A/N: Did Chris ever actually say that he's afraid of spiders in an interview or anything? Or did we all make that up?
Chris's first day home from tour was spent with family since Caroline had to work late due to a couple of complications with her research. The next day though, Thursday, Chris had asked Caroline if he could pick her up from work and maybe the two of them could just hang out at his place and relax. Caroline was extremely happy to see him, and also extremely exhausted and thought that the idea of spending time with him relaxing sounded amazing.
Chris made his way toward Caroline's office, keeping his fingers crossed that he could keep his lucky streak of not bumping into any fans on the way in or out. It wasn't that Chris wasn't thankful for his fans or that he didn't like it when fans asked for an autograph or a picture, but he didn't want to jeopardize Caroline's private life or risk her students or coworkers looking at her any differently upon finding out she was dating him. So at times like this where he wanted to pick Caroline up from her office, he always tried his best to be discreet about it.
Chris walks into Caroline's office and the first thing he notices was that her hair was now several inches shorter. She'd sent him pictures of when she'd gotten it cut the other day, but this was his first time seeing it.
"You look so cute with short hair," Is the first thing he says.
Caroline turns to face the door, "Chris?"
"Hey, cutie."
Caroline leaps up from her chair, "Where are you?"
Chris puts hand on Caroline's shoulder, then hugs her. Caroline smiles, then stands on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek.
"I missed you," She says.
"I missed you more."
"I doubt it," Caroline says, "God, is it five already? Let me get my stuff together and we can head out."
Once she's ready to leave, Caroline steps out and Chris shuts the lights off. Caroline locks the door, then the two of them walk out hand-in-hand.
"Can you give me a second tour of your house? I feel like I've forgotten where everything is."
Chris laughs, "Sure, but I'm gonna quiz you on it at the end," He jokes.
Caroline laughs as well, "I'll figure it out soon, it usually only takes me a handful of times to map out a new place."
"Hey, I totally get it. Take as much time as you need to figure it out."
Chris and Caroline exit and make their way to Chris's car. While it was the evening and there weren't as many students on campus as there had been earlier in the day, there were definitely still plenty of students getting ready to head to evening classes or find a place to study for the night, and a handful of heads turned when Chris and Caroline walked by. Whether it was because people tended to stare at Caroline for being blind, or because people tended to stare at Chris for...being Chris, several heads turned when they walked by.
"That is him!" Someone says.
"C'mon, leave 'em alone. You don't ask a professor who they're dating - it's like, college etiquette," Another person says.
Weirdly, Chris and Caroline make it to the car without anyone noticing. Or maybe they did notice and just chose not to say anything. Caroline folds up her cane and gets into the car, and Chris follows.
"Do comments like that bother you?" Caroline asks.
"You heard?" Chris asks as he drives off.
"Well, it's sort of hard not to."
"I'm more concerned with whether it bothers you."
"People have been making comments about me for most of my life, just for something different. This isn't anything I can't handle."
Chris takes her hand, "Then it isn't anything I can't handle."
The rest of the night was pretty great. They got a vegan pizza to go and brought it back to Chris's house, Chris rubbed Caroline's feet while she vented to him about some of the things that had gone wrong with her research project and how they entailed to get it back on track, and Caroline ran her fingers through Chris's hair while he vented to her about what this next stage of writing for the album would look like. They talked, they ate, they laughed, and Caroline even showed Chris how she played video games. Chris couldn't believe how much he enjoyed being with her. He could be serious with her, he could be silly with her, he could talk with her; she was perfect.
Chris gave her the tour of the house again, but for the most part, they spent the night on the couch.
When Chris brought Caroline home, he kissed her on the forehead and said:
"Now, you get some quality shut-eye, 'cause we've got a long day tomorrow."
Caroline raises her eyebrows, "We do?"
"I'm taking you out for a late-birthday celebration, remember?"
"Chris! You don't ha - "
Chris puts his index finger over Caroline's lips to stop her from talking, then says, "I want to, really. It's a three day weekend at the school, right? You have tomorrow off?"
"Yes, but - "
"Then it's gonna be the funnest day ever. I'll pick you up around one, okay?"
Caroline nods. They kiss goodnight, then Caroline walks into the apartment. When the shuts the door, the apartment is mostly silent. She takes her shoes off and is about to call for Noah, when she vaguely hears Ricky and Noah talking in what sounded like Noah's room; the door must've been shut. Caroline couldn't help but wonder what Chris was taking her to do tomorrow, and considering how much Noah had helped Chris with things in the past, Caroline was sure that Noah knew something. Since Ricky was here though, Caroline decides to leave them alone, then heads to her room where she's left to wonder what tomorrow would be like.
x
Caroline wakes up early to go downstairs and workout like normal. She then showers and gets ready for the day, having the apartment to herself as Noah had to run some early errands before heading to work at the tattoo shop. Caroline couldn't believe how amazing Chris was being with wanting to take her out today, or how amazing he was in general with not getting scared off by her past, or not being afraid to come pick her up from work at the risk of getting recognized, or totally being able to work with Caroline being blind.
Chris was also her boyfriend now, not just some guy she'd been on a few dates with. A lot of the time, Caroline didn't like to put labels on things, but this was one that she was willing to work with. It indicated that they were "exclusive" and becoming "serious". Finally, she'd found someone that wanted to date her for a long time and wasn't a horrible person. Everything about Chris came with so much relief for Caroline; she really felt like she could trust him now.
Chris arrives at the apartment at one o'clock, as promised.
Caroline opens the door and smiles, "Hey, you."
"Well, if it isn't the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on."
Chris squeezes her hands and kisses her a minute. Caroline smiles as they come apart.
"You seem to be in an exceptionally good mood today," She notes.
"Well, why wouldn't I be? I get to spend the whole day with my beautiful girlfriend."
"You're just happy you get to procrastinate from album writing," Caroline teases as she shuts her apartment door.
"That is...true. But I am excited to spend today with you, I think it'll be really fun."
"Can you tell me where you're taking me now?" Caroline asks as she presses the elevator button.
"Well, we're actually going to two places. The first one - and this is gonna sound weird, so just hear me out - is the zoo."
Caroline furrows her eyebrows in confusion.
"That is the exact face I thought you'd make," Chris laughs. The elevator doors open and they step inside; Caroline uses the Braille to find the ground floor button, then the doors close.
"So, here's the thing: there's a specific exhibit that they're only doing this week that I think you'll like," Chris explains.
"Okay, what is it?"
"Well...Okay, I need you to know before I say this, that I really like you."
Caroline raises an eyebrow, "Okay...?"
The elevator doors open, they step out, and Chris takes Caroline's hand.
"See, they're doing this thing with...spiders," Chris says; Caroline was able to hear the cringe in his voice.
Caroline gasps, "Are you taking me to go hold a big spider?"
"Yes, and I will be standing very far away."
"How big is it?!"
"Don't know, don't wanna know, but we're gonna find out. Or, well, you're gonna find out; I will, as I said, be standing very far away."
Caroline playfully swats him, "Oh, don't be such a baby!"
"You can't see spiders, okay? There's no way for you to see the horror."
They make their way outside and into Chris's car, where Caroline continues to tease him.
"Then what about people who can see and have tarantulas as pets?"
"Nope. Nope."
Caroline shakes her head and laughs, "Well, where are we going after the zoo?"
Chris smiles as he drives off, "The aquarium - they have touch tanks there, and it's organisms that won't be hurt or get stressed by being touched."
Caroline gasps, "Really? I've always wanted to do that! You're incredible."
"No, you're incredible."
"What did I do to be incredible?"
Chris shrugs, "You're just you. And you're incredible."
They chat and listen to music until they arrive at the zoo. It was mid-March by now and while there were definitely still some cold days, Spring would be here soon. Today was a nicer day, so the zoo was actually fairly crowded. Caroline and Chris get out and Caroline extends her cane. She takes Chris's arm and he guides her inside, gaining them a lot of stares.
"Do you know where to go?" Caroline asks.
"There's signs for it, just keep walking with me. I think it's this building up here."
Chris guides Caroline up the six steps leading to the door, then opens the door for her and lets her inside. He steps in behind her, then they step in a short line. It mostly consisted of parents and their children, predominantly boys but a few girls too. As Chris looked around, he and Caroline appeared to be the only adults there without kids, which probably made them look weird, but then again, so did everything else about them.
When they got to the front of the line, Chris stepped aside - close enough that Caroline knew she was safe, but far enough away that he didn't have to look too closely at the giant thing crawling up the handler's arm.
The handler smiles, "Ooh, we've only had a handful of adults want to hold Lily today. It's always nice to see kids, but they usually grow up to be afraid of them."
"Well, to be honest with you, I'm actually blind...So I have no idea what spiders look like anymore, I just think they feel cool."
"Oh! Well, then you're in for a treat. Lily is super friendly. Cup your hands out in front of you and I'll give her to you."
Caroline smiles and holds her hands out in front of her. She feels the spider being put into her hands and squeals with delight. Chris cringes, trying to focus on the fact that Caroline was happy.
"Hi, Lily! You're such a sweet girl," Caroline coos, as if she were talking to a puppy.
The handler smiles, "Would the boyfriend like to hold her?"
"Nope! That's quite alright," Chris says.
Caroline laughs, "That's fine, more fun for me!"
Caroline spends a couple of minutes letting the spider crawl on her arms while Chris stared at the ceiling. She then handed Lily back to the handler so the next person could have their turn.
"Chris, where are you?"
"I'm here, baby," Chris says, taking her hand, "Now, let's get on to the next place, I think Lily can smell my fear."
Caroline laughs, then they walk out of the building.
"Are birds one of the animals you're allergic to?" Chris asks.
"No, it's just fur, not feathers. Why?"
"There's a bird enclosure, wanna go in?"
Caroline smiles, "We're here, why not?"
Chris leads Caroline into the enclosure, where exotic birds were allowed to fly free. All Caroline could hear was the sweet singing of hundreds of birds around her; she smiled ear-to-ear.
"They sound so beautiful," Caroline says in awe, "What do they look like?"
Chris blinks, "Well, they're small, and...have wings...I'm not as good at this as I thought."
Caroline laughs, and they keep walking.
Chris guides her along the path, and every now and then they would stop to listen to a zookeeper talking about a certain species of bird. Caroline was so, incredibly happy. She was so happy to be with someone who took her out to do these things with her and actually enjoyed it himself as well. He was good to her, but he enjoyed being good to her.
After the zoo, the aquarium was also so much fun. The employees were so nice and considerate of Caroline being blind. Caroline had never done something like this before, and thought it was incredible of Chris to think of activities for them to do that were "sensory", so that Caroline could still have fun without being able to see. As it would happen, getting to hold giant spiders and touch sea organisms was the way to do that.
After the aquarium, they went out for vegan ice cream, then Chris told Caroline he had one last surprise for her at his house.
"Chris, you've already taken me to do so many amazing things, what more could you possibly have for me?" Caroline asks.
"You'll see," Chris laughs, "This was actually a work in progress when you were here last night, so I'm happy we just kind of hung out on the couch. Wouldn't wanna ruin the surprise."
Chris unlocks the door and leads Caroline inside.
"Okay, now, where to start?" Chris thinks aloud, "Here, let's go into the kitchen."
They walk into the kitchen, Caroline looking incredibly confused.
"Are you actually gonna quiz me on where everything in your house is?"
Chris laughs, "That's actually kind of a good idea, but it won't be necessary."
"Why?"
"Well, instead of telling you, how about I show you?" Chris asks, "I guess we can start anywhere. Let's start here."
Chris takes Caroline's hand and places it on the drawer she was standing in front of. Caroline gasps as she reads a Braille label that read Silverware.
"You did not."
"Oh, but I did."
"Christopher!" Caroline exclaims, "Did you Braille your whole house?!" Caroline asks, beginning to feel the labels on various drawers and cabinets.
"Well, not the whole house, just where I thought it was necessary. You have them at your house too, so I just kind of put them in places where you guys did."
"Noah helped you, didn't she?"
Upon further research, Chris learned that a lot of people who aren't blind know how to read Braille in order to assist their loved ones who are blind. As it would happen, Noah was one of those people.
"Yup. She's been bringing the Brailler over, and she and Ricky have been helping me label things since Wednesday. She even started teaching me how to use it too."
Caroline's mouth falls open, "Chris, I can't believe you would do this for me...What if you decide you don't like me anymore and then you have to de-Braille your whole house?" She laughs.
"I don't foresee that happening," Chris says, "Look, Car, I...I want you to be comfortable here. I want you to feel welcome here. I've gotta imagine that coming to a new place where everything is different than yours has to be a little intimidating for someone who can't see where anything is, but I want you to be able to spend time here without feeling that way. I was happy to do this."
Caroline puts a hand on her chest and tears form in her eyes, "You're amazing," She says before hugging him, "Thank you. Thank you so much."
"Of course," Chris says, kissing her temple. They come apart and he smiles, "Well, c'mon! Feel your way around, get to know the place. I wanna see if I did a good job."
x
Caroline couldn't stop hugging and kissing Chris call day; she was so happy. She couldn't believe he'd gone so above and beyond to her as to put Braille labels around his house. It was clear that he really cared about her. Everything that he'd done for her today had really proved that.
"I can't believe how incredible you are," Caroline tells him as he brings her home, "Thank you so much again, for everything today."
"Are you kidding? I'd do it all again for you," Chris says. He squeezes her hands and kisses her for a long time. Caroline melts into it, her heart beating a mile a minute as an idea began to form in her head.
They come apart and Chris smiles, "Wanna come over again tomorrow night? We can make dinner together, Noah tells me you're a master in the kitchen."
"Oh, I'm the best," Caroline laughs, "Yeah, that sounds like fun. I really do feel so much more comfortable at your place now with the labels everywhere. I feel like I could find my way around a lot easier now."
"Really? That makes me so happy, baby, that's exactly what I wanted."
Caroline smiles, taking both of Chris's hands and stepping close to him, practically pressing herself up against him.
"Yeah, I feel really great there now. Like, I think that if maybe I were to stay...the night," She whispers before pecking his lips, "That'd be a lot of fun."
Chris raises an eyebrow, "Really now?" He whispers, huskily.
Caroline smiles, then pulls out her keys and unlocks her apartment, "I'll see you tomorrow night."
She steps into the apartment, softly shuts the door, then stands back against it, trying to relax and slow the beat of her pounding heart.
"I can't believe I just did that," She whispers to herself, proud of herself.
Caroline smiles, as more ideas begin to form. She takes a couple more breaths, then calls:
"Noah?"
"Yeah?" Noah calls from what sounds like her room.
Caroline smiles even more, "Code Pink!"
Noah gasps, then runs out of her room to meet Caroline, "Are you serious?"
Caroline nods.
"When?"
"Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Noah asks, "Okay, are we running the full drill or are you just looking for moral support?"
"Full drill. One hundred percent full drill, but not for him - for me."
"Specify."
Caroline sighs, "Well, it's been three years, Noah. I haven't felt sexy in three years and I want to feel sexy. I don't think Chris would care if I have stubble on my legs or what color my underwear is, but I want everything from the waist down to be smooth and I want a bra that's something other than beige because you say beige is a boring color."
"It is a boring color," Noah says, "You sure this is what you want?"
"Yup."
"What time is he getting you tomorrow?"
"Some time in the evening."
"Does he know you're planning this?"
"I may have implied it before I came in."
"And you just left him hanging there? Nice!" Noah exclaims, "Okay. Okay. We can work with this. Call the salon down the street, ask for Shauntel, she knows me. Tell her you're my sister and ask if she can get you in for a waxing appointment tomorrow morning - tell her it's an emergency. I'll get my wallet and my keys, we're gonna go to the mall and get you feeling sexy."
"God, I haven't done this in so long. Where are we going, Victoria's Secret?"
"Ew, Victoria's Secret is gross, we're going to La Senza. Now, get the salon on the phone! We've got a deadline to meet!"
A/N: Caroline and Noah's dynamic is one of my favorites that I've written, especially Noah being a good mix of a comic relief character and a serious one.
Next chapter things get sexy.
xoxo, Scissorhands