I See The Light (Chris Evans AU Fanfiction)

Chapter 7

Four times. That's how many times Chris had almost worked up the nerve to ask Allie out over the past month but somehow each time, something dumb ended up tumbling out of his mouth instead. He didn't know why it was so hard for him. Chris was shy but he had asked girls on dates before but somehow with Allie it just seemed a lot more... terrifying.

Chris was absolutely crazy about Allie. Every time he saw that exuberant smile, her bouncy dirty blonde curls, and those gorgeous sparkling eyes, he felt like he was going to melt into a little puddle. He felt alive around her and also felt completely comfortable which was something the shy man didn't often feel. He just wanted to be with her every moment and if he was honest, what terrified him is that she'd say no.

So here he was, a month later and still hadn't worked up the nerve to ask her out. What he didn't realize until today though, was that all his failed attempts were beginning to affect his friendship with the joyful woman. Unbeknownst to him, Allie was just as head over heels for the kind hearted man as he was for her.

"So he still hasn't asked you out yet?" Kara asked her friend while sitting on the edge of her desk.

"No, he keeps starting conversations and leading up to it but then he never does," Allie felt deflated.

"Have you talked to him about it?" Kara wondered.

The curly headed blonde just picked at some eraser shavings on her desk while softly muttering, "No... to be honest we haven't really spent a lot of time together lately. It just kind of makes me... sad."

Kara looked at her friend and suggested, "Why don't you just ask him out instead?"

She looked up at her friend like she was crazy and shook her head, "No no no. Definitely not. Chris isn't that type of a guy.... Besides, I don't even know if he likes me that way."

Allie's friend couldn't help but bark out with laughter while Allie looked at her confused. Kara kept snickering before she filled Allie in, "Haven't you seen the way he looks at you? That man has stars in his eyes and he practically is never more than five feet from you."

"If he really had feelings for me, then he'd ask me out," Allie refuted.

"Not when you're as shy and quiet as he is," Kara reminded her.

Allie just shook her head, "But Chris is different around me. He's comfortable with me but when he goes to ask me out, it's like... he gets to it but then just doesn't want to go through with it."

She couldn't help but feel upset by the perceived rejection and felt tears gather in her eyes. Kara reached over to hold Allie's hand and assured her, "Aw Allie, I'm sure that's not it. I'm sure it's just because he's shy."

She opened her mouth to say something but a knock on the door interrupted them. Both of their heads turned to look at the closed door and heard a familiar gentle voice call out, "Allie?"

She quickly sniffled and wiped at her tears before calming her voice and said, "Come in."

The door swung open and Chris' tall hunky frame leaned in, keeping his hand on the doorknob. His brown hair was neatly combed and his face cleanly shaven. A grey plaid shirt was pulled tight across his thick arms and toned chest and was neatly tucked into his black pants. Chris looked between the two women with his blue eyes arched and asked, "It's time for the meeting."

"Oh," Allie had almost forgotten and quickly went to gather up her things.

"Um...." Chris trailed off, sensing something wasn't right and took a few steps into the office. "Allie, is everything alright?"

A soft sigh escaped her lips while she kept her eyes on her papers and told him, "I'm fine. I'll see you in the meeting."

"Oh... okay," He was surprised and looked over at Kara before looking back at Allie, but it was obvious she still was ignoring him.

Chris turned around and walked out of the office, trying to figure out what had happened. Normally the two would always be found together, working in one or the others office together and coming into meetings joined at the hip while they chatted and laughed.

He had noticed that lately Allie had been withdrawing a bit from him but he didn't think too much of it. Chris had just chalked it up to her being tired from how hard they had been working on the character designs for the new movie. Chris kept pondering this in his mind as he walked down the hallway before pushing open the glass door to the big conference room.

There were a lot of people in this meeting and most were already there when Chris walked in and found an empty seat. He neatly put his things down on the table while setting his bag in the empty chair next to him to save a spot for Allie.

"Chris," Michael, the head of the animation department, called out after a few minutes. "Is Allie coming?"

"Um yeah, she should be here any second," Chris was wondering why she wasn't here yet.

He was about to text her when the door opened and Allie came in. Chris couldn't help but smile when he saw her but his face dropped when he watched Allie's eyes looking around the table. They stopped on him for a moment before she scooted around the table and took an empty chair on the opposite end of the table from him.

Chris softly frowned, confused as to why Allie walked right by him. They always sat together at meeting. Always. They usually would draw on the corners of each others notes, or text one another funny or amusing things they thought of during it... but not this time.

The quiet man was a keen observer and a good listener. Something that he supposed came with being on the introverted side. Chris studied Allie as she sat at the end of the table, focusing on the meeting. Allie's normally joyful and happy face was plain and expressionless. The corners of her mouth were turned down and he could tell by the redness around her eyes that she had been crying.

'What was she crying about?' He wondered to himself.

The two had quickly become close friends and found so much comfort in one another. Allie was someone that the shy man trusted and felt comfortable with, and Chris was someone that the exuberant woman felt safe with which was something she hadn't experienced before. Because of their bond, they shared a lot and it was obvious to Chris that Allie was very upset about something but he wondered why she hadn't confided in him.

It was then that it hit him.

The thing that was upsetting her... must have been him. But Chris still had no idea why.