Our Journey| Aaron Taylor Johnson

If You Do It, I'll Do It

Several weeks later.
I walked into my kitchen followed by arguments behind me.

"You lost. Again. Just. Let. It. Go." I heard Lizzie say behind me.

"Rematch." I heard Tom say, quickly followed by Aaron agreeing.

"Get over it." Anthony joined in.

I dropped my gun on my chair and started taking off my gear, placing it neatly on the table.
I walked to the cupboard, taking out a glass and filling it with water, amused by their confrontation.
I leaned on the counter and watched, Aaron caught me with a smile on my face and walked over to me.

"I don't wanna hear it, Maximoff." I said as he towered over me, his paintball gear was splattered with paint from my own gun.

"Y/n." He pleaded.

"You wanted a rematch, and you got it." I smiled up at him, "Just accept defeat."
He kept his eyes on mine with a smirk on his lips, like he could make me do what he wanted by just throwing that smirk my way.
He finally got around to shaving and his stubble had a few paint smudges whitched matched the paint in his hair.

"Where do you want me to put this?" Lizzie asked from behind Aaron, about to pick up the gun I lent her.
I moved to see what she was talking about. The only thing I saw was her lifting the gun with her right hand, pointing it at me, I heard glass shatter next to me and Lizzie's scream.
Aaron quickly pulled me, shielding me from the flying paintballs, which quickly stopped.

"I'm SO SORRY." I heard Lizzie yell.

Aaron's left hand wrapped around my waist as his right wrapped around the back of my head, protecting my neck and face. I placed my hand on his chest armor and turned to look at her as Aaron dropped his right hand.
Tom had taken the weapon from Lizzie and they all looked scared.

"Are you okay?" Anthony asked.

"Yeah," I said to Anthony, "Thank you." I turned to Aaron who still has his arm around my waist. I saw the fresh paint stains on his armor, directly at my eye level.

"Where was that when I needed you out there, Olsen?" I asked.

■■■

I sat Lizzie's kitchen table with a stack of scripts to my right and a few folders of photo shoots to my other left.

"Anything good?" She asked, setting down a mug of tea for me.

"Thank you." I said picking up the mug, "So far? Ugh." I closed the script and tossed it to the side with the others.

"VS Angel? What?" She smiled widely, picking up a black and pink folder.

"Ugh yeah." I groaned. "I did a photo shoot for their new campaign a few months ago. It's called something strong or sexy. Probably just awkward."

"What!" She squealed, "and you didn't tell me?" She quickly opened it.

"Told you about it? I haven't even looked at it." I said.

" What are you talking about? You look amazing." She said looking through the pictures.

"It's called photoshop." I raised an eyebrow and smiled before taking a sip of my tea. I heard the front door open and close.

"Hello?" I heard that unmistakable accent.

"We're in here!" Lizzie said loudly.

"Put that away." I said to Lizzie.

"I'm not done looking," she said flipping to another picture as I tried to take it from her, "Hold on. Hold on!"

I gave up trying when he walked in, "What are you up to.?" He asked.

"Being stubborn." I answered.

"Right back at you." Lizzie said putting everything back in its folder.

"What's that?" Aaron asked Lizzie.

"Nothing." She shrugged and put the folder away and making eye contact with me.

"Okay?" Aaron frowned, "Am I allowed to ask what the rest is?" He motioned to the mess in front of us.

"Work." I groaned. He walked around me and started poking trough the scrips.

"Anything good?" He asked.

"Okay, how about you read them for me, then you can tell me if there's anything good." I said slightly annoyed.

I rested my head down on the table watching his large hands sort through the mess in front of me. Lizzie's phone vibrated the whole table.

"I have to get this." she said before leaving the room.

"The Lucky One?" Aaron asked as he stood next to me.

"Huh?" I asked, realizing I had blanked out.

"They keep bugging me about this." He said holding up the script. "They want me to play the lead."

"Oh the chick flick." I yawned "Yeah me too. I've already turned that down three times."

"So you're not gonna do it?" He asked.

"A drama?" I asked, "Eh I don't know.... They offered me this cool paint ball gun. I said I'd think about it."

"Are you really thinking about it?"

"It's just.. It's a really cool expensive gun." I said, sliding down in my chair.

"Of course it is." He chuckled.

"They know how to play me." I groaned.

"I'll tell you what," he said taking a seat next to me, "If you do it, I'll do it." He held out his hand.
I sat up in my chair again, trying to see if he was really serious, I looked down at his hand and back to his eyes, debating.

"Alright, Johnson.  You're on." I said, shaking his hand.

■■■

"Oh... My... God..." I mumbled to myself. "This is why I shouldn't be allowed to make decisions when I'm tired."

"What happened?" Lizzie asked, looking at me from the tv in my living room.

"It's a chick flick. That's what's wrong." I said, shaking the script in frustration. "With kissing and hugging, and making out practically naked."

"He totally likes you." She said as if unfazed by what I just said.

"What." I asked, completely off guard.

"I mean, he did come up with the idea." She said, "I know for sure, that he had no interest in playing this part until he found out you were gonna be in it too."

"Yeah okay." I rolled my eyes.

"He's not involved with anyone anymore." She said, "What are you afraid of? What's holding you back?"