Make It To Me (Chris Evans AU Fic)

Chapter 19

"Nina," She heard Chris' low voice calling for her. "Hey baby, could I have another piece of that chocolate cake?"

The brunette let out a soft laugh from where she stood in the kitchen and she looked down at Sarge who was in there with her and said to him, "Sargey, your dad has the sweetest tooth of anyone i've ever met in my life!"

Sarge just barked, making her giggle before she cut a big piece of chocolate cake and carried it into the living room where she found Chris. His wound was feeling a little bit better although it still hurt to move and the doctor had told him to lay around for a few more days before he got up and going again. Nina had barely left his side ever since the beginning of the week when it happened and Chris had fallen more and more in love with her each day, admiring her tenderness and compassionate heart. Even though it sucked to be shot, he loved getting to spend the time with Nina.

She came into the room where Chris laid on the couch in one of his white tee shirts and a pair of soft grey sweatpants. His stubble had grown out and was heading toward a beard and the bruises on his toned arms had gone away. He was flipping through channels on TV when Nina came and sat on the edge of the couch and Chris instantly put the television clicker down and rubbed his hand along her thigh.

"Ooh you got me a big piece of cake," Chris smiled while she handed him the plate.

Nina giggled while he rested the plate on his toned stomach and got a piece with his fork and ate it, smiling as he did so. Nina replied to him as he kept eating and said, "Well it is your birthday. You can have a big of a piece as you want. Although I cannot believe how much of that cake you can put away! I told Sarge you have the sweetest tooth I've ever seen!"

"Of course I do. I fell for you didn't I? And you're the sweetest thing in the world," He squeezed her thigh where his free hand was still resting.

She dropped her head while blushing softly before tucking her short hair behind her ear and then leaned in, kissing him sweetly, "You're ridiculous and I love you."

"I love you baby," His low husky voice told her but then finished eating his cake and chuckled, "Wow, it's pretty obvious I'm bored as hell. All I do is keep snacking on things!"

"I'm so sorry you're bored," Nina ran a hand through his short brown hair.

Chris reached over and put his empty plate on the nearby coffee table before shrugging, "It's okay, I'm just tired of lying on the couch. I want to be back at work."

"I know but the doctor said you need to rest and by next week if you take it easy, you can be back at work," She tried to encourage him. "I'm sorry this isn't that great of a birthday though."

"Hey," Chris started, patting her knee. "As long as I'm with you, it's a wonderful birthday."

Nina smiled before leaning down and kissing his lips sweetly, "Well tonight everyone is coming over to celebrate and your mom and I are going to make you a big dinner and Jake is bringing Die Hard since that's your favorite movie and it's going to be a ton of fun. But I have a little surprise for you and I can't wait any longer to give it to you!"

She got up and hurried out of the room, but it wasn't long until she ran back in with a huge grin on her beaming face and a box in her hands. Nina came back over and helped Chris sit up on the couch before putting the neatly wrapped gift in his lap.

"Happy birthday sweetheart," She told him.

Chris grinned before finding the edge and pulling at the perfectly wrapped paper, ripping the tape so that he could pull the lid off. He then pushed the tissue paper back and inside found the most beautiful gift he'd ever seen.

There was a painting of him in his police uniform kneeling along with Nina while they both had their arms around a happy looking Sarge. Chris' favorite gifts were drawings or paintings from Nina but what made him love this one more was she had included herself. As Chris looked at the picture, he couldn't help but think about how desperately he wanted this to be his family. He wanted Nina to be his wife more than anything in the entire world.

He looked at Nina and saw her intently watching him, biting at her plump lower lip while anxiously awaiting his reaction. Chris put a hand on her soft cheek and stared deeply in her eyes while telling her, "The only thing that I love more than this painting is you. This is the best birthday present I've ever received."

"Oh good! I'm so glad you like it!" She relaxed before kissing him sweetly.

At that moment, Chris made a quick decision and told her, "Actually, I have a surprise for you too."

"For me? It's not my birthday!" Nina laughed adorably but then saw him wincing as he tried to sit up. "What is it honey, I'll get it for you."

"No, no," He insisted while getting to his feet and walked out of the room, trying not to move his side too much while calling out, "Just stay there!"

Chris went up the stairs and rummaged through his dresser drawer, getting out the sparkly diamond ring and holding it so tightly in his fist that his knuckles were turning white on his way back into the room.

When he reached where Nina was sitting on the couch as she waited for him, Chris tried to drop down on one knee. Immediately he grunted while wincing in pain and Nina quickly grabbed onto his ribs and tried to stop him.

"Chris, what are you doing? Don't hurt yourself!" She was worried about him.

"No," He insisted, finally getting down on one knee and looked up at her. "I'm only going to do this once in my life and I'll be damned if I don't do it right."

Nina's head tilted while her brown eyebrows wrinkled up in confusion. She didn't understand what he meant but when Chris held up the sparkling diamond ring, Nina quickly figured it out. Her warm caramel eyes grew wide and her hands came up to cover her mouth. Instantly her eyes welled with tears realizing what this moment was.

"Nina, ever since the day I walked into the coffee shop and saw you, I had this weird feeling that everything was going to be different and I was right. Nothing in my life since then has ever been the same... it's been better than I could have ever dreamed. I didn't know that anyone as wonderful as you existed, let alone would love me but I'm so glad you do. Nina, when I look at you sometimes I feel like my heart is going to burst because I just love you so much and I never want to be without you. I want to have a family with you and come home to you and get all old and grey together. I just want to love you for the rest of my life and I guess... well I just want to marry you, I want that more than anything and I hope you want that too. So what do you say? Will you marry me Nina?"

By this point, tears were coming down Nina's face in a steady stream. She couldn't even get any words out, all she could do was nod vigorously, causing Chris' face to beam. Nina threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him tight before putting her hands on his cheeks and pressed little kisses all over his face while Chris laughed.

"Can I put the ring on you?" He asked.

"Yes! Of course," Nina finally could talk.

She held her left hand on and Chris gently took her slender hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles before taking the ring and slipped it onto her finger. The two looked down at it for a long moment before looking up at each other and beaming from ear to ear.

"I think I was wrong," Chris told her, giving her left hand a squeeze. "This is the best birthday gift I've ever gotten."