And Then There Was You (Chris Evans AU)

Rehearsal Day Part 1

Thursday evening was spent returning messages, calls and awaiting the arrival of family. Once the last guests arrived, Daphne's parents, at 9 pm they all agreed to call it a night and would regroup over breakfast the next morning.

Daphne tossed and turned until about 3 am when she decided to bite the bullet and text Chris.
Daphne- are you awake?
Within two minutes there was a response.
Chris- on my way.

Chris pulled on his sweats and a t-shirt, careful not to wake up Scott. He grabbed his phone and key card and quietly left his sleeping brother.

Just as he was about to knock on Daphne's door she pulled it open.
The look on Daphne's face is not that of tired but of a slight sense of fear.

"What's going on, sweetheart?"
She falls into his arms. He leans against the wall behind him and just holds her, lovingly rubbing her back.
"I'm scared," she whispers.

Chris let's go of her but takes her hand and leads her to the couch. "What are you scared of? Is it the wedding? Honey, that's why we have a wedding planner. Cynthia and her team will take care of everything."

  Daphne rests her legs across his lap. "No, I know that anything with the wedding is basically out of my hands."
  "Then what is it?"

  She drops her head in her hands. "It's silly. I feel silly over it but I don't know how to move past it."
  Chris rubs Daphne's exposed calves. "You know you can tell me anything. I'm sure I won't find it silly."
  She narrows her eyes at him through her hands. "You'll laugh."
  He holds up his hand. "Scouts honor."
  "We've already established that is worthless," she chuckles.

"Come on babe. The quicker you tell me the quicker we can get some sleep," he says rubbing his eyes.
"Ya know what?" She lifts her head out of her hands and takes her legs away from Chris's lap. "Never mind. I'm good. I'm gonna go to the bathroom and lay back down. You can go get some sleep."

Chris reaches out to grab her hand but she snatched it from his reach. "Hey!"
"I'm good now, Chris. Just go." And with that she leaves him alone in the room shutting the bathroom door loudly.

"Daphne, what just happened?" He asks going towards the bathroom door.
  "Go back to bed, Chris. I'm good now. I'm sure I'll sleep like a baby," Daphne says as she runs herself a warm bath. Little does Chris know it's to help mask the sound of her crying.

  Chris places both hands on the bathroom door frame, leaning in. "You just said you were scared, and what, five minutes later everything is okay?"

  "Yep," she says popping the p loudly. "That's what I said. Good night."

He sits on the edge of the bed and waits. Thoroughly confused he tries to figure out what exactly happened. 'Damn it. I pushed when I should've waited it out,' he realizes.

"Daphne I'm sorry. I didn't mean to try and rush you," he says through the door.

On the other side of the door Daphne sits on the edge of the tub crying. "Please, just go. I don't want to talk about any of it now. Please."

"Daph," Chris starts.

"Go, Chris. Please. If you don't I'll stay in this bathroom the rest of the night and I'll be a real witch in the morning. No sense in both of us losing sleep. Go."

"I don't want to leave like this, please," he pleads.

"I love you, Chris. Now, go."

With his head hung low Chris exits the room. Daphne comes out of the bathroom and crawls back into bed. 'Guess I'll keep those fears to myself,' she thinks as she closes her eyes in an attempt to will herself to sleep.