A Chance Meeting | Chris Evans

Chapter 1

Author's note:
I hope that you enjoy reading this. It's the first time that I've ever put anything I've written out for people to read, so please be kind. I'd love to hear what you think, so please leave a message after you've read it.
I want to emphasise that this is a VERY slow burn story, so it's going to take a long, long while to get to the romantic stuff. Be warned. But there will be a Happily Ever After eventually.
Also, I'm English, so sorry if I occasionally use the wrong word for something - please let me know and I'll fix it.
Just to clarify, this is set around the filming of AoU, but I won't be sticking rigidly to the timeline. I also know virtually nothing about Chris Evans or any of the other actors mentioned in this, so don't expect it to be like real life. I'm just making everything up. Also, my Chris is going to be very similar to Steve Rogers - kinda shy and awkward around girls he likes. What can I say? I like shy guys.
C.
************
Becca

She was on the way out of the shop with her bag of shopping when she noticed the stand for the new Stephen King book.
How did I miss that on my way through?
She made a beeline for it, only to be blocked a few steps away by some mountain of a guy who stepped in front of the stand. He must have been at least six feet tall and very muscular. And effectively blocking the whole thing.
'Excuse me.'
She got no response, so said it again a bit louder, but still no response. Then she noticed that he had AirPods in, so he probably couldn't hear her, and because he was turned away, he couldn't see her either. He was reading the book, although how he was managing that she don't know, because he was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses. Indoors.
How can he even make out the words?
Most normal people would have tapped him on the shoulder or something to get his attention, but Becca didn't tend to casually touch people, especially people that she didn't know. Plus she was frankly a bit intimidated by how hugely tall and muscular he was, with the odd hat and glasses and a huge beard. Especially the beard. She had a bit of a thing about beards. Hated them. With a passion.
So instead of doing the sensible thing, she decided that she could probably just about reach one of the books without touching him if she squeezed into the tiny gap that he'd left. That was the moment that he turned and slammed straight into her. She'd seen him move and tried to step back, but she just wasn't quick enough. It was like running into a wall, or having it run into her. She hit the floor with a thump, knocking all the air out of her and leaving her dazed for a second.
'Oh shit. I'm sorry. Are you okay?' He asked.
Before she could answer another guy ran over, also sporting the sunglasses and shades look, so she assumed they were together.
'Jesus Christ Chris, what the hell did you do?'
'No, it was my fault.' She said, starting to gingerly push herself up. She'd gotten a hell of a whack and lots of places hurt - her side, her elbow, her head.
'Chris' reached down to help her up. His hand was enormous compared to hers, totally enveloping it, and although he pulled very gently, she got the impression of controlled strength.
'Are you okay? I'm really sorry, I didn't see you.'
'Don't worry, like I said, it was my fault.'
The back of her head hurt where she'd cracked it on the floor and she tried to subtly touch it and check that it wasn't bleeding.
'Did you hit your head?' He asked, sounding concerned.
Okay, not as subtle as I thought.
'Yes, but it's okay, see, no blood.' She said, showing him her hand. 'I'm okay.'
This didn't have quite the effect that she'd anticipated, if anything he seemed to get more concerned.
'You thought you'd split your head open?' Between the hat, sunglasses and beard she couldn't see hardly any of his face at all to gauge his reaction, but his voice sounded worried.
'Do you need us to call a paramedic or a first aider?' The second guy asked.
'No thank you.' She said.
'I think we should.' Chris said.
'No really, I'm okay. A bit sore in a couple of places, but no serious harm done.'
'I think that you should be checked out by someone.' Chris insisted.
'Look, I'm a first aider, so I know how to tell the difference between a bump and something more serious.' She said.
'But, you might not-' Continued Chris.
'Okay.' She said. 'If it makes you feel better, I'll go to the coffee shop over there, sit down for a bit and get a cold compress for my head. How's that?'
'Good.' Chris said. 'I'll come with you.'
'What?' Becca and the other guy both said at the same time.
'I told you I'm fine, you don't need to come with me.'
'She says she's fine Chris.' Said the second guy.
'Besides, I'm sure that you've got shopping or something to be getting on with.'
'Rob can do the shopping.' Chris said, indicating to the second guy, whose name I guess was Rob.
'Like hell Rob can.' Rob spluttered indignantly. 'I don't shop.'
'Then it's time you learned.' Chris said firmly.
'I'll just buy junk.'
'I don't care.'
Chris seemed determined to come with her, and to be honest her head was throbbing a bit and she wanted that cold compress on before her head swelled to the size of a balloon.
'Fine. I give up. Come with me if you want.'
'Thank you.' Chris said.
'I'm going to buy so much junk that you hurl.' Said Rob, walking off.
Chris just shook his head slightly at Rob's departing figure.
'After you.' He said, gesturing towards the coffee shop.
She walked over, hoping that he wouldn't want to stay with her for too long. Not that there was anything wrong with him, but she found it very difficult to talk to people that she didn't know well. She wasn't one of those people who can just chat to anyone. She would just go blank and awkward silences would follow.
She groaned inwardly when he sat down with her and ordered himself a coffee from the waitress.
Awkward silence here I come.
The thing was, he STILL hadn't taken his sunglasses or hat off.
She tried one last time. 'You know this is very kind of you, but I really am fine, you don't need to stay.'
'But I do.'
'Why?'
'Well I did technically knock you over, so if I don't make sure that you're okay you might try and sue me for millions.' She was pretty sure he was joking because she thought he was smiling as he said it, it was kind of hard to tell with the beard.
She snorted in amusement. 'Have you got millions?'
He didn't answer, so she added, 'Relax I'm British, we don't sue people.'
'That's okay then.'
The waitress came over at that point and brought the drinks and the cold compress, which smarted a bit to start with but then began to feel much better.
'So you're British?'
'Yep.'
'Are you here on vacation?'
'No, I moved here about six months ago.'
'Are your family here too?'
'No, they're all back home.'
'You must miss them. I can't imagine moving away from my family.'
'Yeah I do.'
'What part of Britain are you from?'
Why do people always ask that? Especially ones who've never been to England and have no idea where anything is apart from London.
'Would you know it if I said?'
'I've been there a couple of times.'
'Oh, okay. Well I'm from a place called Norfolk. It's on the East coast, not far from the sea.'
'Sounds nice. I grew up near the coast. Every fourth of July we'd pile into the car and go down there.'
Actually this wasn't going nearly as badly as she'd thought. He wasn't proving to be that hard to talk to. The only problem was the hat and glasses - they were very off-putting.
'Can I ask you something?' She blurted out.
'Sure.'He said, but she noticed that he'd tensed.
I wonder what he thinks I'm going to ask.
'What's with the hat and glasses?'
'What do you mean?' He said evasively.
'Why are you wearing them inside? I mean, can you even see properly?'
He didn't reply immediately and she suddenly realised how intrusive that was. What if he was hiding some really bad scars or something?
'I'm sorry, that was really rude of me.' She said quickly.
'Why do you think?' He asked.
'I don't know.'
'You don't?' He asked, seriously.
She frowned slightly, so there was a reason.
Oh God, please don't let it be something awful that makes me look like a real bitch.
'No.'
'Take a guess.' He pushed.
Oh God, what do I say? Don't mention scars.
'Umm...serial killer?' She said, trying to lighten the sudden atmosphere.
He took a sip of coffee just as she said that and then laughed, making him cough.
'Oh God, I'm sorry. Are you okay?' She asked as he coughed like crazy.
'You're not dying are you? Do I need to thump you on the back?'
He got the coughing under control.
'No, I'll be fine, just give me a minute.'
'Serial killer?' He asked once he'd stopped coughing, amusement in his voice.
'Well, you know...'
'Can't have you thinking that.' He said and took a deep breath. He took off his sunglasses and slowly raised his eyes to hers. She realised that he was holding his breath and a definite air of tension was flowing off him, as though he was nervous for her to look upon his face. But she couldn't work out why. There didn't seem to be any scars, or anything in fact that would make him embarrassed or nervous for her to look at him. Not that she could see that much of his face with the hat and beard.
'So you see, I'm not a serial killer.' He said, but it seemed as though he meant something more.
She didn't know what the intensity was about, but the best way to diffuse it is with humour.
'Well, to be honest, if you were a serial killer you'd probably say that anyway.' She said.
He laughed, a huge, deep laugh and the tension seemed to just flow away from him. He grinned at her.
'I guess so.' He said and smiled.
'So how long are you staying in Boston for?' He asked.
'I don't know exactly. I'm on a working visa, so I can stay up to five years.'
'What do you do?'
'Don't laugh, but I'm a librarian.'
She waited for him to take the piss, but he didn't.
'You must love books.'
'I do. Most people think that it must be the most boring job in the world, but I get to be around books all day and I get to help people - I do volunteer reading programs with vulnerable kids.'
'That doesn't sound boring, that sounds amazing. The world would be a better place if more people were like you.'
'Thanks.' She said, looking away with embarrassment.
'So what do you think of Boston?'
'It's a beautiful city. Not that I've had much chance to explore it yet, but I will.'
'Well I grew up not far from here, so I know the place pretty well if you need a local guide.'
She felt suddenly awkward.
Is he hitting on me? Or just being polite?
She took a last sip of coffee to cover her confusion.
'I'd happily show you the sights.'
Oh God, he was hitting on me.
Becca would be the first to admit that she had  no skills with guys - she couldn't flirt at all and if she even thought a guy was interested in her, her brain just went into lockdown mode. Luckily Rob chose that moment to come back, so she was spared having to try and let him down gently. He seemed nice but even if she could get past the beard, she was sworn off guys right now.
'I bought every single type of junk food they had. Twice.' He said, and dropped what seemed like hundreds of bags onto the table where we were sitting.
'You owe me man.' He added.
She saw Chris flash him a filthy look.
Just then her phone rang. It was her friend Ella coming to pick her up.
'Ah that's my lift, I've got to go.' She said, standing up.
Chris stood up too - a very old-fashioned gesture that she found quite endearing.
'But-' He began. She had a horrible feeling that he was going to ask for her number or something, so she got out of there quickly.
'I really have to go. Bye.'