And Then There Was You (Chris Evans AU)

November: Thanksgiving and a Wedding Part 1

TW-mention of rape

  "Remember how you said you'd love to eventually go to the mountains?" Daphne asks Chris over lunch one Sunday.
   "Yeah. But I said vacationing alone was boring."

  She pulls out an envelope from the stack of mail to her left. She unfolds a beautiful rustic wedding invitation, handing it to Chris. As he reads it he discovers Oliver and Hazel are getting married in Tennessee.  "I was wondering if you would like to be my plus one?" She asks him. They may officially be dating and even have said 'I love you' but she doesn't want to assume anything.  "I'd love to be your plus one, babe." 
  "Have you ever taken a vacation with a girlfriend and her family after only dating for three months," she questions him. Honestly, she's nervous about hearing the answer. Vacationing with a significant others family is pretty serious. They've not spoken heavily about each other's past dating history, just mentioning small things here and there.
  Chris puts the invitation off to the side. "Actually yes, once." Daphne braces herself at this news. "We'd been dating for about seven months when her family was going to visit where she originally grew up, Panama City Beach."
  Attempting to cover up her discomfort with humor, "so lots of time on the beach, cuddling in the sand, stealing kisses under the sunset, sharing coffee at sunrise...maybe a Speedo?"
"Not quite. We went out to dinner with some of her friends the first night. I'd excused myself to the restroom just to come around the corner and see her all over a guy. I found out it was actually her ex. I called an Uber and found a hotel. Got some sleep and rented a car the next morning to drive back home."
Completely shocked by hearing the story Daphne asks if she tried to give any type of explanation. She obviously thinks the girl must've been crazy to begin with. Who would cheat when having this specimen of a man in front of them.
Chris chuckled. "She tried. Her explanation included that she just needed closure. I didn't think one could get closure by mauling each other with their tongues. Felt like she was just trying to justify her cheating. I respect people who are loyal. I'd have preferred her just completely dump me as soon as she saw him again."
  "Inconceivable," Daphne says in disbelief. "How long ago was that?"  Chris stops to think for a moment. "Around 3 years I think. It was shortly before my dad got so sick."
  "Did you date much while he was sick?"
  He shook his head side to side. "No. After his diagnosis I tried to focus on him and his health the best I could. For a while he could still care for himself. When the time came that he couldn't I had a home healthcare nurse come to be with him while I was on shift. After he passed the guys at the station attempted to set me up a handful of times. There was never one that I'd even consider for a second date."
  "So, why was I considered worthy of the second date?" She asks.
"Because you, my love, are nothing like the others. You're so much more than your appearance. There's substance behind that beautiful face and body of yours," he tells her.  "I could sit next to you for hours, never saying a word and yet leave feeling like it was the best conversational my life."
  Daphne covers her face completely with her hands as a full on, undeniable blush consumes her face. Grabbing her hands and pulling them away Chris tells her, "hey, just because I said there's more behind the face doesn't mean I don't want to see your face. If you keep covering it up how can I do this?"  He holds the left side of her face in the palm of his right hand, grazing her cheek with his thumb and pulls her in. Their lips meet in a heated but tender kiss. 

  Pulling back Daphne starts clearing the table. "They've rented a large cabin for the whole family so there won't be any need to find a hotel room. Which let's face it, it being the week of Thanksgiving would be insane." She begins rinsing off the dishes and loading the dishwasher. Chris puts away leftovers in the fridge. "Oh gosh! Did you already have Thanksgiving plans with your brother or sisters? I'm so sorry, I didn't even think about that!"
Closing the fridge Chris finds a spot to lean back on the counter. "No. They actually each get together with their in laws for Thanksgiving so I normally would volunteer for the holiday shift. However, Christmas is a different story."
"Okay great! Do you think you'll get the whole week off or will you need to come up later?" She asks while drying her hands.
"I'll check and see. Can I let you know after my shift today?" Glancing at the clock on the wall Chris realizes he needs to head out and walk Dodger before heading to the station.
"That works. Hey, do you want Dodger to stay here tonight? I can let him in to the apartment on my way to work tomorrow," she offers as they walk to the door. He appreciates the offer and tells her he'll drop him off in half an hour.
Standing on her tiptoes she gives him a quick kiss goodbye. "I love you."
Chris closes his eyes and smiles. "I love hearing you say that. I love you too."