Tidal Wave

The remainder of the week went by too quick.

If Chris wasn't spending time with his family, he was with Kyle, and if not him, with her.

He surprised her on his last night in town by sending her a text.

"Dinner tonight?"

Kylie picked her phone up from the stack of papers on her desk, and smiled, "Sure, when?" She returned to her paperwork, waiting for him to answer.

"L'Espalier. I'll pick you up at 8?"

Kylie could feel her cheeks turning red. Years of making reservations for her boss allowed her to become familiar with the local restaurant scene and she was fully aware that L'Espalier reservations are booked days in advance. She groaned, thinking of her empty closet and how she would have to search for something decent. Her phone buzzed again.

"Bring something comfortable too. Like a sports bra.. or whatever."

"Umm..?"

"Trust me. ;)"

Kylie stared at his text apprehensively, her eyebrow raised in confusion. She shook her head and returned to her paperwork, counting down until she saw him again.

x x x

The buzzer in her apartment rang at seven thirty.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me. Can I come up?"

She hit the release on the door. Minutes later, there was a knock at her apartment door where she checked through the peep-hole and let Chris in.

"Wow... you look.. amazing."

Her cheeks flushed, "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself."

Chris extracted a bouquet of flowers from behind his back and handed them to her, "For you."

"Thank you. So, about this questionable item you have me bringing?" Kylie asked, as she grabbed her purse off the counter.

He smiled, "They're for later. Come on, we can't miss our reservation. Plus I am starving."

After dinner, as they were walking out of the restaurant, Chris surprised her by placing a blindfold over her eyes. Kylie momentarily panicked until Chris took her hand and whispered, "I need you to trust me, okay? You're completely safe and nothing is going to happen, okay? I promise."

Just feeling his breath on her skin made chills run down her spine. She nodded and listened as Chris hailed a cab. "Come on." He guided her into the cab and they sat quietly until they reached their destination.

The cab stopped and Chris escorted her out of the car and into a building that smelled faintly of the ocean. They stepped into an elevator and when the bell chimed, he gently took her hand and lead her towards their destination.

"Hello, Mr. Evans. Right this way." A woman with a light Boston accent spoke, and Chris turned Kylie in the direction of the woman's voice.

"Alright, these are for you, and I'll help her. Is it alright for the blindfold to come off yet?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

Kylie's heart rate increased, nervous to discover exactly what Chris had planned. She could feel hands fumbling with the knot and the fabric relaxed from her face. Kylie felt tears welling in her eyes. She stood on the top floor of the Aquarium near the opening to the central tank. The woman, named Elizabeth, held a black wet suit in her hands.

"What's this?"

She smiled, "It's your wet suit. The water is regulated throughout the year and changes vary month to month. The temperature can cause some bodily harm if you aren't adjusted properly, therefore everyone who goes in must wear a wet suit. Also, it makes it harder for the sharks to penetrate skin."

"Excuse me?"

Chris held a hand over his mouth, "I know how much you love this place, so I talked to a few people here and they suggested this."

Kylie felt the tears welling in her eyes, "Chris..."

He gently shushed her, waving her off, "It's nothing. Now, go get changed. I've been dying to swim with that turtle for years!"

Kylie was escorted to an employee bathroom and quickly stripped from her dress into her underwear. She met Chris outside the door and flung her arms around his waist, burying her face into his chest, "Thank you." He wrapped his arms around her and smiled, "Don't thank me yet..."

x x x

The walk home, Kylie felt as if she were floating. She got to swim with a sea turtle, sharks and spent the evening with an amazing man. Kylie was convinced that if his blue eyes and personality didn't already have her hooked, they did now. She couldn't help but blush every time he caught her eye.

Chris was adamant about walking her home; a short walk from the aquarium. They didn't talk , they just enjoyed the silence. Kylie had uneasiness stirring in her stomach, "So, you leave tomorrow?"

Chris sighed, "Yeah. I leave tomorrow for Brazil. Have more to film for Civil War. It's going to be a long trip, but I'm excited." Kylie looked up at him and smiled weakly, "That's awesome."

Chris nodded in agreement, "Yeah, but being away from family is the worst." Kylie nodded in understanding. Chris gently nudged her shoulder, "Cheer up. I know you'll miss me."

He winked and her cheeks flushed, "Oh shush. You've got such an ego." Suddenly, her fingers were intertwined with his and he gently squeezed her hand. They walked in silence until they reached her apartment.

Chris let out a long breath, "So, I know I'm going to be gone for a while doing awesome Captain America things, but I don't want you to think that I won't have time, or want to, hear from you. I'd like for you to call, or even text me, alright?"

Kylie nodded.

Chris barely smiled, and glanced down at his watch, "Listen, I will miss seeing you; you've made my trip home more than worthwhile and I really can't wait till I come back..."

She blushed, dropping her gaze, "Me too."

He sighed, "I have to get going, plane leaves at 5 am, so... yeah."

He gently squeezed her hand and stepped forward, placing a kiss on her cheek, and smiled when she bit her lip. He hesitated again, struggling to allow himself to let go of her. When he finally did, he could see the hurt in her eyes, but she smiled, hugged him tightly and thanked him for the amazing week they shared. She turned away from him and waved as she unlocked the door, she momentarily stopped, allowing him to wave to her as she stepped into the building. Chris shoved his hands into his pockets and started down the sidewalk.