You’re just about to pull the blanket over the two of you when Esteban drops his phone onto the couch with a small, satisfied sigh.

“There. Now everyone knows." He says, grinning in that way only he can.

A little cheeky, but soft in the eyes.

You blink, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Knows what?”

He turns toward you, scooting a little closer, and his voice is quieter now, warmer. “That you’re my girlfriend."

Your heart does that little skip it always does when he says things like that, even though you’ve known it for a while now.

You reach for his phone, but of course, he’s faster.

“Nope, babe. Movie first, drama later.” Esteban leans back, throws an arm around your shoulders and pulls you in like this is the most normal thing in the world.

“This isn’t drama! This is my official Instagram debut as your girlfriend. This is monumental.” You say, trying to sound serious, but your grin betrays you.

He laughs, hiding his face in your neck and stays there, voice muffled. "Maybe. But no matter what they say. We're together. That’s all that matters.”

You feel your whole body relax, just from that one sentence.

When he pulls back, he finally holds the phone out to you. “Okay. You can look.”

You open Instagram and there it is.

The post.

Three pictures. The two of you, completely real. No staged poses, no performance.

Just you two.

Caption :

Her♥️

You scroll through the comments.

user0404 : WHAT?? OMG. I’m freaking out here! user1433 : Well, that was unexpected. user1004 : My heart is melting. And yes, I’m jealous. But it’s fine. Mostly.

You pause for a second, then let out a quiet laugh. “You’re crazy.”

He grins mischievously and kisses your neck, slow and almost tender. “Maybe. But at least we don’t have to hide anymore.”

You turn your head slightly, looking at him.

His hair is a mess from the pillow, his eyes warm, maybe even a little proud and in that moment, you know…he's serious.

This isn’t a PR stunt.

Not a spontaneous post made in some rush of affection.

This is real.

“Come on. Let’s start the movie." He says with a grin and hits play.

Then he pulls you even closer, so your head rests against his chest, his hand gently on your arm, his thumb tracing calming circles on your skin.

The screen lights up and the Marvel logo appears, that iconic fanfare playing loud and proud.

The Avengers.

The beginning of everything.

Classic Esteban, of course. He believes if you’re gonna do it right, you have to start from the beginning.

The bowl of popcorn rests on his lap, already half gone.

Your hands keep bumping into each other in the bowl, maybe on accident, maybe not.

Every time, his fingers linger a little longer than they need to, they brushing yours, tracing your skin.

Quiet. Familiar.

His phone keeps vibrating next to him.

Likes. Comments. DMs.

You don’t need to look to know the internet’s losing its mind.

But Esteban?

He’s just sitting there like nothing’s happening.

Relaxed, one arm casually around your shoulders, eyes on the screen, but you can feel it.

His attention is on you.

“You don’t regret it?” You ask softly. Almost like you’re afraid of the answer.

He doesn’t respond right away.

Instead, he gently reaches for your chin, tilting your face up to his. His eyes lock with yours.

Soft, serious, full of warmth.

“Not for a second. Why would I hide you? You’re the only one I want." He says.

Then he leans in and kisses you.

Slow.

Gentle.

But everything’s in it.

Everything he doesn’t say every day. Everything left unspoken, you feel it in that one touch.

He means it.