Irisida

Chapter 4 | Three empty words

Iris wasn't used to attention. And particularly not to the type that included being carried on the shoulder's of big, gorgeous men. To anyone on the outside it would seem like she was living her best life, but only she knew how every passing moment in the crowd, away from Steve, killed her. They were fighting, sure, but small fights like these didn't step on years of friendship, of love.

She finally built up the courage and stood up from her seat, everyone seeing right through her as she picked her tray up and started to walk towards Steve. The whole mess was suddenly silent. The sound of her heels clicking on the floor as she walked towards him only made her anticipation grow. She finally reached the table and put her tray down.

She just stood there for a second, staring at him, in wait of a response, and when she didn't get one, she cleared her throat. Her feet naturally stepped back as he stood up as well. She opened her arms just a bit, like she always did after a fight. It was routine. After every argument, they'd take time to cool down, hug it out, scream for another round, and then it'd be over. But there was something different this time.

Steve folded the letter her was reading. Maybe it was Bucky's, she thought. But it couldn't be. If Bucky knew that they were in an army camp, about 500 miles from where they'd said they'd be, he would've dropped everything as it was just to come back and slap some sense into them. Literally.

He stood there for another second. He was waiting for her to say something so he could counter it, but she didn't. Silence was never awkward between them, but then again, this wasn't routine. He turned around, as if to walk to another table when she finally grabbed onto his arm to stop him. It felt weird, the physical touch, and so she retracted her arm almost immediately.

"Can we just talk for a minute, Steve?" She finally huffed out. "You can ignore the situation all you want but that doesn't make it fictional. You're going to have to face it eventually."

Steve let out a sigh as he turned around. He put his tray right opposite to her and sat down. It was suspicious, the fact that Steve had sat down before her, but they were already fighting and she wasn't in the mood for table etiquettes anyway.

"So how are-" Iris was immediately interrupted.

"Listen to me, Iry, I don't know what you were thinking when you enlisted, and now you're joining the super soldier project too? This isn't safe and you should know that."

He was upset, she could tell. His proud shoulders were drooping once again. He put his hand over hers, in hopes that maybe his hands could do what his words couldn't, but Iris was determined.

"I know you care about me, and trust me I really care about you too, but that never stopped me from supporting you in everything you ever did, regardless of how tough it seemed. I was always there by your side, Steve, and now that you're here, I have full right to stay right here, right next to you." She shifted her eyes from his, to the floor, and back to him again. Her hand shifted from under his, to over it. "I can't apologize for enlisting. I have just as much responsibility towards this country as you. I started this for you Steve, I really did. I told myself I was ready to let you go but I just couldn't. But this isn't just about you anymore." Their hands lay together for a second right before he pulled away.

"Wait how did you even know about the project in the first place? You went dancing with Bucky and I never told you about getting into the army, let alone into the project."

How does one explain to their friend that not only did they spy on them, but also followed the person they were talking to, all while getting caught at the end?

"No. You will not pin this on me. Sure I followed you and then Dr. Erskine told me that he was watching us behind the alley the other day and then he just handed me papers and then rode away and then I ran home and then I convinced my mom and then I came here. If anything, it's your fault for getting into a fight in the first place." She said, all in one breath.