My Forbidden Soldier

VI

You took a look around after stepping out of the car with Steve. All you could see for miles was camera flashes and people waving their hands. It looked like something straight out of a Hollywood movie. Along the red carpet was a multitude of reporters interviewing some of the other Avengers.

After taking the sight in, you look to your left and see Steve observing you. When you catch him, you notice a quick blush consume his cheeks, but he gives you a quick smile and gestures for you to continue walking. As soon as you start, you see Mr. Stark walking with Pepper towards you. On his way, he pulls one of the reporters aside and she starts to follow him too.

He makes his way over, giving Steve a weird glance as he introduced you to the reporter. He then goes on to talk about how she's going to do a special article on you two sometime soon. After that short and awkward conversation, you continue walking toward the tower. People were yelling all over and calling your name, asking you to pose and smile with Steve. You couldn't understand why people were so desperate to have images of your relationship.

***

After finally getting into the building, you are suddenly engulfed in introductions from Mr. Stark's business partners and friends. The issue many congratulations and go on their way whispering to everyone else about you and Steve. Speaking of him, you had admired his attitude the whole evening. Upon meeting Steve and talking to him you understood that since coming out of the ice, he has suffered from mild anxiety. Tonight though, he had been very relaxed and always had you at his hip, in case something happened and you needed help. It was nice to have someone like that, even though you saw Steve as just a colleague and this was your first task at your new job. It helped you to think of this mission as a job, all your life you had managed to convince people to feel a certain way towards you, so how was this any different?

"Attention! How is everyone? Thank you all for attending and celebrating Y/N and Steve on their relationship going public. I have seen these two love birds hanging around the compound together and it's so nice to see them finally able to share it with you all tonight. Y/N and Steve would you please join me up here and share a kind word with your guests?"

Shit. What do I say? Go on about how amazing my fake boyfriend is?

As you walked up on stage, which Steve held your hand and helped you up onto, you managed to pull off a pretty solid speech about your "wonderful boyfriend, who is always there for you," and yeah, you made it extra sappy, just so people would believe you if your act wasn't already convincing enough. Once you both had walked off stage, you departed from Steve's side and beelined it to the bar. For once in your life, you would have no one hit on you at the bar, since everyone already knew you were happily taken. Well, never mind, you thought. Someone had come up behind you and hugged you.

"Hey," they whispered in your ear.

You immediately recognized the voice.

"Adrian?" you turned around and hugged him back. It had been a few weeks since you'd seen him. You managed to fill him up to date on your life. And since no one had told you who you could and couldn't tell about the mission, you decided to play it off like you and Steve had fallen the moment you two met when you had first arrived at the Compound alongside Adrian and Widow. He seemed genuinely happy for you and Steve, you'd always seen him as a friend nothing more and nothing less. It was nice that there was no tension, and that nothing had changed because of your dating life. Eventually, he waved and disappeared into the crowd. You had seen Steve in the corner of your eye a few times talking to other people, but your main priority was getting some alcohol into your system so you could get rid of all the built-up tension inside.

***

After a while, at the bar, you had run into Thor and he offered you some of his Asgardian drink, you quickly agreed and took a shot, and holy shit did it burn going down. By then you'd already had a few drinks in your system so you weren't bothered by how much alcohol content it contained. You hadn't seen Steve that much after the speech you two gave. He was still talking around and making more impressions, which wasn't something you felt like you should have to be a part of. And yes, you were drunk. You'd only meant to have a few drinks, but what the hell. You were at a Stark party, did it much matter?