Chris absentmindedly stirred his soggy cereal and scratched a single spot on the reclaim wood dining table. It was the 27th September, a day before his big day. He was high on emotions that conflicted with one another and he was struggling to decide how it was that he truly felt. On the one hand, he was ecstatic because his wedding was tomorrow; the girl of his dreams and the mother of his child would be his wife tomorrow. On the other, he wasn't going to see her until she came walking down the aisle at 3:00PM when the ceremony was said to begin. That was thirty-one hours away, he was going to be apart from her for thirty-one hours. Even with a bachelor party to grace his presence with, he had no doubt it was going to be a difficult thirty-one hours for him.

'Party' was a poorly chosen word. What Chris was attending was more of a get together because he'd turned down the idea of a traditional bachelor's party, the kind one saw on TV and in movies. Luca had tried to plan a similar one for Denise, but like Chris- she'd turned the idea down. There was no need to celebrate their last day as an unmarried person because they were excited to get married. They'd found a life partner, someone to love and to hold for the rest of their existence. They were also becoming parents soon; it was estimated that she was to bring new life into the world March of 2020. Those were the things they needed to celebrate, not their last day as a figurative 'bachelor' or 'bachelorette'. If it were Chris and Denise's choice, they'd much rather break tradition and spend the last night together instead of apart. But apparently it wasn't up to them to decide, it was for the Best Man and the Maid of Honor.

"Be careful with that," Chris looked up when he heard Luca's voice descending the stairs. He saw Sebastian carrying Denise's acrylic organizer and immediately understood Luca's chiding tone. That organizer was where Denise's favorite makeup products lived, its value was beyond money itself. "Don't you drop that, Sebastian Stan," Luca warned before Chris could. "Because if you do, she will kill you with her bare hands and I will help her bury the body."

"I don't think she's as crazy as you," Sebastian muttered bitterly under his breath but Luca heard it.

"I'm sorry," Luca glared at him. "What was that you said, fiancé?" Sebastian winced. That sarcastically scary tone was not a tone any guy wanted to hear from any girl, especially if that girl was his fiancée. Chris understood Sebastian fear because he had that same fear when Denise used that tone on him, expect he envied Sebastian because Denise's tone was a lot scarier compared to Luca's. Chris was unsure if it was a girl thing, or just something they devised over their sixteen year friendship. Wherever they obtained it from, it worked like a charm on their men. "I don't think I heard you properly."

"I said um-" Sebastian glanced over his shoulder with a nervous smile. "I said 'no one is as pretty as you'." Luca deadpanned him; a classic Denise move. Chris could confirm there and then that she'd picked it up from Denise. He hardly ever saw Luca deadpan anyone whereas he often saw Denise deadpan everyone. "I'm going to go um- I'm going to go put this in the car, so..." He hurried off before Luca could say or do much more.

"Oh, man. You've got him on a leash, Lu," Chris laughed, pulling Luca's attention onto him instead.

"And what are you laughing at?" She bit and Chris pressed his lips together, silencing himself. "Your pregnant bride still has bags she needs to carry down, I suggest you hop to it." Chris quickly released his spoon and got to his feet. "Yes, upstairs." She nodded condescendingly when he pointed at the stairs and tried to walk past her. "God, men are just so frustrating."

Chris started laughing again when he was out of Luca's earshot. He walked into the bedroom where Denise was sitting cross legged on the floor. She was packing a bag full of essentials for her wedding tomorrow, and their suitcases for their honeymoon in Italy. Though the trip was booked by the couple in June, the decision to spend their honeymoon in Italy was made before they even met.

Italy had been on Denise's bucket list since she was twelve years old. She'd always wanted to have a holiday there, then her honeymoon when she met the one. Other than her love of Italian food, there was just something about that country that enchanted her. She had little faith due to her financial situation and blurry life plans she'd ever get to go herself, and wherever she couldn't go her characters would go instead. It was because of that, the trip to Italy her characters took- that convinced Chris he needed to spend his honeymoon there too. Neither had expected they'd end up taking that trip with each other a little ways down the road.

February 28th, 2017 was where it all changed. A month earlier, Denise and her mom had discussed going on a fourteen day trip after she graduated. There was a verbal agreement, a scrawl in her mental diary. She was excited. She chattered on about Italy every day for thirty days because on day thirty-one, on the 28th of February, she met Chris and suddenly he was all she'd chatter on about. How things turned out the way they did was unexplainable but neither could deny how much happier they were now.

Denise looked up as Chris walked in. "Yes?" She quizzed, holding up his navy blue plaid shirt.

"Please," he nodded. She folded and rolled it carefully, slotting it into an empty spot. She'd learn her packing method from her ex-stewardess mom, the 'fold and roll into a tube' was the only way to fit as many clothes as she could in one bag. "I love how calm you are compared to Luca. She just told Seb she'd help you bury his dead body if he dropped your acrylic organizer, somehow I don't think she's joking." He said and she just laughed, a reaction unlike her because she was incredibly protective over her makeup collection. "Okay, you didn't even flinch at that. What's your secret, why are you so calm?"

"I'm marrying you tomorrow," Denise stopped folding to meet his gaze. "Even if my wedding dress bursts into flames tonight and everything goes wrong tomorrow, I'm still marrying you. How can I not be calm? I'm about to spend the rest of my life with you." She held out her hand and he took it with a smile. "I can't ask for anything else, I have you. I have our baby," her other hand rested on her belly. "I'm good, like- I am more than just good, I'm perfect."

"Yes you are," Chris kissed her knuckles then released her hand so she could resume folding, and so he could help. "Hey, could you do me a favor?" He asked after a moment of comfortable silence.

"Of course."

"Will you call me when you girls wrap up whatever you're doing tonight?" He asked. He saw her nod but he continued to elaborate his request. "You know, once you're nice and tucked in bed and everyone else is drunk and passed out on the living room floor?"

"You do realize you're talking about all the respectable ladies in our lives, right?" She quizzed and he nodded, chuckling. "And you do realize Carly's bringing Stella?" He nodded again. "Okay, so I don't think anyone is going to get drunk in front of a pregnant lady and a young child." She said but his facials disagreed. He knew they wouldn't be drinking to the point of no return, but they were definitely going to be drinking. "Honestly, we're just going to do facials and mani-pedis, and watch movies, and bake cookies. Nothing too extreme, not with that group of ladies anyway."

"Will you just call me when everyone else is asleep?"

"We both know I'm already going to sneak off and call you before everyone else is asleep. But sure," she nodded. "I'll call you when everyone else is asleep. I hope you're not planning anything dirty though," she joked. "'Cause the walls are thin in that small apartment."

"Just call me, you dork." He tossed a pair of his balled up socks at her, laughing.

She wasn't known for her swift reflexes so it got her in the forehead. "Hey!" She scoffed and he laughed even louder. "You think I can't throw socks?" She tossed the pair of socks back at him which he caught with ease. "You're Captain America, so technically you're cheating with those reflexes."

"I can't believe I'm marrying you tomorrow," he shook his head, chuckling. She playfully gave him the stink-eye which he smiled at; his eyes filled with a level of excitement and adoration that made her blush. "I'm the luckiest man in the universe." He got onto his knees and leaned forward, stabilizing himself with one hand as he met her lips for a tender kiss.

"I guess that make me the luckiest girl then."

• • • • • • • •

That night, like Chris had predicted, the women did drink. They did not drink themselves blind but they drank enough to make things boring for the sober and the young. Denise and Stella decided to watch Disney movies on her iPad in her old room while the others continued to party on outside. Thankfully Sebastian and Luca didn't change the old apartment too much, her room was almost exactly as she'd left it expect it'd been converted into a guest room.

Despite the women being drunk now, most of the night had been spent sober doing what Denise had told Chris they'd do: facials, mani-pedis, watch movies, and bake cookies. And where there were girls, there were gossiping and fashion shows. It wouldn't be the first time Denise had put on her wedding dress since she bought it, she made it a point to travel to Westwood Village once a week to make sure her wedding dress still fitted her. Everyone was in awe at how beautiful she looked in her wedding dress even without her hair and makeup done, they couldn't wait to see her on the actual day itself.

All in all, it'd been a fantastic night which had been wound to a close now. All the ladies were fast asleep and scattered around the apartment on couches and extra mattresses. The four moms: Chris', Denise's, Sebastian's, and Luca's had taken the master bedroom. The aunts: Teresa and Catherine; the sisters and best friends: Carly, Shanna, Luca, and Tara had claimed the living room. With the bride and her flower girl in the guest room. Stella had finally fallen asleep next to Denise after watching the classic 'Beauty and The Beast' which meant she could put her iPad aside and call Chris like he'd ask her to.

"Finally," he whispered upon picking up.

"Why are you whispering?" She whispered too but she had reason; she didn't want to wake Stella.

"Why are you whispering?" He answered her question with a question. "Hold on," he told her before she could say anything else. She couldn't hear any noise in his background which was weird considering he was at a bachelor's party with all his very loud guy friends. It was a long moment of silence that had her questioning.

"What are you doing?" She asked and paused for his response. "Chris? Hello, are you-" She cut herself off with narrowed eyes. She heard a soft clinking; a sound that could be heard both over the phone and outside her window. She jumped when she heard someone knocking on her window, sighing with relief when Chris said into the phone, "it's just me. Open the window, please?"

Denise glanced at Stella then carefully got off the bed. She didn't know how light a sleep the child was but after the long day she'd had, there was little doubt she'd wake. Denise walked over to the window, ending the call before she opened it for her fiancé. She pushed the curtain aside as Chris climbed in through the fire escape. "Wow," she giggled softly when he hugged her. "This definitely brings back memories."

"Ah yes," he chuckled. "Any and every exam week, when Luca bans from the apartment because I'm- she said and I quote, 'loud and distracting.'" Denise pressed her lips together, stifling her laughter. "What a preposterous accusation," he sarcastically exaggerated with a suppressed smile.

"Preposterous indeed."

"Is everyone asleep?" He asked as he pulled away from her. "Awesome," he smiled when she nodded. "I told the guys I was going on a beer run when in reality, I was just-" He spotted Stella and turned to Denise, deadpanning her as he tried not to smile. "Seriously?" If she wakes up and sees me here, she's going to tell someone and I'm going to be screwed."

"I'm not a grounded fifteen year old, Chris," Denise laughed softly. "And she's not going to wake up, so it's a none issue. She's had a pretty long day trying to keep us with us. She's good, and so are we." She took a step towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him in the dark. She felt him smile against her lips as his hands snaked around her back. "I'm so happy to see you."

"I'm so happy to see you too," he told her.

They gently swayed along to the music playing softly in the background. Chris immediately recognized the song playing, and quickly deduced which playlist Denise was playing because it was one she played on a loop every night. The playlist was called 'Lullaby' on her phone, it consisted of all the songs soothing enough to put her to sleep. The song that was currently playing was Taylor Swift's 'Superstar'; a song that greatly reflected her love for Chris.

"I couldn't possibly sleep without getting a kiss from you first." He said and she chuckled. It wasn't the first time she'd heard him say that, he said it whenever he was filming away from her in the form of a complaint. "I really don't understand the tradition, why do we have to spend the night apart again?"

So dim that spotlight, tell me things like

I can't take my eyes off of you

I'm no one special, just another

Wide eyed girl who's desperately in love with you

Give me a photograph to hang on my wall, superstar

"'Cause it'll make the wedding night more special."

"Every night is special with you." He kissed her forehead and she smiled, resting her head against his chest. He took her hand and slow danced with her under the moonbeams peaking through the gaps in the curtains. "I don't know what it is about you, Denise. All I know is that you keep me coming back for more."

You played in bars, you play guitar

I'm invisible and everyone knows who you are

And you'll never see, sing me to sleep

Every night from the radio

"You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that." She looked up at him. "I know you love me, and I know how much I mean to you. But- Chris, you are my celebrity crush. You are positively a dream come true for me," she emphasized for effect and he smiled. "Every day that I wake up next to you is another day I know I'm the luckiest person on the planet. Listen to this song," she instructed him and he turned to her Bose speaker sitting on her bedside table. "Listen to what she's singing because it's true."

So dim that spotlight, tell me things like

I can't take my eyes off of you

I'm no one special, just another

Wide eyed girl who's desperately in love with you

Give me a photograph to hang on my wall, superstar

Sweet, sweet superstar, superstar

The song finished and faded out. "Baby," Chris smiled. "You cannot be more wrong. No one special?" He chuckled at the absurdity. "You are everything to me," he asserted. Both their eyes welled with a fresh set of tears. "I am just as wide-eyed and desperately in-love with you, so don't you for a second think that just because I'm your celebrity crush that I'm not also living the dream. Because I am, you are everything to me," he repeated. Denise cupped his face in her hands and pulled him closer. Their lips met for a long, passionate kiss. "Everything," he promised.

Ed Sheeran's 'Perfect' started to play and they smiled. They resumed their slow dance position and gently swayed under the moonlight. "I still can't believe you got Ed Sheeran to perform at our wedding." She giggled and he smiled. "Either he's a huge Captain America fan or your powers of persuasion are out of this world."

"He is a fan, but even if he wasn't he wouldn't have needed a lot of persuasion. He's as hopeless a romantic as my beautiful bride," he remarked and she smiled. "And c'mon, after meeting you? I doubt he'd be able to say 'no' to your adorable face." She giggled a little too loudly and Chris pressed his hand against her mouth, both their gazes darted towards Stella. "Shhh," he chuckled and she nodded, pressing her lips together when he pulled his hand away. "Think we can sneak out the front door and go spend the night at a hotel?"

"Mm mm," she shook her head. "It's like a minefield out there. The second we try to unlock the front door, someone is going to wake up." He heaved a sigh and she took his hand, giving it a light squeeze. "They may be drunk but they're not that drunk."

"Well I'm not taking my pregnant bride-to-be down a fire escape." He said and she immediately rolled her eyes. Like she would've climbed down that death trap even if she weren't pregnant, she was actually a little pissed he climbed it because what if he'd seriously hurt himself? "I guess I'll just spend the night here instead, sneak out in the morning before anyone wakes up."

"The guys aren't going to notice you're gone?"

"Nope," he laughed. This time it was her turn to cover his mouth until he lowered the volume of his laughter into a soft snigger. "Because they are that drunk." He whispered and she shook her head, huffing air through her nostrils while suppressing her urge to burst out laughing. "Let me just move Stella outside with Carly."

"You're going to wake her. Just leave her be, Chris," Denise slapped his arm when he ignored her. "Chris," she hissed as he carefully lifted his niece into his arms, softly humming 'Part of Your World' to keep her asleep. His confidence proved he'd successfully moved her while she was asleep before, but she was doubtful he'd be successful this time. "Shhh," she hushed when he noisily fiddled with the handle. "Oh my God, let me get it." She walked over and opened the door as quietly as she could. "Okay," she poked her head and assessed the situation. "Go, Carly's on the mattress by the bookshelf."

"Mattress by the bookshelf, got-" Before he could even step foot out the door, his phone went off. The ringtone echoed through the entire apartment, waking all who'd been asleep. Chris and Denise both grimaced, cussing under their breaths. "Oh sh-" he abruptly stopped himself when Stella rubbed her eyes confusedly, looking up at him. "Hey, sweetheart."

"Uncle Chris?"

The lights in the hallway and the living room came on, leaving Chris to look like a deer in headlights. He looked to Denise for a little backup but when she opened her mouth, she couldn't think of a single word to say. Acquiescence couldn't be achieved with those women, Chris was a goner. Lisa and Tina walked out, shaking their heads in disbelief at the sight of their desperately in-love children. Chris lowered Stella onto her feet and she walked over to Carly, hugging her with tired eyes.

"You couldn't even manage one night without her?" Lisa smirked.

"In my defense," Chris scratched the back of his neck. All the ladies in the apartment, including his beloved fiancée, watched him intently as he attempted to make up an excuse. "I survived thirty-five years without her, so..." Denise snickered then covered her mouth when Chris turned to stare at her, an involuntary smile on his face. "Oh, come on!" He protested against their continued disapproval. "She almost died in a plane crash, of course I'm going to want to be around her twenty-four-seven."