Lessons in Rule Breaking and Other Reader-Inserts*Steve Rogers*Reader*

Surprise Me - Pt.2/2

Ch2: A lunch date

You hadn't made it back.

Your boss - the one whose P.A. you actually were - caught a glimpse of you and demanded your services. He wanted you to get him a smoothie immediately. Then to bring new batteries to his whatever. And then his wife stopped by, so he ordered coffee and a pie. You wanted to scream in frustration - and the simple annoying tasks had zero to do with it, because you had counted on those.

What you hadn't signed up for was promising a very down-to-Earth charming soldier, whom you had somehow managed to cheer up, a lunch and then ditching him. By the time you had a minute to breathe in, you saw him back in front of the camera, reciting the ridiculous lines with ferocity and a glint of disappointment when he caught your gaze. You both quickly looked away.

You felt like an idiot and you were determined to apologize and explain yourself, despite not having an actual excuse outside of being a fucking P.A and doing your job.

You finally managed to sneak near his van after six p.m. after the set was wrapped up. You were exhausted physically and psychically, but with a determination in every cell of your body. It totally died the moment you knocked on the door and his quiet 'yes' invited you in.

With your heart beating out of your chest, anxiety eating you up, you peeked in, biting your lower lip.

He wore a simple t-shirt and jeans with a leather jacket that would have given him an aura or bad boy if there weren't for his baby-blues. He looked like a freaking god. But most importantly, he looked honestly shocked to see you - then his expression shifted, flashing a bit of anger, you supposed, and then he just settled on polite neutral; saying your name with the same zero emotion he had written on his face.

Your insides clenched uncomfortably in regret and shame as he looked back on his bag, returning to packing his things absently.

"Good evening, Captain. I'm sorry to bother you before you leaving but... I just wanted to- I wanted to-- I have to apologize," you stuttered, embarrassed like hell, your eyes pinned to the floor. You were standing in the doorway, not daring to enter fully in case you would want to run as the coward you were.

"For what?" he asked with a frown, turning to you, stopping the packing in the process.

"For, uhm..." you looked around, unsure how to phrase it and took a step inside. Sorry for... disappointing you? Not keeping my promise? Giving you a premise of a lunch filled with relaxed conversation and then not showing up? None of these seemed right.

You noticed an untouched food in an opened container on a table and froze. Oh. Oh. Shit.

"Oh god, you waited for me," you burst out, horrified, the shame giving a sharp pang in your gut. Oh god, he had actually waited for you to come back. If you weren't feeling so sorry, you would think it was utterly sweet and gentlemanly thing to do. But you were.

"I'm officially the worst person ever. I'm responsible for starving you. Oh god. I'm so sorry for not showing up, believe me, I tried my best, but Mr. Pratt wouldn't let me take a single break and I know that it's no excuse, I should have at least let you know, but-"

"Hey, hey, slow down. Take a breath," he instructed you, taking several steps your direction, packing be damned. He raised his hand as if he wanted to touch your forearm, but changed his mind in the last moment. You gulped and did as he asked, realizing you were actually panicking. "Sit down, please... breathe in again. Good."

You were on a chair near the door now, focusing on taking depth breaths, mentally yelling at yourself to pull yourself together, because this was ridiculous. You were absolutely over-reacting, you knew that, but you couldn't help yourself.