Make It To Me (Chris Evans AU Fic)

Invisible

"Hi sweetie," Nina beamed the moment her youngest son opened the car door.

"Hey mom," The fourteen year old boy replied as he tossed his backpack onto the backseat.

"Ryan, come sit up front, it's just us today," Her silky smooth voice beckoned him.

He nodded, running a hand through his short brown hair before coming up and climbing in the passenger seat. Nina waited until he buckled his seat belt to pull out of the school parking lot which is finally when he asked his mother, "Why is it just us today?"

"Well Jack is out with Janey and then Dad picked up Logan to take him to baseball practice but Dad will probably be home by the time we get there," She explained, keeping her eyes on the road. "Then Sophie is spending the night at her friends house so she went home with her."

Ryan didn't say anything in response, he just nodded which Nina found odd. Her suspicion of his behavior was only confirmed when she asked him about her day and he just kind of shrugged. Out of all of the Evans boys, Ryan was the quietest but this still was so unlike him.

Nina reached over and rubbed her hand on his knee, sweetly asking him, "Are you alright, honey? You don't seem like yourself."

"Yeah I'm okay," He slumped in the passenger seat before turning to look at his mother. "I just... can we..."

She knew he was trying to talk to her but was struggling to bring it up. Both Ryan and Sophie had inherited that trait from her. Nina thought about all the times Chris had sensed her wanting to talk and how he would make sure to create a safe place for her to share one on one, making it comfortable and safe as he devoted his full attention to her and she knew that's what she needed to do right now.

"Hey, let's stop off for some ice cream and talk, just us," Nina suggested.

Ryan gave her a soft smile, "I'd like that, mom."

She patted his knee before putting her hand back on the steering wheel and turning to go get some ice cream. Nina got them each a cone of their favorite cookie dough and then the pair went to sit outside at a table in the shade.

"Now," Nina started as she licked at a drip that was spilling down her cone. "What did you want to talk about, sweetheart?"

"I dunno," Ryan clammed up, retreating into himself while staring at his ice cream. "It's nothing."

She reached across the table and rested her hand on top of one of his, looking into those blue eyes that looked just like his father's and encouraged him, "You can tell me anything."

"It's just..." He sighed, taking a lick of his sweet treat. "Today at school, there was a substitute, and when she found out I was an Evans she just went on and on about how she had both Jack and Logan in classes and it just made me feel... I don't know. It just bothered me."

"Why is that?" Nina prodded him along.