Behind Closed Doors

Chapter 3: Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan

Y/N didn't have a real conversation with Chris until after everyone had finished eating and settling in. Y/N tried to pitch in with the dishes and was assigned to the glorious task of scrubbing a burnt pan. It was Mickey's fault, which helped Y/N create a more solid mental picture of him. Why did he decide to heat up his takeout in a pan? It was anyone's guess. Chris was drying off a spatula when he blurted out, "Are you going in the hot tub later?"

It took Y/N a good minute to register the words that came out of his mouth.

"I... I mean it's cold out? Why would I want to use a hot tub when it's cold out?" She realized she sounded ridiculous.

"I mean that's why a hot tub is hot. That's what it's for... so you would be doing it a disservice by not using it." Chris said with the utmost confidence. Did he usually have this level of smoothness or was it just around the topic of hot tubs?

Wait, Y/N thought to herself. Is this how he lured girls in, with this sexy hot tub talk? Was it working on her? She didn't trust him, but she didn't necessarily have to. She didn't even really have to like him per se. Y/N was never one for hot tubs, or swimming for that matter, but maybe she could tolerate it.

"You've convinced me... Mr ... this would have been smoother if I actually knew your last name." Y/N sighed as her half-hearted attempt at flirting fell flat. Definitely out of practice.

A smirk appeared on Chris' face before he answered. "Evans. It's Evans, for the record."

"Well, Mr. Evans. You'll have to wait 30 minutes for me anyways....you know, just ate."

With a hearty laugh Chris replied, "You know, I think I can manage that."

They never made it to the hot tub that night. Y/N saw that Daisy had gone in herself (to be joined by Tom after a bit) but Y/N didn't join them. The exhaustion of the day settled in, and it wasn't worth the effort. She noticed that Chris avoided the hot tub, and Daisy too, just like he said he would.

---

Since Y/N was the last one to make it to the cabin, she had to settle with sleeping on the couch. Mary told her it was a family rule, to make things fair. No one was allowed to pre-claim rooms or save rooms for anyone else. She thought the couch would be fine. She had slept in worse places in college: bathroom floors, half-filled air mattresses, the works. But this couch was definitely assembled by the Devil himself, with barely enough fabric to cover the wood structure underneath. Her designer eye could see neither form nor function in it. It was hideous and uncomfortable; why would anyone buy a couch like this?

She stared at the walls for a while, trying to find a comfortable position. Everything was painted this sort of sickly green color, which was not making her feel any better. Y/N tossed and turned and failed to get comfortable.

This trip almost couldn't get worse.

Y/N woke up with pains in parts of her body that she had never experienced pain in before. She was uncomfortable from head to toe and more than a little grouchy.

She walked into the kitchen. Edward was there, and he noticed her sour mood almost immediately. It was like he could see the dark cloud hanging over her head.

Edward seemed only a bit better off than her. His hair was in true disarray, as compared to the artful tousle of the previous night. He continued sleepily making his coffee, turned to her, and offered her a cup. "You look like you could use it."

Y/N just nodded, hoping some caffeine might make this day seem less tragic.

"How do you take it?"

"Black is fine." No use beating around the bush today. Y/N was looking for immediate caffeinated results.

Edward shot her a look that said he understood, and he poured her a cup.

"Don't you look like a ray of sunshine."

Y/N turned to see Chris leaning against the counter. He looked incredible. It wasn't fair. It was too early for this. And the t-shirt on his body had to be cutting off his circulation. No one slept in something that tight. The pants he wore hung almost indecently low on his hips, and Y/N could see the chiseled V underneath.

It was fucking criminal to look that good this early. She made a mental note to look more like a Victoria Secret model in the morning and less like Anna from Frozen on her coronation day.

"Did you get that shirt in the children's section? Or did it just shrink in the wash?" Y/N wished she had something snappier, but she wasn't at her peak this morning.

"Oh, I just wear this as a favor to the rest of the world. You're welcome," retorted Chris as he poured himself some coffee as well. He was still smirking at her like he had the night before. Y/N was starting to think it was just his face.

"The couch wasn't the most comfortable place I've ever slept, if you must know." Part of Y/N didn't want him thinking she always looked like a gremlin after waking up, and the other part of her was mad that she cared so much.

"I'm very sorry to hear you had the misery of sleeping on that thing, it's always been awful," Chris said, but there was a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "You're more than welcome to join me in my bed. We don't need the whole house to hear you complaining for the rest of the trip, now do we." His smirk deepened, and his voice dropped low. "Besides, I'm not really used to sleeping alone."

Somehow, in the midst of Chris speaking, Y/N failed to notice how close he had gotten to her. She had to take a step back and take a deep breath to steady herself. She hoped he didn't notice.

"You wish. I'd rather take my chances with the couch." A complete lie, but she refused to allow him to gain the upper hand. Upper hand in what , she wasn't completely sure, but she refused to let him feel like he'd won at anything.

"Suit yourself," Chris said with a shrug. He sauntered off with his coffee and shut himself in his room. The room Y/N had stupidly just rejected. Dammit.

"Huh."

Y/N whirled around; she had totally forgotten that Edward was there.

"That was ... something," Edward said, flustered. "I don't think I was supposed to see that. I don't think anyone was supposed to see that. I'm going to see if Mickey's awake...Damn."

He walked away in a daze, seemingly trying to shake the last five minutes from his subconscious. Y/N was mortified.

Now this trip could officially not get any worse.