Whoa what? A new story being published?! By moi?! Unheard of! I'd like to thank my main home skillet Gwyn for inspiring this with an rp we've been doing for a couple of days now. Eventual Philinda but for now it's just angst XD This is an actors AU taking place in the events after Melinda's vacation.
The lights flashing in her face would blind her if it weren't for her signature aviators perched on her nose. She keeps her head down avoiding contact with any of the cameras surrounding her. Only a few more feet until the door. That's all she needed to tell herself. A few more feet.
She ducks inside the studio ignoring the questions being shouted behind her. They all blend together in an array of annoyance.
"There's our ice queen!" Tony shouts walking towards her. Tony is the producer of this movie and their main public relations expert. If there was anyone that could possibly annoy her than paparazzi it would be the man swiftly approaching her. His face contorts into one of concern before her asks, "How are you doing?"
A glare is the only answer she provides him with.
"I can't tell what look you're giving me with your signature glasses." He waggles his finger in front of her face obviously gesturing to the shades covering her scathing glare. "Let's see those beautiful brown eyes." He places both hands on the sides of her face removing the glasses. His face twists into a grimace as he spots the look she is giving him. If it weren't for the fact that she'd get arrested and probably sued she'd really like to break every single one of his fingers right now. "Never mind." He states slipping the glasses back on her face.
"Melinda!" Her head turns spotting Phil Coulson jogging quickly up to her. He grabs her by the arm snatching her away before she could do something stupid like ruin that arrogant prick's nose job. "I read the rumors on the website but I wasn't sure they were true."
"Well you were the one that begged me to audition for the role." She states dryly sipping at the cup of tea in her hands.
"And you told me no for the longest time. I was sure they were going to give your role to Rosalind Price." He states guiding her towards the makeup room. She quietly notes to herself that he already appears to be in costume. He adorns a pressed suit and his hair is shorter than she remembers it being when she last saw him. Then again that was nearly two years ago so that much is understandable.
"What role did she get?" Melinda asks. She was not a fan of taking roles from others who deserve it.
"Quinn, the one who ends up being the martyr." He states with a small smile. "I think she'll be good."
"How are things between you two?" She asks lightly.
"Haven't been keeping up with your gossip blogs?" She answers him with a pointed look that he can sense even through her glasses. "Guess not. We broke up a couple months ago. We didn't really want the same thing."
"And now your coworkers." She states slowly.
"We've already talked about it and come to terms with what we need to do."
"Don't you two get together in the film?" She asks.
"Briefly. Only one kiss scene. Not compared to what we do." He nudges her lightly with a laugh. A frown marred her features with the statement. In their youth they had done quite a few movies together and shared plenty of on screen kisses. Rumors circulated as years moved on. They only worsened after her marriage. Phil and her had often taken vacations together and cameras would catch intimate moments and somehow make them more intimate. Her particular favorites were one when they were caught riding The Flying Elephants in Disney. He had said something that made her laugh incredibly hard and she had smacked him on the side of his neck. Some lucky man had caught the perfect moment. Her hand had just caught his neck and their faces were only inches apart. Even to her it looked like she had just pulled him in for a kiss. Another was a shot of him smiling down at her as she slept in his lap at an airport. Then finally one of the two of them on set in Australia. He had leaned in to whisper something ridiculous in her ear. Her face had been flushed from the heat and made it look rather indicative. Each of these were enough to spark arguments within her marriage.
Andrew seemed to not notice them. At least that's what she thought until after the Bahrain incident. When she began pulling away from him he accused her that she had been having an affair. Each argument got worse until she found herself sneaking away to bars after an argument to meet with whoever offered to pay. Maria Hill, Victoria Hand, Nick Fury. She just happened to get lucky enough that the paparazzi had caught her when Phil offered to take her away from the troubles. Finally with that last photo, the one with her face buried in his shoulder and her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her to a cab outside, Andrew did what he claimed was 'connecting the dots'. He threw all the photos back in her face that next night. He teared up as he accused her of sleeping with Phil the entire time. Her heart ached that he didn't trust her. That night while they slept on separate beds, she left.
"Sorry." Phil mutters snapping her out of the memories.
"You're fine. You were only joking." She states though it still hurts.
"How is he?" He asks hoping to switch the topic to a much lighter one.
"I wouldn't know. He abandoned me in Hawaii." Phil's jaw drops to the ground in a very cartoon like manner. Rage fills his face with a heavy blush as his good hand knots into a fist.
"Why on Earth did he do that?"
"I don't know. We were having a good time, or so I thought. I told him that I still loved him. I guess it spooked him because the next morning I woke with a paper on the other pillow that said I'm sorry." She frowns her throat constricting in anger at the thought. "My favorite part of it all has to be the paparazzi following me expecting another explosion like after my divorce." She states dryly. Shortly after the divorce she was invited onto a talk show. She wasn't very talkative but she did her best to feign a fake smile for the cameras. At least until the host made a remark regarding the photo outside the bar. Her rage slowly built until he had the nerve to ask her if he had divorced her because of what happened in Bahrain. She smashed the cup she had been holding in her bare palm and stormed out of the studio. The next day her face was blown up on almost every magazine with her flipping off the paparazzi who dared meet her at the door.
"What are they saying?"
"Oh all the same. Did he leave me because I was too cold? Did I secretly sneak out on him instead? Do I think it was revenge for what I did to divorce him?"
"Mel…"
"My particular favorite came from everyone's favorite bad boy on twitter. Where Ward stated he wasn't sure who was more at fault. Andrew for leaving or me for believing I could actually make him stay." She states bitterly stepping into the trailer.
"Mel…"
"Not now Phil. I have to get ready." Then she shuts the door in his face. She leans against the metal tears prickling at her eyelids. She takes a deep breath before willing herself to mask a straight face and get ready for the first shot.