"Hey, want to help me get my parents off my ass about not having a date for the holidays?"
That was what started this whole weekend of tinsel town torment. Chris had graciously agreed to help you out and travel with you to your family's annual three-day Christmas getaway to a cabin in the mountains. All it took was agreeing to provide the food for the next Patriots game watch party at his house. You readily agreed as you wouldn't be able to stand your elder Aunts' incessant questioning about your love life one more year.
The drive to the cabin went fine since you and Chris rode with your parents who had welcomed Chris with open arms from the moment you landed at the airport. He'd chatted away with them during the drive while you watched the gradual snow banks get taller and taller on the sides of the road the higher up the car went.
Your heart sped up in excitement as you rounded the final turn. The three-story cabin was set against a dense tree lined forest that, through the years, had seen you and your cousins build an army of snowmen, battle it out in snowball fights and share a contrabanded drink or two when the adults got to overbearing in the house. The log roof and wrap around porch railings were covered with snow, making it look like a picture perfect gingerbread house. The setting felt like a location straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. Regardless of the family craziness you knew was waiting behind those tall oak doors, you always looked forward to returning here every year.
You were also glad Chris was here with you this time. You'd become close friends over the years after working with him on the first Captain America movie. You'd instantly bonded over your shared love of Disney and dogs. Chris liked to joke that Dodger loved you more than him since his pup would never leave your side when you went to his house.
It was about 6 months ago, though, that you felt a shift in your relationship. Chris had helped you home after one to many drinks at the work wrap party. He'd taken off your coat and shoes, tucked you into bed and kissed your forehead goodnight. The next morning you woke up to a glass of water and headache medicine on your bedside table, and found him asleep on your sofa. When you'd thanked him over a cup of coffee, he shook his head and shrugged off your gratitude.
"I didn't want to leave you alone with that fucker, Colin," he muttered, clearly still agitated about whatever had happened last night. "He wouldn't stop hitting on you all night even when you told him no. You looked uncomfortable and he didn't back off until I told him we were dating."
"You what?" You wiped the bit of coffee that had spit out of your mouth at his revelation. you vaguely remember some guy following you around the party until he'd suddenly disappeared. Now that you thought about it, Chris had magically appeared around the same time. You held your pounding head in your hands just wanting to block the entire night out of your memory.
"Told him we were dating," he repeated calmly. "In a not so subtly threatening tone, I might add. Almost tripped over himself apologizing when I put my arm around your waist later that night. I mean, most people think we are anyway, so it wasn't hard to convince him."
"Oh, I didn't know..." You trailed off.
"What? That people think we're a couple?" Chris laughed.
You'd be lying if you denied you found Chris attractive, but your timing just never seemed to work out. Either he was with someone or away filming when you were single, or you were dating someone when he was back in town. And, it wasn't like either of you had the best track run when it came to relationships. Just another thing you had in common. A few of your exes' seemed to be uncomfortable with your friendship with Chris, but the truth was, none of them were as easy or fun to be around as Chris. You didn't have to worry about saying or doing the wrong thing with him. He'd said as much to you when you'd brought it up after one of your more hurtful breakups. He said it was the same with his own exes', but eventually they realized that you were always going to be a part of his life and came to terms with it in one way or another.
He got up to pour himself another cup of coffee. "I'm used to the press linking me with any woman I'm seen with at this point, but even my mom called me to see if we were dating after we were photographed leaving the Ritz together at night a couple times a few months ago."
"I was helping you with your lines!" You spluttered. "We ate pizza and watched The Lion King, for Christ's sake. Mackie was even there one day!"
He shrugged unbothered, "You know how the media twists things. Anyway, it was my pleasure being your arm candy for the night." He raised his mug up in a mock toast before laughing as you rolled your eyes. "Oh come on, you know we'd be good together," he teased as you got up to go get dressed.
"I know we would," you sung over your shoulder.
After that morning, you noticed Chris didn't date much. He claimed he was to busy for a relationship when you'd questioned him. He also started calling you more while he was away on set, which you began looking forward to each day after work. That was when the idea of fake dating Chris for the holidays became more than a way to get your family off your case. You imagined spending a night curled up in front of the fire with Chris, Christmas lights twinkling as a cold wind blew outside, and your heart ached with a feeling you'd never experienced before when you thought about your friend. So, you pitched the idea to him and he immediately agreed to accompany you, since his family were meeting up for New Years instead this year due to his siblings' schedules.
Now, here you were in this winter wonderland. You were slightly annoyed your parents didn't even seem that surprised when you said your boyfriend Chris would be joining your yearly gathering. You swore you'd even heard your dad mutter "about damn time" through the phone when you called them.
Chris hopped out the car and hurried over to open your door. You took the hand he offered, but he held it tighter when you went to let go. He pressed a kiss to the top with an excited smile.
"Don't overdo it, dear." You giggled, snatching your hand back and lightly punching his shoulder.
He quickly wrapped his arms around you before you could move further away, and pulled you close, booping your nose with an evil grin. "Oh, I plan to be the best boyfriend you've ever had. Fake or otherwise. I'm going to make your family love me so much they'll be devastated when we break up."
You shook your head and laughed as he quickly released you with a chirpy, "Let me help you with those bags, sir," to your dad.
"Hey loser!" You turned to see who shouted and were tackled in a puffy coated embrace. Your cousin, Y/F/N, had her arms wrapped tightly around you. You both squealed, excited to see each other. Y/F/N was the kind of cousin who just so happened to also be your best friend. There was no one else who knew the ups and downs of your family like her and had been through it all with you since before you could walk.
"I've missed you so much!" You said, finally pulling away to look her up and down. She still looked like the same mischief maker she'd always been.
She was distracted by something behind you. "I see you brought a friend to play with," she teased in a hushed voice, peeking over your shoulder. You followed her gaze and saw Chris's jacket straining against his muscular arms as he easily lifted your mom's heavy case from the trunk and onto the snow. "Nice."
You slapped her arm with a giggle, "behave."
"Honestly, you know I'm tame compared to the cougars he's about to face in there." She looped your arms and started walking up the drive, pulling you along.
"That's what I'm afraid of," you chuckled, nervously taking in the light decorations lining the brick path to the house. You recognized the bent, tiny display sled in the middle of the yard that your uncle had broken on one trip when your dad dared his brother he couldn't snowboard down the hill on it. The "hold my beer" moment resulted in a night spent in the ER and hearing the story told at every family gathering since.
"So, why did I have to hear from my grandmother that you were not only dating a superhero but bringing him here?" She feigned a hurt expression. "It's like you wanted me to be clueless in the firing line of questions."
You chuckled. "Well, you know, we've been friends for a while now, and we decided to give it a shot. And don't feel bad, because the only person who was supposed to know was my mom and I had to call to let her know I was bringing someone otherwise no one would've known until we showed up to protect me from the dozens of texts I received afterwards asking about what his favorite flavor of candy cane. We've been keeping our relationship secret so the press and fans don't have a field day. Plus, this way we can control the narrative."
You and Chris had discussed this, and a few other "relationship milestones" beforehand to have your stories straight. He'd suggested sticking to as much of the truth as possible so it wouldn't be hard to keep up the con.
"That makes sense," she agreed. You pushed open the door and were hit with an invisible wall of heat that immediately started defrosting your cold nose. She scoffed, "but, don't tell our dear auntie or she'll have your head and then what would his gorgeous mug kiss? Although I do have some suggestions..."
But before she could tell you what those were, you heard a stampede of footsteps as the youngest members of your family came charging down the stairs shouting and yelling over each other about whose turn it was to pick the Christmas Eve movie this year.
"Y/N!" They shouted upon seeing you, all rushing to hug you and soon you were in a doggie pile of tiny children.
"Mommy said you're dating Captain America!" Y/F/N's young nephew giggled as you pretended to struggle under them all.
"No, she said she's dating a hunk!" His sister argued. "What's a hunk, Y/N?" You choked back a laugh and fumbled for a response.
"Do you get to play with his shield?" Another one asked as a chorus of tiny voices started shouting questions without waiting for answers.
"Does he like marshmallows in his hot chocolate?"
"Does he like pink?"
"Does he know Spider-man?"
"Can he really pull a log apart like in the movie?"
"Will he help us make cookies for Santa?"
"Do you like him a lot?" your own niece piped up from the back of the group.
They were overwhelming you with their curiosity but you smiled warmly, "I like him a whole lot."
"Aww, babe, that's so adorable. You like me." Chris laughed in the doorway behind you and stepped up to press a cold kiss to your temple. "I like you a whole lot, too."
He slid an arm around your waist and stared down the kids who'd gone uncharacteristically quiet, watching him nervously. He bent down until he was looking them each in the eye in turn and said, "She likes to play with the shield, but she doesn't like to share. I love marshmallows in my hot chocolate and refuse to drink it without them. Pink is one of my favorite colors and I think it should be everyone's. Spider-man is a very good friend of mine. Yes, I can pull a log apart, and I might be able to show you later. And, I think I can fit cookies into my schedule, but you're all going to have to show me how to decorate them." He broke out in a beaming childlike smile, "deal?"
The kids all giggled and nodded before bombarding him with more questions. You watched fondly as he answered every single one with a well thought out response, never making the kids feel like they were a nuisance.
"Didn't I tell you all to go unpack!" A loud voice suddenly shouted from the kitchen doorway. You saw Y/F/N's mom standing with her arms crossed, foot tapping angrily, glaring as all the kids scattered and scrambled back up the stairs, not wanting to get in trouble. "And make sure you neatly hang up the clothes! I'm going to check each of you later!" She yelled up the stairs after them.
Chris nervously stood up as she moved towards him.
"So," she drawled, slowly looking him over, "you must be the boyfriend I've been hearing so much about." She smirked, "it's good to see you've lived up to the hype."
"Mom!" Y/F/N hissed, embarrassed.
"Good to hear, ma'am," he chuckled. "From what Y/N's told me, you're basically a second mother to her, so it's a pleasure to meet you. I can't wait to hear all her embarrassing childhood stories and please don't leave out a single detail." He nodded over to you, "I could use the intel on this one."
She laughed. "More like stories about all the trouble they caused. Why do you think I've got some premature grey?" She motioned to her hair.
"Nothing wrong with a little experience, if you ask me," he winked. You gaped, speechless, as he shamelessly flirted with her. He was turning up his usual charm, and it was working her over like a dream.
Her eyes brightened as she gave a cheshire grin and pulled him in for a hug. "Oh, I like you. You're going to fit right into this family."
You scoffed as she let go and turned to give you a tight bear hug. "All lies. I was a very well-behaved child, and I still am."
"Not from my knowledge," Chris' eyes sparkled wickedly as you swatted his chest.
"Leave those bags in the hall for now, sweetie. You kids come on in the kitchen. We're finishing up the spiked eggnog.
"More like finishing off," Y/F/N muttered low so her mom wouldn't hear. "This is their second batch and we only got here two hours ago. Ian had to put the lights on the house before one of them tried to find the ladder."
"Jesus. Like we need a repeat of 2007's 'ladder log' incident. Has Uncle James taken out the spatula yet?" You whispered as you made your way down the long winding hall. She nodded solemnly. "Oh shit."
Chris snorted behind you.
"Don't laugh. It's this hideous spatula that has Santa's face on one side and his bare ass on the other. He tries to pinch everyone with it when he's had to many to drink." You explained, shaking your head.
Chris beamed, "This trip is going to be so much fun."