𝐱𝐢𝐢.

Hope was in town for the first time in months, and Faith was ecstatic about it—mainly because she knew that her big sister could help temper her emotions when they were getting out of control. And such was the case right now, even though Faith wished it wasn't.

The issue at hand was this: the Oscars were a week away, the hype was reaching a fever pitch, and where excitement would be for Faith was instead replaced with an intense amount of dread. The source of that dread was a series of videos captured and posted by TMZ two nights prior, featuring none other than Chris himself at a club—with Ana of all people. And they certainly weren't baking cookies.

It wasn't anything obscene, but for two people who weren't supposed to have been dating, their lips were finding each other often. It gave her a knot in the pit of her stomach that wouldn't go away.

Faith had hoped—prayed, really—that her little never say never line during the GMA interview would've spurred Chris to some sort of action. Maybe even a confession. And, sure, theoretically it would've been far simpler for her to just get herself together and tell him how she felt—but putting herself out there in a vulnerable way after Derek, Chris or no Chris, was still a challenge.

"Faith, oh my God. Will you turn that video off? You're gonna make yourself sick," Hope grabbed the phone from Faith's hand before she could say anything, a frown etched across her features. "You need to just talk to him, for God's sake."

"And say what? 'Hey, I know I'm the one who said  to ask Ana out, and now that you guys are apparently dating, I'm mad about it because I like you'?"

"I mean, I'd be a little briefer myself, but yes." Hope deadpanned. She slid onto a stool at the kitchen counter while Faith went to work on making them some breakfast. "Y'all have spent all this time with each other, and everybody's assumed you're together, but you're not. He's single, Ana's his co-star; to be honest, it could be promo for their movie. Either way, you're both stupid for not being upfront."

"Wow, you sure know how to make me feel better..." Faith mumbled, putting a few slices of bread into the toaster.

"I'm just saying you're acting like this is some huge betrayal when neither of you have told the other how you feel. You think he's going to wait around forever for you?"

The younger Beaumont huffed out a sigh, somewhat angrily turning over a piece of bacon. "No, but it's the way he acts around me—the pet names, the hand holding and all that. It's like he's saying it without saying it."

"Says the girl who's still got '@chrisevans' future wife' in her Twitter bio even after they met."

Even though Faith was frustrated, she knew it wasn't wise to take that out on Hope. Especially when she was telling the truth. "Okay, okay. I get it. But that doesn't mean I can't still be upset about it."

"Of course not," Hope replied. "You can be as upset as you want to be as far as I'm concerned. But what are you going to actually do about it?"

The first thing that came to Faith's mind was to just leave things alone. If Chris wanted to date Ana, he could.

But that would also mean giving up, and their mother didn't raise quitters. So, she steeled her shoulders and said, "I'm going to fight for him."

"Atta girl. Feels like we just stepped into a nineties Julia Roberts romcom, but that's better than you go around sulking." Their giggles at that comment broke some of the tension in the room.

Hope made the move to give Faith back her phone, but the video of Chris and Ana was still on loop, and she took a curious glance, as she hadn't yet seen it. "This is what you've been worrying about?"

As Faith turned off the stove and went to the cabinet to grab plates, she sighed. "Am I missing something?"

"First of all, most of these people at TMZ can't even film without it looking like a 3rd grade dance recital. Second, come look at this part again."

She groaned. "I think I've seen it enough."

"Just come look!" Hope insisted. Faith reluctantly came over to her side of the counter and peered over her sister's shoulder. "Hold up, let me rewind. Okay, now look. She's the one doing all the work! She kisses him, he pulls back, and she has to pull him back in again. Man looked like he'd rather be watching paint dry."

Faith admittedly hadn't given much thought into it, although it didn't do much in the way of relieving her dread, or for that matter, her jealousy. "Maybe. But he didn't exactly run away either."

"I'm just saying when you talk to him—and you better do it before the Oscars because the last thing you need is that on your mind the whole night—is give him the benefit of the doubt. He may not have even wanted to be there in the first place."

Between the two of them, Hope was more optimistic depending on the situation. Faith knew in her heart of hearts that Chris would never intentionally hurt her. So, what she needed now more than ever was to hash this out sooner rather than later.

Because the last thing she wanted was to possibly lose him for good.

• • • •

February 16

The Oscars were in two days, and Chris hadn't spoken with Faith in what felt like forever. He told himself that it was likely because of her new job at ESPN—things were often unexpectedly demanding for a new hire. Yet in the back of his mind, he knew it was because of the video that had surfaced over the weekend of him and Ana.

Speaking of, she'd been practically incessant with contacting him since that night, and it was easy for him to ignore her texts rather than to deal with Faith possibly ignoring him. The whole situation was a mess, and Chris wasn't able to put a lid on it from a public relations perspective before the entertainment outlets went off to the races.

He wished he hadn't even agreed to hang out with Ana when she'd asked. Being nice wasn't the issue, it was people taking advantage of his kindness that Chris struggled with over the years.

Like he'd told Scott, the kiss had been initiated by Ana—he supposed he should've seen it coming. But either way, he'd broken it first and wasn't all that enthusiastic about subsequent attempts.

Chris sighed as he checked his watch. He needed to take Dodger for a walk before the morning was over, plus make sure everything was locked down and secure before the flight to Los Angeles tomorrow. They were having him come in early since he was presenting one of the awards and wanted everyone there for a ceremony run through. He was determined not to stress out about the situation with Faith—but still he made sure to shoot her a text before leaving the house to check up on her.

Instead of choosing the usual route with Dodger, Chris decided to go to a different spot in the neighborhood where there were restaurants, cafés, and a dog park. After twenty or so minutes he headed over to Starbucks for something to drink. They didn't allow pets inside, so he quickly tied Dodger's leash to a nearby bike rack and reassured him he'd be back before he knew it.

Once inside, Chris tried to keep as low a profile as possible. Although most of the employees here knew he frequented the location, you could never be too sure. He got to the counter and ordered his usual, paid and then made the move to step over to where a line was forming at the pickup counter—but not before someone bumped into him.

"Whoa, my bad–" He started to apologize, but stopped short when he realized it was Faith standing there. Talk about popping up unexpectedly. "Oh. Hi."

She gave him a halfhearted wave, plus a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Hey. They just called my name, so..."

Faith made the move to maneuver around him, but he stepped in her path. "Do you think maybe we could grab a table together outside? I've got Dodge with me. I was thinking maybe we could talk."

She looked hesitant. "I don't know...I have so much I need to do, and I haven't even finished packing for the airport yet–"

Chris could feel his resolve weakening. "Faith...seriously? You won't talk to me?"

At last, she relented. "Let me grab my drink. But I can't sit for long."

Chris felt a sense of relief wash over him like a wave. He knew that if they were ever going to get this resolved, it had to be right here, right now. He couldn't lose her—wouldn't even allow the thought to cross his mind.

A few minutes later, they were sitting at one of the only open tables outside, sipping on their drinks, Dodger resting comfortably at his feet. "So, um...I know we weren't expecting to see each other today, but I really wanted to talk. Have you been ignoring me? Because I'm sure you saw the video of me and Ana, and I just wanted to–"

"I'm not ignoring you," she interjected quickly, "Things have just been really busy lately."

It was a logical enough response. Yet and still, he wished it was that easy for him to believe. "I get it. I just thought that maybe you were upset."

She took a sip of her coffee. "I'm not. I mean, I'm the one who said you should ask her out, after all."

"But I didn't. I mean, we aren't together or anything like that."

Faith heaved a sigh. "You know, Hope and I were talking earlier this morning, and she made me realize that you and I keep doing the same thing."

"What thing?"

"This thing where something like this happens, and you take it upon yourself to reassure me that you're not dating someone. Why is that?"

He found himself at a loss for words. "I guess it's because..."

As he trailed off, Chris quickly realized what she was doing: giving him an opening to be upfront. It caught him off guard to say the least and forced him to reckon with his own thoughts and feelings more quickly than he would have preferred.

When he remained quiet, she continued, "I said it before, we're two single people who happen to be very close friends. If I started dating one of my co-workers, that wouldn't matter to you, right?" The question hung in the air, like a sock to the jaw.

Faith stood and he followed suit, Dodger trailing at his side. "Unless of course, it would matter. And the only way it would matter is if..."

For God's sake, why couldn't he say it? Why was it like someone had taped his mouth shut?

Voice barely above a whisper, he said, "...Is if I had feelings for you."

A single nod from her. "Do you?"

Two words. Two words punctuated against a frosty, February chill in Boston's afternoon air. Two words that traveled through his ears and right to the center of his chest, like a bolt of lightning.

It was time to stop messing around. It was time to be braver than he'd been in a long time. If he didn't do it now, he wouldn't have the courage to do it at all.

"Faith, I..."

Just then, her phone began to ring. Chris hadn't even realized how close they were in proximity until she answered the call and stepped a little bit away to hold the conversation.

His heart hammered against his ribcage. Once a moment passed, it was hard to get it back. When Faith walked back over to him, he tried to hold on to what little optimism remained. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, but I need to go. That was my boss, I forgot to square away a few things at the office before my flight leaves tomorrow."

He faked a smile. "No worries. Duty calls, right?"

She nodded, pulling her coat tighter around her frame. "So, I'll see you tomorrow night, yeah? After all the dress rehearsals and stuff?"

"You know it," He replied.

Faith waved goodbye and headed in the opposite direction, just barely making eye contact. Not even a hug? So much for optimism.

As she disappeared from his line of sight, Chris felt the knot in his stomach get tighter. He'd missed his chance.

• • • •

February 18

Los Angeles, CA

As the limousine pulled up in front of the press area at the Dolby Theater, Faith for the first time felt like she truly knew the definition of what it meant to be a star in Hollywood. It was both fascinating and overwhelming at the same time. While she peered out of the window, a group of people dressed to the nines hurried past while flanked by security, one of them being Ava DuVernay. Faith almost screamed from excitement. "Oh my God, this is amazing. I might not make it through the night."

Beside her, Chris chuckled. "Well, you'd better. I'm not wasting an opportunity to show you off to everybody."

Faith smiled. The vibes between them had been...different to say the least over the past couple of days. Their talk at Starbucks being interrupted had her wondering just what he was going to say had her boss not called in that moment. Truth was, she was readying herself for rejection. Or really, a denial of what she thought were his burgeoning romantic feelings for her. It'd been a long time since she wanted to internalize the words Derek had spewed at her so long ago, but it was tempting after this turn of events. Maybe they weren't meant to be anything other than friends.

But the bottom line was, even amidst the awkwardness they'd both silently vowed not to dredge up anything on Oscar night and just focus on the magic of the moment. They'd waited so long to get here, and Faith wasn't going to let herself be bogged down by what ifs. Even though she knew Hope would be her usual blunt self and tell her to just get things resolved immediately, Faith wasn't like that—and felt maybe it was better to leave things as they were in the meanwhile.

A knock on the rear side window alerted them that it was time to exit the vehicle and start down the carpet. A rush of nervousness went through Faith in that moment, but right on cue, Chris reached for her hand and squeezed it. "You're gonna be fine. Just follow my lead, alright?"

She nodded, determined to make it through one of the biggest moments of her life, one that they'd both waited on for what seemed like an eternity. It was time.

A beefy security guard opened the door for Faith and helped her step out. After thanking him, she smoothed out the wrinkles in her gown—it was elegant, yet not too flashy; a deep magenta color that accentuated her glowing skin perfectly. Chris had just about swooned when he first saw her in it when the limo came to pick her up from their hotel.

His arm looped through hers, looking dapper in his black tux and bow tie. Eyes sweeping over her, he grinned. "I've got the most beautiful date tonight, hands down."

Her cheeks grew warm. "I could say the same for you."

Handlers directed them to the correct holding area, and as they waited, Faith soaked in a scene she'd normally be viewing on the couch at home on TV. The row of photographers was almost unfathomable unless you were seeing it up close. Hundreds with flash bulbs going off and the photogs themselves yelling out various things to capture the perfect shot.

Nerve-wracking to say the least. She let out a soft sigh and turned to look at Chris. "You do this so often, I'm sure you still get a little nervous..."

"Oh, absolutely." Chris answered as they inched forward a bit in the queue. "Thankfully this part is quick because they're trying to get everybody in and out in time to get seated."

"Next!" A nearby voice shouted.

This was it. Sucking in a deep breath. she and Chris began to walk forward. It barely took a second after the front of her foot hit the red carpet that the cameras started to click. They held their positions in front of the backdrop, movements somewhat in sync. Faith was having trouble adjusting, though, so she leaned toward him to ask, "Where exactly am I looking?"

"Always try and aim your gaze for center row," He responded, voice low and warm in her ear.

She nodded, doing as he instructed and finally feeling somewhat comfortable. But maybe that had more to do with his hand resting on the small of her back more than anything else.

And just like that, they were being beckoned to go forward and keep things moving. Faith felt exhilarated, breaking out into a huge grin. "Wow, that wasn't so bad."

Chris chuckled. "See? I told you."

• • • •

E! NEWS OSCARS EXCLUSIVE: SEE CHRIS EVANS AND HIS BEAUTIFUL DATE FAITH BEAUMONT ON THE RED CARPET

The Academy Awards are upon us once again, and as usual everyone is talking about the greatest red carpet looks a mere hour before things kick off! As some of you already know, ESPN writer Faith Beaumont and Chris Evans have the most adorable friendship in the world—and their first red carpet appearance didn't disappoint!

Talk about adorable! Chris is set to present two awards tonight, and we hope that Faith's first Oscars ceremony lived up to the hype. To see more red carpet photos, click here.

• • • •

The ceremony went by faster in person than it did at home, but Faith wasn't complaining. She and Chris were seated on the second row nearest the front, a little bit down from where a couple of nominees for Best Actor and their guests were seated. She'd taken several opportunities during commercial breaks to get selfies with and meet some of her favorite celebrities, and with each one it felt like cloud nine. It was also fun to see Chris in his element, socializing and chatting with a few of his friends or co-stars.

"You alright?" Chris asked as he sat back down. "You know, we don't have to stay for the whole thing if you don't want to. A lot of people cut out early to go to the Vanity Fair party anyways."

"I'm fine with whatever," Faith answered as people quickly got the new setup onstage before it was time to go live again. "But I am getting a bit hungry."

"You wanna get some snacks from the foyer? They're serving drinks too."

"Ooh, yes please." She stood and followed his lead out into the lobby. She tried not to look starstruck, but when there were so many of Hollywood's best walking past or saying hello, it was easier said than done.

"You handle snacks and I'll get us something to drink?" He asked, and she nodded as they split off in opposite directions. Faith went for the first area she saw that didn't have a ton of people. In fact, there was only one woman already there, dressed in a long blue gown and sipping a martini.

Grabbing her wallet, Faith took a look at the menu once she got to the counter. They had sandwiches, pastries, and bagged snacks. She figured that if they were going to get food afterwards, they didn't need to fill up. "Hi, could I get two chocolate chip cookies and a bag of cool ranch Doritos?"

The man behind the counter nodded and bent down to retrieve the items. It was then that the woman who'd already been standing there turned to Faith and said, "Cool ranch, huh? I prefer nacho myself."

Faith turned and prepared to respond, then froze.

It was Ana.

Instead of looking as frazzled as she felt, the beautiful Cuban woman smiled confidently at her and extended a hand. "You're Faith, right? Chris has told me a lot about you."

Just be cordial and keep it pushing. With reluctance, she shook her hand and dropped it shortly thereafter. "Yeah, that's right. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise! How are you enjoying your first Oscars?"

As Faith paid for the items, she put on her best professional smile. "It's been really nice so far! Everything is so different when you're watching it on TV, but I'd have to say I prefer it up close."

"I totally get it, this is only my second one." Ana took a casual sip of her drink and then cleared her throat. "So, I'm sure you found that video from a couple weeks ago pretty interesting, hmm?"

Oh, hell no. Faith swallowed hard to maintain her composure. "Excuse me?"

"It must suck, seeing the man you're so obviously in love with being into someone else, am I right?" She laughed, and it was like nails on a chalkboard. "I mean, I'd certainly hate to be in that position. It makes sense, though; Chris and I are co-stars and are going to be spending a lot of time together on the press tour in a few months. Dating is the most logical next step for us."

Faith was clutching the cookies so hard she was surprised they weren't crumbs. "I'm pretty sure what you and Chris do in your personal lives has nothing to do with me. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go back to my seat–"

Ana leaned closer and dropped her voice to a volume only she could hear. "Just remember, Faith—Chris could have his pick of any woman he wanted, especially if she's famous. It may take him a minute, but he'll choose me. And you were never going to be an option."

It felt like a punch to the gut. Like Derek all over again.

A lump rose in her throat, and all she could do was run.

• • • •

Chris's heart lurched as he saw Faith hurriedly weaving her way through throngs of people and toward the nearest exit. He set his champagne flute down on a random table and started to follow her, only for Ana to intercept him. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"What did you say to her?" He ignored the question, anger rising in his chest.

Ana gave a nonchalant shrug. "Nothing she didn't already know."

He wasn't going to cause a scene, but Chris knew she'd gone far enough. His voice was low, almost threatening. "I'm only going to say this once, so listen good: any ideas you have about me ever wanting to be with you ends tonight. The minute you disrespect her, you're disrespecting me. Outside of the press tour, you and me, we don't even go out for coffee. Do I make myself clear?"

Ana's face hardened as though she was going to rebut, then she shook her head in understanding. "Loud and clear."

With that he pushed past her and went in the direction that Faith had, heart pounding. This wasn't how their night was supposed to go.

The cool evening air hit his face as Chris stepped outside. It didn't take very long to find her; she was the only woman dressed in magenta currently crying underneath a sliver of moonlight.

Shoving a hand in his pocket, he approached her. She didn't notice him right away, so he said in a soft voice, "You know I hate seeing you cry."

Faith glanced at him for a second, sniffling, then looked away while dabbing at the corners of her eyes to dry her tears. "I'm ready to go home."

He sighed. "Faith, what happened back there?"

The hurt in her eyes was unmistakable as she finally looked at him, and he wanted nothing more than to take every ounce of it away. "I'm not a part of any of this. This," She gestured to their surroundings with one hand. "None of this is me, Chris. The fame, the glamor, all of that. I don't fit. I'm just a sportswriter, for God's sake. And I got swept up in this fantasy world where I actually believed you could want to be with me and now, I'm realizing that was stupid."

"It's not a fantasy. Hollywood is way over the top up close. And I know I've got a ton of experience here and you don't." Swallowing thickly, he said the words he'd been unable to a few weeks prior. "But none of that negates how I feel about you, Faith."

"It's not just that," She mumbled. "Ana said some things that messed with my head. But the more I think about it, the more I realize she was right."

"Look, whatever she said is just her feeling threatened, and you know that. You shouldn't pay any attention to her."

She let out a humorless laugh. "The thing is, I know she was just trying to get under my skin. But she said you could have the pick of any woman you wanted whether she was in Hollywood or not. And you should, you know?"

"Yeah, I do know. And I did make my pick." He dared himself to move closer. "It's you. Nothing else makes sense."

She lowered her head, unbelieving, but he slowly tipped her chin back up to meet his eyes once more. "Come on, Chris. I'm not the girl you want."

Chris tenderly traced his fingertips along the curve of her jaw. "How about you let me be the judge of that?"

Without another second more of hesitation, he cupped her cheeks and leaned in, kissing her deeply, fully, a thrill coursing through his veins unlike anything he'd ever felt. In all the times he'd imagined this moment, it paled in comparison to the real thing. She pulled him closer by the lapels of his jacket, returning the embrace in kind.

Oh, how full his heart was. And he knew he wouldn't trade it for all the gold statues in the world.

• • • •

BEAUVANS IS CANON, LET THAT SINK IN!!!

manip done by shangchis :)