Yet Another Evanstan Story

#1

“Captain America.”

She nodded.

“Really?”

Chris stared at the size of the smile on the face of the person standing before his desk for the longest of time. The size of Nebraska, it really was but after what he just heard, he waited for the punch line to arrive like anytime now.

His horror only doubled to what he was presented with next.

“What do you think? Closest I could find in the stores!”

It was honest to God hideous - Chris was looking at something of bold blue, red and white. Stripes. Stars. A freaking helmet-mask thing or God knows what it was meant to be. He couldn’t fathom the little pigeon wings at the sides of it.

Basically, he was looking at the flag of United States of America - cut and sewn into something someone could put on and call it a costume.

This was not how he wanted to start his Monday at work. “You want me to wear tights at Karen’s birthday party later.”

Chris laughed out loud, ridiculed to Hell. “No.”

“You’re her hero, Chris.”

How sweet. “But the costume?”

“Her party, her rules.”

Fair enough. “Really?”

“Come on, Chris. Karen even set up a poll to find out which superhero the other kids want to see at her party. You were running against Batman, Superman, Iron Man and Wonder Woman - and you won!”

The representative of the children’s wards went around his table, suddenly animated as Hell. “And by a hundred percent, too! It was practically a walkover. Even Batman didn’t stand a chance. Batman’s a big deal - but she wants you. Everybody wants you. There is no possibility for negotiation in this.”

Trust a 10-year-old girl to talk like she ever ran for the White House. The kids sure knew who to nominate to represent their welfare, alright. Chris felt like he was having a meeting with the future President of America.

Impressive.

Still, he let out a less-than-enthusiastic sigh. He loved his little patients with all his heart but “why the need for a costume again? I should go there as myself, right?”

“She still wants to see you come as her favorite superhero, Steve Rogers.”

Rang no bells. “I thought it’s Captain America.”

“He is Captain America. Everyone knows they are the same person.”

“I don’t. And why him?”

”Oh, it’s simple - that’s because you are him!”

“Excuse me?”

Evidence (a screenshot from some comic book, Christ) was presented next. Chris couldn’t argue with the image of this Steve Rogers character - the resemblance was rather uncanny. At least, superficially. The superhero was blonde-haired, blue eyed, had perfect teeth behind a charming smile and “they think I look like I can land planes on my shoulders, too?”

“Yup! The nurses are always saying that you’re ‘pretty cut’ for a CEO of a children’s hospital. I think that means you’re good-looking and hot. Right?”

“McKenna Grace!” Chris burst into laughter, not believing what he just came out from the 10-year-old’s girl’s mouth.

“Pretty cut, huh? Seriously, you guys need to find someone else to make fun of.”

“Make fun of? Chris!” The child rolled her eyes.

“You already know that we all wonder why an awfully nice and handsome man like you is still single, boss.”

“Huh.”

Chris was done with being some hot lunch hour topic. The 35-year-old never really liked people nosing into his private life in the first place - especially when it was known by many that the most recent date he went on was a good three years ago.

So I haven’t found the person who really gets me. What’s the rush anyway? “Okay, enough about that. But can I go as myself or this Steve Rogers guy? As in plainclothes. I look ridiculous in that.”

The Children Ambassador didn’t look like she was gonna be able to change her mind, though. “You have to go as Captain America, Chris.”

“Hmmm.”

“Come on. Be a patriot. Pretty please?”

He wished he had the power to repel cuteness. Her adorable, round, bluish-green, glassy baby doll eyes revealed their power to him, pulling the CEO in and drowning him alive in an endless pit of children’s hope and dreams. All those dancing unicorns and singing bunny rabbits and extensive rainbow sparkles coming down on him without mercy.

Chris managed to contain a defeated groan.

“Fine - but under one condition.”

“Yay! Name it.”

“This looked waaaay better in my head, I swear.”

Shorts over tights. Genius. A fucking Nobel Prize for you, Christopher. Now you look twice as ridiculous. A lot more decent, though.

Urgh, God! I look so stupid in this.

Chris was still staring at his reflection in absolute dismay when someone walked into the bathroom - and what the man saw literally caused him to stop dead in his tracks.

“Woah.”

Oh yeah. He sounded like his mind was fucked over, sideways and under, alright. Great.

Chris wanted to completely disappear from existence until the man went, “the comic legends spoke greatly of you.”

“Sorry?”

“You. The First Avenger.”

“Ah!” Chris quickly pulled his lab coat together in his embarrassment. “You’re a fan.”

The one with the long brown hair had something else he wanted to address. “Are you wearing golf shorts?”

“It’s a children’s party,” Chris reasoned, dying inside. “I figured it’ll look a lot more decent over with them on.”

“Mmm hmm.”

“In all honesty.” The blonde didn’t like the questionable purse on the other man’s lips.

“I’d rather be decked in cardboard boxes and go out there as Iron Man instead of in all this spandex.”

The man begged to differ.

“Iron Man is so overrated. Anyway, whoever got you this costume did his or her homework, alright. And look!” He went, tilting his head in adoration at something next.

He pointed to the helmet on the sink. “Even your colt has the little bird wings-”

“Urgh!” Chris groaned, annoyed. “Can I just kill myself?”

“Hey now,” the man went, cocking his eyebrow at the CEO. “There is a room full of five to ten year olds down that hall waiting to celebrate a very joyous occasion with you - they’d be extremely disappointed if they knew their superhero just had a suicidal outburst.”

“Oh! Great. I’m burdened with his purpose now.”

“It’s glorious, you must know that.”

Chris laughed a little. “Thanks, man.”

And that was when Chris realized that he just had an entire conversation with a man he totally had no idea who he was. There was only a handful of patients in Christopher’s Haven - a home for children whose daily battles with life-threatening diseases were tended to and supported by medical, psychological and social aid by a team of doctoral experts - so the CEO would pretty much come to recognize most of the recurring visitor faces coming in and out of the compound after a while.

And with features and a jawline like that, this guy would’ve been very hard to slip out of anyone’s memory, really.

Fresh blood. “You new in town?”

His smirk was playful. “You know everyone in town?”

“In a way.” Chris was amused by the cool comeback. “I work in a hospital.”

“Yea. I just moved here, like, a week ago. Today I’m taking pictures for the birthday girl.”

“You know Karen?”

“Yup. Little angel. Her mom’s a very good friend of mine,” the brown-haired man replied, smiling. His hand stuck out. “Sebastian.”

“I see.” The taller one shook it. “I’m Chris. So where are you from?”

“East Coast. Brooklyn.”

“Tough nut city, New York.”

“Mmm not really. I’m originally from Romania so New York’s pretty much Heaven on Earth for me.”

“Romania!” Chris was surprised. “Could’ve fooled me.”

“You mean the accent,” Sebastian grinned.

“Yeah, I’ve lived in the Big Apple all my life - am Count Dracula no more.”

The blonde laughed and then wanted to say something about Romania. He’d been there before, on a mercy relief effort for a flood-torn village but that didn’t happen. It could be that he was distracted by the color of Sebastian’s eyes - they were a powerful shade of blue and stood out like a pair of crystal clear sapphire stones.

Chris wondered if it was the lighting in the bathroom (would’ve exceeded the design budget by 300%, though) or that Sebastian was wearing cosmetic contact lenses. Maybe it was the dark, long hair curtaining the sides of his face that highlighted the color of his eyes by a good 1000%. Unreal.

So what about Romania again, Chris? Uh...Oh. Never mind then.

Chris shifted his curiosity. “What’s a big city kid doing at this side of the coast?”

“Sun, sand, sea. Following my dreams.”

“Modelling?”

“Nah,” Sebastian went, shaking his head. Something about his smirk told Chris that the man had heard that one too many times that he was practically tired of it.

“More of...Freelancing, free-spirit-ising. Photography, mainly. Acro-yoga...Gluten-free living. That sort of thing.”

“Really!” The blonde chuckled. “You came to the right place, then - welcome to Hollywood, Sebastian.”

“Thank you, my Captain.”

Chris’ eyes narrowed at the jab. “Make fun of me one more time.”

“Honestly? I’m not! I’m actually pretty excited about this,” Sebastian said, looking at him up and down. Up and down.

Up and down. “I’m not buttering you up for nothing, man but I really feel like I’m standing next to Steve Rogers himself right now - straight out of the comics and everything. It’s surreal!”

“...”

Sebastian’s smile widened. “I promise that you, my friend, are gonna make those children really, really, insanely happy today. Golf shorts and all. They’re really excited about it.”

“Okay.” Chris went back to his reflection, sighing. “God. The things I do for these kids.”

“Well, I hate to see sad faces on children too, man.”

Great minds think alike. “Yeah, that’s the worst.”

The one with the crazy blue eyes then gave him a goddamn soldier salute.

“Well, I need to do what I came here to do now. See you at the party, Captain America.”

“Okay, okay. At ease, soldier,” Chris laughed, rolling his eyes a little. Handsome and funny hardly ever co-exist so well in one person, especially at first impression - but then again there was Sebastian.

He even felt a heck lot better about the spanx, thanks to the humor. “Later.”

Sebastian excused himself and made his way into a cubicle. Chris exited and was about to start for the common room when an idea popped up in his head.

Sebastian seems so friendly and cool, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. He happens to like kids, too.

I should just ask. No harm, no?

He was finally done and barely had a foot out of the stall when Chris jumped him from where he was waiting.

“Hey, Sebastian!”

“Jesus!” The brown-haired man squeaked, startled. “Dude, what the heck?”

“Sorry, man. Hey uhm, I know we just met and everything but I hope you won’t mind me asking a favour from you.”

Sebastian washed and dried his hands. “What’s up?”

“Walk with me to the party,” The CEO requested. He pulled his coat apart and gave the other man a pleading look.

“It’ll make me feel a lot less like an idiot if you go in there with me.”

“I’d like to but I’m supposed to be there before Captain America appears. Why don’t you call a colleague or someone?”

“They’re laughing at me right now so...Look, I rather you. Help a brother out?”

Sebastian raised a brow. “That depends. Can I carry the shield?”

“I have a shield.”

“Oh snap... I ruined the surprise.”

Chris eyes rounded. “It’s a tiny plastic frisbee, isn’t it?”

“I’m not obliged to say.”

“Sebastian.”

The photographer was done.

“Look, whoever your costume director is, he or she did a damn good job. What are you worried about? You’ve an athletic physique going on already. Now all you need to do is simply get rid of this...”

Sebastian pointed at his outerwear, disgusted to Hell. “...And freaking walk it, son!”

The white lab coat was then chucked into a nearby bin for used scrubs. The blonde had to stop Sebastian when he tried talking him out of wearing those silly golf shorts, though. No way in Hell those were coming off, no matter what or who was going to come at him for it.

Next, they made their way for the party venue with the photographer filling him in on an important detail lovely lil’ McKenna conveniently (if not purposely) left out.

“A photo booth. That thing with the background and people putting on wacky props and stuff…?”

Sebastian nodded. “A party’s incomplete without it. The kids get to print their pictures and put it up here. Fun memories for them to have, you know?”

Looks like no one’s ever gonna forget me in this clown suit, too!

Some parts of Chris just wanted to curl and disappear from the face of the planet all over again until he saw the massive cork board on the wall next to him.

All the extra effort to decorate it and everything. There was the words ‘Our Hero’ in bright, neon colors at the top most middle of it and sighhhhh...it genuinely means a lot to the kids that you wear all this spanx with utmost pride, Chris Evans.

Sebastian elbowed him. “Do it for the children, man.”

Well, to infinity and beyond you go, Evans.

“There you are, Mr Evans!”

Dear ol’ Martha Sinclair was Karen’s mom and she looked like she was freaking out about something. Chris and Sebastian turned to the voice that rang down the empty hallway of the first floor, seeing the woman sprinting towards them, the grin on her face massive.

The one in the retro-ish emerald dress came to a stop just before she could crash into them and was next marvelling at the sight before her eyes.

“Been looking everywhere for you. Hi and hello, Seb! Wait, you know each other?”

Chris turned to the man next to him. “We just met, actually.”

“Really now!” Martha was squeaking in her vocals. “And you’re already doing this together?”

“Together? Errr...”

Chris was lost. Sebastian was blinking like an exotic tree frog at the woman too, equally confused by her overly enthusiastic reaction to something.

“You’re Steven Rogers. Nice costume, by the way,” Martha explained, rocking in her heels a little. “And Sebby’s Bucky Barnes - The Winter Soldier! Aren’t you?”

“Me? Well I-”

“Yes! Yes, he is!” Chris suddenly went, swift to cut in. “He’s uh...yeah. Bucky. Sidekick guy.”

“Sidekick?” Sebastian’s jaw dropped. “Wait a minute.”

Never the Hell mind that Chris had no freaking idea who this Barnes guy was. “It’s meant to be a surprise, Mrs Sinclair. Please don’t tell Karen anything, okay?”

“Hold on.” Sebastian had something else to clarify, too. “Bucky’s not a sidekick guy, Chris. He’s Captain America’s best friend. They became partners when the Winter Soldier got his memory back.”

What a nerd. “Really? All the better, then. So that’s what we’re doing - we’re partnering up!”

“That is so not the plan-“

“Oh. You guys!”

They turned to the woman. Martha looked like she was going to cry.

“My princess is gonna be soooooooo happy when she sees this.”

“I know! It was all his idea, actually,” Chris continued, ignoring him and talking over the other man again.

“He just couldn’t resist. Wants to be Bucky so bad because Captain America bringing his partner along will totally make Karen’s special day. Right?”

Sebastian shot Chris another menacing look done in that subtle manner. “...”

In front of them, the woman’s eyes were glassy with unbridled happiness, totally not seeing the invisible daggers coming out of Sebastian’s eyes and flying straight for the blonde.

“Really, Seb? You didn’t tell me.”

Stabbing him through and through like I can’t believe you just dragged me into this while Chris was just smirking at him like can’t be breaking hearts now, my friend.

Sorry!

“I guess that’s my little...Surpriiiiiiiiiiiiise!” The brown-haired man finally sang, throwing his hands out and waving them excitedly. He pulled an extra large smile at Martha.

Theatrical level professional. He’s got experience, look at that. “Gotta make this extra special for my Kare-Bear.”

Chris felt his heart melt. “Kare as in Karen? That’s cute.”

The woman nodded. “It is. Her special nickname. Awww! You’re always so very sweet, Sebby. Ah, both of you are. Thank you so very much for doing this.”

Sebastian’s smile seemed frozen on his face. He refused to look at Chris from then on. “I didn’t have the time to get a metal arm, though. Bucky ain’t Bucky without it.”

“No biggie, you’re wearing a long sleeved shirt.” Martha was optimistic. “And luckily, you have long hair. Bucky has long hair as the Winter Soldier. You know Mr Evans, this guy always has great hair. I get so jealous sometimes. Anyway!”

Chris didn’t disagree. That shine, seriously. 

She squinted her eyes next, studying Sebastian at an angle. “But I think we can add something else to make you look more like Bucky, Seb.”

“Like?”

“War paint. Around your eyes. The kids do face painting in the art room, right?”

“I think they locked it. Everyone’s already at the party, playing musical chairs,” Chris answered, reading the itinerary off the top of his head. “Yup. No entry.”

“Hmmm. Would’ve looked more Winter Soldier-y with the paint on since you don’t have the arm…Oh! Hold on.”

Something dawned on the woman’s face. Something that looked like a very bright idea - and that brightness materialised before all of their eyes in a form of a neon pink, slim-looking tube, produced from the depths of her Louis Vuitton tote.

“This eyeliner will do the trick!”

Chris contained his laughter, he really did. He felt a little bad that things just escalated to a whole new level of hell naw for the guy but then again he was silently guffawing in his amusement, so...

“Eyeliner.” Sebastian’s frown was deep. “Is it difficult to wash off? It’s not waterproof or anything right?”

“Mmm. I’m pretty sure it’ll be completely gone with an oil-based cleanser. Works for me so far,” Martha said, confident.

“It’ll need to be a little smudgey, though. Just a little.”

The brown-haired man looked worried. “Is this really necessary?”

“Come on.” Chris gave him a nudge, gleeful.

“Said you’d do it for your little Kare-Bear, man.”

Sebastian’s stare hardened. “Right.”

“It is and don’t worry, it’s just eyeliner!” Martha assured.

“I just need you to look at the ceiling - keep looking at it, okay? Also, stand really still, Sebby. I don’t wanna accidentally poke your eyes or anything.”

“Please be careful!”

“I will. Now stop moving.”

Chris’ smile stretched wider as he stood behind Martha, watching her begin her work on the other man.

He completely brushed aside Sebastian’s murder stare (he felt the chill right in his bones because those eyes, Christ) and put his hand on his hips, striking a pose that reeked of patriotism and pride.

“So Sebastian!” He sang, happy as Hell. “Are you ready to follow your Captain America into the jaws of death, buddy?”

The one with the (really nice) long hair would’ve rolled his eyes if he could. Sebastian’s mouth twisted to give that a smirk instead.

“Well...Guess I’m stuck with you till the end of the line, pal.”

Leave a kudos or comment! Part 2 in works

:)