Archive of Our Own ^beta

‘Hey, you’ve reached Y/N! Leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as! *beep* Hey it’s me, looks like I just missed you. Today’s been a long one, hope the shows going okay. Love you sweetheart, bye.’ 

‘Hey, you’ve reached Y/N! Leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as! *beep* Hey it’s me again, hope the show went well tonight. Call me soon, missing your voice aha. Love you.’

‘Hey, you’ve reached Y/N! Leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as! *beep*: It’s Chris, call me soon? Love you.’

‘It’s Chris, leave a message and I’ll get back to you *beep*: Sorry, sorry, sorry! It’s been manic these past few days, it’s just been crazy. I miss you too! I'm going to bed now. Call me tomorrow? Love you, baby!’ 

Chris smiled as he listened to the voicemail, allowing her sweet tones to fill his ear and make his heart sing. He’d been so busy these past few months, the filming of Infinity War had just ended and he was promoting another project he’d been working on so he’d been on the road nonstop. Alongside that, he had had to stay in L.A for other press work and auditions meaning that any time he spent back east was limited. 

He didn’t mind it. He had long since left Boston for the warmth of the west coast for it was where most of his work lay but now it was different. He had met Y/N, his long-term partner, a few years ago whilst they worked on a film. They’d gotten together after a long flirtatious friendship and had fallen in love pretty much immediately. Chris was sure that she was the one. They’d been inseparable, and moved in together in less than a year. Around 6 months ago, however, she had been offered a part in Hamilton. It was the role of her lifetime and as her original background was in theatre she was desperate to accept. 

The only problem was that the job was 3000 miles across the country in New York on Broadway. Chris, of course, had told her to go. He knew how much she wanted it and didn’t want to be the reason for her giving up her dream. He was so proud of her but he couldn’t deny he missed her so much.  This press tour had messed up their lives even further now as there wasn’t just a 4-hour time delay between their contact but two hectic schedules to contend with. So, with his weekend off Chris had made the executive decision to jump on a plane from his current press junket in Chicago and spend the weekend with her in New York. 

It was Friday evening and the lights illuminated the city that was now cloaked in darkness due to the sun’s early disappearance on cold November evenings like this one. Chris shivered as he waited for the yellow cab to pull up on the sidewalk outside the airport before he opened the door and climbed in giving the driver Y/Ns temporary address. The cab ambled along joining the masses of traffic that were around during rush hour. It took a while to get from the airport to midtown Manhattan but Chris didn’t mind, he knew she’d only be home after tonight’s show so he had time from now till then to get ready for her. Eventually, the cab reached its destination and he climbed out, walking up to the front door of her apartment building. 

A quick fumble for his keys in his pocket and then he was in making his way up the dozens of stairs until he reached her door, slotted the key inside and entered. The place was deserted, but Chris called out for Y/N just in case. He dumped his bag in her room and then made his way to the fridge and pulled out a beer. He had a couple of hours to spare he might as well get comfortable. Chris didn’t like this apartment. It was nice, he couldn’t fault that, it just felt too neat. There were some personal touches, Y/N was obsessed with printing pictures so like at home her living room wall was adorned with dozens of photographs - mostly of him and her.

But it didn’t feel lived in. It felt strange. He supposed it was because he’d come to think of their house as home. If he had to admit it his apartment in Boston felt that way too now. Chris flicked through the channels hoping there would be a decent film on to pass his free hours. 

He couldn’t find a film but luckily there was a baseball game on and so he clicked the channel on and settled in for the night. The hours ticked by incredibly slowly but eventually, the clock told him it was a little after 10 meaning it wouldn’t be long before Y/N arrived home.

He waited, watching as the minutes flicked by seemingly going st three times slower than the speed they had done before. 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 11:45.

‘Where was she?’ Chris thought to himself. He moved to the terrace and look down, hoping to spot a vehicle pulling up or her walking down the pavement in front of the building but instead found nothing. Sighing he clambered back inside the apartment and fell down on the couch dismayed, lifting his phone to his ear to call her but only hearing the dial tone ring out loudly.

‘Hey, you’ve reached Y/N! Leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as! *beep*‘

Chris sighed again, as he clicked the phone off neglecting to leave a message and tossed it on the couch in frustration. The baseball game was still playing in the background but Chris wasn’t paying attention. His eyes were becoming droopy, the long-haul press day and the travel were taking their toll now and his body didn’t have the strength to fight the sleep as it came to him, dragging his eyes shut and causing his limbs to fall heavy. 

He didn’t know how long he’d been asleep but found himself being roused but a clatter that came from the front door. He raised himself up and rubbed his eyes wearily. Listening as someone opened the door and flicked the light on.

Chris turned his head quickly watching as Y/N stumbled in and looked up in surprise and said, ‘Chris!?’

‘Hey babe,’ Chris replied jumping up from his seat and lifting up from the couch to where she was standing dumbfounded. He moved towards her and leaned in to give her a kiss, her shocked face melted into it for a minute before slipping back into its original position.

‘W-what are you doing here?’ She asked as she dumped her bag at the door and moved further into the living room to sit on the couch. 

‘I’m here to see you, I’ve been sick of missing each other so I thought I’d surprise you. I’ve actually been here all afternoon I figured you be back just after it finished but...’ he trailed off though his voice seemed equal parts wistful and annoyed. 

‘Well if I’d known you were coming I’d have come home earlier,’ she said defensively.

Chris frowned as her face fell into a scowl as she started to unlace her shoes and take them off. His finger hooked under her chin and turned her head to face him. 

‘Hey, Hey, Hey, I’m sorry… I just missed you.’

‘I know, I know,’ she sighed, her scowl disappearing quickly, ‘I just wished you called first. I would have come home straight away, instead of going out for drinks after the show.’

Chris chuckled and leaned in towards her, pressing a kiss to her cheek and then trailing his lips down her jaw.

‘Well how about,’ he said, his words punctuated by kisses, ‘we spend some quality time together right now.’

‘Sounds good to me,’ Y/N answered breathily before she pulled herself up from the couch and headed towards her bedroom with Chris trailing behind her.

It was late in the morning when Y/N arose though it was hard to tell as the sunlight was low due to the winter cloud that covered the city. Y/N slipped up from under the covers and rubbed her eyes, the long sleep hadn’t washed the fatigue from the late night from her.

Her bed was empty, a sight she was familiar with these days, but she smiled as she heard movement from the other side of the wall. She slipped out of bed and grabbed her dressing gown from the chair near the window and padded through the room to the door and pulled it open. She followed the smell of food and ended up in the kitchen. She paused in the doorway and watched Chris, who was unaware of her presence, cook on the stove. The radio was on in the background and Chris was singing along to it, his hips swinging gently. Y/N chuckled quietly though Chris seemed to have heard it and so turned around and threw a smirk her way.

‘Mornin’ sunshine,’ Chris said smiling. He turned back around and started to scoop the food onto plates as she shuffled into the room and sat down at the kitchen table with a yawn. Her plate appeared before her as Chris sat down next to her.

‘Looks good,’ she said, her hand tracing the back of his hand.

‘Thanks, it felt good to actually make something to eat. Between filming and then promoting I don’t think I’ve made myself a meal in weeks.’

‘I know what you mean,’ she chuckled, ‘I think I’ve lived off Starbucks and Chinese take-out since I got here.’

‘You enjoying it though?’ Chris asked his brow furrowed.

‘Of course, I am, I guess seeing you and well… last night made me a bit more homesick than I thought.’

‘Well, Dodger’s missing you something terrible.’

‘Don’t!’ Y/N chuckled as she brought her hands to her face as if to stop him from teasing her.

‘Okay, okay, I’ll change the subject,’ he said laughing, ‘what do you want to do today?’

Y/N stopped laughing and her eyes dropped to the food. Chris saw the change in her demeanour and frowned, ‘What? What is it?’

Y/N swallowed nervously and looked up, ‘Chris sweetie, I can’t do anything today. I’ve got a matinee in a couple of hours and then a show later tonight. I’ve got an hour or two but I mostly just spend that in the theatre. I thought you knew that?’

‘What so you just don’t have any time this weekend?’

‘I’ve got all of tomorrow off, we could do something then.’

‘My flights is in the early afternoon, I’ll have to be at the airport around noon. I’m not even gonna see you, what other than now?’

‘It’s not my fault, this is my job!’

Chris sighed and got up from his seat, collecting his empty plate and throwing it on the side as he started to wash up.

‘What so now you’re mad at me?’

‘I’m not mad at you,’ he said though his voice was undeniably steely, ‘I just thought you’d want to spend some time with me that’s all.’

‘I do! Of course, I do but I’ve got to work.’

‘You can’t take a sick day or something?’

‘No!’

‘Nice.’

‘Don’t you dare! I could have had some time off or arranged something if you’d told me you were coming.’

Chris turned back around with a tea towel in hand his jaw clenched, ‘I didn’t know I was coming until late this week. There was a cancellation in my schedule-’

‘Even calling me before you jumped on a plane would be better than nothing!’

‘God forbid I ever want to surprise my girlfriend huh? It’s almost like you don’t even want me here.’

‘Don’t get all upset of course I want you here.’

‘You got a funny way of showing it.’

‘Because I won’t automatically bend my entire schedule just because you decided to up-sticks on a whim and come visit me!’

‘Well if you weren’t so far away I wouldn’t have to do it on a whim would I!’

They were shouting now, their voices reverberating off the small walls of the kitchen. Y/N sighed, ‘Oh here we go!’

‘Yes, here we go! You’re the one who moved our life around, you moved across the country- ‘

‘You told me to go!’

‘Well, maybe I shouldn’t have!’

‘What?!’

‘You heard me,’ Chris said defiantly, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have let you- ‘

‘Let me?! You didn’t let me do anything! I got offered the role of a lifetime and I took it, what am I just supposed to let you dictate my life and when you throw your toys out of the stroller come running.’

‘Acting like you actually care would be a start,’ and with that Chris threw the tea towel down on the side and stormed out of the kitchen, Y/N heard the front door slam signalling he had left and she fell back against the chair, trying to piece together how their anger had got that far.

Chris wasn’t angry, not really. He was frustrated, yes. Logically, he understood that she couldn’t just re-arrange her life just because he had gotten a free weekend. And if he thought about it rationally he probably should have told her he was coming. He just missed her so much. It hadn’t been so bad since she’d been gone. He’d been away most of the time. He’d been filming when she’d moved away and since then he’d been promoting so he hadn’t really been alone. The prospect of going back to their big house in L.A. and rattling around it all alone wasn’t so inviting.  He had no idea where exactly he was going, he hadn’t thought about it as he had stormed out and he was now on the pavement outside her apartment building with no idea where to go. He decided to just pick a direction and walk, hoping the cold winter air would be a distraction enough he didn’t have to focus on the argument too much. He walked for a while before situating himself in a diner a few blocks away from Y/N's apartment. He was unfortunate in the fact that he hadn’t had time to grab anything, as he had left in a hurry, and didn’t have a jacket or anything to hide him from the masses. Fortunately, it was NYC and so not many people bothered him but he did get recognised. He stayed out for a while before heading back to the apartment in the late afternoon.

He was frostbitten when he got back and the warmth of the apartment was welcomed as he entered. It was deserted, like it had been when he first got there yesterday evening. He moved into the living room and dropped onto the couch, pulling the blanket that rested on the back of it over him.

As he did he felt his phone underneath him in his back pocket and remembered that it was dead. He leaned on the couch and stretched to reach the charger that was dangling out of the socket near him. As he plugged it in it lit up, illuminating the screen until it showed a picture of him and Y/N that had been taken not long before her move to New York, on their anniversary. His heart sank even more so when his phone buzzed and told him he had missed calls and voicemail. He flicked open his screen and opened up the voicemail.

‘You have one new message and no saved messages, new message: Hey, it’s me. Look I don’t want to fight with you. I love that you came to see me and I wish I could have had time off. Look, I get it if you’re still upset. I’ll be home later, see you then. Love you.’

Chris’ heart was heavy. They’d had limited time together and they’d made it worse by fighting. Now they had less than 12 hours together and it was all Chris’ fault and so he set to work.

The apartment was pitch black when Y/N entered. After a long anxious day, she wanted nothing more than to make up with Chris and spend what little time they had left together, together. The only source of light was a line of candles that made their way to the window of the fire escape. Curious she followed them out onto the metal staircase, thankful she had kept her coat on as the cold winter air whipped around her. She followed the candles to their destination on the roof and after climbing over the wall found it completely changed, with Chris standing in the centre. He smiled as she got up there and took it all in.

He had transformed it. There were fairy lights all around and the once deserted rooftop now held a dining room with a table laid for two. It was very romantic and Y/N couldn’t help but smile when she saw him standing amidst it. He moved forward, coming to place his arms around her as he smiled, ‘Hey.’

‘Hey.’

‘I got your message and I’m sorry…about earlier I just miss you so much- ‘

‘-I miss you too. I mean I love the show but 6 days a week I barely have time to do anything let alone talk to you. And the time differences and the everything it’s just- ‘

Her voice was cut off by his lips as he kissed her, his hands cold as they cupped her face. Her arms came around his neck and pulled him closer, relishing in the contact she’d longed for all day. He pulled away and as he gestured to the table he smiled, ‘Dinner?

‘Definitely!’

They sat and ate avoiding all the awkward talk about this morning and instead focusing on what they’d missed in the past few months. As they finished their meal Chris fumbled in his coat, before pulling a piece of paper out of his inside pocket.

‘I erm, I was thinking about it before and you were right. I should have told you before I came to see you so you could have prepared. Anyway, I promise this is the last time I do anything without asking you,’ he said before passing the paper to her.

Her eyes scanned the document for a second before registering what they said.

‘Two tickets to L.A.?!’

‘Yeah.’

‘What’s this for?’ she asked, suspicion rising in her voice.

‘I was thinking maybe we could take a trip home.’

‘A trip home?! After all this fighting you want me to just go home?’

‘Well, I already cleared it with your manager and they said they’d give you some time off the show to do it.’

‘Chris?! How could you, you went behind my back and- ‘

‘Well yeah, I mean I need someone to help me pack.’

‘-just leave…wait pack?’

‘Yeah, pack.’

‘What do you mean pack?’

‘Well, I’m going to need quite a bit of my stuff from home if I’m gonna come and live here.’

‘What?’

‘Well, I was thinking and feel free to say no if you want. But I’m coming off this tour now and sure I’ve got some work to do but it’s just as much travelling from home as it is from New York. Why wouldn’t I stay with someone I love instead of all alone in that big ol’ house? That’s if you want me to.’

‘Of course, I want you to!’

‘Good. Because I just want some time with you, no matter where we are. And I’m sure I can get used to New York, I mean it’s no Boston but-

‘I can’t wait,’ Y/N squealed as she jumped up from her seat and moved around the table to sit on his lap.

‘Me either babe,’ he chuckled leaning up to kiss her, as she whispered.

‘Dodger’s gonna be so excited.’