bam was going to do something like this. So with a minor moment of panic, she started to rummage through her closet. Eventually she found something that she thinks Bam has never seen.

"This could work..." She says to herself out loud.

Hours later... there is a knock on her door.

Avery was still strappy on the strappy heels onto her feet that made her that much taller. Bam would probably recognize them from NYE when she was quite a bit taller.

"Be there in sec!" she calls out loudly to the knock, bother for his benefit and the roommates benefit just in case they heard it too.

When Avery opens the door her hair is down but curled, it still lingers around the middle of her back, she's wearing a black dress with lace. "I'm ready, I promise, just gotta grab my jacket."

All of that comes to a halt when she finally notices that not only is Bam in a suit, but he has a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

What was....this?

Avery blinked at Bam and then smiled, coat forgotten for the moment.

"What... Are those flowers?"

It takes Bam a few moments to answer Avery's question. Mostly because if her goal with that dress was to leave him utterly gobsmacked, then it succeeded.

"Uh."

His brain reboots, and then he offers the flowers towards her. "Yeah. They ... " He glances down at the flowers, and then back at Avery. "They're for you, of course." He laughs for a moment, hanging out in the doorway in case she wants to put them into water. "I know that..." He stops himself, and then just smiles. "I wanted to give you a special night. Another special night. So..."

His hand is extended as well. "I never really knew why people bothered with Valentine's Day until I met someone that made me want to care about it."

For once, Bam's tone is entirely serious.

Had Bam ever given her flowers? No... This was a first. Most of their interactions had been chill and hanging out. Even after dating, they hadn't done anything like this before. So these were the first flowers she ever had from him.

Avery took the minute or two to push the flowers into a vase with water, she was smiling the entire time while she did that.

"I've never gotten flower before..." there is a smile in her response to Bam.

The vase it put on the counter for now, later it would be moved to her room. When Avery moved back to Bam she smiles, "I like the after day chocolates though." but she tells him, "I never had a Valentine's date before."

Seeing the way Avery smiled at the flowers, Bam let loose a soft sigh, which turned into a grin. He slips an arm around her and leans in to give her a brief kiss, and a one armed hug. "Well, based on how happy those flowers seem to have made you, I think tonight's just going to be the first time." He never saw it, never understood why girls liked flowers. But he saw that Avery did, so...guess he was a flower buying guy now.

He nods to her as he turns to lead her out on a stroll to the restaurant. "Well, we can do that tomorrow, if you want. If we can get up early enough." He grins at her sidelong. "I never have either, you know." He considers something, silently drumming his fingers against her side, before adding. "I don't know if you've heard this or not yet, but I've actually never had anyone I cared enough about to label as anything before."

Avery turns into his touch. She had left the flowers on the table, either she would deal with them later or her roommates would put them in them up and put them into a vase.

With Bam's response her cheeks flush a little in a pink color, "I guess I gave something away, huh? Yeah... I like flowers." she admits.

Just before she leaves the apartment Avery grabs a gift bag from the side of the door, obviously something for Bam that she has yet to give him, but its brought along to the plans they have.

Leaning into Bam she wraps her arm around him and starts down the hallway towards their plans. "I can not promise or guarantee that I will be up that early tomorrow. Saturday is one of my days off and well.. sometime I just sleep." not to mention... "Besides what you'll do to me tonight." feeling his fingers drumming against her side only meant she was right and she laughed again.

Had she heard that or not? Avery does show, but she does blush at Bam's words. "I believe you." stopping in the middle of the hallway, she brings his mouth towards hers kiss him, "I haven't either," she admits.

"The more you give away, the more I can do that you like, babe." Bam gives Avery a bit of a nudge, but it is all in good fun. He walks along with her, nodding in agreement. "Oh, yeah, I figured early tomorrow was not going to happen, but early enough, we might catch things at the tail end." He glances over at her. "Maybe we'll still be up, and then we can just go out and get chocolate as a nightcap. Or something." His fingers wriggled a bit, but just a soft touch, not intended as a tickle.

Bam's progress is stopped for the best possible reason as he pivots to face Avery, returning her kiss. He reaches up to brush his hand against her cheek before slowly pulling away. "That's what makes us, us. Two people who never thought this would happen. Who knew?"

He turns and resumes his course. "So, have you eaten at this place before? I've not, but I heard it's really good. I hope so, at least."

"I guess I've always been the type that if someone wanted to bring me flowers, they would." Avery tells Bam, "But I guess in this case you didn't even know I liked them. So..." Yeah... she got what he was saying. "I'll try to think of those things, but not exactly like I'm thinking 'hey why hasn't Bam brought me flowers?' While we are on a mission in Halo." she laughs.

At Bam's side, Avery wiggles a little at his soft touch, it wasn't exactly a tickle, but then again Avery's dress was mostly lace at the top and his fingers were rubbing against that thin fabric that was basically her skin. She didn't complain though and especially not when he stops to take the minute to kiss her properly instead of just kissing her in the process of walking. Again, she leaned her cheek into his hand when it touched her.

It was a good thing that he resumed walking because they could easily get distracted and never leave this building. "No, It always seemed like a fancy special occasion place." she turns her head and smiles up at him, "I guess this is a pretty special reason." she hesitates for just a second, "Diana told me before New Year's Eve that I should suggest going to dinner before the event like this, but I didn't think you'd want to do it." Guess she was wrong about that.

Bam nods to Avery's sentiment. "That's fair, I guess. I'm just saying, I'll keep trying things, you let your smile tell me how much you enjoy them, and those are the ones I'll keep doing." He glances sidelong at Avery, and gives her a nudge. "But if there is something that you would really like, tell me. I take feedback well."

He certainly does not mind pausing to savor the kiss with Avery, his arm sliding around her to hold her close to him for a moment. When the kiss breaks, he leans back to peer at her face. A smile. He gives her a smile back.

As they walk, Bam does not seem to be in a hurry. They do have plenty of time for their reservation. They might even be early. "It is, and yes, this is a special reason." He looks over at Avery and nods, giving her a smile. "I wouldn't say that I wouldn't want to do it. It's just not my thing, but I thought it might be your thing, and I am not opposed to it." He gives her another squeeze.

"Part of being with someone is doing the things that make them happy, and you end up being happy as a result."

Avery leans into Bam while they walk with her arm wrapped around her. The leisurely pace was good considering she was in heels and didn't think that running or walking fast in them was going to be a great idea. She knew how to walk in heels, but she didn't wear them often. They did make her legs look killer though.

They could probably go around in circles on this subject, so she had to laugh, "I'm never going to make you do something just it will make me happy. Now, there might be things I drag you to because I want you there with me, but when it comes things like buying me flowers, or even taking me to nice expensive restaurants, those things are never going to be something I make you do." Side glancing him, "But I'm also not saying we should cancel our reservation because I'm honestly really looking forward to checking this place out."

The gift bag she'd grabbed on the way out just before her jacket, was swinging in her hands and occasionally brushing against her bare thigh. "I did get you something. Well, Its for both of us," adding quickly with a laugh, "And no, it's not more lingerie."

The problem with walking side by side with Avery, if one can even call anything about that a problem, is that Bam lacks the perspective to see either how her legs or her ass looks in that dress. Or does he... 😉

"I know you wouldn't, and I wouldn't to you. BUT...I like making you happy." There's another nudge to her side. "There's nothing wrong with us doing things that we wouldn't otherwise do, but don't detest doing, if it makes the other happy. It's called being a cou--" Bam quickly pauses at that word, shooting a glance over at Avery. He isn't sure if this is one of her bolting triggers, but just in case. "--ntable to each other." Did he save it? Unlikely. He does smile sweetly, and a bit bashfully, allowing Avery to pretend she didn't hear what he was about to say if that makes it easier for her. But he said it, and he meant it.

Another laugh at her addition, and Bam nods. "Well, I have to be honest with you, and I hope you don't mind, but the dinner and the flowers kind of tapped me out for a bit." A bit. Bam has never quite let on how much he earns as the choreographer, but it would not take Avery long to have figured out, long before they even started dating, that Bam was not exactly rolling in cash. "But I know you're very much a thought that counts kind of girl, which is one of the many reasons why..."

"You're my Valentine...." The words float out from behind the door as they emerge, a serenade. "My beautiful lovely Valentiiiiiineeeee...."

It is Bam's voice. Definitely Bam's voice.

And, well, it is Bam. Trailing behind them. With a grin on his face.

He keeps a bit of a grin on Avery as he walks along, allowing his duplicate to serenade the pair.

And check out Avery's ass and legs in that dress...

Did Avery notice that he just fumbled all over that word? If she did, she didn't show it. Triggering not happening tonight, she smiles at him and seems to agree, "Yeah, I get that and agree whole heartedly. We are in this together and sometimes it means doing things that are not what we want, but never forced."

At the honest admission, she pulls up short and makes Bam stop, "Wait, hold up." she pulls him to face her, "Party foul. No." shaking her head, "We're not going to that restaurant, Bam. I'm not tapping you out. It's the thought, remember? We can go grab some pizza and then go to the Spookeasy and meet your brother for a drink." That would be far less expensive and she would be just as fine with that night then sitting at the fancy restaurant. "I appreciate that you made the reservation and the gesture, but nah, Bam. We're pizza and light up people. If this is going to tap you out? I don't want to do this."

This is interrupted by the fact that she is now being serenaded by Bam, but... From behind and she turns back to see 2nd Bam behind her, checking her ass out and she starts to laugh. Who knew he had such a good voice? Leaning in, Avery hugs Bam one and listens to the serenade. "You just wanted to check out my ass, didn't you?" she knew him better than he thought. "I don't blame you, my ass looks amazing in this dress."

Bam seems satisfied that his cover-up was, if not effective, plausibly accepted. "Exactly. Never forced." He gives her a gentle nudge in the side. "Unless we're talking about..."

Whatever comment he was about to make, most likely in jest, is lost as Avery pulls him up. "Whoa, that's not a party foul, that's a..." He looks at Avery for a long moment, thinking. "I'm not going to be unable to eat, babe, it just means that, you know, it might be a ... " He tries again, and then just sighs, and nods. "If you'd really prefer, I couldn't blame you. But I'm telling you that I can handle it, and you're worth it."

And then, with perfect timing, comes Bam 2. Bam 1 glances towards the grinning face of his duplicate, and then looks back towards Avery. He gives her a squeeze as he leans against her. "Your ass looks amazing in anything and everything." Then he cracks a grin, and leans over to murmur a bit more softly. "And especially nothing..."

Bam 2 simply continues to croon as he watches the two lovebirds.

"It's a total party foul, I'm not sure how it could not be?" Avery had yet to move from her stand still position as they discussed this. Bam receives one of those 'looks' the one that she can tell he's trying to dig him out of something he's said,"Yeah, ok..." she drags the words out, shaking her head, "I know you'll eat cause I'd feed you. But I'm not going to be the reason your account is drained. There is no way I'd feel good about any part of tonight going into this now that I know this information." Tucking hair behind her ear she shakes her head again, "Unless you're proposing or something, there is no reason to drain your account." Then she shoots him a sharp look, "Even then it wouldn't be acceptable."

When Bam 2 catches up with them she turns her head to look toward him, unable to help the grin on her lips when he looks at her and Bam 1's hand is squeezing her tighter against him. "Thats for later," The 'nothing' part of the evening.

For now, they had new plans to make for tonight, "So what do you want to do? Pizza? Burgers? But yeah, I told Ari we'd meet up with him so whatever happens it ends with that."