Lavender Haze (Actor!Steve Rogers AU)

21

ARIZONA ALLEN CONFIRMS EROS ROMANCE

EROS AND ALLEN STEP OUT TOGETHER IN NYC

EROS KEEPS PROTECTIVE ARM AROUND NEW GIRLFRIEND ARIZONA

It was all anybody could talk about in the media currently, both positive and negative - but then again Arizona had expected that.
The romance with Eros had been a long time coming, so the media had said, and they weren't wrong.

At least she could trust him, which is what made everything seem different this time around. Well, kind of - they couldn't go anywhere without the photographers following them - to which they'd had to up security. It was the same media attention, if not higher, but Arizona wasn't about to screw this up this time around.

She and Steve barely kept in touch now, the last few months except for when he'd sent her a message, telling her that he'd listened to the song and would not be suing. She sent one back with some witty reply but that was it. The only way she knew what he ws up to was through instagram or seeing the media gossip about him and Sharon.
In all the pictures though, Arizona felt that there was something that she couldn't explain. He didn't seem like he usually appeared in himself. Most of the time he looked serious or miserable if she were being honest. Now he could be a cranky asshole, but this? It seemed constant.

No doubt that he'd seen everything about her lately.

Currently she was trying on some dresses by renowned designer Shuri, for the premiere that Steve had put her on the guest list for.

"Ooh! I like this one the best!" Wanda now pointed to the dress as Arizona walked out and looked at herself in the mirror. "Now that? It screams 'slay'"

Arizona looked at herself in the mirror, feeling anything but that currently. "I'm not sure, isn't it a bit too much?" She cocked her head to one side to try and make out whether it was or not.

"Nothings ever 'too much' when it's on you". Shuri smirked as she made some adjustments. "But if you're not comfortable then we can always look at something else".

"Phil! Get your ass in here!" Wanda yelled and moments later he appeared, now looking at Arizona.

"I know, it's too much isn't it?"  She stated, wondering whether he was going to go into 'dad mode' rather than straight up manager. He knew exactly when to switch from one to the other depending on the situation.

He shook his head. "I think it looks stunning", telling her and then saw her face. "What's wrong?"

She shrugged. "I don't think this is a good idea..."

"Why not?" He frowned. This wasn't like her to be undecided about something.

"I just don't want to go too overdressed".

Phil shrugged, "so what? It's never bothered you before?"

She needed to snap out of it and finally smiled. "I shouldn't really, Shuri did all but say she designed it with me in mind". The dress was called Arizona, so it would be rude not to.

"See? You'll just have to suffer wearing a pretty dress and having people stare at you". Phil smirked, "let me send a picture to your mom and see what she says, but it'll be the same as me". He told her, snapping a picture and sending it to Donna. As predicted, the same opinion came through and with Arizona happy, they headed back home with the dress.

Tomorrow she would debut it on the red carpet and no doubt make headlines once more.

Arizona was in the studio listening back to a recent demo when Phil found her after dinner.

"The whole school is rolling fake dice, You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes"

"It sounds good" he said as she half jumped, not realising he was there. "It's about someone, you gonna tell me?"  He then saw her faces, "or...maybe I can already guess who it is based on if anything..." he now came and sat next to her. "You liked him, didn't you?"

Arizona looked at Phil, not surprised that he probably knew. "How long you known?"

"Long enough to know it was more than just a friends with benefits situation, can't pull the wool over my eyes", he smiled kindly, "plus, you've been in love with the guy since you were a teenager - remember those first demos I heard? Then you showed me the  magazine ad for 'The Human Torch' that you kept folded up in the back?"
Phil remembered the teenage girl with the guitar and a notebook of songs she'd carefully spent hours crafting.
Before Cap had pretty much launched him to stardom, Steve's leading role as The Human Torch in a film of the same name had been the one that Arizona had first watched. From then on? He'd inspired a fair few songs, some of which hadn't seen the light of day, and still this man was inspiring her, even if they hadn't got off to the great start...or end for that matter".

"I still have the journal..." she smiled to herself. "I just never thought we'd have the kind of thing that we did, it wasn't meant to be anything..."

"Did you ever tell him how you really felt?"

She shook her head. "Hell no l, I was pretty much lying to myself and besides, if he felt anything? A) he had a funny way of showing it and b) he wouldn't be dating Sharon Carter". She looked at Phil, "anyway, it's better this way, things with Eros are going well for the first time in the history of relationships, I can't afford to screw it up".

Phil nodded. "And how will you feel when you see Steve tomorrow?"

Arizona shrugged it off. "Fine. We're both adults and in relationships with other people, we can still be friends".

"Well I'm glad. You've come a long way over the years, and now I don't need to run out for chocolate and wine, it shows growth". He chuckled.

They had both moved past everything, and Arizona could only hope that tomorrow wouldn't prove awkward for them.