LOVER [CHRIS EVANS]²

TEN

Bambi unlocked the door of their home and was instantly greeted by Dodger with Meredith and Olivia trailing behind him. She crouched down to pet Dodger, a smile forming on her lips as she saw his tail wag joyfully. 

"Hey, boy." She said and turned her attention to the cats. "And, hello, girls. Were you good for dad?" 

"Bams?" Chris' voice called out. "I'm in the kitchen." 

Bambi discarded her coat and gloves. Her hands were still cold and she tried rubbing them together as she padded her way to the kitchen, the little army of animals following her. 

She saw him by the stove, his back to her. He was wearing thin shirt ─ one that accented his back muscles. Was it weird that she found Chris's back hot? Nah. 

He hadn't even noticed that she was behind him. Smirking, Bambi swiftly wrapped her arms around his torso from behind with her cold hands sneaking their way underneath the thin shirt. 

Chris jumped at the cold contact. "Bambi, your hands are freezing!" 

She laughed, snuggling closer to his form. She nuzzled her face in his neck, thankful for her tall height. "I know. That's why I need you." 

"You're using me as a human heater? I feel exploited." 

Bambi hummed. "I miss you too, Chris. My flight was fine by the way. But, I wouldn't mind a few hours of sleep." 

He laughed, turning his form to face her. Bambi still kept her position but was now laying her forehead on his sternum. "Sleep is for the weak, Bambina! We have somewhere we need to be." 

"Right." Bambi huffed and mustered up a smile. "I can sleep on the way to your dad's right?" 

"Of course. But, you don't have to come with me if you're not up for it." 

"No. I wanna go." She laced her fingers with his and smiled. "Besides, I have a score to settle with William." 

Thankfully, the drive to William Evans' home was a quite one with little bumps encountered on the road. Bambi got to drift off to sleep but not before she giggled and shook her head at how Chris played the entire Fearless album for the whole forty-five minute trip. When they entered the house, the couple was immediately greeted by Scott (who had an odd excited smile on his face) and Skeeter (who was already shaking her head). 

"Pa, Chris is here!" Scott yelled and began dragging his older brother to where their father was. Bambi saw that the Evans patriarch was by the pool with a cup of hot chocolate in his hands. 

Skeeter weaved her arm through Bambi's and whispered quickly as they began to walk towards the men. "Bambi, don't give in." 

Bambi furrowed her eyebrows. "What? Skeeter, what does that ─ "

"Ah, Astrid!" William greeted her, his arms already pulling her into a hug. "I see you've come to lose another game of scrabble." 

"Oooh. Is that how it's going to be?" Bambi replied, taking the seat across from him. There was already a scrabble board and tiles splayed out across the table. She immediately began setting up as William sipped from his cup. Rubbing her gloved hands together, she asked. "Are we staying out here for the whole dinner? It's a bit cold." 

William shook his head. "No, dear." He jutted his chin to his three children who were standing by the opposite side of the pool. "I'm just here to watch my kids be kids again. Being an adult is so tiring." 

Bambi observed how exasperated Skeeter looked and the giddy smiles on Chris and Scott. What the hell was going on?

"What exactly are they trying to do?" 

"They're going to jump into the pool." At this, her mouth went agape to which William just waved his hand. "It became a family tradition when we got home after spending Christmas in New York. The three of them had this goldfish named Goldie." 

"Goldie the goldfish?" 

William's mouth twitched. "Scott's idea. Anyway, we left Goldie with a neighbor and said neighbor forgot to feed her which ultimately made her die. Those three had a funeral ─ dressed in black attires and played funeral march and all that. Finally, Goldie was laid to rest when they dumped her into the ocean." 

Nodding, Bambi turned her head to look at the three. She gasped when Chris had jumped in ahead of his siblings. His head popped up a few seconds, his brown hair clinging to his forehead. He looked around with a wide smile on his face. 

"It's ─ it's not that ba ─ bad!" Chris assured them, evidently shivering. 

Bambi turned to William and shyly smiled at him. "Do you think it would be dumb for me to jump in too?" 

"Not at all." He pointed to her left hand. "That thing does obligate you to be with my son through the good, the bad, and the stupid."

Before she knew it, she was walking towards the pool. Bambi bent her knees and jolted her body up and forward before any of the Evans siblings could react. When she went up for air after a few seconds, Bambi felt her whole body shake. 

She heard splashing of water and saw that it was Chris swimming towards her. "Baby, baby." He cooed, his hands on her shoulders. "Why'd you do that?" 

"You ─ you said it wasn't tha ─ that bad." Bambi replied. "Be ─ besides, I'm with you even if this pool gi ─ gives me hypothermia."

Laughing, Chris turned his body in order for her to hang onto him. It was a piggyback ride only within the pool. "Hey, Skeeter, are we going to get hypothermia if we stay longer?"

Skeeter rolled her eyes. "Oh, now you're concerned about getting hypothermia?" She sighed and continued. "But, no. Jumping into cold water can actually give you endorphins and increase your libido." She began walking towards her father and occupied the seat across from him. "So, if you wanna make a baby, you better have sex right now!" 

Even if it was freezing, Bambi could feel her cheeks heat up. 

"Skeeter, you're gross!" 

"You asked, Chris!" 

Scott shrugged. "Pa did always say listen to Skeeter because she's the doctor and I want some endorphins. . ." He backed away, ran, and jumped into the pool. Scott emerged a few seconds and howled. "Ho ─ holy shit!" 

The trio eventually jumped out of the pool in a few minutes, shivering and trudging back inside the house for new and dry clothes. Bambi didn't even need to ask Skeeter if she could borrow her clothes since the older woman had already directed her to where she kept them. William didn't miss Chris and Bambi's pink cheeks whether it was from the cold or sheer embarrassment due to Skeeter's jab.

He chuckled and looked at his daughter. "You like messing with them, don't you?" 

"You have no idea, pa." She smirked, sipped her hot chocolate, and started to play scrabble with her father. 

AUTHOR'S NOTE
just gonna leave
this here. . .