Chapter 13: The bigger, the better
Scarlett mulled over the recording they found, it had kicked her mood down. She couldn't help but imagine the scandal she and Chris would have gone through if whoever put it there had gotten it back. There had been rumors of them being quarantined together and the recording being put exactly on their doorstep surely was no coincidence. Some sort of magical being must be watching over them.
Chris had hung up the phone and had turned around to look at Scarlett. She seemed upset and he could understand why. She was with Colin, after all. He walked over to her and spoke as she lifted up her head to watch him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. No, I don't know." She shook her head and sighed. "That nurse had creepy vibes, honestly. And - and the damn recording. That's a lot of information in the spent of an hour."
"Really? I thought you'd rejoice with her 'good girl!' and 'good boy!' thingy." He teased her with mischievous eyes.
Scarlett was so stunned by what he said that for a moment her lips moved but no words came out. She closed her eyes as she shook her head repeatedly. "Why would I rejoice with that?" She crossed her arms.
"Well..." He trailed off, wondering if he would dare to explain he meant. "You do have a praising kink..." He did dare go there. He almost laughed at her speechless reaction. One again, she felt too shocked to speak. "You didn't know?" He pursued again, hoping to make her cares lift from her body.
"What do you think? Of course I know I have a praising kink. I don't need you to tell me." She immensely rolled her eyes as she sighed deeply.
Chris chuckled and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Why don't you go on the couch? I know what will cheer you up."
"I'm not in the mood." She gave him a pointed look.
"Not that," He amusingly shook his head and pushed her gently towards the couch. "Come on."
As Scarlett walked to the couch and threw herself on it, Chris walked up the bookshelf. He looked back at her over his shoulder and saw that she was on the couch. "Good girl!" He praised with a smirk. He couldn't help the laughter from coming out of his mouth as Scarlett threw a cushion his way.
He carefully looked at each of the books and picked one from the lot. Then, he walked to the couch and sat next to Scarlett. "Scoot over." He said and she leaned in closer to him. Before wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he opened the book. "Travellers crossing the wheat-yellow plains to Dungatar would first notice a dark blot shimmering at the edge of the flatness." Chris began reading out loud. "Further down the asphalt, the shape would emerge as a hill. On top of The Hill sat a shabby brown weatherboard, leaning provocatively on the grassy curve. It looked as if it was about to careen down, but was roped to a solid chimney by thick-limbed wisteria."
Scarlett laid her head on Chris' shoulder as she listened to him read. He had been right, listening to him read has soothed her. "When passengers approaching Dungatar by train felt the carriage warp around the slow southward curve, they glanced up through the window and saw the tumbling brown house. At night, light from the house could be see, from the surrounding plains - a shaky beacon in a vast, black sea, winking from the home of Mad Molly. As the sun set, The Hill cast a shadow over the town that stretched as far as the silos."
In the spend of over an hour, the two lovers stayed in their embrace as he read out loud the written story. He had read up to four chapters when they both felt it was time to stop. "With Molly safely parked at the fireside, Tilly sat on her veranda and rolled herself a cigarette. Down below, the people bobbed together like chooks pecking at vegetable scraps, turning occasionally to glance up at the house on The Hill, before turning hurriedly away." Chris finished chapter four and closed the book.
"You have a soothing voice, you know." She said as she looked up at him.
Chris smiled and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "I do know." He set his forehead against hers and for a moment not one words emanated from any of them as they peacefully enjoyed the quietness of the apartment.
Then, only one thing came crushing through the silent apartment. Four little dings coming not even in a full minute. Chris sighed, recognizing the notification sounds as his own. He reluctantly pulled away from Scarlett and checked his phone. "Age of Ultron group chat." He told Scarlett and started reading the few texts that have been sent.
Scarlett grabbed her own phone from the coffee table and did the same thing as her lover.
Avengers! Ahh...
RDJ - What's up, bitches?
RDJ - How's quarantine going Evansson?
RDJ - Hello?
RDJ - Guys, I'm bored. Talk to me.
Hemsy - Do you even know what time is it?
RDJ - Talking to your bored buddy time.
Mackie - Wait, the quarantine is real?
Lizzie - Yep
RDJ - I wanna know how's it going? Have I won my bet?
Jeremy - Me too!
Mackie - What bet?
Mark - Hemsy and Robert bet that Cevans and Scarly would sleep together before the end of the week.
Jeremy - They've been quarantined 5 days already.
RDJ - Your stuff is mine, Hemsworth.
Hemsy - You wish! I bet they didn't do it.
Lizzie - How about we leave them alone?
Mackie - What's the fun in that?
RDJ - Oh, come on, Lizzie. You can't tell me you're not a little bit curious about what's happening in that apartment?
Lizzie - Well, kinda...
Scarlett - You guys are still on that?
RDJ - SCARLETT!!!
Hemsy - TALK TO ME WOMAN!
Jeremy - We're waiting...
Scarlett - Waiting for what?
Jeremy - You know what
Scarlett - No, I don't. Enlighten me, perhaps?
Hemsy - Don't mock us, this is a matter of life and death!
Scarlett - Oh, my god. No, we did not forget about your Christmas party.
Hemsy - We're not talking about that, but thanks for the reminder I completely forgot!
Paul - What Christmas party?
Lizzie - Yeah, what party?
Hemsy - That's not today's subject, guys! Today's subject is whether or not Chris and Scarlett fucked this week.
Cevans - Haha, 'this week'.
RDJ - Wait, you guys slept together already?
Scarlett - No.
Cevans - No, never. I just thought it was funny.
Jeremy - Mhm.
Mackie - So, you guys did it?
Scarlett - Are you gonna drag out this stupid bet in every marvel group chats?
Cevans - So many people 😬
Jeremy - There's not that much.
Jeremy - Is there?
Cevans - Oh, Jer...
Scarlett - Oops?
Mackie - See how they escape the question???
Sebastian - I'm so confused to what's happening right now.
Mark - Easy peazy. Chris E and Scarlett are quarantined in an apartment together. Chris H and RDJ bet that they'd sleep together before the end of the first week. If they did, RDJ wins Mjolnir and Stormbreaker.
Mark - Now, they've been quarantined for 5 days, which is the end of the first week and the guys want answers.
Mark - Oh, and Jeremy's realizing that he's not in every marvel group chats...
Sebastian - Thanks for the update.
Sebastian - I want in on that bet.
Scarlett - What?
Jeremy - Wait, how many groups are there????
Cevans - WHAT
RDJ - Okay, dude. What do you say?
Sebastian - I say that they are gonna sleep together (If they haven't already). Hemsy, what do you want?
Mackie - I want your couch 🤩
Sebastian - God, you really gotta stop with that couch.
Mackie - But it's so comfortable
Sebastian - YOU'VE NEVER BEEN IN MY HOUSE
Hemsy - The deal is fifty bucks for the winner
RDJ - Don't forget all your Mjolnirs and Stormbreaker :)
Hemsy - I never said that.
RDJ - Oh darling you did 😜
Cevans - Can't you just forget the bet?
Mackie - No way
Sebastian - Afraid we'll spill your secrets, Evans?
RDJ - what secrets?
Lizzie - Secrets?
Scarlett - Yeah, what secrets, Evans?
Mackie - Afraid of something Johansson?
Scarlett - Absolutely not
Sebastian - I mean... History is in my favor 👀👀
Lizzie - What's he talking about?
Mackie - THEY ALREADY FUCKED?!
Mark - Spill. Now.
Scarlett - What are you talking about?
Sebastian - I know stuff.
Scarlett - What stuff?
RDJ - Hemsworth, your toys are mine
Hemsy - Ha! "Toys"
Cevans - Sebby, shut up.
Lizzie - What are you hiding??
Sebastian - oh, you know. Stuff....
Cevans - For the love of God. Shut. UP.
***
Scarlett set her phone down and looked up at Chris. "What'd you tell him, exactly?" She impatiently asked, scared that he had told him they slept together. But how could he have already told him? He hadn't been on his phone all morning. Oh wait - maybe when she was showering.
Chris' face broke into a smile as he returned her look. "When we were shooting 'The Winter Soldier' and that we kissed, that same night Sebastian came to hang out with me and he saw the goofy - schoolboy expression I had. He didn't stop asking until I told him." He explained to her, only half calming her nerves down. "Then, eventually it might have come up that I had feelings for you."
"Oh," she nodded comprehensively and started to settle back against him when his phone dinged repeatedly again. "I bet that's them, again. They're really annoying with that bet thingy."
"They were right, tho." He pointed out.
"That's exactly why they're annoying."
***
Avengers! Ahh...
Mackie - Oh, la, la! Captain is getting mad.
Lizzie - 😬
RDJ - Sebastian, spill it!
RDJ - if you do, I might let you have something of mine that is pretty prized.
Mark - Robert...
Sebastian - Hold on, what is it?
RDJ - I'll give one of the Mjolnirs
Hemsy - BUT THEY'RE NOT YOURS!!!
Sebastian - Deal.
Sebastian - So, here's the tea: I've already seen them kiss. Multiple times, too.
Lizzie - WHAT THE FUCK
Hemsy - Not my toys 😭😭
Mackie - No way!
Cevans - What the hell?
RDJ - What?! When?! Where?!
Sebastian - I don't remember when exactly but I can tell you that it was back in New York. They kissed a couple of times in different location. Even in public once, I'm surprised barely anyone reacted to the pictures.
RDJ - Wait, what?
Jeremy - There are even pictures?
Sebastian - Yeah.
Sebastian - You know what? They actually kissed in public numerous times, too. Once on an escalator.
Scarlett -🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
Hemsy - Not gonna lie you had me for a second
RDJ - You little son of a bitch! You lied!
Sebastian - Where did I lie? They kissed numerous times, we've all seen the movies.
Mackie - I haven't seen the nanny diaries actually..
Jeremy - Eh, not a big loss.
Scarlett - Hey!
Chris - Hey! 😡
Sebastian - Oh, it's worth your time. It wouldn't be getting a sequel so long after otherwise.
Mackie - Maybe I'll watch it. On your couch. While you're not here.
Sebastian - Dude...
RDJ - Hold on, though!
RDJ - Sebastian, you do know something. Chris wouldn't have been defensive about movies. What do you know?
Sebastian - Nothing else, I never saw them kiss other than in movies or in a scene.
Mackie - I don't believe you, comfortable couch boi
Sebastian - OMG! Let. It. Go.
Lizzie - Not holding back anymore...
Hemsy - LET IT GOOO! LET IT GOOO!
Scarlett - Turn away and slam the door!!
Mark - You done?
Mackie - Man, what a couch.
Sebastian - 😭😤
***
So, Scarlett's praising kink is now canon I guess???