Burbank was where Chris took Denise after breakfast at the cute little corner bistro she loved so much. A tour of Marvel Studios was given, and introductions were held with a few known veterans of the industry she was zealous to be apart of. Chris even managed to get Denise a quick five minutes with the very busy Kevin Fiege. She had to chat with him while he was on the move from meeting to meeting, but she was still incredibly grateful for the opportunity. In the short five minutes, she successfully proved how passionate she was and was offered a proper meeting as soon as she graduated. The second she thought Kevin was out of earshot, she squealed and jumped excitedly, drawing smiles from both Chris and Kevin.

It was that particular reaction that explained why Chris Evans would go through so much trouble for a girl people told Kevin was, "just a fan he met at an airport." Denise was sweet and humble and passionate, and Kevin wouldn't be surprised if months later he'd heard Chris ended up dating her. The chemistry between them was incandescent. He didn't need the sense of sight to see the way Chris looked at Denise, it could be felt. It was subtle, but it was undeniably a look of love.

Love.

A strange concept: love. It could either be the simplest of things, or the most complicated. Unfortunately for them, it was the latter. Neither wanted to admit anything, due to fear of getting hurt. That was the thing about love, despite how wonderful it could make a person feel- there was also the chance of it ruining an entire being. A wrong move, a poorly chosen word, bad timing- all of these were factors capable of tearing a soul into pieces.

Chris couldn't do that to Denise, he couldn't take away that light she carried; a light of hope and excitement for life and love. She was the girl who still believed she could meet the love of her life in a coffee shop, and in love at first sight. She was the girl who hated the idea of casual dating. She was a hopeless romantic, who thought love was just like the movies. Denise had an incredibly innocent heart Chris wanted to both force his way into, but also meticulously protect. He wanted her to have a lifetime of happiness and he wasn't yet sure if he could provide that for her. But God, he was starting to realize she was a girl he wasn't going to get over easily. If he found out tomorrow she was going on a date with another man, he'd both be ecstatic and heartbroken.

Chris took his eyes off the road for a brief second to throw a glance Denise's way. It'd been fifteen minutes since she got into the car, but she was still smiling at the pass hanging around her neck. He'd made it himself. It had both her name and the phrase "VIP - Chris Evans' Very Important Person" on it. She looked over at him as he turned back to the road, smiling when she saw him smile. She still couldn't believe her luck; it'd been exactly thirty-eight days since she met Chris and she was still living in a daze. Every morning, she'd wake with a smile on her face- not because of the 'good morning' texts he'd sent her, but because she woke knowing she had him in her life. It was a joyous feeling, one she hoped she'd never have to give up.

"Thank you for today, Chris." Denise told Chris, smiling. He glanced at her and smiled back, nodding in acknowledgement. "You're right about it being worth my time, I couldn't imagine spending today any other way. This has just been an absolute dream come true, honestly-" she cut herself off, chuckling, "you're the best, the absolute best."

"It's not over yet," he threw another smile her way. "We've still got one more stop before we call it a day, and um-" he pulled his car to a stop; she looked out and saw the Dolby Theatre. "You might want to do a quick costume change." He told her then got out of the car before she could question him further. "C'mon," he called as he knocked on the back windshield.

She got out of the car and a gasp escaped her when she saw him hold up two dress bags. One held the navy blue tux he'd worn once before at a previous award show, and the other held the champagne chiffon gown she'd worn at her high school prom. "Where did you get that?" She laughed, taking the bag from him. "Did you break into my room while I was sleeping?"

"No, I didn't," he chuckled. "But I should let you know that I would've if Luca didn't offer her services." He informed her with a cheeky smile. Her smile reached her eyes as she shook her head, trying to stop herself from laughing. "I'm glad she's a fan, the things I'd have to do myself if she weren't." He joked and she burst into a new fit of laughter.

Luca had been Denise's best friend for as long as she could remember, she was the one person who'd been with Denise through everything. Their friendship started on the first day of kindergarten and continued through to grade school, high school, and now college. They weren't even best friends anymore, they were family which was why Luca felt obligated to help Denise with her pursuit of happiness. Chris hadn't been wrong to say Luca was a fan but he'd been wrong to assume what she was a fan of. He thought she was a fan of his: his work, his portrayal of Captain America, his work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She had no interest in that. Her interest was in turning Denise's fantasy into a reality because for the first time, Chris Evans was actually in front of Denise and there was actually a chance.

It had been a huge shock for Luca to see Chris get out of the cab Denise had pulled up in outside their apartment building. Luca couldn't believe her eyes, her best friend's celebrity crush was with said best friend standing outside their apartment building. She'd scrambled off the couch and sprinted downstairs to see if her eyes were deceiving her. She was at such a lost for words, she just gaped at him for an uncomfortable amount of time. It wasn't until Denise introduced them that she managed to say a "hello." It came as a surprise to Denise when Luca didn't immediately start devising a plan to get her together with Chris, she didn't know Luca had seen something she didn't. The way Chris was looking at her, nothing needed to be done; the plan of the universe was already in the works.

"I'm going to tell her you said that," Denise teased, then laughed when Chris did. "Are you serious about changing?" She quizzed earning a nod from him. He started towards the entrance, draping his dress bag over his shoulder. "Oh come on," she jogged after him, draping hers over hers, "I don't want to put on a gown!"

"You're going to be very under dressed." He pushed the door open and beckoned her in with his head. "C'mon." She stared at him, neither speaking nor walking. She huffed when he tried to sway her with, "it'll be fun, Denise. C'mon, trust me," he said with a smile that she'd never- in her thirty-eight days of knowing him- been able to say no to.

"Fine," she sighed and stomped into the building. "Is there a bath-" She cut herself off when he pointed her in the direction of the bathroom. "Just so you know, I might not even fit this dress." She told him as she stomped towards the female bathroom like a pouty child; he followed behind her emitting a soft rumble from his throat. "I'm not as slim now as I was at my prom."

"You still look great to me," he told her and she felt heat rise to her cheeks. She bit back her smile as she glanced back at him. "Get dressed," he instructed and she quickly nodded, "then meet me on the stage."

• • • • • • • •

Chris waited patiently on the stage for Denise, fiddling with his cuffs and sleeves. "I look ridiculous," he heard her voice and looked up as she walked down the aisle towards the stage. His lips parted in awe, then formed into a smile as he appreciated how breathtaking she looked in her simple, yet beautifully elegant, chiffon gown. "I mean-" She lifted her gown to reveal her black Sketchers sneakers. "You could've got Luca to steal me some heels too," she joked.

"You look beautiful." He complimented as he walked down the steps to meet her. His heart was beating as fast against his chest at the sight of her, as her heart was against her chest at the sight of him. It was a feeling neither had felt with such potency in a while. "Now come on," he held out his arm for her to take, "I want to show you something."

"What else could you have to show me?" She asked, letting him lead her on stage. "You've brought me inside the Dolby Theatre, Chris. This is where they host the Oscars every year." She pulled away from him to stroll the stage. "This place has held the talents of Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington and Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino and-" She stopped when she realized Chris was smiling at her. "Of course," she walked back over to him and gently poked his chest, "Chris Evans. A man who should have won Oscars upon Oscars by now."

"As biased as you are, my number one fan." He teased and she giggled. "I really do appreciate it," he tenderly touched her arm as he told her that, making her smile. "And yes." He drew his hand away as his gaze washed over their vicinity. "I did bring you here so you can see where they host the Oscars each year. But," he paused and she turned to him, "I also brought you here to prepare you for your future."

"I don't understand, how are you preparing me for my future?"

"Come here," he used his head to beckon her towards him. She walked over hesitantly then tensed when he moved behind her, gently wrapping his hands around her arms. "This is where you're going to be one day," he whispered into her ear, smiling. He was having trouble remembering what he'd planned to say to her because her perfume was incredibly intoxicating and all he could think of was kissing her neck. "You're going to be standing up here, looking down at everyone you'd thought you'd only see on your screen, thanking them and your loved ones for taking a chance on you and supporting you to your first Oscar win."

Denise smiled when she visualized what Chris was narrating. It was almost like she could feel the Golden Statue in her hand, the weight and the sturdiness of it. She closed her eyes and looked up, absorbing the heat of a thousand lights as they kissed her skin. Her ears could hear the thundering applause and the cheers as the entire audience rose to their feet to give her a standing ovation that celebrated her hard work. She imagined she'd look out into the crowd and smile; at the people she'd worked with, those who'd helped her get the award. That was the dream, it'd always been the dream. Just like Chris was part of it because he was part of everything. Even as she closed her eyes to envision a scene where she'd just won an award of the highest honor, she saw him. She saw him in the crowd and she smiled because knowing him, having him believe in her the way he did, having him in her life- that all meant so much more to her than winning that award.

"I can't wait to see you up here," he told her as he released her from his grip. His hand forgot she was just a friend and not his girlfriend, and took it upon itself to amorously brush her cascading hair over her shoulder. "You are going to go on to do amazing things, Denise. I promise you that," he assured her with so much sincerity that she felt her eyes well with tears.

"Oh God," her voice quivered as she sniffled, trying her best not to start crying. Chris' eyes narrowed as he gently wrapped his arm around her elbow to turn her towards him. "These are happy tears," she quickly told him when she saw the concern in his eyes. "I'm um-" she reached up to brush her tears away, but he'd beat her to it. "I'm incredibly touched you believe in me."

"Of course," he smiled and lowered his hand to take hers in his. With a gentle squeeze, he said, "you are indubitably talented, Denise. I am not lying when I say I am constantly perplexed by your capabilities to write." She smiled, wiping the corners of her eyes dry with one hand. "It'd be such a waste if you did anything other than write. You have a way with words that not many do and I am positive it's going to take you up here one day."

"Yeah, and it's all because of you," she said but he declined her notion.

"No," he shook his head. "Stop trying to give me all the credit when I was only one eighth of the reason. This is all you, and all the success from your future endeavors- that's going to be all you. I'm..." He trailed off, smiling at how beautiful she looked despite her teary eyes and runny nose. "I'm just going to be part of the audience applauding your talent and wishing I'd one day be lucky enough to be able to direct, or even just act in one of your heartfelt, flawless pieces."

"Now who's being biased?" She chuckled because it was her only way to stop herself from crying. He smiled and brushed the tears that had escaped, off her cheeks. "Thank you, Chris," she told him as she forced her way into his arms, hugging him tightly; an act he reciprocated without hesitation. "You have no idea how much all of this means to me."

"It's my pleasure."