A Whole New World...Or Possibly Life

What Did You Expect?

I decided to lock myself in the bedroom for a while after lunch to get some work done instead of the office. It ended up being a productive day as far as writing goes, which surprised me after how it started. I was ahead of schedule which is where I always liked being because I didn't always know where I'd be traveling and staying these days. Never in my entire life had I traveled as much as I had since meeting the Evans boys. Luckily, I could take my work wherever I wanted to be, unless I had meetings to attend during the publishing and signing periods. Needless to say, this dynamic that Chris and I had going on with our work schedules, meshed for the most part when it came to being able to be together a lot of the time.  It still baffled me that he wanted to spend as much time with me as he did, being that he has said he didn't used to be like that.

Scott left when I went to my room so he could run some errands and take some groceries to his apartment but was coming back to eat dinner with Chris and I.

I was still in our bedroom with Dodger curled up beside me when Chris got home. I didn't hear him until Dodger perked up and darted out the door I had eventually opened during the day. That made me take my headphones off, hearing Chris as he called out, looking for me from the hallway. "Baby? You here?"

"In the bedroom!"

Walking into our room, he smiled once he saw me. Sitting on his side of the bed, where Dodger had been, he gave me a quick kiss before speaking. "There's a lot of flowers in the kitchen and living room."

"Yup. I think the cat's out of the bag."

"Looks like it, but it was televised you know?  You wanna eat? Scott pulled in right when I did and he went ahead and got dinner."

"Such a suck up, but it's good because I didn't eat lunch and I'm starving."

"Why'd you skip lunch? That's not good."

"Chris, I got up late. It's ok. My breakfast was more like lunch and I was rolling with work so I didn't stop except to get some water and pee.  Oh, and fed Dodger and let him out to potty."

Grabbing my hand as I hopped off the bed, he gave me a side smile. He didn't have to say too much for me to know it disappointed him that I hadn't eaten but he also knew not to press the subject. If I was hungry, I would have eaten something. We walked into the kitchen, letting our hands part as we went different directions, and I opened the fridge for more water. When I turned back to the guys, Scott stood behind his brother so I couldn't really see his face.  Chris was standing at the trash can as he questioned me.

"Why is there a humongous bouquet of flowers in the trash can?" He already knew the answer to this. The question was only asked to broach the subject of what I'm sure Scott had already shown him when they walked in together earlier.

"I'm sure Scott showed you them, so he can answer you." I began to busy myself, getting the plates and utensils out for dinner and setting the table as if I knew nothing.

Scott's voice was a higher octave, still appalled with what I'd done. "Oh, there was a whole bouquet of balloons attached to it too!  You don't see them in the trash because they're probably in Egypt or somewhere else far, far away. Trouble here took the kitchen scissors and simply snipped the ribbons.  Then she proceeded to walk nonchalantly, straight to the door and let them go like they meant nothing. They were expensive ones too Chris! Really nice ones that were definitely something she'd pick out herself. All of this arrangement was full of her favorites, more so than any of the others. He knew exactly what to pick for her." I squinted my eyes at my best friend, it actually hurt hearing him talk about Sebastian knowing me so well. Scott stayed safely behind his muscle clad brother like he was a wall of safety.

Chris' voice went up, but not as high as his brother's had been when he started tattling some more on me. "Feisty?" He chuckled after he drew out my nickname.

I spoke up as I walked into the living room to sit at the sofa with my plate I had made while Scott had been ranting, deciding to forgo the kitchen now. "What? Why do you act like you're shocked by this?"

Scott scoffed as he finally walked over to the kitchen table to sit and Chris giggled as he made his way to sit by me on the sofa before making his plate. "I'm not shocked. I thought we said we'd talk about it more when I got home."

"You did."

"I didn't think I had to tell you not to do anything drastic before I got home too."

"I had already done all of that before texting with you, so technically I haven't done anything drastic since our chat."

"Feisty, I hoped you would have at least taken the flowers out of the trash."

"So Scott did already tell you everything? This was just you bringing it up?"

"He didn't tell me everything, but he did say the flowers were in the trash."

"Such a traitor." I said this loudly in a teasing tone before I brought up the next topic. I made my tone one of shock and disbelief that turned quickly into sarcasm.  "Oh, have either of you heard the good news? It's the best part of all of this!  Sebastian's in town, here, in LA. In the same town as us!  Can you believe it?  He could have hand delivered his great big gift.  But did he? NOPE!  He. Did. Not!  So, I rest my case."

Scott's mouth had fallen open just a little and slack as he listened to my rant.  Maybe I had gone a little too far, but as soon as I started talking about Seb being in town, his mouth closed and his expression changed.  Now I really had his attention, and he looked irritated with what I'd just told them about Sebastian as Chris spoke quietly, in a monotone voice.

"I found out today."

"Oh yeah! Like me? From the pap pics that dropped?  What is with celebrities and these stupid ass pictures?  Everyone knows they are staged, yet they keep setting them up.  It's called acting for a reason, even when they take pictures, they're acting."

"No, I haven't seen the pictures, but I can't say I'm surprised. Someone asked me today if I'd seen him around. I hoped that I could tell you he was in town myself, in person, when I got home, before you found out. I thought maybe you wouldn't look online while you were working."

"Why would someone ask you that? Just because of the whole Marvel connection still?"

"Maybe, but I'm sure it's more likely because it's common knowledge that you're close with him as well. Either way, I found out today."

"Was anything else said about him?"

Chris sighed. "They said they knew someone that ran into him and said he looked so different. Long hair and definitely much thinner but also that his whole demeanor was different."

Looking back down to my food, I nodded, saying no more. Chris took my plate from my lap and put it on the coffee table before sliding in closer beside me on the sofa. I was sitting with my back against the arm of the sofa and my legs laid along the whole length. After he sat in the same way as me, he wrapped his arm around my back, pulling me closer as I snuggled into his chest. I felt another sigh leave him while he rested his chin on top of my head. His free hand reached down and picked up my left hand, making a point like he paused to look at it.  I felt his cheeks rise against my head as he touched my ring finger, playing with the ring that sat there, before kissing it and then speaking just to me.  "I really planned on a more spectacular proposal."

"Well I'm glad you did it this way because it was perfect. It was in the moment and from the heart. I guess we need to start figuring things out soon if you're picking a date within the next six months."