Nerdzzone

Chris laughed, the sound echoing through the otherwise quiet home. “Oh I’ll be going to bed early tonight, that’s for sure,” he assured her with a nod. 

Scott smirked at the words, moving to grab a cup from a cabinet and fill it with water. “I’m honestly surprised that you didn’t just fly straight to San Francisco to see Nat,” he drawled, his voice booming. 

“Yeah, it’s been what? A month since you’ve seen her?” Lisa asked, raising a brow as she dropped her hands from Chris’ arms and headed back into the kitchen, pulling groceries from the bags resting on the island counter. 

“I was with her over the fourth so almost a month,” he corrected, leaning down to pet his Ma’s dogs as they danced at his feet. But then he thought back to his visit earlier in the month, at the fleeting moments they’d had together, but otherwise… he’d been alone. Nat’s schedule was busier than ever, if it was even possible, and she spent so much time glued to her laptop that he missed her even when he was there. “I miss Nat so fuckin’ much but I’m almost thinking about staying here.” 

Lisa raised a brow suspiciously as she closed the fridge, tucking the reusable grocery bags into each other. “Oh really?” She asked him while she looked at him curiously. 

“I’m just so exhausted. Going from filming earlier this year to the Lightyear press and right into The Gray Man press, I’m just so tired,” he murmured with a shake of his head as he leaned his hip against the island. “And now that I’ll be going to Atlanta soon for Pain Hustlers, I feel like I just need a break away from everything.” 

“Maybe Nat could come out here instead?” 

“Yeah I think I might ask her if she could,” Chris nodded his head. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see her, in fact, the opposite was true but after being dragged from one interview to another then put on a plane to make another appearance and do the whole routine again, he was craving his safe space more than ever. He just wanted to be home and sleep in his own bed, have home cooked meals, and decompress in the place he felt the most himself. Chris ran a hand through his hair while he mused, “I want to see her so bad, but when I’m there during the week, she’s at work anyway so it’s not like we get to spend much time together.” 

He watched as Lisa pursed her lips while she listened to his words. “Well maybe once you rest up a little more, you could go out for a weekend,” she suggested, her eyebrows raising hopefully as she looked at her oldest son. He shrugged his shoulders at that as he heard Scott’s small noise of agreement and sighed. 

“I don’t have many more weekends before I start filming again,” he began as he stared down at the marble countertop. He’d gotten the official schedules for both shoots a few weeks ago, and there was virtually no spare time once he started the first project, but what little time he had left before was quickly getting filled up in Massachusetts. He hadn’t been home for a long stretch of time since the previous year, and even then he spent most of 2021 in Los Angeles, growing his relationship with Nat. He’d missed home, missed seeing his family, the kids, getting to just live without constantly looking over his shoulder. And the growing list of responsibilities from ASP that he’d been ignoring while working were piling up, and his schedule was full of tasks between now and the middle of August. By then, he’d jump right into the shoots around Florida and Georgia with the cast of Pain Hustlers to then be in Atlanta working for months on end for Red One, having no real opportunities to visit Nat in California. “I just hate to disappoint Nattie.” 

“Honey, you know Nat will understand,” Lisa placated her son, looking at him seriously as she listened to his words. “She won’t want you to kill yourself just to come see her.” 

Chris shook his head, explaining, “Oh I know she’ll understand, Nat always does.” 

“I know a certain dog who will be happy that you’ll be around here for a while,” she pointed out with a small chuckle, shaking her head in amusement.

“You should have seen how I woke up this morning. Dodger was laying right on top of me,” Chris laughed, thankful for the shift in conversation away from him changing his and Nat’s plans. 

Scott’s dry laugh cut through the room as he told their mother, “He’s been right on Chris’ heels all day.” 

Lisa smiled at the comment, before her eyes turned curious and she looked at Chris as he finally sat down in a barstool next to Chris. “What were you guys up to today?” She asked them both, looking between them. 

“Well…” Chris started as Scott bit his lip, turning to look at him as well. With both his Ma’s and Scott’s eyes on him, a smile crossed his lips.  “That’s actually part of the reason we came over…” 

“Why’s that?” 

A warm smile crossed his lips as his brain was able to switch from the exhaustion his whole body was clouded in, to instead thinking about the purchase he made hours earlier and the meaning that came with it as he told his mother, “I bought something for Nat today that I wanted to show you…” 

He could feel Lisa’s eyes on him as he pulled the velvet box out of the plain white bag and handed it over to her. He watched as she flipped it open and saw the shining diamond ring inside as she gasped, “Chris, you got her a ring? You’re going to ask her to marry you?” 

“Yeah Ma, I am,” a warmth spread throughout him as he said those words out loud. 

Chris could see the tears glossing her eyes as she gasped, “Oh honey, I couldn’t be happier.” 

“Me neither,” he shook his head almost in disbelief that this was really happening. His own tears started gathering in his blue eyes, making him blink furiously before he swallowed the emotional lump in his throat, “I think I’ve known for a while now that Nat was the one for me but when I was with her in San Francisco for our anniversary earlier this year I just… knew. I just don’t want anyone but her.” 

“I knew from that first time I met her that you two would be together,” Lisa stated firmly before going over to hug her eldest son tightly. 

“I think we all knew that one,” Scott chimed in with a chuckle from where he had sat down at the counter, knowing that Chris and Nat being together was something they all saw coming a mile away. 

Chris had to wipe a hand along his cheeks, swiping away the tears as he admitted, “I just love her so much. I never even knew it could feel like this,” 

“I’m so happy for you Chris. I can honestly say this is the best decision you’ve ever made,” his mother encouraged him with a hand rubbing up and down his back but then wanted to know, “When are you going to ask her?” 

The question was one he’d been thinking about a lot but still hadn’t figured out an answer to, letting her in, “I’m not sure yet. I don’t really have a specific time so I’m just going to ask her when the moment feels right.” 

Lisa couldn’t help but give him another hug, squeezing him tightly as she once again told him just how happy she was before the conversation shifted toward dinner and the brothers decided to stay and help get things ready. As Chris was pulling out the plates, his gaze drifted down to the ring box that was sitting open on the counter and felt the conversation happening around him seem to drift away. He picked up the box and looked at that sparkling ring, imagining what it would look like on Nat’s hand and almost finding it unbelievable that at the beginning of the previous year he hadn’t even met her, but now here he was ready to place this on her hand with the promise of forever. 

He loved her so much it almost hurt and even as insecure and indecisive as he could be, this was one decision that didn’t leave any doubts in his mind other than the timing. With his schedule being full with two more movies and Nat being in San Francisco for her job, he didn’t know the next time that they’d get any extended amount of time together and although it left him at a loss on how to fully support her while he wasn’t there, he had come to see through their breakup that none of it mattered. Sure, it was a hurdle they’d need to figure out how to cross, but all that mattered is that he had Nat in his life and he wanted her forever. Chris knew that this was the best thing that could ever happen to him, but what he didn’t know is that while he stood here full of joy and peace, the woman he loved was across the country feeling desperately trapped in the new job and life she had chosen and felt more stuck that she ever had in her life. 

Nat shut the creaking door behind her and locked the deadbolt, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the door as she felt her muscles tense. She looked around her dark apartment, feeling… indifferent to everything. Coming home had always been something sacred to her, her escape, her happy place, where she hosted friends, family, game nights, and movie nights. But here… she’d hole up for days over a weekend without having anyone here who would reach out to say, “Hey! Haven’t seen you this weekend, want to grab brunch tomorrow?”, only to hear a ping alerting her to new emails. It was no longer a place of refuge to her, instead, it felt like a place where she couldn’t take a deep breath, where she could never relax, where no one would come looking, or even stop by. She was completely alone here in this silent apartment, but the one bright spot that had gotten her through so many days was knowing that in one day, her apartment would be occupied by the heart-of-gold man that she loved so dearly. His laughter would fill the tiny space, his hands would rub her aching back, and his presence would fill the void in her heart that had been hurting so badly. 

When her phone started ringing, she pulled it out and saw his name on her screen, bringing out the first genuine smile in a long time as she held it up to her ear and greeted him with a hello that sounded a lot less enthusiastic than she intended but just couldn’t seem to muster anything more. 

“Hi honey, is this a good time?” He asked her, his voice filling her ear. 

She nodded, suppressing the sigh that caught in her throat. “Yeah I’m just walking through my door,” she told him, hanging her bag on the hook by the door as she kicked her shoes off. 

Nat heard him huff out a breath, his voice quiet as he pointed out, “Nattie, it’s almost eight there.” 

She shook her head, frowning at his concern. She knew it was well placed, it always was. They cared about each other to be making those jabs at the other, but it didn’t mean her shoulders relaxed a little at every concerned comment he made. If anything, it made her feel a little worse. “I know, it just was a busy day,” she explained, her voice quiet as she turned on the lights and stepped further into the apartment. 

“Will you promise me that you’ll have some dinner?” 

“I promise I will,” she told him, glancing towards the shoebox of a kitchen before she headed into the living room, sitting down on the couch with a sigh. “I actually am a little surprised to hear from you. I figured you’d be asleep with you flying out here tomorrow.” 

“That’s actually what I wanted to call you about,” he began, pausing as he sighed. Nat froze, listening as he finally asked, “Nattie, would it disappoint you if I didn’t come out to San Francisco?” 

Her brows furrowed and her hand reached, plucking a few threads from the worn blanket on the couch as she fidgeted anxiously. “Is everything okay?” She asked worriedly, unsure if something had happened 

“Yeah, yeah it’s fine, I’m just so exhausted,” he admitted and Nat could have been able to know that without his admission. The weariness in his voice was evident even if she hadn’t known how packed his schedule had been but kept listening as he sighed, “I feel like I’ve just been going non-stop for the past couple months and then with heading into doing two more movies this year, I just feel really overwhelmed. I just want some time to decompress.” 

“Of course I’m sad not to see you but that’s fine Chris, I want you to take care of yourself,” Nat told him truthfully. In reality, hearing those words felt like a punch in the gut or as if all the air from her lungs had just been taken away. Having him come out to see her had been the one saving grace through all of this. She knew that if she could just make it to when she’d get to have his arms around her again, then maybe she could do this. Maybe that would help center her again, but in an instant that had been stolen away. 

But she couldn’t tell him that. She couldn’t burden him with the knowledge of how much she was struggling while he was so burnt out and had to recharge before being thrown into filming again. Besides, he had warned her. He was the one who told her that this job wasn't for her and that it didn’t seem like the right move for her and he had been right. Nat just couldn’t let anyone, especially herself, know how much this job was taking a toll on her. It was just a job and the fact that she couldn’t seem to handle it only made her feel like even more of a failure than ever. 

“I hope you know how much I want to see you and it has nothing to do with that,” Chris went on to assure her, but it brought little healing to her heart because all she could feel was that she was alone yet again. “I also figured that when I’m there during the week I don’t get to see you much anyway and thought that maybe you could come out for a weekend if you have time or I could come out there before Atlanta.” 

“I’m not sure yet what my schedule is but we’ll figure something out. I want you to just decompress,” she rushed to tell him, trying hard to cover up the tears and heavy emotion in her voice. 

“Are you sure, Nat?” 

Nat just took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice before responding with, “I am, I want you to rest. I know how important it is to you to be able to be away from everything in Boston.” 

“Thanks for understanding, baby. I love you so much and I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” 

Nat pushed out a quick “I love you too” before hearing the line hang up. She couldn’t even pull the phone away from her ear before silent tears started spilling out of her eyes. With a shaky finger she clicked the red button before trudging over to the couch where she laid down and grabbed a pillow, clutching it to her chest as the tears just wouldn’t stop pouring down her face. 

Nat was so proud of Chris. She was so proud of all he’d done this year, pushing himself with the films he was doing and going through the press tours he hated so much while traveling the world in a whirlwind. She was so happy that he could recognize when he needed a break, and just decompress. She was so glad that he had a place to do that, where he had a home to just be himself and relax but right now she just hated it so much that the home wasn’t with her. 

Using the sleeve of her sweatshirt, she furiously wiped at her eyes and sat up. Nat tried so hard to just pull it together, but the moment her eyes glanced out the window of her apartment and she saw the almost tauntingly beautiful view of San Francisco, heavy sobs started pouring out of hers as those tears that she had just wiped away were quickly replaced. Just one look at that view reminded her that she was here in the city by the bay, completely and utterly alone. 

She had always loved her job, working as an animator was truly a dream come true. Nat was just a normal girl who had been given an incredible gift by having a father who believed in her, sending her to art school to follow her dreams but it felt like somehow her real dream, the real longing of her heart had slipped through her fingers. Nat had been so happy working at Disney, settling into a life in California over the past decade and having an incredible group of friends, including Mark and Jamie who had become more like family to her. 

But COVID had changed everything for her. In that time frame, her engagement to Shane had ended, Nat had become so much more self assured and knew who she was, but after being able to spend months at home with her family, she had moved back to California with a loneliness in her heart and a longing for something more. For the first time in her life she had seen how much she wanted more than her job. She wanted her own family and to be able to love someone and have them love her in return. 

And then Chris came into her life. 

So much had changed since he’d made his unexpected entrance in her life and Nat had found out so many more things about herself and what she wanted. He helped her to rest in who she was and embrace what it was that made her… well, her. He was her best friend and gave her peace in a way that she couldn’t quite explain. But there was still a part of her that let those little voices into the back of her head, remembering the looks she’d gotten from people when she was younger and said her dream was to be an artist. She remembered the jokes so many made when they asked what she was going to do for a ‘real job’ and the sting of that in her formative years still was underneath the surface. 

Nat’s fingers were clutching tight on that pillow as she thought back to her dad dropping her off at art school as he hugged her tightly and told her how proud of her he was and that he knew she’d do great things. Ever since then all she had wanted to do was prove him right, to show everyone she wasn’t just the overemotional chaotic artist little sister behind two intelligent successful older sisters who seemed to be able to do all the things she viewed herself incapable of. 

So here she was. Accepting this job that she thought would somehow prove something. That somehow would be the icing on the cake of ‘See? I can be a successful artist’ but all it had done was show her just how right Chris had been about all of this. This wasn’t what she wanted. She hated every bit of this job. She wanted so much more than this now. She wanted Chris. She wanted a family. She wanted to create for herself. But there was no turning back now. There was no way that she could go to her boss only a couple months after starting and basically say she wanted to be demoted, especially when her position back in Burbank had already been filled. Not to mention that she had taken a stand with this job and Chris, resulting in them temporarily breaking up. That felt like such a huge failure in her mind and that was something Nat simply just couldn’t take at the moment. 

So here she had been, putting her nose to the grindstone and putting in her hours, trying to get through the days with the light at the end of the tunnel being August. The month when she’d get her best friend back. When she’d finally get to feel his arms around her. When she’d finally not dread the weekends and spend them crying in bed but instead fill them with laughter and happiness with Chris. When she’d finally get to relax for the first time in weeks. Knowing that he was coming to her was like a lifeline, knowing that she just had to make it until then and then hopefully things would be better. But now it felt like that lifeline that was dangling just out of her reach was snatched away and she was left drowning. 

“I dunno,” Chris shrugged. “You’re the guest, you can pick.”

“Oh, really?” Bridget smirked. “What about Captain America then?”

“I mean, we could if you really want to…” From the tone of his voice and the cringe on his face it was clear that it wouldn’t be his first choice and he elaborated despite her teasing tone. “To be honest, I don’t really mind watching any of those Marvel movies, but it seems a little self-obsessed to showcase my own movies to a woman I’m trying to impress.”

“It would only be self-obsessed if you suggested it,” Bridget countered. “But don’t worry, I won’t make you watch them. I’m catching up in my own time.”

“Are you?”

The surprised raise of Chris’ eyebrow at that admission had a blush rising on Bridget’s cheeks as she nodded her head.

“Yeah, I only ever saw the first one so I thought it would be a good idea to catch up,” she admitted. “But they’re a little too old for Landon so it’s taking me a while to find the time.”

“Well, that’s cute,” Chris teased, smirking as she swatted at him. “What do you think?”

“They’re good movies,” she assured him. “But I do think your costume could be just a little bit tighter. It doesn’t really give you the opportunity to show off all your big muscles.”

Her sarcastic criticism had a laugh bursting from Chris’ chest as he playfully nodded in agreement.

“That’s what I keep saying! I don’t know why they even bother making me wear a costume at all.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Bridget giggled. “That would be a whole different kinda movie.”

“The Avengers: Rated R,” Chris joked. “It’s probably on the internet somewhere already.”

“Maybe we should watch that.”

The suggestion pulled another chuckled from Chris’ lips, but he quickly shot it down and scrolled through Netflix until they settled on Back to the Future - a movie they’d both seen several times, but one that could always capture their attention. However, despite the captivating movie on the screen, it took less than half an hour for Bridget to find herself getting distracted. As the movie started, they’d relaxed into the couch with Bridget ending up tucked into Chris’ side with his arm draped over her shoulder. The close proximity - and the way it allowed her to indulge in his scent and the feel of his hard, toned chest - was enough to have her thoughts drifting away from the screen, but the way he lazily traced his fingers over the skin of her shoulder had her mind truly struggling to focus on anything else.

Inspired by his touch, she let her own hand start to wander as it drifted over the soft material of his t-shirt and the muscles beneath it until it was draped over his waist. She felt him tense - almost as if he was flexing for her benefit - but he didn’t have much of a noticeable reaction to her trailing fingers until they reached his side where she discovered that the way they were lounging on the couch had caused his shirt to ride up. She was surprised at first to feel his skin, but the way his breath hitched as she brushed over it encouraged her to explore a little further.

By that point, the movie was entirely out of Bridget’s mind as she waited for him to stop her or protest the action of her hand sliding under his shirt, but when he offered no resistance she took advantage of the opportunity to continue her explorations. However, when her gentle touch moved higher up his waist and a slight shiver ran through his body at the sensation, his voice broke their silence and shattered the illusion that either of them were still paying attention to the TV.

“Bridget…”

His tone was low - her name falling from his lips as barely more than a murmur - but it was enough to have her eyes flicking up to meet his, glancing up at him from under her lashes as she bit her bottom lip. The tension between them was reaching an unignorable point, but Bridget paused any movement to make sure that he hadn’t stopped her because she’d overstepped and was relieved when Chris took advantage of the way her head had tilted up towards his to capture her lips.

There had been nerves bubbling under the surface earlier in the evening as their flirtatious and alluding conversation a few days earlier still played on Bridget’s mind, but the comfort she found in the increasing familiarity of his kiss and the air of growing desperation between them had those doubts quickly reduced to a fuzzy memory in the back of her mind. Her worry was replaced by a softly burning need inside her as her hand drifted up to cup the back of his neck. Her intention was to keep him close, but as he slid his own hand under her arm and used it to easily lift her until she was straddled across his lap, it was clear that he was feeling the same desire that she was.

She felt a flush of self-consciousness when she realized that their new position had the sundress she was wearing riding up on her thighs, but as Chris moved his hands down to stroke the newly exposed skin, he let out a groan that had a new feeling washing over her. She felt sexy. She felt desirable. And that made her feel confident enough to focus on her determination to make Chris feel the same way rather than any insecurities. She knew she was out of practice and terrified that it might show, but every time the little anxious voice in the back of her head raised its concerns, Chris would unknowingly pull her back into the moment.

The hitch of his breath as she let her lips trail down along his jaw, the way he swallowed hard as she dipped lower to trace her tongue over the beat of his pulse in his neck, the increase in the pressure of his fingertips against the top of her thighs when she gently rocked her hips against his. She was fixated on every subtle hint of approval of her actions and his clear enjoyment had her tension easing as she relaxed - especially when another roll of her hips made it clear just how much he was appreciating her actions. The feel of the sudden strain rising in the basketball shorts he was wearing was more than enough proof that she hadn’t lost her skills entirely and she broke the seal where her lips had locked onto his neck as she let out a hum of pleasure.

“That feels good,” she murmured before placing another soft kiss above the edge of the collar of his shirt as her hands slid up under the hem. “I wanna make you feel good too.”

“Yeah?”

Chris’ voice was low and husky and had Bridget leaning back to confirm with a nod of her head before she dipped back in for another kiss. 

She could feel her heart racing and hoped that its thudding wasn’t as obvious to Chris as she plucked up the courage to put her plan into action. Their tongues clashed as their hands wandered and groped at any exposed skin they could find, but the final necessary surge of inspiration she needed came as Chris slid his hands under her dress high enough to cup the cheeks of her ass to pull her hips tightly against his own. Their lips parted as Bridget gasped at the sensation, but when he slackened his grip and chased after her mouth, Bridget leaned back and flashed him a smirk before sliding off of his lap to kneel on the floor by his feet.

Chris let his knees fall apart to give her a little more room, but there was a curiosity burning in his gaze as she stroked the hair on his thigh, dipping her fingers under the hem of his shorts.

“Can I make you feel good?”

Bridget bit her lip as she glanced up at him, waiting for confirmation as she watched him tip his head back and gasp out a whispered ‘fuck’ before he let out a long breath and agreed.

“Yes,” he nodded, lifting his hips as her hands immediately moved to pull his shorts down his thighs, taking a moment to flick the TV off. “Please.”

She smiled at his politeness, but any teasing comments disappeared from her mind as soon as he was free of his pants and she was immediately distracted by the task at hand. Her lack of recent practice floated back into her mind as she took him in her hand, but she knew that enthusiasm could make up for a lot and tried to focus on the confidence that his eagerness had given her. The way he groaned as she gently stroked him was reassuring that she hadn’t entirely forgotten how the process worked and the way his hand shot down to grab the back of her head when she leaned forward to take his tip into her mouth reminded her just how enjoyable it could be to have so much power.

Sliding lower, she stayed focused on his reactions - his grip in her hair, the twitches of his hips, the soft groans and gasps falling from his lips - but it didn’t take her long to relax into it and get lost in the thrill of giving him pleasure. She took him deep, appreciating how he never used his hand to force her movements and allowed her to set the pace as she bobbed her head up and down. She noted how he swore every time her tongue traced its way along the thick vein on the bottom of his cock and the way he groaned every time he hit the back of her throat. She revelled in the chance to learn exactly what he liked and had to admit that his pleasure was adding to her own growing arousal, only motivating her further to help him chase his peak.

Her hand moved to slowly stroke at the base of his cock as she focused her attention at his sensitive tip and in another flush of confidence, she lifted her gaze up to look at him. The sight of him watching her with his jaw slack and cheeks flushed immediately pulled a hum of pleasure from her lips and the sensation that provided for Chris had his eyebrows creasing together as he panted out her name. She could tell he was getting close and kept her pace steady as she hollowed her cheeks until his body tensed up and he found his release. 

A flush of pride washed over her as she helped him through his high until she finally pulled away, swallowing before she crawled back up to curl up on the couch beside him. Her pride only grew as she took in the sight of Chris with his chest heaving as he fought to steady his breath and a blissed out look on his face, but when he recovered and cracked open an eye to glance at her with a smirk on his face, the words that came out of his mouth immediately put her on edge.

“That was great,” he commended her, letting his hand slide over his knee where it pressed against his thigh. “Now it’s my turn.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

Despite the way her smile faltered, her words had a chuckle falling from Chris’ lips as he slipped back into his shorts.

“I know I don’t have to,” he smiled. “But I want to.”

That claim had Bridget raising a skeptical eyebrow as she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“Seriously, Chris, you don’t have to.”

Her insistence had Chris pausing as he turned towards her and studied her face for a moment before he countered with a question.

“Do you not want me to?” He kept his gaze steady, but Bridget suddenly found it difficult to meet his eye and simply shrugged in response. “Can I ask why?”

Bridget took a moment to think of the best way to answer his question. She could feel the heat of her embarrassment taking over from the heat of the arousal she’d been feeling moments earlier as her cheeks flushed for a less enjoyable reason, but she forced herself to work through her rising anxiety to respond in a somewhat articulate way.

“From my experience,” she started, nervously chewing her bottom lip. “That’s not something that men actually like to do and I don’t mind so you don’t have to do it just to impress me.” 

She expected to see relief wash over Chris when she shared her sincere reassurance, but Bridget was surprised when her words had him chuckling.

“No offense, but I think there’s a pretty good reason why your ex maybe isn’t the best spokesperson for what most straight men enjoy in bed.”

“It’s not just him,” Bridget protested. “I met him when I was twenty-four, I did date other men before that.”

“And they all made you feel like it was a chore?”

The shock was clear in his voice and there was a look of something that seemed like disgust on his face that only deepened when Bridget clarified.

“They didn’t make it feel like a chore, they just made it clear that they weren’t interested in reciprocating.”

“So none of them ever did?” His tone was incredulous and he stared in disbelief as Bridget nodded in confirmation. “So no one has ever gone down on you?”

The blunt question had Bridget’s cheeks heating up even more as she fought the urge to run for the door and far away from the humiliating conversation as she felt the need to defend herself.

“It’s not a big deal,” she insisted. “I’m obviously not a virgin or Landon wouldn’t be here, but I will admit that my sexual repertoire is probably lacking compared to yours and I’m aware that might not be particularly appealing.”

Her tone was defensive, but as Chris recommenced stroking her thigh she knew that he really hadn’t meant any offense.

“It’s not unappealing at all, intriguing would be a better word,” he assured her. “And we don’t have to do anything that you’re not comfortable with, but the offer still stands if it’s something you’re interested in trying.”

He flicked his eyes back up to meet Bridget’s and this time she held his gaze as she took a moment to think about it.

“It really wouldn’t be a chore for you?” She asked, using his own word to describe it. “You don’t mind?”

“It would be a pleasure,” Chris insisted, a smirk drifting onto his face as his hand drifted between her knees and traced a little higher on the inside of her thigh when they naturally parted. “I’d love to make you feel good, watch you squirm, get you calling out my name.”

His words sent a shiver of anticipation through Bridget as she shifted a little bit closer, giving his hand more space to explore as she stretched to hover her lips above his.

“Then I think I would like to give it a try.”

“You think?”

Chris’ voice had dipped back to a lower octave as he prompted a more clear confirmation and Bridget swallowed hard, pushing her doubts from her mind as she gave it.

“I know,” she told him. “I know I would.”

That was all the reassurance that Chris needed to close the gap and capture her lips in another kiss. His hand reluctantly slipped from her legs to wrap around her waist and any lingering embarrassment quickly dissipated as Bridget melted into his embrace giving him the leverage he needed to easily lift her back onto his lap. The need she’d been feeling earlier returned just as quickly as it had faded as the excitement of what was to come had her imagination running wild. There was a flicker of anxiety - a worry about being as exposed as she knew she was about to be and the vulnerability that came with it - but she trusted Chris. He’d been so patient about taking things slow, he’d never pushed her or tried anything to hurry things along physically or emotionally, and if she was being honest, his genuine lack of judgement to her lack of varied sexual experience had only added to her arousal.

Their tongues clashed as Bridget tried to keep her mind in the moment, but as her hips pressed against Chris’ - growing desperate for some kind of friction - she pulled her lips away from his with a gasp as he rose from the couch with his hands gripping her thighs to keep her pressed against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and gripped his shoulders tightly to stop herself from slipping, but the feel of his biceps bulging as he easily carried her weight had her letting out a quiet whimper and dipping to press her lips against his neck in a effort to distract herself from the overwhelming tension building inside her. By the time he’d moved them to the bedroom and carefully placed her on his large and very plush bed, the anticipation had the fever burning between them turning into desperation as it seemed that they couldn’t get enough of each other.

However, once Chris’ shirt had been ripped over his head and Bridget’s dress had been tossed across the room and he’d settled with his hips between her thighs, Chris slowed down their frantic actions to regain control of the situation.

“We’ve got lots of time,” he murmured into her ear as his hand ran over the now exposed curve of her waist. “I want to enjoy this.”

Probably contrary to what he’d intended, his words had another flush of heat washing over Bridget that had her almost wishing he’d just tear her underwear off of her and get down to business as the thought of him wanting to savour the moment was almost too much for her to bear. They did have lots of time - they had all night - but Bridget was already feeling embarrassingly needy for some kind of release and if Chris was going to continue being so tender and gentle about it then she was worried that she would have to start begging.

He trailed his lips down her neck, taking the time to place kisses on every inch of skin that he passed until he slid his tongue along her collarbone. The sensation made her shiver, but as he reached the strap of her bra and moved down until his tongue could trace the cup of her bra, her breath caught in her throat. His hands moved to her sides, prompting her to arch her back enough for him to unhook her bra and slip it off her body and Bridget felt her nerves rising back to the surface. She had explanations ready - excuses for why her body probably wasn’t as perky and tight as the actresses and models that Chris was used to seeing naked - but when she saw the way he was looking at her newly exposed skin, her words seemed unnecessary.

He looked mesmerized. His pupils were dark and wide, his jaw hung open the way it had when she was stroking him earlier in the evening and as the word ‘gorgeous’ slipped from his lips, Bridget truly believed him. She felt desirable. She felt beautiful. She felt wanted. And the emotions those feelings had rising in her chest had her reaching out to Chris where he knelt, staring down at her and pulling him back in for another kiss. He indulged her for a moment before she felt him smile against her lips and pull away, moving back down her body to where his trail of kisses had previously led him.

Bridget watched him, holding her breath in anticipation until he captured one of her pebbled nipples in his mouth and she gasped at the sensation. Lifting his hand to tease and tweak the other, he expertly worked her until she was practically panting as she squirmed beneath him desperate for any kind of friction she could find. He switched his mouth to the other side, but it didn’t take long for Bridget to grow desperate for more and as his name slipped from her mouth like a whimpered plea, he smiled against her skin and continued moving lower as he explored her body.

He left barely an inch of her skin untouched as his hands and mouth roamed over her stomach, making her muscles quiver as goosebumps rose in their wake. By the time his lips met the edge of her underwear, Bridget felt more appreciated, cared for and admired than she had during any previous sexual encounter that she’d ever had. She felt worshipped in a way that had her almost dizzy with pleasure until Chris’ voice helped her refocus.

“You still want this?” He asked. “You still sure?”

His breath against her skin was enough to have her biting back a moan, but after she firmly and enthusiastically informed him that she was absolutely still sure and he gently pushed his hand between her thighs to trace her through her underwear, she couldn’t hold anything back. He wasn’t even touching her directly yet, but she was so worked up that she felt like it was almost enough to make her explode. She felt his breath hit her stomach again in short bursts as he chuckled at her response, but she was relieved that he took pity on her after barely more than a moment of teasing and helped her add her underwear to their growing pile of discarded clothes.

There was a moment when she was finally fully exposed to him that Bridget felt the vulnerability of the situation cutting through her desperation. If Chris hadn’t been settled between her legs, she probably would have snapped them shut, but as he soothed the inside of her thighs with kisses she once again found that the care Chris was taking made it easy to open herself up to him.

“You’re so wet for me,” he murmured, pressing his lips into the soft skin of the crease at the top of her thigh. Bridget felt a blush rising in her cheeks, but the awe in his voice only turned her on even more. “Tell me if you want me to stop, okay?”

Bridget opened her mouth to agree, but Chris moved his lips and the feel of his tongue tracing along her wet folds left her unable to form any kind of response other than that a strangled gasp of pleasure. Much like he’d done to her earlier that day, Bridget found her fingers drawn to his hair and almost involuntarily gave him direction as her tightening grip told him every time he found a spot or movement that she particularly enjoyed as he explored with expert precision, lapping and sucking over every inch of her until she was writhing beneath him. His tongue dipped low - flexing with enough pressure to just barely dart inside her - and the raw moan that he let out as he savoured her taste had Bridget’s head falling back against the pillow as she wondered how she’d ever survived without such an experience.

She could feel herself racing towards her peak and the feeling only intensified when Chris focused his attention on the little bundle of nerves that he’d previously just been teasing. At first such direct efforts were too much, but when he noticed her hips suddenly shifting away and the sounds falling from her lips becoming a little more strained, he quickly eased the intensity of his licking and sucking until he had her back at a place where she was urging him closer again. After the long build up of her earlier enjoyment of giving Chris pleasure and his intoxicating exploration of her body, it didn’t take long for the heat to reach a boiling point and as Chris kept himself locked in position, Bridget fell apart beneath him. She cried out his name as her body tensed and her muscles shook, but Chris stayed locked in place and guided her through it. As her chest heaved, her heart raced and the last quivers of pleasure ran through her, she watched Chris reluctantly peel himself away and drift his kisses up over her hip before back up her body, bracing himself so his chest hovered over hers.

“Wow,” she smiled, letting her hands slide up to stroke the back of Chris’ neck as he watched her with a smug smirk on his face. “I think I liked that.”

“You think?”

Disbelief was dripping from the words and Bridget bit back a smirk of her own as she nodded her head.

“I think so, but I might have to try it a few more times just to be sure.”

Chris’ shoulders shook as he chuckled at her claim, but he was quick to offer some assurance.

“I could do that for hours,” he informed her, the sincerity in his voice making it sound almost like a threat and sending a shiver down Bridget’s spine. “We can try it as often as you let me.”

“That’s a very appealing offer,” she informed him. “But I think right now I just really want you inside me.”

She saw his eyes widen in surprise at her blunt request, but as the words sunk in he let out a growl and pressed his lips back against hers. She could feel him pressing against her now dripping center despite the layer of his shorts still separating them and the knowledge that he’d taken so much pleasure from what he’d just done for her was enough to light another fire in her already. The desperate, frantic way he was attacking her mouth only made her more eager as well as their tongues clashed and noses bumped and Bridget hooked her leg over Chris’ hip, trying to use the heel of her foot to push down his shorts and get them out of the way. After a moment of struggling she managed to get them to the top of his thighs, but Chris took pity on her and reluctantly pulled away from her mouth to rid himself of them completely, quickly taking a moment to grab a condom from the nightstand as well before he returned the warmth of his body to Bridget’s and settled back between her legs.

A flicker of her earlier nerves resurfaced as her recent years of celibacy made Chris’ size a little extra intimidating, but his patience shined through as it had all evening as he slowly pressed his hips forward and slid inside her inch by inch. The burning of the initial stretch had her sucking in a sharp breath that had Chris pausing, but her previous release had her more than ready and it took barely a minute for the sting to subside and for her to press herself up towards him, urging him deeper. He paused again once he was fully seated inside her and the shaky breath that Bridget let out had shifted from discomfort to one of anticipation. 

“You good?”

The strain of restraint was obvious in Chris’ voice, but the soft murmur of concern had Bridget’s heart fluttering in her chest. She wiggled her hips experimentally, letting out a soft moan from how fully he had filled her as Chris groaned at the friction.

“I’m great,” she assured him, letting her hand slide up into his hair as he dipped his head down to nip at her neck. “Feels so good.”

He started off cautiously, but that was all the confirmation Chris needed to start moving his hips. Giving her time to get used to the feeling, his movements were slow and let Bridget feel every inch of him as he pulled out and pressed back, creating a steady rhythm. The measured actions had every nerve he touched lighting up with pleasure as she clung to him, rocking her hips to meet every thrust.

He stretched her out so perfectly, it seemed almost like his body was made for hers, but while it was a sensation she’d missed, the intimacy - the care he was taking with her, the concern for her comfort and pleasure, the deep connection as they shared something that left them both so exposed to each other - had been what she’d really craved and it only heightened her pleasure. He was overwhelming all her senses as he touched every part of her so deeply, but she was somehow still desperate for more as she pulled him down tightly against her chest.

She could feel his breath washing over her skin from his pants and groans as the pace of his thrusts picked up speed. Again, her previous experience had set her expectations low and as much as she’d ached to feel him inside her, she hadn’t expected to find another release and she was surprised to feel how quickly the tension was coiling in her stomach. The angle of his movements, the friction hitting nerves that she barely knew existed, the steadiness of his thrusts that allowed her peak to build, and the sounds of his own pleasure echoing around the room - it soon became too much for her to handle and her nails sunk into the skin of his back as her body tensed and his name fell from her lips with a cry of pleasure. Chris continued his careful movements as she clenched around him, but as she came down from her high, she felt his restraint weaken as his thrusts grew fiercer and more sloppy while he chased his own release. It took barely more than a few extra thrusts for Chris to cry out against her neck as his hips stilled and he fell over the edge.

They stayed connected with only the sounds of their breathing filling the room until their euphoria settled and Chris pulled out, taking a moment to discard the condom in the garbage can under his nightstand before he rolled back to pull Bridget into his arms. They stayed quiet for a few minutes - simply enjoying each other’s embrace as they relished the blissful feeling of a good release - but as Bridget gently ran her fingers over the toned muscles of Chris’ chest as she curled into his side, she broke the silence with a tentative question.

“Do you mind if I stay here tonight?”

He’d offered the other night so she was fairly certain that it wouldn’t be too much to ask, but there was a brief moment after the words left her mouth where her fear of rejection crept up again until she felt him squeezing her even tighter against his side as he quickly reassured her.

“Of course I don’t mind,” he insisted, pressing a kiss against the top of her head. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

It was almost tempting to leave right after dinner - to sneak out without saying goodbye just to see if anyone even noticed that she was gone - but Gavin’s wife, Nora, had made a pie for dessert that she was really excited for everyone to try. Considering that she’d been one of the few people who made any attempt to be kind to Bridget that evening, she felt like she owed her enough to at least stick around until the meal was completely finished. She did, however, sneak out onto the deck in the brief break between dinner and dessert in the hopes that the fresh air would help her survive the rest of the evening.

She hadn’t been out there long when she heard the door open. She tensed - almost scared to look at who’d come to join her - until the welcome voice of her brother broke through the silence.

“I thought I saw you sneak off out here.”

“It’s nice to know that someone notices my existence,” Bridget sighed. “I just needed a minute to catch my breath.”

“I don’t blame you,” Gavin sympathized as he leaned on the railing beside her where she was looking out over their perfectly manicured backyard. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine, I’m used to it,” she shrugged. “I just don’t know why they’re always so surprised to see me. They invited me, I accepted the invitation, but when I got here Mom looked at me like she didn’t expect to see me and then practically ignored me all night like I’m intruding on some family event I don’t belong at. If they don’t want me here, I don’t understand why they bother inviting me.”

“They invite you because they know that it’s the right thing to do.”

“Then I guess a better question is that I don’t know why I keep accepting,” Bridget rephrased it. “I know they’re never gonna change, it’s like they hate me.”

“They don’t hate you,” Gavin argued. “They’re just…indifferent.”

His attempt at reassurance had a harsh laugh falling from Bridget’s lips despite the way it made her heart sink in her chest.

“I think that might be worse,” she pointed out. “It’s pretty bleak to think that my parents have no strong feelings towards me at all.”

The way that Gavin cringed told her that he knew she was right, but he still threw in one last consolation.

“Well, you’re not missing much. They’re not super supportive parents even to the kid that they do like.”

Despite how depressing that statement was, it put a smile on her face as she knew that his commiseration was pretty accurate. Their parents were more than happy to give support in the form of money, but their time and love were rarely given even to Gavin. 

“That’s true,” she agreed, shaking her head in disdain. “I really don’t know why they even had kids.”

“Because it would have been a crime to deprive the world of two people as wonderful as us,” Gavin confidently stated, shooting her a smirk before he changed the subject. “But anyway, enough about them. Before someone notices we’re missing and tracks us down, how’re you doing? How’s the small town life treating you?”

“It’s going really well so far. We settled in nicely, Landon seems to love it and now that the weather is nicer it’s amazing to actually have a backyard instead of just that tiny balcony we had at our condo.”

Her answer was honest and genuine, but she knew from the suspicious way Gavin was suddenly watching her that he knew there was something she was leaving out and she knew the grin that had slid onto her face was to blame. But she couldn’t help it. When she thought of her new life outside of the city, she immediately thought about Chris. And thinking about Chris always had her smiling and giggling like a smitten teenage girl.

“That’s great, I’m really glad to hear that,” he smiled before fishing a little more. “Any other exciting news?”

“I’m seeing someone,” she blurted out before quickly following it up with a slightly longer explanation. “For the first time since Landon was born, I think it’s going really well and he makes me really happy.”

“It’s about time!” Gavin laughed, earning an eye roll from Bridget despite the smile still stretching across her face. “What’s his name? Do I need to meet him and use my brotherly intimidation tactics to make sure he treats you well?”

Despite the way his concern warmed her heart as she appreciated any hint that she wasn’t as unwanted in her family as she often felt, a snort of laughter fell from her lips.

“Oh, please, I don’t think anyone I’ve dated has been intimidated by you since I was in high school when my dates were all teenage boys,” Bridget teased, shaking her head and smiling as Gavin scoffed indignantly at her claim. “Besides, Chris could definitely take you in a fight.”

Gavin was tall and broad shouldered but it was obvious that he spent too much time following in their mother’s footsteps as one of Boston’s elite lawyers to spend as much time in the gym as Chris. He was in decent shape, but his muscles weren’t quite at the superhero level that Chris’ were and he seemed offended by her claim.

“Really? Is ‘Chris’ some kind of tough guy?”

“No, and neither are you,” Bridget reminded him with a smile. “But he is very strong, his job requires him to be in really good shape.”

The information had slipped out before Bridget realized it would probably spark a follow up question that she didn’t really want to answer, but just as Gavin opened his mouth the door to the deck creaked open and his wife poked her head out, saving Bridget from the potential interrogation.

“I was wondering where you two wandered off to,” she greeted them. “We’re ready to start dessert now.”

“Okay, we’ll be right there,” Gavin assured her, flashing Bridget a smirk before looking back towards his wife. “Bridget was just telling me all about her new boyfriend.”

“He’s not…” Bridget trailed off as she realized that she wasn’t entirely sure what he was. Again, she found that her lack of recent dating experience left her unsure of what was typical, but it felt presumptuous to start throwing around a title like boyfriend without some kind of conversation first. However, he had questioned her use of the word ‘friends’ and they’d agreed that they were on the same page so she was fairly sure that they were exclusively dating each other. The sudden conflict she was feeling had her anxiety spiking and her tendency to overthink kicking into high gear, but the lingering eyes of her brother and sister-in-law had her forcing out an explanation. “We haven’t really defined things yet.”

“Well, that’s exciting,” Nora smiled, opening the door a little wider and gesturing for Bridget to go inside. “Come help me get some plates and tell me all about it.”

It was a simple gesture, but her sincere interest in hearing about the new development in Bridget’s life meant a lot to her. Gavin had tried his best to look out for Bridget over the years, but the thirteen year age gap had made it difficult. By the time she was six, he was heading off to university so their time together was minimal and their interests were drastically different. Their relationship was far different from that of siblings who were close in age and Gavin often felt more like a distant uncle to her than a brother. However, he was around enough to notice how disinterested her parents were in her and how lacking their effort at parenting her was and he always offered his support if she ever needed it. 

But he was busy and Bridget’s lonely childhood had made her independent enough that she rarely took him up on the offer so it wasn’t until her adult years - when the age difference was less jarring - that they’d really made an effort to get to know each other and form a bond. She always knew that he cared about her though - and that did Nora too - and the warmth she felt from them taking an interest in the changes in her life almost made up for the pain she felt from an evening surrounded by the coldness of her parents.

-

Despite how demoralising most of the evening had been, the pitstop that Bridget planned to make on her way home had a flicker of excitement rising in her stomach as she pulled out of her parents' driveway. The present sitting on the passenger seat beside her had made her nervous earlier in the day - like her, Chris hadn’t mentioned his birthday and she didn’t want to overstep - but it wasn’t anything extravagant so she was hopeful that he’d appreciate the gesture. However, the doubts crept back in when she pulled into his driveway and saw the many vehicles that were already parked by his house. 

It made sense that he would be having some kind of celebration, but she didn’t want him to think that she was trying to crash his party and force him to include her in something that she hadn’t been invited to. Considering that she’d spent enough time that evening being somewhere she wasn’t truly wanted, she was tempted to turn around and just stop by the following day instead when he was more likely to be alone, but she was there and the present was ready to go so she came up with a compromise and a plan to simply leave the gift beside the door for him to find when his guests left. 

She crept up the stairs of his porch and gently placed the gift bag beside his door, but just as she leaned down to fix the tissue paper and make sure it didn’t look too ruffled, the door in front of her swung open. 

Surprised by the motion and sudden light around her, she jumped back and looked up to see a man she didn’t recognize eyeing her up very suspiciously.

“Can I help you?”

His tone was harsh, but it was understandable as she was sure that anyone in Chris’ life would be unhappy to find a stranger skulking around his property at night.

“I was just leaving a present for Chris,” she explained, gesturing to the gift at their feet and hoping that the clear nerves in her voice didn’t make her seem even more suspicious. “Maybe you could give it to him for me? Tell him it’s from Bridget?”

Realization washed over his face as his concern shifted into something more like excitement.

“The Bridget?” he asked with a smirk. “I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Scott, Chris’ brother.” 

“Oh, hi!” Bridget smiled, happy to finally have a face to put to the name. “I’ve heard a lot about you too.”

“Don’t believe any of it,” Scott joked, opening the door a little wider and stepping aside. “C’mon inside.”

“Oh, no, I wasn’t-”

Before Bridget could even voice her protest, Scott turned his head and shouted, “Chris! Your girlfriend is here!”

He waited by the door for a moment as a commotion could be heard echoing from another room until Chris appeared, jogging down the hallway towards them as Bridget picked up the gift that was still sitting on the doormat.

“Bridget,” he smiled. “I didn’t even hear you knock.”

“She didn’t,” Scott informed him. “I was just heading out to get my phone charger from Carly’s car and I ran into her.”

“I brought you a present,” Bridget explained as Scott excused himself to continue his original task. “I promise I wasn’t trying to intrude or just show up uninvited to your birthday party.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Chris assured her. “I should have invited you anyway, but I knew my whole family was coming and thought it might be kinda intimidating. I didn’t wanna scare you off already.”

He looked a little sheepish as he spoke, but Bridget quickly waved him off.

“You don’t need to explain,” she insisted. “I get it and I’m not offended, but I just wanted to drop off your gift.”

Clearly relieved by her understanding, the look on his face shifted into one of suspicion.

“How did you even know it was my birthday?”

“Some of us don’t need to be told when someone’s birthday is.”

Her words were a teasing reference to his lack of knowledge about her birthday a few months earlier and Chris scoffed out a laugh before calling out the disparity.

“It’s a little unfair when I can’t just find out information about you on the internet,” he pointed out. “Did you Google it?”

“Maybe it was just my intuition,” she shrugged with a smirk on her face, but as Chris narrowed his eyes into a suspicious glare, she relented and admitted, “You were trending on Twitter all day, I eventually caved and had to investigate why.”

Chris chuckled and shook his head.

“That’s cheating.”

“Is not,” Bridget protested. “Anyway, you should have told me.”

“You didn’t tell me about yours.”

It was a fair counterpoint, but Bridget couldn’t hold back the roll of her eyes.

“We barely knew each other back then, it was different.”

Chris shrugged, but before he could offer any further arguments, Scott bounded back up the porch steps towards them.

“Oh my god, Chris, invite her inside already,” he teased his brother before doing it himself. “You should come and say hi to everyone, I’m sure they’d love to meet you.”

“Oh, that’s okay, I really don’t want to intrude.”

“You’re not intruding at all,” Chris assured her. “They would love to meet you and I think they’re all heading out soon anyway, but there’s no pressure if you’d rather meet them another time.”

Knowing how close Chris was to his family made meeting them an intimidating thing, but thanks to Scott’s announcement she was sure they all knew that she was there and slipping away without saying hello might seem pretty rude. So, after taking a moment to work up a little courage, she flashed him a smile and nodded her head.

“I’d love to meet them.”

The grin that her answer put on his face had her relieved by her decision and her feeling of relief only grew when he grabbed her hand before leading her down the hallway after Scott. When they entered his living room, Bridget felt her nerves spike again as their presence immediately captured everyone’s attention, but she found comfort in the way that Chris slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close. It seemed that he was right about everyone leaving soon as they appeared to be gathering their things and slipping on their coats, but they all paused their actions as their eyes fell on her.

“Everyone, this is Bridget,” Chris introduced her. “And Bridget, this is everyone.”

He quickly gave her a rundown of who exactly ‘everyone’ was. She already knew Carly, but was grateful for the reminder of the other names as he pointed out his mother - Lisa - his other sister - Shanna - and her boyfriend - Mitch - and Carly’s husband - Rick. Scott - who she’d, of course, already met - lingered beside them as she tried to push her anxieties aside enough to muster up some charm.

“It’s so nice to meet you all,” she smiled. “Chris talks about you guys a lot.”

“Oh, does he?” Lisa raised an eyebrow, an amused look on her face. “That’s good to know because we were just debating why he was trying to hide us from his new girlfriend.”

“Yeah,” Shanna agreed. “Not inviting you to dinner, talking to you on his porch instead of inviting you inside. We were starting to think he’s ashamed of us.”

“Ashamed isn’t the right word,” Chris smirked. “But things have a tendency to get a little loud and obnoxious when we’re all together and I’m still in the process of tricking Bridget into thinking I’m normal.”

“You are?” Bridget giggled. “Then I hate to break it to you, but I’ve known pretty much from the start that you’re not.”

“What gave him away?” Carly chimed in. “Was it the incredibly unsubtle way that he showed up at my house when he knew you’d be there? Or the way he offered to paint your entire house just to get you to agree to go out with him? Or was it just his general personality?”

“Definitely just his personality,” Bridget joked. “I found those other things pretty endearing.”

“Endearing?” Scott scoffed. “Or creepy?”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Chris protested, shaking his head despite the smile on his face. “Keep it up and this will be the last time I suggest she comes to meet you all.”

“We can just organize it ourselves,” Bridget shrugged. “I have Carly’s number and I might get more secrets out of them if you’re not there anyway.”

Chris let out a dramatic gasp, but her answer had a chuckle rippling through the rest of the group.

“She’s outsmarted you there,” Lisa teased him. “But we would love to get to know you, Bridget. Maybe we can all get together for dinner some time soon, with your son too.”

There was a sincerity to her voice that made it clear the offer was genuine and not made out of any sense of obligation and Bridget eagerly agreed. They chatted for a little bit longer as Bridget asked how their evening had gone and they squeezed in a little more teasing of Chris - about his age and looming gray hairs - but as his niece and nephews started to yawn, the group decided it was time to say their goodbyes. Bridget hung back as Chris followed them to the door, but as she saw each person take the time to pull him into a hug and wish him a ‘happy birthday’ one last time, she was amazed by the warmth between them. She knew that her family were the exception more than the rule when it came to the low level of comfort they had with each other, but the closeness and love between everyone in Chris’ family was a stark contrast to her own after the long evening she’d spent in the closed off, standoffish company of her parents.

It also wasn’t lost on her that simply by including Landon in the invitation for dinner, Lisa had given him more thought than her parents had in months.

Her observations had a flicker of emotion rising in her, but rather than the jealousy that she usually felt when faced with the unavoidable fact that her parents were awful, she felt a sense of determination. Landon would never have to feel the way that she did. She would do whatever it took to make sure that their relationship was more like the one Chris and his mother had than the one she had with her own and she hoped that - like Lisa - she could build a family for him that made him feel as loved as Chris’ clearly did for him. The way they genuinely enjoyed each other’s company, their eagerness to all be together again soon, the strong bonds between them all that gave them such a sturdy, unwavering support system. That was what she wanted for her son, not the formality and complete lack of affection that she got from her own parents. She knew she was nothing like her own mother - she couldn't even imagine being so detached and uncaring towards Landon - but she wanted to be able to provide him with the experience of a big, loving family and if she was being entirely honest, she wanted that for herself too.

Once the group had left - and Scott, who was staying with Chris, had excused himself to call his boyfriend who was back in L.A. - Chris led her back to the living room, pausing to pick up the gift that she’d brought for him before they settled on the couch.

“Your family seems really great,” Bridget smiled as he sat close enough to drape his arm across the back of the couch behind her as she turned towards him and tucked her knees up to rest against his leg. “They’re very sweet.”

“They can be,” Chris agreed. “When they’re not trying to embarrass me.”

“It’s cute, and it obviously comes from a place of love.”

“It does,” he nodded. “And if I’m being honest, I’ve been just as bad when one of them has introduced us to someone they’re dating.”

His words had her thinking back to the conversation she’d had earlier with her brother and a word that Chris’ family members had thrown around quite casually during their conversation. He’d provided her with the perfect segue to broach the subject, but that didn’t prevent a knot from forming in her stomach as she cautiously tried to figure out the best way to ask him about what was on her mind.

“There was something I was wondering about that,” she started, earning a raise of Chris’ eyebrows that prompted her to continue. “I heard the word ‘girlfriend’ a lot tonight from your family when they were referring to me.”

It was a statement more than a question, but the ‘what are we’ conversation was one that Bridget hadn’t had to have in a very long time and she wasn’t entirely sure how else to initiate it. Chris hesitated - as if he was waiting for her to continue - but when she offered no more explanation, he asked her a question of his own.

“Is that okay?” His cheeks were noticeably more red as he asked and he continued before Bridget could reply. “It just seemed like the easiest way to describe you to them, but I know we haven’t had that conversation and I don’t wanna make any assumptions. I know you wanted to take things slow, I’m not trying to pressure you into anything.”

He seemed a little frazzled - a little too quick to reassure her - and Bridget couldn't help but smile at his flustered state.

“It’s okay with me,” Bridget assured him. “I just wasn’t sure if they were just teasing you or something and I didn’t want to just assume that you weren’t still seeing other people too.”

The look on Chris’ face at that suggestion spoke for itself, but she appreciated the immediate protest that slipped from his lips.

“No, definitely not. I haven’t seen anyone else since we met. Are you?”

“No, dating isn’t really my thing.” Bridget smiled before realizing how dismissive she sounded and adding, “And I wouldn’t want to even if it was.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Chris grinned as he laced his fingers with hers. “So, should we make this official?”

“I would really like that.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Chris pressed his lips against hers as she smiled into the kiss.

“See,” she murmured when she pulled away a moment later. “Your family’s teasing is good for something after all.”

“I guess so,” Chris chuckled before adding another admission. “I gotta be honest, when you showed up here all dressed up, I did wonder if you were seeing someone else too.”

Bridget glanced down at her outfit and could see how he’d come to that conclusion. Dinner with her parents wasn’t exactly a formal attire event, but she was certainly wearing nicer clothes than she would have if she’d come straight from work or from an evening alone at home. However, there was a slight flaw in his assumption.

“You really thought I went out with one guy and then stopped on my way home to drop off a birthday present for another guy that I’m seeing?”

“I was really hoping you hadn’t,” Chris smiled. “But you look really nice so I wasn’t sure.”

His curiosity was clear in his voice despite the lack of follow up questions so Bridget provided an explanation.

“Nah, it wasn’t anything like that. It was just one of my regular appointments to get every ounce of my self worth drained from my soul.” Her dramatic statement earned a look of shock from Chris that had a giggle falling from her lips before she clarified. “I had dinner with my parents for their anniversary.”

“Wow, and it was that bad?”

“It was pretty rough, but I got to see my brother and his family so that was nice,” Bridget shared, but the ache in her heart that always appeared when she thought about her parents’ behaviour had her quickly changing the subject. “But it’s all good. And today is about you, so why don’t you open your present?”

There was a moment of hesitation, but Bridget was grateful that he didn’t push the issue as he nodded and picked up the present from where he’d put it down beside him. If they were going to be in each other’s lives - a fact that she was fairly confident in now that they were ‘official’ - she knew there would be a time when she had to be more open about her struggles with her family, but they’d sucked away enough of her joy for one evening and she was happy to focus on Chris instead.

“It’s not much,” she warned him as he carefully pulled the tissue paper out of the bag. “But I assume that you buy yourself most things you need when you need them so I tried to think of something you might like but that you wouldn’t think to buy for yourself.”

“Interesting…” Chris hummed as he pulled the heavy book from the bag and Bridget watched his face light up as he read the title out loud. “The Hubble Space Telescope: Expanding Universe. Wow, Bridget, this is amazing!”

He quickly began perusing through the pictures of the coffee table book he was holding as his enthusiasm had relief washing over Bridget.

“You really like it? I saw it when I was restocking the shelves in the library and I immediately thought of you, but I wasn’t sure if it was actually something you’d want.”

“It’s really cool, I love it.” He paused his movement as he flipped through the pages and stretched up to steal another kiss before a gentle ‘thank you’ slipped from his lips.

“You’re welcome.”

Bridget let her hand slide up to scratch at the hairs on the nape of his neck and he leaned into her touch despite his obvious eagerness to finish looking through the pictures in the book on his lap. But just as his eyes drifted shut as he relaxed into her caress, they shot back open with a hopeful twinkle in them.

“Do you want to stay here tonight?”

The question caught Bridget off guard, but after a moment of hesitation, she reluctantly turned down the offer.

“I can’t,” she sighed. “I have an early meeting tomorrow morning.”

“You could go from here?”

“Dressed like this?” Bridget raised an eyebrow, gesturing to her fancy attire. “I’d look like I’m doing a walk of shame.”

“Well,” Chris smirked, stretching up until his lips were just inches away from hers. She tried to urge him closer with the hand on the back of his neck, but he stayed firm as he tried to entice her with a proposition. “We could make a real walk of shame if you’d like.”

The suggestion had her letting out a laugh, but it was quickly silenced when Chris captured her lips in another kiss and it suddenly became a lot more difficult to think of any reason why she shouldn’t spend the night. As his mouth moved against hers - his hand sliding up to her cheek, tilting her head so he could dip his tongue past her lips - the dizziness and heat that clouded her mind had her wondering if she even really needed a job at all.

In the end, sense managed to prevail and she slowly leaned away from his touch.

“It’s very tempting,” she admitted. “A little too tempting, but I really should get going.”

The smirk on Chris’ face was a little softer despite the fierce darkness that had spread in his pupils.

“Have I scared you away now?”

“Not at all,” Bridget assured him as a regretful sigh slipped from her lips. “I’m just trying to be a responsible adult and make choices that won’t lead to me getting fired.”

“They’d fire you just for showing up to one meeting a little overdressed?”

His skepticism was fair, but Bridget bit back a smirk of her own as she shrugged.

“No, but I have a feeling that if I stay then you’d do your best to keep me from going to my meeting at all,” she teased. “And I could get fired for that.”

A chuckle slipped from Chris’ lips as he shook his head at her claim.

“You’re making me sound like a creep again,” he warned her. “But if you really have to go then I guess I’ll survive…even if it is my birthday.”

He threw in a dramatic pout for added effect, but Bridget simply rolled her eyes as she dragged herself off the couch.

“Guilt trips don’t work on me,” she informed him. “I’m a mom, I’m very experienced at tuning it out.”

“Damn, well, it was worth a try,” Chris grinned. “But what about Wednesday night? Wanna come for dinner?”

Bridget felt a flicker of nerves as she wondered if agreeing to the invitation also meant she was agreeing to more based on their previous flirtatious conversation, but Chris had given her no reason to believe that he would rush her into anything so she nodded.

“That would be nice,” she agreed. “I do work on Thursdays when I don’t have Landon, but I get a later start so I won’t have to rush home early.”

“Perfect.” Chris smiled as he stood up as well, pulling her against him to steal one last quick kiss. “I’m looking forward to it already.”

It was almost tempting to leave right after dinner - to sneak out without saying goodbye just to see if anyone even noticed that she was gone - but Gavin’s wife, Nora, had made a pie for dessert that she was really excited for everyone to try. Considering that she’d been one of the few people who made any attempt to be kind to Bridget that evening, she felt like she owed her enough to at least stick around until the meal was completely finished. She did, however, sneak out onto the deck in the brief break between dinner and dessert in the hopes that the fresh air would help her survive the rest of the evening.

She hadn’t been out there long when she heard the door open. She tensed - almost scared to look at who’d come to join her - until the welcome voice of her brother broke through the silence.

“I thought I saw you sneak off out here.”

“It’s nice to know that someone notices my existence,” Bridget sighed. “I just needed a minute to catch my breath.”

“I don’t blame you,” Gavin sympathized as he leaned on the railing beside her where she was looking out over their perfectly manicured backyard. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine, I’m used to it,” she shrugged. “I just don’t know why they’re always so surprised to see me. They invited me, I accepted the invitation, but when I got here Mom looked at me like she didn’t expect to see me and then practically ignored me all night like I’m intruding on some family event I don’t belong at. If they don’t want me here, I don’t understand why they bother inviting me.”

“They invite you because they know that it’s the right thing to do.”

“Then I guess a better question is that I don’t know why I keep accepting,” Bridget rephrased it. “I know they’re never gonna change, it’s like they hate me.”

“They don’t hate you,” Gavin argued. “They’re just…indifferent.”

His attempt at reassurance had a harsh laugh falling from Bridget’s lips despite the way it made her heart sink in her chest.

“I think that might be worse,” she pointed out. “It’s pretty bleak to think that my parents have no strong feelings towards me at all.”

The way that Gavin cringed told her that he knew she was right, but he still threw in one last consolation.

“Well, you’re not missing much. They’re not super supportive parents even to the kid that they do like.”

Despite how depressing that statement was, it put a smile on her face as she knew that his commiseration was pretty accurate. Their parents were more than happy to give support in the form of money, but their time and love were rarely given even to Gavin. 

“That’s true,” she agreed, shaking her head in disdain. “I really don’t know why they even had kids.”

“Because it would have been a crime to deprive the world of two people as wonderful as us,” Gavin confidently stated, shooting her a smirk before he changed the subject. “But anyway, enough about them. Before someone notices we’re missing and tracks us down, how’re you doing? How’s the small town life treating you?”

“It’s going really well so far. We settled in nicely, Landon seems to love it and now that the weather is nicer it’s amazing to actually have a backyard instead of just that tiny balcony we had at our condo.”

Her answer was honest and genuine, but she knew from the suspicious way Gavin was suddenly watching her that he knew there was something she was leaving out and she knew the grin that had slid onto her face was to blame. But she couldn’t help it. When she thought of her new life outside of the city, she immediately thought about Chris. And thinking about Chris always had her smiling and giggling like a smitten teenage girl.

“That’s great, I’m really glad to hear that,” he smiled before fishing a little more. “Any other exciting news?”

“I’m seeing someone,” she blurted out before quickly following it up with a slightly longer explanation. “For the first time since Landon was born, I think it’s going really well and he makes me really happy.”

“It’s about time!” Gavin laughed, earning an eye roll from Bridget despite the smile still stretching across her face. “What’s his name? Do I need to meet him and use my brotherly intimidation tactics to make sure he treats you well?”

Despite the way his concern warmed her heart as she appreciated any hint that she wasn’t as unwanted in her family as she often felt, a snort of laughter fell from her lips.

“Oh, please, I don’t think anyone I’ve dated has been intimidated by you since I was in high school when my dates were all teenage boys,” Bridget teased, shaking her head and smiling as Gavin scoffed indignantly at her claim. “Besides, Chris could definitely take you in a fight.”

Gavin was tall and broad shouldered but it was obvious that he spent too much time following in their mother’s footsteps as one of Boston’s elite lawyers to spend as much time in the gym as Chris. He was in decent shape, but his muscles weren’t quite at the superhero level that Chris’ were and he seemed offended by her claim.

“Really? Is ‘Chris’ some kind of tough guy?”

“No, and neither are you,” Bridget reminded him with a smile. “But he is very strong, his job requires him to be in really good shape.”

The information had slipped out before Bridget realized it would probably spark a follow up question that she didn’t really want to answer, but just as Gavin opened his mouth the door to the deck creaked open and his wife poked her head out, saving Bridget from the potential interrogation.

“I was wondering where you two wandered off to,” she greeted them. “We’re ready to start dessert now.”

“Okay, we’ll be right there,” Gavin assured her, flashing Bridget a smirk before looking back towards his wife. “Bridget was just telling me all about her new boyfriend.”

“He’s not…” Bridget trailed off as she realized that she wasn’t entirely sure what he was. Again, she found that her lack of recent dating experience left her unsure of what was typical, but it felt presumptuous to start throwing around a title like boyfriend without some kind of conversation first. However, he had questioned her use of the word ‘friends’ and they’d agreed that they were on the same page so she was fairly sure that they were exclusively dating each other. The sudden conflict she was feeling had her anxiety spiking and her tendency to overthink kicking into high gear, but the lingering eyes of her brother and sister-in-law had her forcing out an explanation. “We haven’t really defined things yet.”

“Well, that’s exciting,” Nora smiled, opening the door a little wider and gesturing for Bridget to go inside. “Come help me get some plates and tell me all about it.”

It was a simple gesture, but her sincere interest in hearing about the new development in Bridget’s life meant a lot to her. Gavin had tried his best to look out for Bridget over the years, but the thirteen year age gap had made it difficult. By the time she was six, he was heading off to university so their time together was minimal and their interests were drastically different. Their relationship was far different from that of siblings who were close in age and Gavin often felt more like a distant uncle to her than a brother. However, he was around enough to notice how disinterested her parents were in her and how lacking their effort at parenting her was and he always offered his support if she ever needed it. 

But he was busy and Bridget’s lonely childhood had made her independent enough that she rarely took him up on the offer so it wasn’t until her adult years - when the age difference was less jarring - that they’d really made an effort to get to know each other and form a bond. She always knew that he cared about her though - and that did Nora too - and the warmth she felt from them taking an interest in the changes in her life almost made up for the pain she felt from an evening surrounded by the coldness of her parents.

-

Despite how demoralising most of the evening had been, the pitstop that Bridget planned to make on her way home had a flicker of excitement rising in her stomach as she pulled out of her parents' driveway. The present sitting on the passenger seat beside her had made her nervous earlier in the day - like her, Chris hadn’t mentioned his birthday and she didn’t want to overstep - but it wasn’t anything extravagant so she was hopeful that he’d appreciate the gesture. However, the doubts crept back in when she pulled into his driveway and saw the many vehicles that were already parked by his house. 

It made sense that he would be having some kind of celebration, but she didn’t want him to think that she was trying to crash his party and force him to include her in something that she hadn’t been invited to. Considering that she’d spent enough time that evening being somewhere she wasn’t truly wanted, she was tempted to turn around and just stop by the following day instead when he was more likely to be alone, but she was there and the present was ready to go so she came up with a compromise and a plan to simply leave the gift beside the door for him to find when his guests left. 

She crept up the stairs of his porch and gently placed the gift bag beside his door, but just as she leaned down to fix the tissue paper and make sure it didn’t look too ruffled, the door in front of her swung open. 

Surprised by the motion and sudden light around her, she jumped back and looked up to see a man she didn’t recognize eyeing her up very suspiciously.

“Can I help you?”

His tone was harsh, but it was understandable as she was sure that anyone in Chris’ life would be unhappy to find a stranger skulking around his property at night.

“I was just leaving a present for Chris,” she explained, gesturing to the gift at their feet and hoping that the clear nerves in her voice didn’t make her seem even more suspicious. “Maybe you could give it to him for me? Tell him it’s from Bridget?”

Realization washed over his face as his concern shifted into something more like excitement.

“The Bridget?” he asked with a smirk. “I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Scott, Chris’ brother.” 

“Oh, hi!” Bridget smiled, happy to finally have a face to put to the name. “I’ve heard a lot about you too.”

“Don’t believe any of it,” Scott joked, opening the door a little wider and stepping aside. “C’mon inside.”

“Oh, no, I wasn’t-”

Before Bridget could even voice her protest, Scott turned his head and shouted, “Chris! Your girlfriend is here!”

He waited by the door for a moment as a commotion could be heard echoing from another room until Chris appeared, jogging down the hallway towards them as Bridget picked up the gift that was still sitting on the doormat.

“Bridget,” he smiled. “I didn’t even hear you knock.”

“She didn’t,” Scott informed him. “I was just heading out to get my phone charger from Carly’s car and I ran into her.”

“I brought you a present,” Bridget explained as Scott excused himself to continue his original task. “I promise I wasn’t trying to intrude or just show up uninvited to your birthday party.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Chris assured her. “I should have invited you anyway, but I knew my whole family was coming and thought it might be kinda intimidating. I didn’t wanna scare you off already.”

He looked a little sheepish as he spoke, but Bridget quickly waved him off.

“You don’t need to explain,” she insisted. “I get it and I’m not offended, but I just wanted to drop off your gift.”

Clearly relieved by her understanding, the look on his face shifted into one of suspicion.

“How did you even know it was my birthday?”

“Some of us don’t need to be told when someone’s birthday is.”

Her words were a teasing reference to his lack of knowledge about her birthday a few months earlier and Chris scoffed out a laugh before calling out the disparity.

“It’s a little unfair when I can’t just find out information about you on the internet,” he pointed out. “Did you Google it?”

“Maybe it was just my intuition,” she shrugged with a smirk on her face, but as Chris narrowed his eyes into a suspicious glare, she relented and admitted, “You were trending on Twitter all day, I eventually caved and had to investigate why.”

Chris chuckled and shook his head.

“That’s cheating.”

“Is not,” Bridget protested. “Anyway, you should have told me.”

“You didn’t tell me about yours.”

It was a fair counterpoint, but Bridget couldn’t hold back the roll of her eyes.

“We barely knew each other back then, it was different.”

Chris shrugged, but before he could offer any further arguments, Scott bounded back up the porch steps towards them.

“Oh my god, Chris, invite her inside already,” he teased his brother before doing it himself. “You should come and say hi to everyone, I’m sure they’d love to meet you.”

“Oh, that’s okay, I really don’t want to intrude.”

“You’re not intruding at all,” Chris assured her. “They would love to meet you and I think they’re all heading out soon anyway, but there’s no pressure if you’d rather meet them another time.”

Knowing how close Chris was to his family made meeting them an intimidating thing, but thanks to Scott’s announcement she was sure they all knew that she was there and slipping away without saying hello might seem pretty rude. So, after taking a moment to work up a little courage, she flashed him a smile and nodded her head.

“I’d love to meet them.”

The grin that her answer put on his face had her relieved by her decision and her feeling of relief only grew when he grabbed her hand before leading her down the hallway after Scott. When they entered his living room, Bridget felt her nerves spike again as their presence immediately captured everyone’s attention, but she found comfort in the way that Chris slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close. It seemed that he was right about everyone leaving soon as they appeared to be gathering their things and slipping on their coats, but they all paused their actions as their eyes fell on her.

“Everyone, this is Bridget,” Chris introduced her. “And Bridget, this is everyone.”

He quickly gave her a rundown of who exactly ‘everyone’ was. She already knew Carly, but was grateful for the reminder of the other names as he pointed out his mother - Lisa - his other sister - Shanna - and her boyfriend - Mitch - and Carly’s husband - Rick. Scott - who she’d, of course, already met - lingered beside them as she tried to push her anxieties aside enough to muster up some charm.

“It’s so nice to meet you all,” she smiled. “Chris talks about you guys a lot.”

“Oh, does he?” Lisa raised an eyebrow, an amused look on her face. “That’s good to know because we were just debating why he was trying to hide us from his new girlfriend.”

“Yeah,” Shanna agreed. “Not inviting you to dinner, talking to you on his porch instead of inviting you inside. We were starting to think he’s ashamed of us.”

“Ashamed isn’t the right word,” Chris smirked. “But things have a tendency to get a little loud and obnoxious when we’re all together and I’m still in the process of tricking Bridget into thinking I’m normal.”

“You are?” Bridget giggled. “Then I hate to break it to you, but I’ve known pretty much from the start that you’re not.”

“What gave him away?” Carly chimed in. “Was it the incredibly unsubtle way that he showed up at my house when he knew you’d be there? Or the way he offered to paint your entire house just to get you to agree to go out with him? Or was it just his general personality?”

“Definitely just his personality,” Bridget joked. “I found those other things pretty endearing.”

“Endearing?” Scott scoffed. “Or creepy?”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Chris protested, shaking his head despite the smile on his face. “Keep it up and this will be the last time I suggest she comes to meet you all.”

“We can just organize it ourselves,” Bridget shrugged. “I have Carly’s number and I might get more secrets out of them if you’re not there anyway.”

Chris let out a dramatic gasp, but her answer had a chuckle rippling through the rest of the group.

“She’s outsmarted you there,” Lisa teased him. “But we would love to get to know you, Bridget. Maybe we can all get together for dinner some time soon, with your son too.”

There was a sincerity to her voice that made it clear the offer was genuine and not made out of any sense of obligation and Bridget eagerly agreed. They chatted for a little bit longer as Bridget asked how their evening had gone and they squeezed in a little more teasing of Chris - about his age and looming gray hairs - but as his niece and nephews started to yawn, the group decided it was time to say their goodbyes. Bridget hung back as Chris followed them to the door, but as she saw each person take the time to pull him into a hug and wish him a ‘happy birthday’ one last time, she was amazed by the warmth between them. She knew that her family were the exception more than the rule when it came to the low level of comfort they had with each other, but the closeness and love between everyone in Chris’ family was a stark contrast to her own after the long evening she’d spent in the closed off, standoffish company of her parents.

It also wasn’t lost on her that simply by including Landon in the invitation for dinner, Lisa had given him more thought than her parents had in months.

Her observations had a flicker of emotion rising in her, but rather than the jealousy that she usually felt when faced with the unavoidable fact that her parents were awful, she felt a sense of determination. Landon would never have to feel the way that she did. She would do whatever it took to make sure that their relationship was more like the one Chris and his mother had than the one she had with her own and she hoped that - like Lisa - she could build a family for him that made him feel as loved as Chris’ clearly did for him. The way they genuinely enjoyed each other’s company, their eagerness to all be together again soon, the strong bonds between them all that gave them such a sturdy, unwavering support system. That was what she wanted for her son, not the formality and complete lack of affection that she got from her own parents. She knew she was nothing like her own mother - she couldn't even imagine being so detached and uncaring towards Landon - but she wanted to be able to provide him with the experience of a big, loving family and if she was being entirely honest, she wanted that for herself too.

Once the group had left - and Scott, who was staying with Chris, had excused himself to call his boyfriend who was back in L.A. - Chris led her back to the living room, pausing to pick up the gift that she’d brought for him before they settled on the couch.

“Your family seems really great,” Bridget smiled as he sat close enough to drape his arm across the back of the couch behind her as she turned towards him and tucked her knees up to rest against his leg. “They’re very sweet.”

“They can be,” Chris agreed. “When they’re not trying to embarrass me.”

“It’s cute, and it obviously comes from a place of love.”

“It does,” he nodded. “And if I’m being honest, I’ve been just as bad when one of them has introduced us to someone they’re dating.”

His words had her thinking back to the conversation she’d had earlier with her brother and a word that Chris’ family members had thrown around quite casually during their conversation. He’d provided her with the perfect segue to broach the subject, but that didn’t prevent a knot from forming in her stomach as she cautiously tried to figure out the best way to ask him about what was on her mind.

“There was something I was wondering about that,” she started, earning a raise of Chris’ eyebrows that prompted her to continue. “I heard the word ‘girlfriend’ a lot tonight from your family when they were referring to me.”

It was a statement more than a question, but the ‘what are we’ conversation was one that Bridget hadn’t had to have in a very long time and she wasn’t entirely sure how else to initiate it. Chris hesitated - as if he was waiting for her to continue - but when she offered no more explanation, he asked her a question of his own.

“Is that okay?” His cheeks were noticeably more red as he asked and he continued before Bridget could reply. “It just seemed like the easiest way to describe you to them, but I know we haven’t had that conversation and I don’t wanna make any assumptions. I know you wanted to take things slow, I’m not trying to pressure you into anything.”

He seemed a little frazzled - a little too quick to reassure her - and Bridget couldn't help but smile at his flustered state.

“It’s okay with me,” Bridget assured him. “I just wasn’t sure if they were just teasing you or something and I didn’t want to just assume that you weren’t still seeing other people too.”

The look on Chris’ face at that suggestion spoke for itself, but she appreciated the immediate protest that slipped from his lips.

“No, definitely not. I haven’t seen anyone else since we met. Are you?”

“No, dating isn’t really my thing.” Bridget smiled before realizing how dismissive she sounded and adding, “And I wouldn’t want to even if it was.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Chris grinned as he laced his fingers with hers. “So, should we make this official?”

“I would really like that.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Chris pressed his lips against hers as she smiled into the kiss.

“See,” she murmured when she pulled away a moment later. “Your family’s teasing is good for something after all.”

“I guess so,” Chris chuckled before adding another admission. “I gotta be honest, when you showed up here all dressed up, I did wonder if you were seeing someone else too.”

Bridget glanced down at her outfit and could see how he’d come to that conclusion. Dinner with her parents wasn’t exactly a formal attire event, but she was certainly wearing nicer clothes than she would have if she’d come straight from work or from an evening alone at home. However, there was a slight flaw in his assumption.

“You really thought I went out with one guy and then stopped on my way home to drop off a birthday present for another guy that I’m seeing?”

“I was really hoping you hadn’t,” Chris smiled. “But you look really nice so I wasn’t sure.”

His curiosity was clear in his voice despite the lack of follow up questions so Bridget provided an explanation.

“Nah, it wasn’t anything like that. It was just one of my regular appointments to get every ounce of my self worth drained from my soul.” Her dramatic statement earned a look of shock from Chris that had a giggle falling from her lips before she clarified. “I had dinner with my parents for their anniversary.”

“Wow, and it was that bad?”

“It was pretty rough, but I got to see my brother and his family so that was nice,” Bridget shared, but the ache in her heart that always appeared when she thought about her parents’ behaviour had her quickly changing the subject. “But it’s all good. And today is about you, so why don’t you open your present?”

There was a moment of hesitation, but Bridget was grateful that he didn’t push the issue as he nodded and picked up the present from where he’d put it down beside him. If they were going to be in each other’s lives - a fact that she was fairly confident in now that they were ‘official’ - she knew there would be a time when she had to be more open about her struggles with her family, but they’d sucked away enough of her joy for one evening and she was happy to focus on Chris instead.

“It’s not much,” she warned him as he carefully pulled the tissue paper out of the bag. “But I assume that you buy yourself most things you need when you need them so I tried to think of something you might like but that you wouldn’t think to buy for yourself.”

“Interesting…” Chris hummed as he pulled the heavy book from the bag and Bridget watched his face light up as he read the title out loud. “The Hubble Space Telescope: Expanding Universe. Wow, Bridget, this is amazing!”

He quickly began perusing through the pictures of the coffee table book he was holding as his enthusiasm had relief washing over Bridget.

“You really like it? I saw it when I was restocking the shelves in the library and I immediately thought of you, but I wasn’t sure if it was actually something you’d want.”

“It’s really cool, I love it.” He paused his movement as he flipped through the pages and stretched up to steal another kiss before a gentle ‘thank you’ slipped from his lips.

“You’re welcome.”

Bridget let her hand slide up to scratch at the hairs on the nape of his neck and he leaned into her touch despite his obvious eagerness to finish looking through the pictures in the book on his lap. But just as his eyes drifted shut as he relaxed into her caress, they shot back open with a hopeful twinkle in them.

“Do you want to stay here tonight?”

The question caught Bridget off guard, but after a moment of hesitation, she reluctantly turned down the offer.

“I can’t,” she sighed. “I have an early meeting tomorrow morning.”

“You could go from here?”

“Dressed like this?” Bridget raised an eyebrow, gesturing to her fancy attire. “I’d look like I’m doing a walk of shame.”

“Well,” Chris smirked, stretching up until his lips were just inches away from hers. She tried to urge him closer with the hand on the back of his neck, but he stayed firm as he tried to entice her with a proposition. “We could make a real walk of shame if you’d like.”

The suggestion had her letting out a laugh, but it was quickly silenced when Chris captured her lips in another kiss and it suddenly became a lot more difficult to think of any reason why she shouldn’t spend the night. As his mouth moved against hers - his hand sliding up to her cheek, tilting her head so he could dip his tongue past her lips - the dizziness and heat that clouded her mind had her wondering if she even really needed a job at all.

In the end, sense managed to prevail and she slowly leaned away from his touch.

“It’s very tempting,” she admitted. “A little too tempting, but I really should get going.”

The smirk on Chris’ face was a little softer despite the fierce darkness that had spread in his pupils.

“Have I scared you away now?”

“Not at all,” Bridget assured him as a regretful sigh slipped from her lips. “I’m just trying to be a responsible adult and make choices that won’t lead to me getting fired.”

“They’d fire you just for showing up to one meeting a little overdressed?”

His skepticism was fair, but Bridget bit back a smirk of her own as she shrugged.

“No, but I have a feeling that if I stay then you’d do your best to keep me from going to my meeting at all,” she teased. “And I could get fired for that.”

A chuckle slipped from Chris’ lips as he shook his head at her claim.

“You’re making me sound like a creep again,” he warned her. “But if you really have to go then I guess I’ll survive…even if it is my birthday.”

He threw in a dramatic pout for added effect, but Bridget simply rolled her eyes as she dragged herself off the couch.

“Guilt trips don’t work on me,” she informed him. “I’m a mom, I’m very experienced at tuning it out.”

“Damn, well, it was worth a try,” Chris grinned. “But what about Wednesday night? Wanna come for dinner?”

Bridget felt a flicker of nerves as she wondered if agreeing to the invitation also meant she was agreeing to more based on their previous flirtatious conversation, but Chris had given her no reason to believe that he would rush her into anything so she nodded.

“That would be nice,” she agreed. “I do work on Thursdays when I don’t have Landon, but I get a later start so I won’t have to rush home early.”

“Perfect.” Chris smiled as he stood up as well, pulling her against him to steal one last quick kiss. “I’m looking forward to it already.”