"My God," I whisper as I stare down at the papers in my hands. "We almost had it all..."
My thoughts race in a million different distractions as I turn back to the first of hundreds of pages, silently praying that what I uncovered is actually in my hands. I skim the typed words frantically, turning page after page after page until I land on a scene that I recognize. It's my own, or at least it's supposed to be. What's written here contains much more than the sparknotes script I was given.
Where was it?
The camera focuses on Natasha, sitting at a desk covered in stacks of paper, miscellaneous equipment, pill bottles, and takeout containers. A pair of well-worn ballet slippers are under the desk, just out of frame until we see Steve enter.
Hanging from his neck is a single silver chain. Natasha knows the significance of the chain and what is attached — Bucky's dog tags. He hasn't worn them in years.
Natasha wonders if Steve has realized what it means yet, realized what he hasn't yet told the spy sitting at the desk in front of him.
There! There it is!
She decides that maybe his lack of insight is for the best, and leaves it alone. After all, an old friend is here to visit. She doesn't want to seem an ungrateful host.
What is it that he's hiding?
What does Natasha know?
What's on the chain?
I flip through the next several hundred pages, trying my damnedest not to give myself paper cuts.
The spy finds a man in black and gold standing in place of who she came to find, but they are one and the same. She's almost moved to tears as she begs him to return home, saying he's been lost for far too long.
He laughs at her. He isn't lost. He can't be. He's done this on his own, forging his own path in blood and hate, hasn't he?
My phone vibrates on the couch beside me. I don't hear or feel it.
I turn another several hundred pages.
The man standing beside her takes something out of his pocket and opens it, the metallic click catching her attention immediately. She realizes that the picture inside is different from the one she's seen before.
This is the true reason for the pocket watch, the captain's true emotions finally becoming clear to her.
She silently asks herself how she missed this, how she could have been so oblivious to what truly motivates one of her closest friends.
My phone vibrates again.
I choose to ignore it.
My phone vibrates again.
I catch a glimpse of the screen just before it times out. I have a text from Sebastian Stan, a text from Anthony Mackie, and a text from Chris Evans.
With a frustrated sigh, I set the script down and pick up my phone so I can text my boys back.
Thank God it isn't a group message.
They're all separate messages.
I go to Chris' message first.
Chris: Hey, Scarlett! I finally got a chance to listen to the voicemail you left. I'm free next Friday, if that helps?
I send him a quick reply.
Me: Definitely helps! Thank youu!
I go to Mackie's text next.
Mackie: I'm so excited for Seb, Scar. Finally, he's going to have the chance to tell Chris! Finally!!! I can't wait!!!
I reply to his message — short and simple.
Me: 😁😍🥰
I go to Seb's message.
Seb: Have you seen the shit that the Russos are saying about Steve and Bucky? And then this nonsense about Bucky and Sharon in FWS??? I swear to God, I'm gonna go full Winter Soldier on them if they keep this up. It's not okay...not okay at all...
Oh, Seb, sweetie.
Earlier today, the Russo brothers confirmed that Steve and Peggy got married and had kids and all of that when he went back in time at the end of endgame. If anyone is having a more difficult time with this than me, Mackie, Hayley Atwell, and RDJ, it's Seb. We've been pushing for Steve and Bucky to get together from the beginning, to define their relationship without killing their characters or sacrificing their relationship for nonsense, but the Russos went a different route. They said that Bucky was damaged goods, unstable, couldn't be trusted. Then they said that Steve's only ever been focused on Peggy. Even Hayley said that it's really only ever been about Bucky.
As a Marvel fan and the woman that portrays Natasha Romanoff onscreen, I was furious, and Hayley already called me to vent her frustration. I've also spent a lot of my free time today fielding questions from RDJ, who has no idea why their story just fell apart the way that it did.
It's obvious that Chris is oblivious, and it's glaringly obvious that Endgame is full of mistakes. Sure, it's a fantastic movie that I'm proud to have been a part of, but it left me with more questions than answers.
Why force the actors that were born to play these characters to do anything out of character, anything that doesn't feel right as that individual?
I refuse to let anyone walk all over the characters I've embraced.
It doesn't match my values as an actress.
Seb: Scarlett 😭 they're making it worse...
I abandon my thoughts to give Seb a shoulder to cry on, something to hold onto.
Me: It's going to be okay, Seb. Have you talked to Mackie? He was pretty upset about it too...
Seb: He's not as upset as I am about this. They're trashing Bucky, just running him right over with a truck.
Seb: Or maybe it's a train?
Seb: Either way, I'm upset. How on earth could they think it's okay? Steve and Bucky spent literal years chasing each other. Three movies about two characters that revolve around each other...two real actors behind those characters...and this is the result.
Seb: I'm miserable and Chris is oblivious.
Me: I know something that'll help you feel better...?
Seb: It better be a vacation because I'm so over this Marvel-beating-up-Bucky nonsense!
Me: Chris is free next Friday!
Seb: Wait what
Seb: Since when?
Me: Since now! He just told me that he's free!
Seb: So the script you found...?
Me: I'm locking you two in a room by yourselves to figure out what the hell went wrong 😂
Seb: Oh please no
Seb: Do you want me to throw up?
Seb: Anxiety, Scarlett. Anxiety!
Me: I was joking 🙄
Seb: So what's the real plan?
Me: I'm going to grab dinner with Chris while you get to work turning his house into whatever sappy masterpiece you want it to be. When you're ready, I'll tell him I have something I want to show him that Hayley gave me and we'll go back to his house. He'll read the script, I'll vanish, you'll appear, and boom.
Seb: Boom?
Me: I have no idea. He may have a meltdown, or he may pick you up and carry you off to bed like a princess 😂
Seb: Have you told anyone else about the script?
Me: RDJ, Mackie, Hayley, Lizzie...
Seb: Ah, okay. They already know that I'm in love with Chris, so everything's all good. I don't have to panic 😅
Me: You do realize that we're the ones pushing for Stucky to happen, right?
Seb: Yes, I do. I'd rather just have Chris, tbh, but if Stucky is all I can get, that's fine with me.
Me: Relax, Seb. I'm like 99% sure he feels the same way that you do.
Seb: You've told me that a million times, but I still don't believe you 😂
Me: Because you're stubborn!!!
Seb: Not as stubborn as you!!!
Me: That's...fair.
Seb: Thank you for helping me calm down, btw. You always know how to keep me from panicking whenever things happen with the Russos or Chris.
Me: You're welcome 💕