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k-evans-reads · 2 years ago

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The Best Things In Life

An On Deck Extension

Summary: After a hectic few weeks, Sam opens up to Chris.

Pairing: MLB!Chris Evans X OFC Samantha “Sam” Merrick

Word Count: 3,732

By: @k-evans-writes and @ourfinest-hour

We do NOT give permission for our works to be reuploaded, translated, or reposted on any other site. Our work is our own.

Warnings: None.

Previous | Main Masterlist | On Deck Masterlist

May 2028

“Where’s Daddy?”

“He’s in the locker room, buddy,” Sam promised Blake, watching as he practically vibrated with excitement as his eyes looked around the room, a small frown appearing on his face as the door to the locker room opened only to let a reporter out. “He’ll be out soon.”

She smoothed a hand over her tee shirt as she watched Blake bounce on his heels, his sneakers lighting up with every movement as he waited to see his father. The weekend games at Fenway had become a tradition with the Evans-Merrick family, with Blake, Sam, occasionally Lisa, and more often than not, Riley all going to support the team and spend time together, but long gone were the days of Blake napping on one of them through a couple innings. Now, evidenced by the sneakers on her feet, Sam spent most of the game chasing the energetic toddler around the suite, trying to keep track of him while occasionally checking on the score and hoping to not miss the second baseman’s activities.

“I go get him,” he told her, his blue eyes determined as he dropped his water bottle on the ground. He ignored Sam’s move to grasp his shoulders, instead bouncing away from her in his jersey and backwards hat.

“Blakey, wait here,” she instructed him, sighing when her pleas went ignored by the three-year-old. His little body was beelining past the other players’ families, ignoring the kids who had quickly become some of his best friends and playmates, all along his mission to get to the door, but she quickly caught up with him with his water in hand. Sam spun him to look at her, a scowl on his face that was so reminiscent of his father that it made her laugh before she firmly told him, “Blake Samuel, we’re waiting out here. Daddy has to take a shower and get changed.”

Blake’s lower lip jutted out as his hand moved up to push the backwards cap farther up his forehead and out of his eyes. His eyes darted as he held his arms up to Sam, voice quiet when he asked her, “Why?”

“Because Daddy smells bad after his games,” she reminded Blake with a smirk as she picked him up, setting the toddler on her hip. His head turned to rest on her shoulder just as Sam pulled the cap off of his head and dropped it in her bag along with the water bottle, revealing his messy mop of dark curls as he yawned loudly.

His eyes were locked on the door to the locker room for several moments, all but willing Chris to walk through the doors, before he looked up at Sam and agreed, “Daddy’s stinky.”

“You got that right, Blake,” she murmured, eyes slipping shut as she pressed a kiss to her boy’s hair, but her eyes flew open when she heard an excited gasp slip out of Blake’s lips and felt him start squirming in her hold.

Standing there, a few feet away from them just outside of the locker room, was Chris. A backpack was slung over his shoulder and his wet hair was messily stuck to his forehead, but the look on his face made Sam’s heart skip a beat. “Hey! There’s my Blakey boy!” He cheered as Blake was put onto the ground, smiling as he ran into Chris’ arms excitedly. “How’s my best buddy?”

“Uncle Riley got me popcorn!” Blake told Chris, his voice happy. Sam couldn’t help but to laugh at those words, thinking about how it had unintentionally become the highlight of the day for the boy. Going to games, while it was still fun and exciting for Blake, had quickly become more about what he did at the games, what he got to play with in the families’ suite with the other kids, and what treats he could wheedle out of Sam, rather than anything Chris or his teammates did.

“Oh he did?” Chris asked, his eyes wide as he listened to Blake. He grasped the boy under his arms and stood up to his full height, meeting Sam’s eyes for the first time as he walked the short distance to her. “So the popcorn was a lot more memorable than the triple your old man hit to score two runs, huh?” He asked, a smirk on his lips as he bounced Blake in his arms, making the boy giggle wildly.

Sam’s hand rested on Blake’s back as her boys stood in front of her, ticking him lightly before she met Chris’ eyes. She stood up on her tiptoes, pressing her lips to Chris’ quickly before they pulled away and she informed him, “Blake got popcorn, Skittles, and a hot dog so you bringing those runs home wouldn’t even make his top three favorite things from the game.”

“Why does that not surprise me?” Chris muttered, shaking his head in amusement.

Sam watched as Blake yawned again, knowing he’d be ready to crash soon, and told Chris, “We should probably get home soon, Blake is pretty tired.”

With a short nod and a quick goodbye to a few of his teammates, they headed down the hall to the exit, listening to Blake’s rambles about what games he’d played with the other kids as they strapped him into his carseat. Sam quietly climbed into the passenger seat before Chris got in on the other side and started the car. Her brain felt cluttered, so full of heavy emotions and noisy thoughts that had been filling her head for the past couple days.

She was thankful that Chris was even chattier than normal, reaching his free hand over to rest on her thigh covered in denim and rubbing his thumb softly while he animatedly spoke about the game. She didn’t blame him for being a little more hyped up than normal with how intense the game had been but Sam had barely noticed. There just was too much on her mind.

“Baby?” He asked, his voice lower now that Blake had fallen asleep in the back.

“Hmm? What?” She asked, glancing over at him as the car rolled to a stop at a red light. It’d been a long few days – week really – with Chris having seven games with a couple on the road, along with work for her, all while balancing Blake’s preschool and daycare schedules, and knowing what lay ahead of them until the season ended in the fall. She’d learned to relish the time that Blake and Chris got to have together among the pockets of separation during the season, but it’d only gotten harder on them all as Blake grew older and more aware of Chris’ absence for half of the year.

“...Are you okay?” Chris asked her, his voice nothing but concerned as he looked over at her from the driver’s seat. He shrugged at her silence, his foot pressing down lightly on the gas and his eyes returning to the road as he explained, “You’re kind of quiet.”

“Just tired I guess,” she lied, her voice even as she leaned her head back against the driver’s seat, exhausted from the long day and week.

But Sam saw the look in his eyes as he glanced over at her and she knew that Chris wasn’t buying it. He knew her too well. And he was right in knowing there was more than she was letting on but Chris chose to leave it alone which Sam was thankful for as they finished their drive.

Once they quietly made their way from the building’s garage to their condo, Sam took a still-sleeping Blake from Chris so that she could put the toddler to bed while Dodger and Chris went for a quick walk to the corner and back. The silence in the condo was welcomed as Sam slowly changed Blake out of his shorts and Red Sox jersey and into a pair of pajamas, tucking him into his bed and turning on his nightlight and sound machine before she cracked the door behind her and made her way down the hall and into her and Chris’ room. As she closed the curtains, she could hear the beep of the elevator just before Dodger and Chris made their way into the unit and down the hall, the door shutting behind them once they made it into the bedroom.

Sam had her back to Chris as she pulled on a pair of pajamas, her mind racing still even as she could feel his stare. It was a quiet, slightly tense few minutes, until Chris finally blurted out, “So are you going to tell me what’s going on or just keep acting weird?”

She turned her head as she pulled a pair of loose pants over her hips, brows furrowed as she watched him drop his clothes into their hamper. “What do you mean?” She asked him, jaw set stubbornly. She turned, walked past Chris, and into the bathroom, ignoring his frustrated sigh at her actions as she stood in front of their vanity to wash her face.

“I’m meaning the fact that you’re not acting like yourself at all,” he clarified, brows furrowed as concern took over. His hip leaned against the tall cabinet next to her side of the vanity as she applied her cleanser, insisting, “Something’s obviously going on.”

“Why? What would be going on?”

He shrugged helplessly, hands flying in the air as he told her, “I don’t know, that’s kind of why I’m asking you.”

“Nothing, I’m fine,” she repeated, leaning down to rinse the cleanser off of her skin.

He let out another frustrated sigh, his eyes shutting as he listened to her rebuttal. “Are you ever going to stop being so fuckin’ stubborn and just tell me? Honestly, it would be a lot easier,” He asked her, his emotions flaring momentarily as he pushed himself off the cabinet and stood behind her.

Sam reached for her washcloth, drying off her face. She stared at herself in the mirror as she patted her skin dry, trying to muster the argument that’d postpone this discussion. But she knew there was nothing she could do, especially at this point. “I’m pregnant.” She finally told him, fearful eyes meeting his surprised gaze in the mirror.

His jaw had dropped slightly and his brows were raised, pure shock on his face as he asked, “...You’re pregnant?”

“I just… I don’t know how this happened Chris,” she admitted, arms crossing over herself as she spun around to face him. She leaned against the soapstone countertop as she looked him in the eyes. She felt awful. She knew they’d been careful their entire relationship, but especially since they’d been married to not have any chances outside of when they were actively trying to have Blake, but since then? Pills, regular periods, and absolutely nothing to note. Until the last two weeks. “I’ve not missed any of my birth control.”

His eyes dropped from her for a second before they snapped back up, his voice nervous as he asked, “Are you sure you’re pregnant?”

“Pretty fucking sure,” she all but scoffed. There was a stack of about ten different tests lined up in her drawer, thanks to a CVS run after dropping Blake off at preschool earlier in the week. All positive, without a hint of doubt.

Her hand moved to open the drawer, showing Chris silently. He stood over it, eyes moving from test to test as he thought quietly before he asked, “How long have you known?”

She stared down at the tests, the ten ‘positive’ windows almost mocking her. “A few days,” she admitted.

“Baby… why didn’t you tell me?” He asked, his voice almost disappointed. She brought her eyes up to meet his, tears burning her brown eyes as she stared at Chris. She felt bad, almost as if she was a disappointment to him for a fluke incident, but also that she’d been keeping this from him – in nearly plain sight, if he’d accidentally opened that drawer while looking for extra toothpaste in the last few days – but she couldn’t have put one more thing on him this week. He’d just gotten back from Philadelphia and Atlanta earlier in the week and had such a busy schedule between then and now, while also trying to soak up time with Blake. She hadn’t wanted to distract him, but she should’ve known he’d figure something was up before she was ready to tell the truth.

“Because I didn’t know how,” she confessed, her voice breaking as shame flooded her. “This wasn’t what we were planning on.”

She watched as Chris barely even reacted to those words but she knew they both understood the meaning. They had decided that Blake was it. They’d had their one, amazing, unbelievable child and felt indescribably lucky to be his parents, but didn’t want to tempt fate with another when they were so content with just Blake. And that's always been their philosophy, but life had other plans for them. “How are you feeling about it?” Chris quietly asked her, his voice now worried.

“I honestly don’t even know,” Sam choked out, tears flowing down her cheeks. “I just never thought I wanted kids and then we had Blake and that’s been amazing but I’m just…”

“What, baby?” He murmured, his hands moving to gently unwind her arms from her torso and then grasped her hand. “Just say it. Just tell me.”

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it again. I’m afraid that Blake going well was a fluke and if I have another kid I’ll somehow screw it all up and end up being like my mom,” she finally admitted to him. She felt it was almost selfish to ask for more at this point when Blake was just… everything she never knew life could be like. He woke up everyday with a smile on his face, excited for the day no matter if it meant going to school so Sam could go to the clinic while Chris was on the road, or if it was the rare day that he got to spend at home with both of his parents. It was so rare that he got both of them at this point that it definitely felt unfair to even consider bringing another into the mix, but this still felt like it wasn’t even certain in Sam’s mind. They still had time, there were many conversations and learning curves to be had, and nothing was set in stone yet.

“Samantha Evans, there is not one part of your relationship with Blake that’s a fluke,” Chris sternly told her, his voice firm and strong. “You are an incredible mother because of who you are, not in-spite of it.”

She reached a hand up to rub at her eyes, harshly wiping the tears away as she nervously asked, “But what if I can’t do it again. What if I screw up this kid?”

“Sammy, in the years I’ve known you, I’ve seen you become a mother to Riley and raise him when you were only a kid yourself. Then I got to see you have our Blakey boy and be the best mother I could ever dream of for our son,” he told her with full honesty. Sam almost shrunk under the weight of the praise he was giving her, feeling she didn’t deserve any of it. Riley…. Anyone could’ve raised that boy and he still would’ve turned out the same, would’ve been put on the same path that had led him to be that kind, loving young man who was now a professional in the real world, having grown up in the blink of an eye. He just was a good person.

But with Blake, she felt like she second guessed everything. Bonding at first was a struggle, but soon their biggest issue was everything from the way his swaddles were tied as a baby to the food they fed him to how she fed him, to the activities they did now and if he was learning enough and on track. It was overwhelming and she went to bed each night exhausted and fearful that she still somehow hadn’t done enough for him that day. Chris shrugged, oblivious to the racing thoughts in her mind as he simply told her, “So if you don’t want to have another baby, that’s a different conversation, but if this is only because you think you’re not a good mother, then let me tell you that’s a load of bullshit.”

“I just never expected this. I never expected any of this,” her voice shook with the weight of the admission. “I still feel like the diner girl working until my feet are sore and wondering how I’m going to be able to buy Riley new shoes and when I realize that I’m here with you and have this family with you and Blake and Riley, I guess I just… have a hard time accepting this is my life. I never expected to be this happy.”

“Neither did I, baby,” Chris smiled, his hands moving from her sides to instead rest on the small of her back, gently pulling her just a few inches closer to him. “I think we’ve found in both our lives that the unexpected things have been the best parts of our lives.”

She finally smiled, for the first time since he stepped out of that locker room hours ago. She thought about that statement. He’d come bursting back into her life in the most unexpected way, and everything about their relationship was still unbelievable to her. His career ending and resuming was unexpected, along with the additional World Series pennant that now hung in Fenway. They’d never expected to have kids in the first place, but when they both realized they could do it – and maybe do it well – they decided to try, and Blake changed them for the better. Her life for the last six years had been nothing short of magical, and she knew that as long as Chris was by her side with their boys, they’d be okay. “I think so too,” she admitted to him, her hand lifting to rest on his bare shoulder.

He pursed his lips and arched an eyebrow as he looked down at her, his voice low as he suggested, “Then how about we let this be another unexpected good thing in our lives?”

It was almost funny when Sam thought about it, realizing how the unexpected and unknown seemed to always hold negative things in her younger years. Uncertainty only spelled stress and sleepless nights, but ever since Chris had made his unexpected reappearance in her life, the only things that popped up and surprised her were good and she rested in that truth, knowing that this would be too.

“I want that, Chris,” she spoke, her voice strong and full of certainty. “I want to have this baby if you do.”

“There’s nothing I want more,” he smiled, his eyes twinkling as he pressed his lips to her forehead and took a second to soak in the excitement and gravity of the moment. Her eyes darted to the side, feeling nothing but peace as she looked at the line of pregnancy tests, butterflies in her stomach at the positives. “Baby, this is so fucking exciting. We’re going to get to have another.”

Her hand worked its way into his hair, gently moving through the brown locks as she mused, “I wonder what Blake is going to think of it.”

“You know he’s going to be so happy,” Chris chuckled, pressing his lips to her cheek as his eyes misted over at the mere mention of Blake and the baby. “Can you imagine him as a big brother? I can’t fuckin’ wait to see that.”

But Sam smirked, her nose scrunching as she added, “Let’s hope he’s a better brother than you were to your siblings.”

Chris leaned back, his brows furrowing and a frown on his face while he suspiciously – and innocently – asked her, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

But she simply frowned at him, knowing that he had absolutely no right to argue that statement. It was a perk, and drawback, of having known Chris for nearly their entire lives, she knew all his worst moments from childhood. “I seem to remember that time that you tricked Scott into wetting his pants. Oh and that time that you tried to tell Shanna she was invisible. And then that one time-”

“Okay, okay, I think we know Blake will be a better brother than I was,” Chris conceded, but then looked at her with a smirk and added, “Apparently I’m not all bad though because I somehow managed to score you, even after you hated me at first.”

“Can you blame me? You were an ass,” she laughed, smacking his chest lightly just as his hand moved down to do the same to her rear.

He smirked down at her, but quickly the mischievous – and slightly sexy – expression turned soft as he said, “Hopefully a bit less of one now.”

“I think it’s safe to say you won me over a long time ago,” Sam assured him, watching the way her words swelled confidence in him.

She pulled him closer to her, wrapping herself around him as she finally got the comfort of his touch. She knew this was something they never anticipated, having gone through a variety of safeguards in order to prevent it, but she had never felt so relieved to have Chris. Not only as a friend and comfort, but as a partner to lean on. She knew without a doubt that he wouldn’t hesitate to do anything, not only for her or the young boy, asleep in his little bed down the hall with a stuffed animal tucked in his arms, but also for Riley, across town in his apartment, and everyone else they considered family. And now, also for their newest addition, whose presence was invisible except for the physical symptoms and tests in that drawer that confirmed her suspicions.

But like Chris said, the best things in their lives were the unexpected ones. And this one was their biggest surprise yet.

A/N: One more little Evans baby! Thank you so much for reading and we can't wait to hear your thoughts!

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k-evans-reads · 2 years ago

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Bruised

An On Deck Extension

Summary: An injury scares both Chris and Sam.

Pairing: MLB!Chris Evans X OFC Samantha “Sam” Merrick

Word Count: 3,738

By: @k-evans-writes and @ourfinest-hour

We do NOT give permission for our works to be reuploaded, translated, or reposted on any other site. Our work is our own.

Warnings: None.

Previous | Main Masterlist | On Deck Masterlist

September 2023

Sam followed her patient to the desk, smiling as they met their parent, and Sam told them goodbye before she headed back to her desk. She ignored the faint buzz from her phone, instead glancing at her schedule and seeing her next patient had canceled their appointment. As she began preparing for her next patient at four, her watch vibrated incessantly, and Sam’s brows furrowed as she saw Riley’s name on the notification.

Her brother didn’t even let her say anything before he hurriedly asked, “Are you watching the game?”

“No, today I’m shadowing at work,” she answered, brows furrowing at the urgency in his voice. “Why?”

“Chris is hurt.”

Those three simple words made Sam’s heart drop and it felt like everything stood still for just a moment. This was a call that she always knew could happen, especially with the previous injuries that Chris had, but it was still one that she never hoped she’d get. Tears immediately started burning in her eyes, her brain wanting more information to tell her that he was okay, but almost was afraid to ask in case she found out the opposite.

“What happened?” She asked, a lump in her throat as she sat frozen in front of her computer, eyes avoiding everyone in the clinic. “Do you know if he’s okay?”

Riley was quiet as the sounds of laughing, chatter, and the bustle of people filled the call, then his muffled movement replaced it as the background noise suddenly stopped. A quick glance at the time told Sam he was in between classes across town from the therapy clinic, likely grabbing – if she had to guess – a burrito at the dining hall while he caught some of the game before heading into the next lecture hall. “He was sliding into home and it looks like he caught his foot on the base and it twisted his ankle. He was laying on the field but now they’re carrying him off,” he explained, his voice dropping as she heard cars speed by.

“I’m going to see if I can leave,” Sam decided, reaching under the desk for her bag, thankful she’d been in too much of a rush that morning to take the players and family parking pass out of her bag. “I’ll call you once I talk to Chris.”

When she hung up the phone and turned to walk a few steps down the hall to find her boss, she didn’t know if she had seen the panic in Sam’s eyes or overheard the call, but simply encouraged her to go which had Sam running out of the clinic and climbing in her car as fast as possible. All it took was one rushed phone call with a member of the Red Sox’s staff to have them confirm Riley’s calls, but she was thankful for their assurance that they’d get her to him. It felt like a blur as she sped to the park, not even fully aware of how she got there, but all that mattered to Sam was that she was there and able to rush into the private entrance. She breathed a sigh of relief as a member of security walked her through the depths of the park, through winding hallways and past restricted access doors until they reached the medical room.

The sight of Chris on the table took her breath away, with the way his hair was sticking up every which was, the undershirt that was plastered to his torso, the chain with his wedding band hanging from his neck, and the mess of his lower body – covered in dirt, with the leg of his pants pushed up and a bag of ice wrapped around his right ankle. It hid the scars she knew he hated, but the frustration on his face showed what he was feeling right now. She tutted as she stood in the doorway, eyes roaming over him and his tense frame as she breathed, “Chris, are you alright?”

He all but jumped at the sound of her voice, likely distracted by the shooting pain based on the deep scowl on his face. His head turned on the table, meeting Sam’s worried eyes as he told her, “Baby, I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Riley was watching the game and he called and told me what happened,” she murmured, stepping into the room as the security guard shut the door behind her and made his way back upstairs. She settled on a chair next to him, hand ghosting over his sweaty hair before it grasped his own and asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m not sure yet, the doctor just left to go look at the imaging,” he informed her, nodding his head towards the closed door, where Sam remembered seeing an office across the hall from them.

She was quiet as she squeezed his hand comfortingly, finally asking, “Was it your ankle?”

“Yeah and it fuckin’ hurts,” he muttered, shutting his eyes as his head slipped back on the exam table.

Hearing his admission only made Sam’s heart break even further and her eyes arched in sympathy as she sighed, giving his hand another reassuring squeeze right as the door opened and the doctor came walking in with a folder in his hands. Sam could feel herself holding her breath as the doctor flipped open his folder, ready to deliver the news.

“Is it broken?”

“No, it turned out you have a high ankle sprain,” he told them, Sam breathing a sigh of relief at his words. They could manage that, but as the team doctor kept going she listened. “I’m going to send you home on crutches and have you go to your regular doctor tomorrow with Dean, so they can check out if it did any damage to what already is injured in your achilles.”

Chris frowned, eyes locked on the man as he asked, “How long of a recovery is that?”

“About 10 to 12 weeks,” he informed them, handing Sam a set of orders with a grateful smile.

“Are you fuckin’ kidding me?”

“Honestly Chris, given your past injuries and how you hit that base, I think you should be pretty happy about how lucky you were that this was the worst of it,” the doctor began, arching an eyebrow as he met Chris’ glare.

His hand slipped out of Sam’s as he ran it through his hair in frustration, his voice sharp and angry as he said, “So I’m going to be out the rest of the fucking season.”

“Considering you only have three more weeks, I can assure you that you won’t be ready to play by then,” the doctor confirmed, remorse in his voice. Sam shot him an apologetic look as she rested her hand on Chris’ shoulder, flipping through the papers and scanning them. There were the usual things – the copy of his images for the orthopedist to see, some medications they’d sent to the pharmacy to make the pain easier for him to manage, along with strict instructions to keep weight off of his leg and to elevate it when he could – but she felt her heart break for Chris as she saw, in black text, the repeated confirmation that his first season back was already over.

“Fucking fantastic,” he muttered, practically scoffing.

“I’m going to go get some crutches for you and then you can head out,” the doctor told them, ignoring Chris’ outburst. “But I’ll be putting a call into your doctor to make sure you can be seen tomorrow morning.”

As the doctor headed back out of the room, Sam could practically feel the frustration and anger rolling off of Chris in waves. She knew just how hot headed and combative he could be, especially when it came to baseball and knew there was no use in talking him down at this point. It’d been a year and a half since they’d begun their relationship again, and it was a side of him she hadn’t seen since then.

She followed Chris out of the building as he hobbled to her car on his crutches, dressed in a pair of shorts and a tee shirt from the locker room. He all but pouted as he sat in the passenger seat, the deafening screams from the crowd above them filling the otherwise silent car until they made it out onto the street and headed further into Boston towards the Back Bay until she pulled off at their apartment, heading into the open garage doors as the guard waved them in.

He sulked the entire way up to their apartment, refusing to meet Sam’s eyes and instead stared straight ahead as he wordlessly made his way inside and turned the corner, heading straight down the hall into their room. He closed the door loudly behind him, clearly wanting to be alone for a bit, while Sam all but collapsed on the couch. She closed her eyes as she finally relaxed, for the first time in hours, but the buzz of her watch reminded her that Riley was still in the dark all these hours later, likely having ignored most of his class to refresh Twitter for any updates on Chris.

Ignoring his several texts, she instead called, listening as it only rang once before Riley answered by asking her, “What’s going on? Is Chris okay?”

“More or less,” Sam shrugged, glancing down the hall with a frown as she heard a muffled curse from inside their room. “He has a high ankle sprain so the recovery is a little over two months.”

Riley sighed, quiet before whispering, “At least it’s already almost the end of the season.”

“Try telling that to Chris,” Sam muttered, unable to help herself but vent.

“Is he upset?”

“He’s pissed,” she amended, shaking her head with a sigh. “I don’t know that I’ve hardly ever seen him like this.”

“I can get why with it being his first season back and all,” Riley sympathized, then grew silent. “Maybe I could bring some dinner by the apartment. Do you think that would cheer him up?”

Sam smiled, struck once again by how sweet he was. He’d always been like this, something she had attributed in earlier years as simply being a fluke given the environment he was raised in, but throughout the last year and a half of life being more stable and healthy than it’d ever been, she realized that was just who Riley was, a genuinely good person who rushed to help anyone or anything in need. “I think he’d love that, Riley,” she whispered.

“Okay, I’ll be over soon,” the young man assured her, before hanging up. A quick glance at the clock told Sam it’d likely be an hour before he got there, so she headed to their room to get changed out of her clinic clothes and check on Chris. He was silent the entire time he was in the shower while she took her makeup off at the sink and pulled her hair back into a bun, Dodger wandering in to lay out on the tile floor, but as he got out of the shower he begrudgingly asked for her help with the crutches, towel, and redoing his brace on his aching ankle.

By the time he was situated, her watch buzzed with a text from Riley telling her he was on his way up in the elevator, and she followed a still-moping Chris into the kitchen, helping him into a barstool just as the elevator dinged and Riley stepped into the glass-walled mudroom.

They enjoyed their Shake Shack with little comment from Chris, other than him thanking Riley, handing him some cash to cover dinner, and making some half-hearted comments through Sam and Riley talking about their days. But as Sam and Riley left Chris in the kitchen to head to the elevator so Riley could go back to campus, the eighteen year old shot her a look once they were out of Chris’ eyesight.

“You weren’t kidding, he really is angry,” he muttered, a frown on his face as he pressed the call button for the elevator.

“Don’t take it personally Riley, he’s just upset about his ankle. It was so sweet of you to bring dinner by,” Sam assured and thanked him, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. “You still spending the weekend here?”

“Yeah I think so,” Riley nodded, before he shook his head and huffed out a laugh. “Although if Chris is still like this maybe I’d rather stay in my dorm.”

“If Chris is still like this by the weekend I think I’m going to want to come stay in your dorm too,” Sam muttered playfully. Riley’s short laughter made her smile as well, and she hugged her little brother tightly before he stepped into the waiting elevator, yelling out a promise to text her once he was back in his dorm later.

As the elevator doors slid shut, she turned and headed around the corner of the mudroom into the open living space, eyes widening as she saw Chris standing in front of the refrigerator. “What the hell are you doing?” She demanded, rushing to grab his crutches from where he left them at the island barstool, scowling at Chris.

“Getting something to drink,” he petulantly told her, refusing to meet her eyes as she continued to all but shove the crutches at him.

“That’s not what I mean and you know it,” she bit out, giving him a look until he rolled his eyes and shoved the crutches under his arms. “Why the fuck are you putting weight on your ankle?”

“It’s just to the fridge,” he muttered, ignoring her eyes as he hobbled over to the living room, stopping to pat Dodger’s head as he walked by to go lay in the dog bed in the corner of the room.

She rolled her own eyes as she watched him, following and telling him, “I could have gotten the water for you.”

“I’m not some fuckin’ invalid, Sam,” Chris bit out, turning and meeting her gaze, his own eyes furious.

“Did you seriously not just sit in that room with me and hear the doctor say not to put any weight on your ankle?” She scoffed, her hands flying in the air as she shook her head. “You’ve fucked up your ankle bad enough before and now you’re going to just add more damage to it?”

“You think I don’t fucking know what’s happened to my ankle?!” He yelled as his cheeks flushed. “I took care of myself before when I was a helluva lot worse than this and I don’t need you breathing down my fuckin’ neck like I’m a baby.”

Her arms crossed over her chest as she watched Chris practically scream at her, unable to get over his immaturity and own stupidity as she pointed out, with a raised voice as well, “Well you’re certainly acting like one.”

“Don’t fucking boss me around.”

She scoffed, raising an eyebrow and biting, “I hate to break this to you, but I kind of give a shit if my husband can walk again.”

“Why don’t you just say it. Just fucking say it Sam,” he demanded, voice raising again as he hobbled closer to her.

“Say what?”

“I should have never fucking played again,” Chris spat as he pointed a finger at her.

“Chris, I never said that!” Sam yelled incredulously at how he was putting words in her mouth, her hands motioning as she reminded loudly, “I’m the one who told you that you should play again!”

“But you’re thinking it now. You’re thinking that this proves that I’m a fucking joke out there on the field and shouldn’t have ever come back!” His booming voice yelled.

But when Sam heard those words, the room fell quiet. They just stood there looking at one another, both of their faces flushed and anger written on every bit of Chris’ face. Sam just crossed her arms, her voice returning back to its normal volume as she finally spoke, “...I think the only one who’s thinking that is you, Chris.”

She watched as his face fell suddenly and frustrated, embarrassed tears filled his eyes as his gaze broke from hers. It was as if a wall crashed down inside of him, his greatest insecurity pinpointed by his own wife. But she never thought that of him, never thought of anything except pure admiration and respect while she watched him on that diamond every game. He was a hero to many, but especially to Sam and Riley. And to know Chris thought so negatively of himself that he imagined she, his own wife, thought he was a joke broke Sam too.

Without a single word, Sam just wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling herself against his body and holding him close to say everything she needed to with that one touch. She felt his hand slide around her back as he hugged her right back while balancing on the crutches, his forehead coming to rest on her shoulder as his defenses finally came down and she felt a few tears soak into her tee shirt.

She could feel him melting in her arms, all the tension and anger seeming to just slip out of him as Sam held him in that living room. It wasn’t until her worry about his ankle got too great that she finally let go of him and gently guided him to the sit down on the couch while she curled up next to him, turning her body so she could run a hand along the side of his face, wiping away a few stray tears along her way.

“The only thing I think about you going back to play is how proud I am of you,” she murmured, staring into his eyes seriously. When he tried to glance away as tears continued filling them, she gently guided his face back. “I mean it Chris. You had a career ending injury and you came back. You worked your ass off to be able to play again and play well. The last thing you are is a joke.”

He shrugged as he pursed his lips, whispering, “I just feel like me getting hurt tonight shows that I shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Why? Because your foot got caught and it sprained your ankle? How is that your fault?” Sam asked with a raised brow. She couldn’t help but think back to the previous year, when Chris had called her at the diner and told her a similar situation had occurred with Riley. And Chris’ words, the assurances to Riley that it wasn’t the boy’s fault, that it was a fluke, echoed in her mind, and she wished it would’ve stuck in her husband’s as well.

“I don’t know… it just…I don’t know,” he shrugged as he sighed.

“Exactly, you don’t know. Because there’s nothing to know,” she told him with a firm voice. “It was just an injury and happens to a lot of players.”

“I don’t even get to finish the season though,” he whispered, his sad eyes finally locking on her own again.

“I know, Chris and I’m sorry you can’t,” she told him honestly while her thumb rubbed along his cheek. “But at least this happened at the end of the season because you’ll be able to come back next season healed up and ready for your second season back.”

He nodded before he sighed, admitting, “I’m just disappointed.”

“That’s okay,” she assured him, then dropped her hand from his face and watched as he gently guided his ankle to rest on the coffee table. “But next time just tell me that instead of taking it out on me, okay?”

Chris nodded, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “I’m sorry baby, I shouldn’t have done that and I’m sorry,” he apologized, his hand coming to grasp her own and rest on her thigh.

“I forgive you,” she smiled, squeezing his hand before she smirked. “But I won’t forgive you if I find you up without your crutches again.”

Chris nodded, assuring her, “I know you won’t.”

“Last time you were hurt you were on your own and I’m sure you did fine taking care of yourself,” Sam began delicately, pausing as she gathered her thoughts. “But this time you don’t have to. I want to help you because I love you, Chris. Not because I think you aren’t capable.”

“I love you too, baby,” he whispered, leaning over and pressing his lips to hers softly. “And I really am sorry for what I said. I promise I’ll do better at asking for help.”

“You better, because you suck at it right now,” Sam chuckled, biting her lip as she watched him laugh.

“Well I mean if you want me to ask for help, I can certainly think of some things I could use your help with,” Chris smirked as he arched an eyebrow and turned his head to look at her.

But she patted his firm chest, feeling the ring-less chain that rested underneath his shirt as she told him, “Sorry buddy but you’re not getting in my pants after that outburst.”

“You said you forgave me though, and that you wanted to help me,” Chris laughed, shrugging innocently. “I am just practicing asking for help.”

“Well you can ask all you want but it doesn’t mean I’m giving it to you,” she drawled, kicking off her slippers as she tucked her feet under herself and settled against the fluffy cushions of the sectional. “Besides, I can’t take advantage of you while you’re on painkillers.”

Sam smiled widely when she heard his loud laughter echo before he leaned in to kiss her softly before they settled in on the couch, curling into one another as they turned on a show. She found her mind drifting as they watched the screen, Sam focusing more on the intense love that was settled in her heart. Sam was no stranger to conflict, having gone through more of her fair share of it in life, but with Chris it was so much different. She knew that no matter what they went through, how angry they got, or what harsh words they said to one another, at the end of the day they’d always end up like this, fully connected and still in love no matter what.

A/N: We love Chris and Sammy so much! If you guys want to see anything specifically from them, let us know and we'll take it into consideration!

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