**Set around the year 2015**
Chris Evans and Aspen Richardson met when she was on a break from competing in gymnastics due to a couple injuries that sidelined her from her Olympic dreams years ago. Now here she is with her second chance, her last ch...
It was a few days after the cookout at Lisa's and I was folding some laundry and Bruno was laying beside me on the bed. He was also happy to be home. I got him from Lisa's the night of the dinner.
As I was finishing up folding laundry my cellphone rang. I saw it was Chris and I gave a small smile.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Hey Aspen, it's Chris."
I smiled, he sounded nervous. Was he nervous because this was new for him?
"Hey, what's up?" I asked. I then felt the butterflies take flight in my stomach. Why was I nervous?
"So I was wondering, and if not it's okay, but I was wondering if you were free Friday night?" Chris asked.
"Well I don't believe I have anything planned..." I trailed off.
"Well I was wondering if you would like to go out Friday night?" Chris asked. He was so nervous to ask this. I was thinking back to when he first asked me out and he didn't seem this nervous. I smiled at this thought. He was so confident the first time when he asked me out.
"I would love to. What did you have in mind?" I asked with a smile.
"Well I was thinking we could meet up at the wine and paint studio around 6pm. The class starts at 7 and drinks served at 6:30pm." Chris explained.
I smiled, "Actually that sounds like a lot of fun. Yeah, can you send me the address and info?"
"Yeah of course. So I'll see you around 6?" Chris asked.
"Yeah, around 6." I said.
"Cant wait." Chris said.
"Me either. See you Friday." I said and we hung up. I then slightly panicked. I ran to the stairs, "ALY! HELP! I NEED OUTFIT HELP" I yelled and she came rushing down to help me pick an outfit.
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Friday night I pulled into the parking lot and saw Chris leaning against his car, hands in his pockets and smiled when I pulled in next to him.
He walked over as I turned off my car and opened my car door for me.
"Hi." I said getting out, smiling at him.
"Hey. It's great to see you." Chris said as we hugged and I smiled. He looked me up and down as we broke apart. I was in a v-neck forest green cap sleeved t-shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans with a few small holes in them along with some booties. Chris was wearing a blue crew neck t-shirt, blue jeans and his tennis shoes along with his Boston hats, the usual hat he chose.
"Great to see you too." I said and Chris smiled. We went to walk around to the front of the building to see a group of people waiting. We stayed off to the side.
"You getting back into the swing of things since being back?" Chris asked, clearly just wanting to make conversation.
"I am. I mean it wasn't much of a change from when I was here still just training but I mean I haven't been to the gym since I got back." I chuckled and Chris smiled.
"Are you planning on going back?" Chris asked and I sighed.
"Estelle asked if I would make an appearance at the other gym and see the little kids so I will be going there in a few days but as far as the gym I practiced in, it's been locked up since I left for Rio." I said and Chris half nodded.
"It will be nice to see the little kids and how excited they will be for you." Chris said and I smiled with a nod.
"Yeah, they might ask me to show them somethings so I need to be prepared and loosen up, get back into shape." I smirked.
"Right because in the time since you have been done you have totally let yourself go." Chris joked and I playful smacked his arm.
"Don't tease. When you go from eating yogurt and salads and following a strict diet you tend to go a little crazy once you're free. I mean you know how it is." I said and he nodded.
"Yeah the Cap diet is brutal." Chris said and I smiled.
"When do you go back for that?" I asked and Chris sighed.
"Sometime after the first of the year. I'll be in Georgia." Chris said and I sighed.
"Are you excited?" I asked and Chris shrugged with a small nod.
"I mean I guess. I feel like I had no time off though." Chris said and I just looked at him oddly.
"Didn't you have any fun on your break?" I asked.
"Well I mean I watched an amazing gymnast during the summer Olympics..." Chris trailed off and smiled at me.
"That's sounds like fun. Wish I could have watched." I joked.
"Actually, that's a good question, will you ever go back and watch it?" Chris asked and I sighed with a shrug.
"No clue. I mean I try not to but everyone keeps telling me how amazing it was I may have to." I said.
"By the way...your floor routine song..." Chris trailed off and I smiled at him.
"You like it?" I chuckled.
"I thought it was awesome Aspen." Chris chuckled.
A comfortable silence fell between as the doors opened to the event. We let everyone else go in and then we walked in. Chris was able to get a beer and I grabbed a glass of wine.
As we were getting set up at our station I noticed Chris kept stealing glances at me and I just finally looked at him.
"What?" I asked with a smile.
"I'm just happy to be here with you." Chris said and I smiled.
Old Chris and I usually would have kissed then and it took everything in me not to lean in and kiss him. I was the one who said we were going to go slow, and we needed to stay that way.
Soon we were painting a moon and stars night sky and following all the instructions given to us.
We left that night and Chris walked me to my car.
"That was fun." I said as I opened the back door of my car and placed the painting inside.
"It was. We should do it again." Chris said and I nodded.
"Yeah we should." I said.
"So you have any plans on Sunday?" Chris asked and I shook my head.
"Nope, pretty much free." I said.
"Would you like to have a picnic in the park? I bring the food, you bring Bruno and we just hang out together?" Chris asked and I smiled with a nod.
"Bruno and I would love that. We will see you on Sunday just let me know what park." I said and he nodded. We hugged again and I sighed in the hug, this was nice being close to him even if for a minute.
We broke apart and he smiled.
"Good night Aspen. Text you later." Chris said and I nodded.
I got in my car and watch Chris walk to his. I drove home but as I sat in my car I placed my forehead on the steering wheel. This going slow thing with Chris was hard but worth it.
