Back To You (Chris Evans Fanfiction)

Chapter 3

A warm smile crossed Stevie's lips when she saw the door of the small bar open, revealing a familiar muscular frame. Chris walked in, plopping down at his usual stool at the bar and smiled at her with those beautiful pearly whites he had. It felt so good to have Chris home. She always missed him terribly when he was gone and this time was worse since so much happened in her life while he was away. She was thankful to have him back in Boston and got his favorite beer, setting it down on the flaking wood counter in front of him.

"You know me so well," Chris smiled before taking a long drink.

"I would mind knowing you better, beautiful," One of the usual customers, who constantly made passes at Stevie, piped in.

Stevie put a hand on her hip before her eyebrow rose, "Don't make me deck you, Ian."

The man just laughed before going back to his drink. Chris chuckled, before turning back to her and asked, "How are you?"

"Good," She responded, tucking a piece of her dark hair behind her ear before wiping down the counter around Chris. "I coached the little league practice today and then came to work. It's been pretty slow tonight though."

"Well it's better now that I'm here," He gave her a goofy grin, earning him a soft slap with her wet rag, causing Chris to laugh.

"You know, I was thinking about how I'm glad you're home but I think I just changed my mind," She teased.

Chris put a hand over his heart before overdramatically saying, "You wound me, Stevie."

"Drama queen," Stevie rolled her dark eyes at him.

He just snickered while taking another drink of his beer. Stevie leaned against the counter, resting her forearms on the old wood before smiling at her life long best friend.

"I have a question for you," She started, eager to ask him. Chris nodded, telling her to go on so she asked, "I was wondering if you would be my man-of-honor at my wedding. You're my best friend Chris and I can't imagine anybody else standing next to me that day."

"Only if I don't have to hold your dress while you pee," Chris snickered, earning his shoulder a smack.

"You jerk! I'm trying to have a nice moment with you and that's the best you can do?" Stevie teased through her own laughter.

He kept laughing his infectious laugh before getting up and walking around the bar, pulling her tight against his chest and hugged her. Chris kissed the top of her head before saying, "I'm just teasing Stevie, I am so honored you would want me. Of course I will be."

"Thank you Chris," Stevie let go of him before he walked back over and sat on his stool. "I'd really love for you to help me plan the wedding too."

Inside, Chris felt sick to his stomach. Helping the love of his life plan a wedding to marry someone else made him want to vomit but he relied on his acting skills to fake excitement.

"You really think I'm the person to help plan a wedding?" He snickered, scratching at his beard before crossing his thick forearms and resting them on the counter.

Stevie got a drink for another customer before walking back over to Chris and responded, "Well no, but neither am I! You just know me so well, I want your opinion."

"What kind of a wedding do you want?" Chris was curious, envisioning what the wedding would look like if he were to marry Stevie.

She thought about it for a long moment, eventually just shrugging her slender shoulders, "I dunno. I mean, if it were up to me, I'd get married in a tee shirt and sneakers in my parents backyard and have pizza for dinner."

"Why don't you do that?" He asked.

"Are you kidding? Erik would have a fit! He would hate that. Erik is very sophisticated and has lots of sophisticated friends so he wants a fancy wedding so I guess that means no pizza or sneakers," Stevie snickered through her smile that made Chris' stomach do flips.

He stared down at his beer and muttered with anger in his voice, "Well just because Erik wants that doesn't mean you have to do it. It's your wedding too and the bride should get what she wants."

Stevie just shrugged again, "I want him to be happy though so I can suck it up for one day and pretend to be sophisticated."

Chris couldn't laugh at her comment though. He was angry. She shouldn't have to pretend to be anything. Stevie was perfect the way she was, Chris thought, and if that prick tried to change her, Erik was going to answer to him.

As the muscular actor fumed, another person walked into the bar and sat a stool away from Chris. He didn't pay attention to the man at all, too lost in his own thoughts, but the person's comment made Chris' eyes snap up.

"Hey baby, I'll have a Scotch with a side of your lips on mine."

"I like that order," Stevie grinned, leaning across the counter to kiss Erik, making Chris squeeze his glass of beer tighter.

At that moment, a customer called for Stevie so she left the two men alone. When Erik looked over at Chris, they nodded at each other politely even though the tension between the two was felt by each of them.

"So," Erik started. "You're going to be in the wedding, huh?"

"Yeah, Stevie wants me to help plan it because I know her better than anyone," He couldn't help but add, reminding Erik that she wasn't all his.

Erik just nodded, "Well, I already have a lot of things lined up. I made an appointment today for Stevie to meet with a personal stylist to help her pick a dress and a hair and makeup artist to try out looks for the wedding."

"I don't think she needs a stylist to help her pick a dress. She isn't much of a dress person anyway," Chris retorted.

After taking a sip of his drink, Erik took a long look up and down Stevie before saying to Chris, "That's why she needs help. Stevie wears ripped jeans and tee shirts most of the time, I don't think her style is really considered high fashion."

"So," He spat back. "There's nothing wrong with the way she dresses, it's who she is. She's not a fru fru girl, that's not important to her and I love that about her. She shouldn't have to wear a fancy dress or look like someone she's not on her wedding day."

"Well I'm the one marrying her so I think it's my opinion that matters, not yours," Erik threw at him.

Chris just stared him down, so many expletives wanting to come out of his mouth. Scott was right, this guy was a pretentious snob. What the hell did Stevie see in this guy? And what did Erik have that he didn't?