𝐱𝐯𝐢.

"Dear God in Heaven, how on earth can one person have all this stuff?" Chris wondered aloud as he pushed yet another cardboard box towards the front door of what was soon to be Faith's old apartment. "I feel like I'm decluttering a museum."

"Hey, I heard that!" His girlfriend shouted from the kitchen where'd she'd just finished packing up the silverware, plates and cups.

"Wasn't exactly trying to hide it, babe." Chris called back as he stood to his full height.

Seconds later, Faith had darted into the living room and started tickling his stomach, playfully telling him to shut up. After a series of uncontrollable giggles, he gently grabbed her by the wrists to make it stop. "Okay, okay, sorry. Geez, now I know not to come between you and your stuff."

"Exactly, that's how we learn." She pecked his cheek and started to walk away, but Chris snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her into him, with her back against his front. "And just what do you think you're doing?"

"Takin' a break," He murmured, sweeping a few of her locs back and planting gentle kisses along her shoulder blade, eventually trailing a path to the back of her neck.

"Moving boxes makes you horny? I gotta remember that for next time."

Chris chuckled against her skin, lifting his head up slightly. "You're just full of jokes today, aren't you?"

Faith wriggled her way out of his grasp, but not before pressing a tender kiss to his lips. "Yep, and don't you just love me for it?"

It struck him in that very moment—that he did, in fact, love her—but the timing wasn't right for those three words just yet. So he simply waved off her comment with a half smile and a roll of his eyes, if only to calm the thundering inside his ribcage that his heart was currently experiencing.

Of course he loved Faith. Nothing else made sense; and there was certainly no one else for him to even consider. She was his person, the one he wanted to settle down with, the one he'd want to start a family with someday.

It was a startling realization, sure—but also one that brought him an unspeakable amount of warmth right in the center of his chest. He knew when the time was right, it would happen.

Once evening had fallen, Faith made a call to the movers she'd hired from U-Haul for them to pack the truck and follow them to his apartment complex. It was somewhat of a hassle time wise, but he'd suggested doing everything at night to avoid the risk of paparazzi hounding them. If the media found out, Chris knew it'd be almost impossible for them to capture any decent pictures in the dark.

Chris was excited about this newest chapter for them both. Given the trajectory of their relationship, it made sense at this stage. He hoped it equaled even bigger moves for them going forward.

They'd decided to grab some takeout for dinner from their favorite Chinese place right across the street from his—no, their—apartment, and were settled in comfortably to watch the Celtics against the Pacers in game five.

"Think the boys close out the series tonight?" He asked while taking a swig of his beer.

"Yeah, I think so," Faith responded. When she thought he wasn't looking, she swiped one of his crab wontons. "God, it feels so weird to not be working right now."

"I'm sure. But at least you're not up at five am trying to meet a deadline, right?"

"True, that's a definite plus." As the primetime coverage went to break, a commercial for Avengers: Endgame came on, the first that Chris could recall having seen. Faith, too, obviously, for she immediately grabbed her phone and started recording video. "Oh my God, it's the event of a lifetime onscreen right now. Nothing will top this."

When she aimed her iPhone in his direction, he couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped his lips. "Go see the movie, everybody! April 26th!"

Faith panned the camera back to the TV just as a scene with Steve came on. She let out an excited squeal. "Hell yeah, there's my baby! Shoulda kept the beard, but it's okay."

"Oh, so now we know how you really feel. The truth comes out," He teased, giving her a playful shove of the shoulder.

Faith giggled, then stopped the recording once the trailer ended. "Hey, did I lie though? Nomad Steve was a religious experience for many people, and a lot of people's hearts are broken right now."

"So, what you're saying is that you're only dating me because of my beard, is that it?"

Faith leaned over a few couch pillows, pulling him forward gently by the chin for a soft kiss. "Oh, come on. Don't be like that. You know I love you no matter what. Just please don't grow a mustache. That's something I don't think I can handle."

"I didn't know that, actually," Chris murmured softly, heart threatening to leap out of his chest. "That you love me, that is."

She froze, finally seeming to realize what she'd just said. "Oh, crap. Did I really?"

A slow smile spread across his lips, warmth spreading from the top of his head all the way down to the tips of his toes. "You did. But don't take it back, though, because I love you too."

Faith's eyes got misty, exhaling out a breathy laugh. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," He kissed her then, a bit firmer than the one she'd given him moments before. "So, so much."

"This isn't really how I imagined it going, to be honest." She said with a laugh. "I mean we've got a bunch of takeout containers in front of us, and the Pacers are about to get their butts kicked?"

Chris moved aside a few locs that had fallen in front of her face with the tenderest of touches. "Gotta say, it's probably not the stuff of romance novels. But I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."

Their surroundings forgotten, Faith climbed onto Chris' lap and kissed him deeply, hands on either side of his face. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer if their bodies would allow, the friction between them building more and more by the second.

This was heaven, as far as he was concerned. And Chris never wanted to leave.

• • • •

sorry this was a little short, but i hope you guys enjoyed :)

thanks so much for 22k! <3