Fated (A Chris Evans Series)

The Panel

Denise stood side stage with a smile on her face as she watched Chris, Anthony, and Sebastian interact with their fans. It was such a treat for her to be there, never had she imagined she'd be living the life she'd spent years fantasizing about. "They're just pipe dreams," the realists would incessantly repeat. But they'd been wrong because she'd made it, she was pursuing the career she wanted and marrying the man she'd only dreamed of being with. It was rare for one to be able to check off everything on one's bucket list, both realistic and unrealistic goals. But she was doing it, slowly but surely she was doing just that. Her gaze refocused on Chris and her smile widened. She didn't need to be reminded because she knew it was because of her soon-to-be husband that she was getting everything she'd ever dreamed of.

It seemed to be a well-known fact that in every relationship, there was one person who always cared and loved more than the other. It was a legitimate concern for many that Denise would be the one when she first started dating Chris in May, fast forward to September and it was now the last thought on anyone's mind. The love Chris carried for Denise was so strong it seemed hard to believe they'd only known each other eight months. He loved her to a point that he would've done anything for her. If Denise's dream was to fly to the moon, he'd build a rocket ship and sit alongside her on the journey. And that wasn't news to her because he'd tell her every chance he got, and with each time- she'd believe him even more.

Chris' offer was always genuine, as was his love, faith, trust, and pride. He was proud to be her fiancé, it always brought him a great deal of joy to call her his. Denise was unlike any other, with a talent he knew would become a world wide phenomenon. He didn't think he was being unrealistic when he told her he could see her checking off 'become a screenwriter' and 'win an Oscar' in the next few years. She appreciated his vote of confidence but remained pragmatic with her expectations. It was going to be at least ten years. After all, she was still a student whose only known title in the Hollywood Industry was 'Chris Evans' fiancée'. It wasn't a complaint, she was proud of her title. If that title was all she could achieve in this lifetime, she'd be absolutely contented and at peace with herself.

"Chris." The host, Max mentioned Chris' name and Denise returned her attention to the panel's conversation. "I think we owe you a congratulations." The whole crowd erupted into applause and cheers. It was an instantaneous reaction, pulling wide smiles from the future Mr. and Mrs. Evans. "You're engaged, man. That's-" The excitement and volume of the applause and cheers quickly escalated. "Yeah!" Max clapped as he egged it on. "Captain America is off the market!" Denise giggled when she saw Anthony and Sebastian; one nudged while the other patted the back of Chris who was heavily blushing. "Congratulations! That is awesome news, we're so happy for you."

"Thanks," Chris chuckled into the microphone then lowered his gaze to the ground as he grinned to hide his obvious excitement. It was a first for him to be so open about his relationship. He was known to be an incredibly private person, he kept everything tight under his hand. But it was different with Denise, he didn't want to- he had to tell the whole world about her. He was actually glad Anthony blurted out his engagement news because he didn't think he could, or wanted to keep it a secret until she graduated. As Denise stood there watching him, seeing how happy he was when they mentioned the engagement- she was glad the world knew too. "It's exciting, yeah. I'm very, very excited."

"For those of you who don't know who Chris is engaged to, her name is Denise Hogan. I had the pleasure of meeting her backstage," Max informed the audience. Denise smiled when Chris threw a quick glance at her. "And she is lovely," Max continued then turned to Chris, "I genuinely enjoyed talking to her." Chris' smile widened; he had a similar first impression when he first met her at the airport. "She's very mature at twenty, I'd even say she's more mature than you."