#escape extra

You arrived at the empty house in the early afternoon on Saturday.  Your parents had gone up to the house earlier in the week to prepare it for your visit.  The fridge was stocked, bed changed, wood for the fireplace stacked, fresh towels in the bathroom ready for use.  Everything was clean and cozy and required no effort, just relaxation as if going away on vacation.  

It was the first time in your life that you had been up here on your own with a man.  The only time you’d even been at the cabin without your family was with Dani and Jade for a long weekend, but that was obviously quite different.  It wasn’t like either of them had a dick you wanted to ride like a pogo stick in every room of the house.  

Once unpacked you finally had a chance to relax with one another.  What followed was some of the most intimate, delicate, and emotional love making of your life.  It was as if you were rediscovering each other.  It had been months apart and so much trauma and pain endured during that time.  Rather than a “rip your clothes off” experience most people would have expected, this was more of a healing, soft, “let’s reconnect” session.  

Not wanting to go out and be around people that evening, you pulled out a container of sauce that your mom had made and set a pot of water to boil for pasta.  Chris was playing music and checking out the DVD and record collection in the living room.  

“Every Breath You Take” by The Police began to play.  Chris started singing along to it.  His voice got closer as he walked into the kitchen.  

Arms encircled your waist and his soft beard tickled your neck as he nuzzled it and sang to you.  

“Oh can’t you see, you belong to me.  How my poor heart aches, with every step you take.”  As he kissed his way down your throat your body began to tense.  You’d been holding back so many emotions for so long, putting on a show for everyone that you weren’t wrecked on the inside.  You’d been raised by a strong woman who always instilled in you a sense of independence.  How could you admit to anyone that being apart from Chris felt like a knife to the gut.  That you missed him so much it physically hurt in the center of your chest.  Perhaps if the distance and time hadn’t coincided with the world scrutinizing, judging, and placing you under a microscope it wouldn’t have been as intense, but there was no way to know. 

He felt the change in your body and asked what was wrong.  As corny as it was in hindsight, you used the song to explain it as the bridge started to play at that moment.  

Turning into his arms, you looked Chris in the eyes and sang the words you couldn’t have written better yourself. 

“Since you’ve gone, I’ve been lost without a trace. 

I dream at night, I can only see your face.  

I look around, but it’s you I can’t replace.  

I feel so cold, and I long for your embrace.  

I keep crying, baby, baby please.”

By the end you’d collapsed into his arms, sobbing so hard his long sleeved shirt was drenched in tears.  He held you tight, kissing the top of your head while stroking your back, soothing sounds coming from his lips as he let you get it all out. 

He stayed with you and finished the pasta while you sat on a stool at the island sipping on a glass of wine to relax your nerves.  It was the beginning of an evening of long, deep conversation that moved from the dinner table to the floor in front of the couch.  The fireplace provided the backdrop needed, Dodger’s belly was willing and eager for attention as he stretched out between his humans.   

After an hour or so, the tender touches he gave you started to feel different.  He pushed a piece of hair behind your ear and stroked your cheek after.  You curled your face into the palm of his hand, turning to place a kiss into it.  It was the invitation he needed to lean in and give you one on the lips.   If you thought the sex in the afternoon had been intense, then you had no words to describe what happened on the floor of that living room in front of the roaring fire.  There were no longer any boundaries or hiding emotions, everything had been laid out wide open, souls bared.   For the rest of the evening your bodies were entwined and the only tears you released were from an orgasm so strong it made you cry in ecstasy.  

That was quite possibly one of the most relaxing “vacations” you’d ever taken.  No work for either of you.  Plans made spur of the moment.  With his long hair and thick beard he was truly unrecognizable and going out to eat or shop in town was totally stress free.   No feelings of being in a relationship with a “celebrity” to worry about.  If only it could be this simple all the time. 

There was a morning where Dodger wanted to go out early, and you let him out.  Chris came out to the porch where you were waiting and wrapped you in a blanket.  He was covered in one too and you sat together watching the sunrise over the mountain tops before going back to bed.   

Long drives through the windy roads of the countryside were a favorite way to pass some time.  The weather was pleasant enough to bring lunch and do some short hikes with Dodger when an area looked interesting.  

One not so fun day was when Dodger was out wandering the property while you and Chris were messing around taking photos.  A loud yelp was heard and then he came running towards the house like a bat out of hell.  The stench that wafted off of him was unmistakable.  He’d been sprayed by a skunk!  Utter chaos ensued as Chris googled what to do and you ran inside to grab the ingredients needed to wash him.   

“Straight to the bathtub,” you screamed at Chris and Dodger when they entered the house.  “He’s not going anywhere else!  OH MY GOD does he STINK!  HOLY FUCK!!”  You had always been sensitive to smells and this one was turning your stomach.   The dog kept trying to jump out of the tub and battle Chris but he wasn’t going to win.  You came in right after them and closed the door to make sure he didn’t escape.  There was a small sliding window on the wall and you opened it to get some air circulating.  Hydrogen Peroxide was under the sink and you brought the bottle of dish soap and box of baking soda that Chris said were needed to bath him.  He got multiple baths before he could get dried off and let out.   It was an adventure to remember.  

On the final night, you learned that Chris needed to shave his beard off.  The scenes he was going to start filming were now going to require him to go back to the traditional look of short hair, clean shaven Steve Rogers.  It was a look you loved in the movies, but this shaggy, mountain man look was definitely doing things for you.  Seeing him in the Cap outfit with the hair and beard was going to cause a lot of theater seats to be ruined.  

He was in the bathroom, checking out his face when you entered and asked, “Can I shave it? Do you trust me to get that close to your throat with a razor?”

“If you can do it without slicing me to pieces, maybe.”

“I’ll do my best, you can always take over.  Deal?”

After a pause, he handed you a pair of scissors from his shaving kit.  “You’ll need to trim it with these first.”

Gleefully, you hopped up on the counter and got to work, tossing the hair into a small trash can he had moved to the top of the toilet seat.  When it was close enough to his face to more easily shave the moment of trust finally came. 

Chris wet his face and you applied the shaving cream to it, lathering it up to cover the beard fully.  He wanted the smoother shave that a razor could give, versus the electric one. 

Carefully, you unveiled the baby face you hadn’t seen since June or July.  There were a couple of small nicks but nothing more than he would have done to himself, or so he said.  Strangely, the act of shaving him was a bit erotic.  You found yourself getting highly turned on as it went along.  Maybe it was seeing him the way he’d looked on your first date, or a throwback to your lust for this Steve Rogers look, but it was definitely doing it for you.   When the job was done and he washed his face again, you watched him checking out his face in the mirror and said in as sultry a voice as possible, “Welcome back Captain Rogers.”  

The hair was still long, but the jawline was on display and so were the broad shoulders and bare chest.   There were no words needed, he picked up what you wanted immediately.   Within seconds your legs were wrapped around his hips and he was carrying you to bed where you got to enjoy another role play session with the Captain.   

Life was good.  Life didn’t suck – but you sure did. 

tags: @shoegal73 @itsscottiesstark @astheskycries

@firephotogrl74 @raven-blue3000.  @sarahdonald87

When she came out of the bathroom, Chris and Dodger were both lounging on the bed waiting for her.  

“I feel so loved,” she said, while holding her hands up to her chest.

Rising from the bed, Chris smiled and said, “That’s because you are.”

He came towards her, arms crossed, and a crease of worry formed between his brows.  .  

“You feeling okay?  You look a little pale.”

“I’m alright, I think the travel just did me in.”  She wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince, but it wasn’t working.

He placed the back of his hand to her forehead and squinted his eyes. “Did you eat?”

Nodding, she said, “Mm hmm, I had a little something on the ferry.  I’m not hungry, just really tired.”

Chris squared his jaw and pursed his lips as he looked at her, still not satisfied with her answers.  

Nicole rolled her eyes and mustered a smile at his concern.  It felt good to be worried for, but she also felt bad that he was worried at all.  She took his hands into her own and said, “All I need is a good night of sleep and snuggling with you. I’ll be fine by the morning.”

He planted a kiss upon her forehead.  “I hope so.  I’ll be back in a minute, I gotta let Dodger out.  Can I bring you anything from the kitchen?”

After a brief pause to think about it she asked, “Bottle of water?  Maybe some Tylenol or another kind of pain reliever if you have any?”

“Yes on both, back in a flash.”   

Chris wasn’t kidding.  That was the quickest pee break she’d ever known Dodger to take.  Nicole gratefully took the water and pills from him, hoping it would make a difference.  She was feeling worse by the minute but didn’t want to alarm Chris.  

The few sips of water that she swallowed with the pills felt like heavy balloons falling into her gut.  Her belly was bloated and she sent a silent prayer to the gas gods to let it come out as a belch and not a fart.  

Chris used the remote to turn on the television, got settled into bed and pulled her close.  She kept her hands together, almost in prayer, and snuggled into his chest.  Dodger made himself a spot near her feet.  Nicole let herself relax and drift off as Chris gently stroked her back and scalp.  

Sometimes the most passionate thing a partner can do is show compassion. 

She wanted desperately to fall asleep but it kept eluding her.  Her mouth kept feeling watery and waves of nausea were starting to make her worry.  

They were watching reruns of Seinfeld, although Chris was looking over at her so often that he was missing much of it.  She caught the concern in his eyes when he noticed her rubbing her belly in an attempt to ease the discomfort building there. 

A loud noise erupted from Nicole’s belly, caused by a shot of gas zipping across it.  A few shorter, quick bursts soon followed.  They were loud enough to wake up Dodger, who was snoozing by their feet.  He watched her with curiosity and worry and moved up to sleep along her leg. 

Chris quickly sat upright in bed and leaned over her, placing his hand on her stomach.  “Are you ok? What the fuck was that?”

Embarrassment overcame Nicole and caused her to attempt to wave it off and nervously chuckle that it was nothing.  He placed his hand on her swollen abdomen and began muttering that it was hard to the touch.  

He finally laid back down but didn’t let her out of his sight.  The television show was forgotten and the worried boyfriend show was all that was now playing. 

Chris kept his hand on her belly, running it in circles to help alleviate some of the gas for her while they spoke about their day.  Exhaustion was taking a stronghold on her, possibly fueled by the tender loving touches. 

Nicole was nearly asleep when her body jolted her awake.  She cried out, “OH FUCK!” loud enough for Chris and Dodger to both jump.  She bolted out of the bed, stumbling over the bedding and the dog who followed as she ran to the bathroom.  With no time to spare she lunged for the toilet and grabbed hold of the sides as she violently threw up.

Chris was by her side immediately, full of questions and fussing over her as another wave took hold of her. 

He left to grab the bottle of water and returned with it and more questions.  “Do you think you caught a bug or could it be something you ate? What did you have tonight?”

Nicole took a sip, swished it around her mouth and spit, then drank a little.  Wearily, she answered, “Salad with chicken… no one’s been sick.”

Thoughtfully, Chris replied, “Probably the chicken.  I got food poisoning from chicken soup last year. Who knows if the salad had been sitting out for a while.”

As Nic nodded, another wave came over her quick and hard. She didn’t have time to move her hair and caught some of it.  Without waiting, Chris went straight over to the bathroom vanity and took a couple of washcloths and snagged a hair clip from a drawer where she kept her things.  He cleaned her hair as best as he could then clipped it up for her. With the other rag, he applied coolness to the back of her neck and face.  Even feeling weak, Nicole tried to smile at him and say thank you.  She couldn’t recall the last time someone had taken such attentive care of her as an adult.

Chris stayed with her as much as he could, giving her privacy when she needed it as her body tortured her in multiple ways for the next hour or so.  He didn’t have a very strong stomach himself but he was determined to help her. Dodger kept vigil as well, laying as close to her as possible and giving her little licks of comfort on her arms and legs.

When it seemed that the worst was over, Chris ran the shower and helped her get into it.  Her clothing had already been removed as she had soiled both the top and bottoms.  She didn’t have the energy to stand for long, so she slumped down onto the floor and leaned back against the cool tiles as the water washed down over her.  It felt like Heaven.  She closed her eyes and let it loosen her muscles.  

Once he was certain that she was okay, he left the room for a few moments to toss her clothing into the wash and place a call to his mom.  He undressed and joined her in the shower afterwards, helping to wash her hair and body and taking care of her as best as he could.   She was still dry heaving every once in a while, but it seemed things had finally left her system. 

When she was ready, he got himself dried off, went to the bedroom to put on a pair of boxer briefs and to retrieve one of his soft, white t-shirts to dress her in. He returned and helped her out of the shower, dried off and into the long, loose shirt.  

Knowing she’d end up with a head full of knots in the morning if he didn’t attend to it, he had her sit on the closed toilet seat and quickly ran a comb through her hair to detangle it.  Quietly, she thanked him, feeling grateful to have a man who was so considerate and thoughtful. 

Once he was done, he picked her up and carried her back to bed. She was practically asleep, so he tucked her in and set Dodger to watch over her.  He left the room, returning with a couple of shopping bags. 

Nicole was slumped on her side, her head leaning on her arm and eyes barely staying open.  Groggily, she asked, “What’s in there?”

“I didn’t have anything in the house that would help you much and wasn’t sure what to do so I called my mom.  She brought over some supplies from stuff she had in her house.  I’ll get whatever else you need in the morning, don’t you worry,” he added with a wink.

She gave him as much of a smile as she could manage as she watched him.  She knew how incredibly lucky she was to have a man like him.  Nicole sent a quick prayer of thanks to Lisa, too.  It was the middle of the night.  Nic never would have expected her to come over and take care of her the way she did.  It showed her how close and loving the Evans family was.  She was humbled and grateful for the way they took care of her as one of their own.  

“Let’s see,” Chris said as he began to pull out the items and place them on the bed so she could view them, “We have some tea bags, a bottle of Pepto-Bismol,  saltine crackers, applesauce and bananas.  There’s also a note that says ‘I’ll stop by tomorrow with some rice and broth soup for our little patient.  Take care of her.  Love, Mom.’”

“Your mom is the best,” Nicole said with a small, but warm, smile. 

“That she is, and be prepared for a stream of Evans care this weekend.  There will probably be a steady stream of ‘nurses’.”

“That’s fine by me.”

He seemed a little lost as he placed the items on the dresser and rubbed a hand across the back of his neck.  “Do you want anything now? You should probably, at least, drink something. You’re probably not ready to eat, right?”   

“I’m good, hon, thank you.  My stomach is hurting and hollow, I don’t want to risk anything.  Maybe just a few sips of water?” 

Relieved to help, he jumped into action and held the bottle for her as she leaned on her elbow just enough to safely swallow the drink.  When she was finished, he pulled it away and tightened the cap then placed it on the nightstand. By the time he turned over towards her again, Nicole was fast asleep.

He was extremely grateful that she was okay and that he could take care of her.  This weekend was going to be all about making sure she recovered and relaxed.  He was already formulating his argument for her to call in sick on Monday, knowing that she would likely be sore as hell in her back and ribs after tonight. 

For a little while, until he could no longer keep his own eyes open, he laid there on his side and simply gazed at her. He was afraid to stroke her face or touch her for fear of waking her up.  Dodger had moved up and was lying between the two of them so he ran his hand along his furry “nurse” instead.

“We did good, buddy,” he whispered as he scratched the dog behind the ear.  Addressing his sleeping girlfriend, he whispered, “And don’t worry, baby, I’ll love you through the good times and gross ones.  I’m still the luckiest man alive.”

Calls began coming into her office line and after a few “reporters” were able to slip through to her line as being clients there had to be rules put into place to challenge every person who called looking to speak with her. No case info, no direct transfer.

Co-workers were a bit of a challenge. There was some jealousy involved, either that Nicole was getting special treatment (she really wasn’t) or that she landed a celebrity and how could someone like her do that? Some were offended that she had kept it a secret. Nicole could expect to walk into the kitchen or walk past some desks where people were gathered and hear sudden silence. Lunches alone in her office became a thing. Valentina is the only person she can trust there, other than a few of the attorneys who do their best to guide and protect her.

Family that isn’t immediate reach out to see that she’s okay. Some pump for info that can’t be given, some take offense to that, but she has to be careful. Between the nda and people willing to do anything for a buck she can’t help but be cautious. There was a small circle of trust.

Therapy helped her manage the rising anxiety. She took to working from home some days to avoid the additional stress at the office. She missed Chris so much. Because of time zones he was 7 hours ahead of her but they made it work to talk and video call frequently. He was in the majority of the scenes being shot, as he was the lead in Red Sea Diving Resort, but there was plenty of downtime when setting up shots, etc.

Nicole enjoyed the video calls most of all, mostly due to how amazing he looked with his shaggy hair and beard that was uncharacteristic for him but sexy as fuck. They gave him a fake tan that, combined with the look, made her weak in the knees and wet everywhere else. She couldn’t wait until he got home and she could get her hands on him.

Chris’s family really stepped up and it helped to grow some relationships and bonds. Shanna came to stay with her for a weekend and Nicole was frequently on the phone with Lisa, Scott, and Carly with calls and texts. They’d all lived through the chaos and commotion that comes with being in Chris’s orbit and shared in her growing pains with it.

There were a lot of nights spent crying herself to sleep, especially at first. For her own mental wellbeing she shut down all of her social media and deleted the apps. It was the only way to stop herself from reading comments that infuriated or hurt her. Even though there were plenty of well wishers, the negative ones always seemed to be the ones that stood out and stayed in her head.

Nicole didn’t have a large circle of friends, but rather a small circle of ride or dies. That made knowing very clearly that “friends” who hadn’t reached out in years —and suddenly remembered she was alive — easily ignored.

Out of frustration and boredom one night she went out for a walk. A long one. It became a daily habit. A way to clear her head and the movement in her body helped control her stress levels. Exercise had never been a part of her life but it became a way to escape the world and lose herself in music or a podcast and bring her some much needed sanity.

Having so much phone sex that she nearly got carpal tunnel. Dani’s box turned out to be a godsend.

Loud and slow, she responded, “I said, you’d better fear me or I’ll pee in your lemonade.”

Playing along, Erik asked, “What?  You barf near me and I’ll be your First Mate?”

With a giggle, she gave him the win.  “Yep, that’s it!  That’s exactly what I said, dude.”

Erik laughed and chastised her lovingly for being a smartass.  They caught up for a few minutes about their jobs, their parents, and his wife, Linda.  Nicole reached her apartment complex and pulled into a spot, remaining in the car to continue the conversation. 

She could have stayed on the phone chatting forever.  God she missed him so much. With he and Linda living in Pennsylvania, and owning their own restaurant, it was rare that they had a chance to get away to New York for a visit.  Life being as hectic as it was, the New Yorker’s didn’t get out that way much either.  Nicole’s mom had often wondered if things would be different if Erik and Linda had decided to have children.  There would have been no keeping the grandkids away for long. 

“So, Nicole. Favorite little sister of mine --”

This was a well known line both of her brothers said.  Even as she rolled her eyes at the old joke she smiled and said, “Only little sister of yours, but go on.”

Erik’s tone changed from playful to incredulous as he stated loudly, “Why am I the last to find out that you not only have a boyfriend, but that said boyfriend is the guy from Snowpiercer?!!! Fuckin’ Snowpiercer! You know how much I love that film.”

“Well, I.. um, dammit I kept meaning to call.”  She trailed off, knowing she had no real excuse other than being too wrapped up in her own life.  Plus, Erik was the brother that would always force her to examine things and question them.  He didn’t like gray areas.  She hadn’t been ready for that kind of scrutiny from him when she was doing so much of her own already.  

He said nothing, waiting her out.  He knew how to make the weight of the guilt he was laying on feel thicker.  

Nicole fiddled with the leather on the steering wheel before leaving it to pick at the cuticle of her thumb.  A bit quieter than before, she explained, “I was just waiting to see if things were going to keep moving along with him or if it was a passing thing, y’know?”

With a touch of snark in his voice, he answered, “No, I don’t know because YOU NEVER TOLD ME that you even KNEW the guy.  In fact, no one did until tonight!  I had to hear from mom when she slipped up and said how happy she was that you were finally in a relationship.  I asked her who it was and she tells me he’s an actor you met when you won some contest.  I didn’t recognize the name so I Googled him and my jaw almost hit the ground.”

“I’m sorry, Erik.  It’s just been a total whirlwind around here. Ryan knew because he was there when we met at the contest and the rest of the family met him at Maddie’s birthday party.”

“I just can’t believe this didn’t warrant a call, sis.”  He sounded indignant and hurt.  It cut her heart like a knife to hear that tone of voice coming from him.  

She and her brother had always been very close. There was no excuse for her to not have filled him in earlier.  Again, there was a silence between them, but it was the kind that was filled with words left unsaid and the emotions to go along with them.  

Rather than berate her or make her feel worse, Erik changed his tone from disappointed brother to curious and engaged.  He could never stay mad at Nicole for very long. 

“So….. you guys serious?”

Not that he could see it, but she shrugged and said, “We might be.”  She sighed and then admitted, “It’s still new but I am reeeaaaally falling for him.”

Sounding more like a prosecutor than a brother, he asked, “He’s good to you?”

“Very.”

“Have you met his family?”

“Not yet.  I’m supposed to soon.”

“When do you think you can swing a trip here?  Maybe bring him along?  I can give him a display of my culinary and knife throwing skills.”

They both busted out laughing and she warned, “You will do no such thing, Erik!”

“Fine, no throwing.  Just sharpening while we have ourselves ‘the chat.’  You know the one.  ‘You hurt her, I hurt you’ and that sort of shit.”

“Erik,” she said slowly in a cautioning tone.

“Fine, just the knife skills.  I’ll let him see how sharp they are.  I’ll slice the garlic paper thin.”

“Mm hmm.  And, of course, you’d never do that while staring him down as you sharpen a cleaver or anything.”

“Noooo, not me,  Never.  I’d stare him down as I chop into a nice piece of sausage and chop the tip off.”

Nicole gripped the steering wheel and dropped her head down to it.  Banging her head against it gently, she groaned, “Oh Christ in Heaven.” 

From the other end of the call came a satisfied laugh.  Poor Chris.  He was lucky to have met Ryan first. 

Sitting back upright, Nicole said, “We’ll have to make sure your wife is in the room.”

“Believe me, Linda wouldn’t miss the chance to meet him.”  Changing his voice to a teasing, nasally sound, he added, “She thinks he’s so cuuuutte.”

“Well, she’s not wrong.  I’ll give her that.  All joking aside, though, I think you guys are really going to like him. He’s not what you’d expect. Chris is just like one of us.  No Hollywood bullshit.”

“I’ll take your word for it --  for now -- but I reserve the right to form my own opinion after I grill the son of a bitch.”

“Erik,” she warned again.

“Don’t you ‘Erik’ me, it’s my job as your big brother. I’m sure Ryan made a valiant effort, but he’s a pushover.”

“And you’re the big, bad, imposing, make the boyfriend shit his pants brother.”

“Damn straight. So…. when am I seeing you?”

“I don’t know.  And, if you mean with Chris, then I really don’t know.  His schedule is so hectic right now that I barely get to see him myself.”

Nicole regretted adding that last bit the second it came out of her mouth.  She could hear the sound of her brother trying to maintain his composure.  The jaw clenched, rapid nose inhalation was something he always did when he was calming himself down before saying the wrong thing.  

“You sure about this guy, Nikki? Is this how it’s going to be with him?  You always waitin’ for him to be ‘free’ to see you?”

“Erik, I know what it looks like, but it’s not like that.  Chris has a huge role to play in these last two Avengers movies and he’s filming a lot. But once they’re done, he’s done with his Marvel contract.  He’s got one more movie lined up to shoot overseas this year and then he’s taking time off.  If I’m still around by then I should see him more.”

“If?” he questioned.

She rolled her eyes, thinking back to her cheating ex, and said sardonically, “You know me, Erik, old trust issues die hard.”

“True.  Still, it’s smarter that way. If it’s any consolation the family had nothing but positive things to say about him and mom said that she hasn’t seen you this happy in a very, very long time.  That’s all we want for you, sis.”

Nicole smiled, dropping her head down shyly as she responded, “I am happy.  She’s definitely right about that.”

“I can hear the smile in your voice over the phone.  He just earned my tentative seal of approval.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Listen, kiddo, I’ve gotta get going, but don’t be a stranger.  It’s not all your fault that I didn’t know.  I need to call more, too.”

“You got it.  Love you, Erik. I’ll be in touch soon, too.  Give my best to Linda.”

“Will do.  Love you more, sis.”

Nicole grabbed her purse and got out of the car.  As she walked towards her apartment she sent up a quick prayer for Chris, if and when the day came that he had to face Erik in person.  

Nicole stood up and looked at the dog thoughtfully,  then looked over at Chris and suggested, “I think it may be time to take him to the vet for a checkup.”

Chris let out a yawn and began to stretch and move the blankets off of him.  Dodger left her side and bounded away towards him, but took a detour at the last moment to go around to the far side of the bed for his stuffed lion.

Chris, who was quite scruffy looking from letting his hair and beard grow long for a role, started to get out of bed.  Nicole certainly didn’t mind the new look.  Not one bit.  As much as she loved the clean faced Steve Rogers when they’d first met, Chris with a beard and long hair had surpassed it as her new favorite kink.  

From the bed, Chris voiced his agreement,  “I’ll give them a call now, see if we can bring him in today.”  

With that, Chris planted his fists into the mattress and used them as leverage to swing his body forward. 

At the same time Dodger, who had taken a spot at the foot of the bed to play with his stuffed animal, dropped it and let out a series of small whines.  He began to scoot his way across the floor again.

From Nicole’s vantage point, the similarity in the way they were moving their bodies towards her, both sliding along on their bottoms, struck her silly button and she busted out in loud laughter.  Both Chris and Dodger stopped in their tracks and cocked their heads to the left, as if questioning what was so funny.  Dodger’s ear flipped up as Chris’s hair flopped over.  

It was the last straw. She took a few steps backwards until her back had reached the wall, which she then slid down as stronger waves of laughter took hold. 

Apparently, the saying was true. Like father, like son. 

They looked at him with wide eyes, then looked around at each other making funny faces as if he was going weird on them.

Carly broke the silence, asking, “‘So’ what, Chris? What’s on your mind?”  

“Cahmon, guys, you know what I’m talking about.  What do you all think of Nicole?”

His family remained silent for a moment, then Lisa let out a large sigh and said, “Well, it’s unanimous.”

“Yep, we all hate her,” Scott quickly added.  Chris did a double take, expecting a punchline or something, but his brother looked and sounded quite serious.

Taken aback, Chris looked from one sibling to the next, trying to find the joke, the humor, in what his little brother just said.  Incredulously, he smacked the table top and exclaimed, “You’re kidding, right?  Come on, what do you guys really think of her?”

“What he said,” Carly confirmed, shrugging as she her hand waved towards Scott. “Sorry, but she’s a real bitch, Chris. Don’t let her fool you.”

Shanna chimed in, “Seriously, she has zero sense of humor.”

Suddenly, they were all putting in their two cents and Chris felt like he was watching a tennis match as the comments came at him from one side of the table to the other.  

“The personality of a wet mop,” Lisa confirmed.

Chris noticed his niece, Stella, looking as confused as he felt.  “I really like-”

Her mom, Carly, interrupted and said, “The vegetable cream cheese, right?  Here, have another bite,” quickly, feeding her a small bite.   Carly licked some of the soft cheese off of her finger and then added, “She’s as cold as this stuff.”

“Not to mention highly unattractive,” Scott sassed.

“Her aim is too good, she shot me in the ass!” Ethan whined, quickly corrected by Carly to watch his language before she added, “Really though, she’s terrible with kids.”

Now Chris was beginning to feel his blood boil.  He was hoping this was all a joke, but they were all keeping straight faces and seemed way to passionate for this to not be real.  Everything they were saying was the total opposite of how he felt.  How the fuck could that be?

“She’d be a horrible dog mom, too.”

He pointed to Scott, who’d made the last comment and warned him, “Don’t.  Just don’t.  She stayed up and took care of him when he got sick the other night.  She’s an amazing dog mom.”

“I just don’t know what you see in her,” Lisa said sadly.

Chris had had enough and put his hands up in the air to silence them all.  Probably a little louder than he should have, he said, “Seriously, guys? Please tell me you just pulling my leg right now, because if you’re not -”

Lisa, who was sitting to his right, placed a hand on his arm to relax her eldest son and told him with a laugh and a warm smile, “We loved her.  We ALL loved her.”

“You boys aren’t the only actors in the family, you know,” Shanna teased, proud that they had properly gotten a rise out of Chris.

He felt his blood pressure drop instantly, it almost made him dizzy.   The relief was palpable and he couldn’t help but smile.

Carly, fixing her daughter’s ponytail,  confessed, “Stella was asking when she’d see her again.  She’s completely enamored.”

“She’s a cool girl, and you’re good together.  I haven’t seen you this happy and in love in a really long time.  I’m happy for you, brother,” added Scott.  

Chris blew out a long breath and sighed.  “It was harder than I imagined. Every time we say goodbye its tough and it’s just going to get worse. But she’s worth it.”

Lisa looked at her son, contemplatively, and asked, “Think she’d ever move here, if things get serious?”

“I don’t know, Ma.  When the time comes we’ll have the talk about it.  I get the feeling it won’t be an easy sell.  But we’re not there yet.”

“How serious are you guys?  Did you say the ‘L’ word today?” his sister Carly asked with wide, hopeful eyes, nudging him with her foot under the table.  

“No. I chickened out.  There never seemed to be a right time, and she was leaving today.  I will soon though, probably the next time I see her.”  He smiled to himself and said, wistfully, “After spending these last couple of days with her and seeing how well she blended in with everyone, I know for sure that I love her.”

A resounding “Awww” sound came from everyone around the table.  

“You deserve all the happiness in the world, my baby,” Lisa said, standing up and stopping to give him a kiss on the forehead before she started to clean up the table.

Dodger came around and placed his head on Chris’s lap, giving him big, pleading eyes in the hopes of more food.