Chapter Thirteen: From Soldier To Cover Star
It
was the day of the big photoshoot. ‘A Superhero Meets Hollywood Romance’.
Sarah’s publicists were buzzing with excitement, as were Cece and Lily. The
news was out, and it was huge. There was no way poor Tony and Nat could
have kept this from Steve. Even though televisions and monitors mysteriously
conked out, and access to entertainment websites inexplicably blocked, there
was no getting away from the mammoth crew advancing toward the Avengers compound
like army tanks. Photogs, set decorators, makeup artists, stylists, and
assistants got to work, setting up in the designated area Tony had given them
access to. He looked on astounded, realising what a big deal this was.
Just
then, Nat power-walked over to Tony, disrupting his little moment. “I can’t
find him anywhere,” she whisper-yelled.
“Uh,
remind me what this is about…” All it took was a moment of wonderment to derail
Tony’s thoughts.
“What
do you think? Steve! His motorcycle’s out back, his car’s in the garage, but… I
can’t find him anywhere.”
Of
course, she wouldn’t find him. Many years ago, Steve had found a secluded spot on
the roof. At first, he’d considered reporting the blind spot to Tony. It was,
after all, even out of F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s range. A security risk. But he decided
against it after sharing the secret spot with Sarah. She’d had a particularly
horrid day at boarding school and “ran away” to the compound. It had become a
sort of solace for them both.
From
this vantage point, Steve had a bird’s-eye view of the commotion below. He
watched Sarah get her hair and makeup done, chuckling to himself when he caught
her doing a dorky dance as she psyched herself up for the shoot, and then
released a wistful sigh as he turned to leave, silently saying goodbye to her.
It’s
only when Tony’s autonomous Audi crawled up to him that he found Steve dawdling
across the running track, fully decked in his suit. “What, did you teleport
here? Romanoff’s been looking all over for you.”
“Hm,
has she?”
“You
know, things have been quiet around here lately. If you wanted to get away for
a couple of days… I hear Asgard’s great this time of year.”
That
earned a soft chuckle from Steve. “I appreciate the concern, Tony, but I’m
good. I’ve made peace with it. They’re happy.”
“Damn
it, Rogers,” Tony muttered at Steve’s laissez-faire approach.
“What?
You don’t approve?”
“What
about you?”
“What
about me? They’re my two best friends. How can I not want them to
be happy?” Tony had no comeback. While a typical Steve Rogers response, he
resisted an eye roll. Snarkiness would be in poor taste for such unadulterated
selflessness. “…Besides, even if I could, what type of man would I be if I were
to tell them the truth now? They’ve only just gotten together.”
“Well,
I hope you know what you’re doing."
After
a moment of contemplation, Steve replied, “I hope so too.”
Upon
spotting Bucky from across the makeshift set, Sarah left her makeup chair and
made a beeline toward him. “Where have you been? Last I heard from you, you
said you’d call me back!”
“I
know… I know… I’m sorry,” he said, carefully placing his Vibranium arm around
Sarah’s shoulder as he pulled her in for a swift peck on the forehead. “Steve
and I had ‘the talk’ yesterday.”
Sarah’s
eyes widened at the news, her heart momentarily stilled. “Well, what did you
say? What did he say? Are you guys good?”
“We’re good, Sarah," Bucky smirked. "You don’t need to
keep looking over your shoulder anymore.”
“Looking
over my sh– I do not!” she scoffed.
“Oh,
yeah, you do. Believe me. You care about what he says or thinks more than you
realise… Or more than you’d care to admit.”
Sarah
opened her mouth to speak, to deny the accusation, but she couldn’t. Instead,
the couple locked eyes, sharing a look that spoke volumes. It was in this
moment of silent communication that Bucky’s suspicion and concern had
solidified.
The
last thing Bucky wanted was for Sarah to feel guilty about her unresolved (or,
more accurately, her unacknowledged) feelings. He navigated his way
through the horde of stylists, leaving her somewhat confounded. How had Bucky
derived this conclusion? Was she really that transparent? Or were Bucky’s
abilities a little different from Steve’s?
Sarah
took a moment to focus on her breathing; a technique she had learnt in rehab.
This was the first time since ‘the incident’ that she had felt such
strain. Her chest tightened as perspiration formed along her hairline.
“Breathe,”
she thought. “Just breathe.”
It hadn’t occurred to her yet that this was
a sign of regression. Hell, it hadn’t occurred to anyone. No one could
have predicted the events that followed. No one, that is, except perhaps for
Steve.
As
the camera flashes erupted around Bucky and Sarah, Bucky felt nothing but
discomfort. Being in the spotlight was never his forte, never mind posing
alongside a seasoned actress dressed in designer outfits for a high-profile
photoshoot.
“Bucky,
relax,” Sarah whispered, her hand gently squeezing his as the photographer
directed them into various poses. Bucky managed a strained smile, hoping it
looked convincing enough for the cameras. Sarah, on the other hand, radiated
confidence, effortlessly striking poses and exuding charm with every click of
the shutter.
For
Sarah, this was a dream come true—a chance to share her world with him. And for
Bucky, it was a way to make her happy, even if it meant stepping out of his
comfort zone.
As the bright flashes of the cameras continued to
assault Bucky’s senses, Sarah noted his growing distress. With a gentle touch,
she slipped her hand into his, intertwining their fingers as they stood amidst
the bustling set of the photoshoot. Bucky’s tension was palpable, his gaze
flickering nervously to the crew members and cameras surrounding them.
"Hey," Sarah whispered, her voice a
soothing melody amidst the chaos. "Forget about them for a moment. Pretend
it’s just us."
Bucky locked eyes with her, finding comfort in the
gentle warmth of her gaze. Amidst the cacophony of noise, the piercing stares,
and the expectations, he sought refuge in the familiarity of Sarah’s
presence. She became his sanctuary in the midst of this chaotic spectacle, her
quiet strength grounding him with every glance, her steadfastness offering him
solace in the midst of the storm.
For a heartbeat, the world around them faded into
insignificance. There was only the sensation of their lips moving together, the
rhythm of their breaths syncing in perfect harmony. Bucky felt himself
surrendering to the moment, allowing Sarah’s kiss to wash away his worries and
fears.
When they parted, Bucky slow-blinked in disbelief,
the chaos of the photoshoot momentarily forgotten. In Sarah’s eyes, he saw
nothing but empathy and affection, a silent reassurance that they were in this
together, no matter what challenges they faced. And in that moment, surrounded
by the glitz and glamour of the set, Bucky found the resilience to do her proud
and play the role of cover star.
Vivienne, the journalist covering the story, crossed
her ankles as she adjusted the digital recorder on the ottoman before she
continued. “For our readers, I’m obligated to ask… How do you guys stay in such
great shape?”
“Oh, I’m in shape?” Sarah feigned surprise, knowing
all too well the obligatory ‘diet and training’ question had to be asked
sooner or later. “Gosh, I don’t know... I guess I stay in shape by dodging
paparazzi and doing a daily workout of chasing my dreams. Keeps me on my toes,”
she quipped, her eyes twinkling with playful humour. Her witty response
elicited chuckles from those around her, adding a touch of light-heartedness to
the conversation.
Vivienne then turned to Bucky. “Sergeant Barnes?”
“Me? Yeah, my job kind of takes care of that. I just
need to… you know, show up.”
“So, no real routine? No special diet?”
Bucky tapped each of biceps. “What can I say? All
super soldier.”
Much to Vivienne’s dismay, the interview was
mediocre, at best. The “Sarah Carter/Bucky Barnes” story was supposed to set
tongues wagging with thrill and spice, not be doomed for lining the next day’s
kitty litter box. Sure, the subjects were flaming hot, but there was nothing
compelling to uncover. No angle. No scoop.
Nevertheless, Vivienne trudged on, turning her
attention to Sarah as she silently berated herself for volunteering to cover
the story. “You’ve both travelled quite extensively. What are your favourite
places to visit?”
“Not very subtle, is she?” Vivienne teased, arching
an eyebrow at Bucky.
“No… No, she’s not. I keep telling her that for a
professional actress, she hasn’t quite nailed the art of subtlety.”
Once the playful ribbing came to an end, Vivienne
sat back in her chair and asked the final question for the interview. Heaving a
sigh of relief, she glanced between the couple and smiled. “You’re equally
close to Captain Steve Rogers. Has your relationship changed that at all?”
Her answer was so quick, so confident, so
well-rehearsed. Bucky blinked, reeling at the adept way Sarah answered the
question. The only problem he had with it was the fact that it wasn’t the whole
truth.
“Actually… I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t
know how he’d react to the news. Which is why I chose to bide my time. But at
the end of the day, you really can’t find a better friend than Steve. He’s as
selfless as they come.”
And just like that, the editorial gods smiled down
on Vivienne. It wasn’t so much what Sarah said, but how she'd said
it. And with that wistful expression on her face, Vivienne knew she
had just struck gold! This was the angle she had hoped for.
Watch Episode 13 Here:
0 Comments