Playing With Fire
Chapter 20
Summary: After a change of heart nearly ten years into her career as a pediatric intensive care unit nurse, Ellie Maxwell has moved back home and returned to her old job at the local bakery, where the regulars are the firefighters from down the street. When sparks begin to fly between Ellie and the guarded, closed-off Chris, will anything come of it?
Pairing: Firefighter!Chris Evans X OFC Elizabeth “Ellie” Maxwell
Word Count: 4,263
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.
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The refrigerator rattled as Ellie shut it with her hip, a frown on her lips as she carried the glasses of wine over to the butcher block island. Chris could barely pay any attention to her expression as he read the Google page that took up half the screen on his computer, the other half being occupied with a calendar for the rapidly-approaching summer months.
Ellie put the glasses down before she wrapped her arms around Chris’ broad shoulders, pressing a soft kiss to his bearded cheek to help relieve the tension in his body. She knew how much Ashlee’s impending move was weighing on him and dealing with the logistics of it didn’t help at all.
“What about that horseback riding camp?” Ellie quietly asked as she rubbed a hand over his shoulder, reminding him of the camp at a local equestrian center.
“I don’t know if Hazel being in charge of an animal that big is a good idea. The carnage she causes with a mini shopping cart is bad enough,” he muttered with upturned lips as he made himself chuckle. His fingers quickly began scrolling again before he sat upright some more, “Oh here’s an art camp, I bet she’d like that.”
Ellie nodded, reaching onto the plate in front of her for her slice of pizza. “There’s also that science camp through the school I’ve heard is fun,” she suggested, gently knocking her shoulder against Chris’ as she munched on their dinner.
“These camps are going to be really good for her but I still don’t know what I’m going to do on my days working,” Chris sighed, shooting her a sideways grimace as he double-checked the calendar before he began to register Hazel for the art camp. “I just didn’t expect Ashlee to be gone this soon.”
“Have you talked to your mom?”
He paused, sighing quietly before he nodded. It was something he’d put a lot of thought into given the new situation, and while he was relieved Hazel wouldn’t be leaving him, it didn’t mean it wasn’t stressful to figure out. “Yeah and she’s more than happy to have Hazel on Thursdays and Saturdays, but she works Fridays and wouldn’t be able to pick Hazel up on time from any of these camps. Besides, I don’t really feel comfortable having her do that much… it’s not her responsibility,” he told Ellie, trailing off at the end as he shrugged.
She stayed quiet for several moments, long enough that Chris’ curiosity was piqued. Once he finished entering her medical history, he turned to give Ellie a look. “I was thinking about that too…” She finally replied, a nervous look on her face.
Chris nodded, reassuring her, “I think I have an idea though.”
“I do too,” Ellie responded, pausing as she raised a brow at him. “But what’s yours?”
“I think the best solution is to look at hiring a nanny,” Chris sighed and explained, his fingers tapping against the wooden counter. “That way the responsibility wouldn’t fall on my mom and they could have her Friday and Saturday until I’m off. It’s not that unusual and I have the guest room too.”
Ellie was quiet as she listened to his words, nodding carefully before she tentatively pointed out, “But is bringing a new person into Hazel’s life while all of this is happening a good idea?”
“I know, but I don’t know what else to do,” he sighed. “Ash already offered to pay more in child support because of the new arrangement, so it’d probably cover the cost.”
Ellie turned as she listened to him, leaning her side against the fabric bar stool and looking at him.“You could ask me about my idea… it’s a pretty good one…” she told him with a smirk, her hand reaching out to loosely grasp his own.
Chris huffed out a laugh, shaking his head and asking, “Alright smarty pants, what’s your genius idea?”
“I know someone who loves Hazel, owns her own business, and would be able to adjust her schedule to be able to pick up Hazel from camps on Friday and have her until you’re done with work on Saturday,” she smiled as she squeezed his hand.
He dropped his head and sighed, closing his eyes as he realized what she was offering. “Ellie-”
“No, hear me out for a minute,” Ellie interrupted him firmly. “Chris, none of this is going to be easy for Hazie. She needs some consistency and I could pick her up and even take her to your house so she'll have all her toys and be in her house. I love Hazel and would adore getting to spend more time with her.”
His lower lip jutted out and his jaw clenched as he listened to her words, unable to wrap his head around the generous offer. It was nothing short of over the top kindness, but that was everything Ellie was, even to strangers. But for him and Hazel? He couldn’t help but think they didn’t warrant this shift, this extra responsibility added to her plate, just to ease some stress off of his shoulders. “I just can’t have you do that much,” he whispered to her, thoughts echoing through his mind as the sound of Dodger’s light snoring carried into the kitchen from the living room.
She laughed, and the genuine smile that appeared on her face never failed to warm him from the inside out. “Well if you’re really planning on marrying me then you’re going to have to get used to relying on me a little more,” she retorted playfully.
“It’s not that I wouldn’t love for you and Hazel to be together, I just don’t feel like I can ask you to do that, Elles. Especially not when you’ve just started your own business,” he attempted to explain as he watched her and grasped her hand tighter.
“Well with all these camps she’s in, I’d be able to work most of the day on Fridays anyway, and then on Saturdays, Brooke has it covered,” Ellie assured him, and she smiled before she dropped his hand for a moment to drink her wine, but before he barely realized it, her hand was back in his. “Honey, I want to do this.”
“...Are you sure?” He finally asked her, his voice soft and unsure.
“Completely.”
“I can’t tell you what a load that takes off my mind knowing Hazel will be with you,” Chris admitted with a smile. “Besides, I kind of like seeing my girls together.”
“Well I might not be quite as cute as your other girl but I also don’t bruise your heels with a shopping cart,” Ellie grinned, and Chris couldn’t help but burst into laughter at that. Once their laughter stopped and he made a move back to look at his computer – which was still open on the registration – Ellie’s voice interrupted him as she asked, “So when are you going to tell Hazel?”
“Ashlee and I are telling her tomorrow morning,” Chris murmured, huffing out a sigh. “God, I’m dreading that.”
“Let’s not borrow tomorrow’s troubles. You’ll handle it in the morning with Ashlee,” Ellie reassured him, her hand moving to travel up and down his back comfortingly. “But how about you tell me all the camps Hazel’s in so I can do my schedule and start planning all the fun things I’m going to do with her.”
Chris watched her with thinly-veiled near-awe, and he shook his head as he playfully asked, “Why do I have a feeling I’m about to be replaced as Hazel’s favorite?”
“Who are we kidding, neither of us can compete with Dodger,” Ellie retorted, and it was then that Chris realized how well she not only knew him – but how well she knew Hazel as well – only after a short time in their lives, and it warmed his heart to know that what they already had between them was only going to continue to grow.
Chris rinsed his hand off in the sink, before he dropped the peanut butter and jelly covered knife into the dishwasher, then placed the sandwich and cut up strawberries on one of Hazel’s purple plates. He passed by the living room – where Scott was watching a Red Sox game – before he reached the small playroom to tell Hazel lunch was ready. But his brows furrowed as he looked over the room, finding his curly-haired daughter sitting at her mini-table, furiously coloring away in a coloring book. “Hey Hazelnut, I thought you were supposed to pick up your toys?” He asked her pointedly, leaning his hip against the open archway as he looked over the disaster of a room.
Her tiny shoulders quickly shrugged, her voice unhappy as she simply replied, “I don’t wanna.”
“I told you to pick them up before lunch and then that it was naptime,” he reminded her. He’d been cognizant of the fact that Hazel had woken up earlier than normal and had already had an emotional morning, and while that was already enough for him to attempt a nap, he was desperately looking forward to a break to decompress from the day.
But she clearly had other plans as she looked up at him with a deep frown on her little face, shouting, “No!”
“Hazel June, pick them up now. No arguments,” Chris ordered, and he pushed himself off of the wooden archway to carefully cross the room, but not before he could step on a Lego. He quickly bit back the several curse words he wanted to say before he pulled the markers and coloring book away from Hazel and pointed at the mess behind her.
“I don’t want to take a nap!” She insisted as she pushed the messy strands of hair out of her face, and every word from her mouth was only increasing the pounding headache that had started for Chris.
“Hazel Evans this is not a discussion,” he told her, his voice low and stern as he took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.
She let out a shuddering breath as she cried, “I want Ellie!”
He shook his head, gently lifting her from the seat and standing her up, nudging her in the direction of her toys as he ordered, “Not until you pick up your toys.”
“I just want my Ellie!” The little girl pleaded again, her voice wavering as furious tears fell from her eyes.
“Hazel, I already told you to pick up these toys!” Chris finally snapped, frustrated at the situation, at Hazel’s inactions, at the stupid waves of pain in his foot, and even at the damn occasionally-flickering lightbulb overhead, the very one he’d been meaning to change for weeks.
As Hazel’s cries grew louder and Chris’ mind continued to scream at him to do something, his brother stepped into the room, his voice a much-needed calming force as he said, “Hey, relax for a minute.”
“Scott, I don’t need you to tell me what to do,” Chris replied harshly, jerking his arm away as Scott touched it lightly. He instantly regretted the action when he saw the way Hazel’s eyes widened and her breath caught, her eyes bouncing between her father and uncle.
“Bro, remember what happened this morning, okay?” Scott whispered under his breath, his face serious as Chris met his eyes. “Everyone’s emotional… just go take Dodger out and breathe. I’ll handle this.”
He nodded, swallowing as embarrassment suddenly flooded his system. He looked at Hazel in shame, seeing the way her body wracked with tears. As Scott once again whispered “I got this,” to Chris, he leaned down, pressing a long kiss to his daughter’s forehead and squeezing her quickly before he turned, leaving the room.
Chris whistled for Dodger, meeting the always-happy pooch in the mudroom as he clipped his leash to Dodger’s red collar, and he barely remembered to grab his phone from the kitchen before he hastily left the house. He moved quickly down the street, frantic to put some distance between himself and Hazel as he processed what’d just happened, how he blew up over nothing, and took out his frustration with the situation around them on his young, innocent daughter.
Before he could spiral further, Chris reached into his pocket for his phone. He paused as he stared at his phone background, at the large smile that filled Hazel’s face as she held an ice cream cone in her hand and sat on the curb outside their local ice cream stand. Feeling as though his tail was between his legs, he called the one person who’d hold no judgment, listening as the call rang until she answered. “Hey Elles,” he murmured, his voice quiet and sad. “You busy?”
“No I’m just at home,” he heard her reply, a rustling in the background. “I’ve been thinking about you guys all day. How did everything go this morning?”
“I think we ruined Hazel’s life,” he told her drily, a frown on his face as he watched Dodger sniff a bush. “And I’m not joking.”
Ellie’s sharp intake of breath carried through the call, her voice sad as she sympathetically answered, “Oh honey, that’s not true.”
“Ellie, she was so upset. At first she just didn’t seem to understand and then she cried, but then Hazel just wouldn’t say anything,” he recalled, unable to get the image of Hazel’s blank stare and then her sobs out of his mind, or the way she clung to him as he carried her back to their car when they left the park.
“Well she’s processing it, give her time,” Ellie suggested, her voice kind and even. “Think of how hard it was for you to process.”
But Chris shook his head, shooting a tight smile as they passed a neighbor on their walk. “She hates me, Elles,” he repeated.
“You know she adores you,” Ellie reassured him, but Chris couldn’t help but think those days of Hazel’s unending love were behind them.
“I just chewed her out for not picking up her fuckin’ toys… I chewed her out an hour after she found out her mother is moving. What kind of a fuckin’ father am I?” He asked incredulously, turning to begin walking back towards his home.
Ellie was quiet for several beats and he distracted himself by watching Dodger stare at a bird, but he nervously tapped his fingers against his legs as he waited for Ellie’s response. “Beating yourself up isn’t going to help anything, honey,” she finally began tentatively, but he knew she was trying to show her sympathy.
“You should have seen the look on her face, Ellie. She was so upset and then just cried for you,” he confessed, his heart breaking at the memory.
Ellie was silent for another beat, her voice confused when she finally asked, “For me?”
“She just said she wanted you,” he repeated, unable to not hear Hazel’s pleading voice in his mind.
He heard Ellie hastily stand, something – probably a book – thumping to the floor, forgotten in her rush. “I’m coming right now,” she told him as she moved, the call switching to speaker as she quickly gathered her things.
“Elles, I love that she wants you but why doesn’t she want me? I want to help her and all I do is hurt her,” he asked her, insecurity filling him as his fears about his and Hazel’s relationship only grew.
“Christopher Evans, stop right now and listen to me,” Ellie told him firmly, pausing until Chris quieted down. “Hazel adores you to no end but today was a shitty day for all of you. I think you both just need some comfort and I’ll be there in less than ten minutes so just hold out until then, okay?”
He nodded his head, not even realizing for a long moment that she couldn’t see it and eventually spit out a worried, “Okay,” before they hung up. Chris could feel the deep regret and anxiety flowing through his body, hating how all of this hurt the little girl that he loved more than anything in the world. He kept his head down, just staring at the pavement as he kept walking Dodger, letting the sweet pooch stretch his legs but all too soon he was back right where he started and walked into the house where Hazel’s loud, exhausted wails could still be heard.
Chris let Dodger off his leash before pulling off his shoes, quietly walking into the living room where Scott sat with Hazel on the floor, rubbing her back while she loudly cried. He saw the look of pure distress on Scott’s face before he noted to his brother, “Sounds like it’s not going too well in here.”
His brother frowned, glancing towards him before focusing on Hazel and moving her hair from in front of her face. “I’m trying but nothing is working,” he finally admitted to him.
“Hazel, honey I’m so sorry I got upset earlier. Can you forgive me?” Chris’s voice was soft as he sat down on the floor in front of her, his heart practically aching as he heard her hiccup interrupting the steady flow of tears down her cheeks as she nodded her little head. He couldn’t stand it any longer and just held his hands out for her, telling her, “C’mere Basil.”
She scooted closer to him, letting Chris lift her into his lap and holding her tight against his chest. He couldn’t imagine all the emotions flowing through Hazel right now, knowing just how upset and shocked he had been when he found out about Ashlee’s move but at least he had an adult brain that could process it. He hated hearing the deep wails muffled against his chest as she cried, making Chris’ own tears start to flow down his cheeks while Scott reached over to squeeze his shoulder, doing what he could to comfort them.
Although Hazel’s tears didn’t stop, he could feel her body relaxing a little bit in his embrace and it made him feel as if he was doing at least one thing right. He wanted to be that place of comfort for her, but in this moment he felt like he needed his own bit of comfort and calm, which soon came in the form of a compassionate blonde who came racing into his home only moments later.
He watched her face drop as she looked at them both crying in the middle of the living room but Ellie wasted no time dropping to her knees and brought an arm around Chris’ broad shoulders while she pressed a kiss to his cheek. Seeing that they’d want a moment, Scott quietly stood and excused himself to the kitchen, leaving the three alone in the living room that was only filled with the sound of Hazel’s loud cries.
Chris tilted his head, giving Ellie a grateful half-smile before he focused his attention back on Hazel. “Basil, look who’s here,” he murmured quietly, his hand moving to loosen her grasp on his silver chain.
“I-I want m-m-my Ellie,” Hazel whimpered, her breath coming out in shudders as she clung to Chris’ frame.
He saw the way Ellie’s shoulders slouched in pity at the cry, and she held her arms out, telling her, “Oh Hazie girl, I’m here.”
Chris let go of his tight grasp on Hazel, letting Ellie take the curly headed sobbing girl and pull her into her own lap. She held onto Hazel while pressing a kiss to her forehead then rested her cheek against it, slowly rocking her back and forth while reminding her, “It’s okay Hazie, we’re right here for you.”
He just sat there watching every motherly bit of Ellie come pouring out as she comforted his daughter, holding her tight and reminding her that everything was going to be alright and somehow managing to remind Chris of the same thing in the process. Chris eventually stood to his feet, going to the kitchen to get a glass of water for Hazel before bringing it back and resuming his place on the carpet, Ellie giving him a thankful smile.
“Okay Hazie, it’s time to take a big deep breath. You ready?” Ellie asked, lifting her head up but keeping Hazel right in her lap. Ellie grabbed the hem of her tee shirt, lifting it up to wipe away the tears covering Hazel’s cheeks and chin before the sniffling girl nodded and took a deep breath with Ellie, helping to calm her tears.
Chris gave the little girl a tight smile before he leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead. As he continued wiping her face and moved to messily tie her hair back, he quietly asked, “Are you hungry, Basil?”
“N-no,” she whispered, her wide brown eyes blinking slowly and tiredly as she leaned against Ellie.
“How about just a drink of water, then?” Ellie suggested, her head downturned as the couple each watched Hazel hesitate before she nodded. Chris handed the children’s cup to Hazel, watching as she slowly took a long sip of water before relaxing again. “Chris, can you go get Mr. Duck?”
But Hazel’s brows furrowed momentarily before she interjected, “I want Clucky!”
Chris pressed another kiss to her cheek before going to the playroom to find her chicken stuffed animal, digging through the bins of plush toys before finding it and bringing it back to the living room. He couldn’t help but stop for a moment, a pang in his heart as he looked at the scene in front of him. Rather than on the floor as they were a minute ago, Ellie had moved to sit on the couch with Hazel in her lap, laying up against Ellie’s chest with her head tucked under Ellie’s chin. The caring blonde had pulled a blanket over them – the very one she’d made him for Christmas – and rubbed her hand up and down Hazel’s back, helping to comfort the little girl who was already struggling to keep her eyes open. When Chris held out the stuffed chicken, Ellie took it, pretending to make Clucky kiss Hazel on the cheek and getting a giggle out of the tired girl who then tucked her toy under her arm before her eyes fully closed.
It was several minutes filled with much-needed silence before Scott’s tentative footsteps sounded, his younger brother coming down the front hall and pausing in the open archway of the living room. “Hey Chris, I’m going to head out,” he quietly announced.
“Okay, I’ll go out with you,” Chris replied, gently pressing a kiss to both Hazel and Ellie’s heads before he stood up, heading towards the front door with Scott. “Thanks for everything, Scott. I don’t know what I would have done without you today.”
“Of course, you know I’m always here for you,” Scott told him without hesitation, his shoulder bumping Chris’ as he paused for a moment. “Anything you need, you can always call me.”
Chris nodded, his lips pursed as he admitted, “I might be needing you a lot more while Ashlee’s moving if Hazel keeps reacting like this.”
“I’m not so sure about that, I think Ellie’s got everything covered,” Scott replied with a chuckle, glancing behind them, barely able to see Ellie and Hazel on the couch. “Although I think she always does.”
“You obviously weren’t there while we were redoing the bakery,” Chris muttered, watching with a smirk as Scott laughed quietly at his words before he left the small, thankfully peaceful home, shutting the front door behind him silently.
Chris hadn’t even realized just how hungry he was, his stomach growling loudly at his lack of food from the day, it instead being tied in knots. But now that Ellie had come and helped relax his whole body, he found himself reaching for the uneaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich he had made for Hazel, taking a bite as he walked back to the living room. His girls were still on the couch, Ellie just gazing down at Hazel and pushing some of her curls off of her forehead while she slept soundly.
He couldn’t help but feel so full of emotions, his body exhausted from what the day had held so far but when he saw that soft smile of Ellie’s shining back at him, it felt like the weights that were laid on his shoulders simply fell right off. Chris silently shuffled over to the couch, sitting down as he kept biting into the sandwich while he slunk down on the cushions, his head resting against the back while he let out a long breath. It stayed completely silent in that room as he felt a warm hand rub along his shoulder, causing him to glance over at Ellie who was smiling brightly before tugging at his shirt, wordlessly urging him to come over where he rested his head on her shoulder.
She surprised him in more ways than one when she rested her cheek against his forehead then whispered, “You're a great dad, Chris.”
And although in that moment, he was feeling anything but a great dad, he knew that Ellie wasn’t one to say things she didn’t mean and that faith in him was enough to give his anxious thoughts a rest. He turned his head to kiss her cheek, communicating all he needed to in that one action and for the first time since hearing that Ashlee was going to move, he had a glimmer of hope that just maybe everything would be alright.
A/N: Not gonna lie, that entire last sequence with Scott, Hazel, Chris, and Ellie is one of our favorite scenes ever. We love them and feel for them all so much, but we also adore the fact that Scott pushed Chris to even ask Ellie out in the first place, and now here she is comforting Hazel!
We can't wait to hear your thoughts! We are in the homestretch now for Chellie... they'll wrap up right before the holidays. We have some big plans not only for them, but for Sam and Nat's stories as well that we can't wait for you to read soon!