The red carpet for Captain America: Civil War was chaos. Cameras flashed every few seconds, handlers shouted names over the noise, and everything moved too fast and too loud to really track. The pavement vibrated faintly beneath your heels with the thrum of the crowd just beyond the barricades. Everything smelled like hairspray, perfume, and city heat.

You were technically off-duty. Last interview wrapped, publicist gone, muttering something about “photo wall timing.” You were supposed to wait near the press tent. Smile. Stay in place.

But then you saw him.

Sebastian. A few outlets down, half-listening to a reporter and half-zoning out. Polite posture, one hand in his pocket, the other gesturing absently like he was saving his energy for something real.

So naturally, you moved.

Not loudly. Not dramatically. Just close enough to make him feel it.

He didn’t even look. "Oh great," he said, voice dry. "They’re just letting anyone on the carpet now."

You smiled at the reporter like this was all perfectly normal. "Sorry to interrupt. He gets nervous when I’m not nearby."

Sebastian kept facing forward. "I was fine."

"You were quoting yourself from the Seoul junket."

"Some of us are consistent."

"Some of us are boring."

He turned then, finally. Raised a brow like he wasn’t sure how long you’d been planning this, but he knew better than to act surprised.

"I thought you were at the photo wall," he said.

"Publicist disappeared," you replied. "I wandered."

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "You always wander directly into my interviews?"

"Only the good ones."

Sebastian looked around theatrically. "Security? Anyone?"

You just smiled sweetly. "You’re stuck with me."

He sighed, but his mouth twitched like he couldn’t help it. "I never let you. You just show up and hijack the mic."

"You say that like it’s not a fan favorite at this point."

"You and Mackie both," he muttered. "Between the two of you, I haven’t had a full sentence to myself since Winter Soldier."

The reporter looked between you both, clearly unsure whether to continue or just enjoy the show.