Chapter Text
208. "Who cares if everyone’s watching?"
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Laughter echoed the massive auditorium; and everyone was playing their part, so to speak. However, most people were unbeknownst to the fact some of the new stars were going to shine very briefly. Or so they thought.
A new duo, with their manager in tow, were cast on the edge of the bustling, dazzling crowd.
“Alright,” Sashi murmured, as she tapped her specs. “Penn, me and you are hollywood stars. Boone, you’re our manager. Me and Penn are starring in a blockbuster action movie, and our mission is to keep Rippen from actually blowing up the movie set while the three of us at the release party. If he manages to blow up the set, then half of the city will crumble from the explosion.” She stared down at the shimmery floor-length black dress she was in, and groaned. “Well, I can’t fight in this.”
Penn chuckled, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Wow, some mission,” he said, with a smirk. “Keep Rippen from blowing up something? We do that with you almost everyday, Sash.”
She held back rolling her eyes - but okay, maybe a small part of him was right. As Sashi began looking around for Boone, who had strayed off, she found herself surprised when she looked over and noticed Penn holding two flutes of what looked like champagne and smiling that stupid smile she knew by heart.
“I’m not going to get drunk on a mission,” Sashi declared. “And neither should you.”
“It’s ginger ale,” Penn laughed. “We’re still minors in this world.”
Feeling a tad bit stupid, Sashi accepted the drink and took a sip as her eyes traveled throughout the party- oh, great, Boone was flirting with some random actress. What was worse, she was actually taking interest in him- Sashi tried to blend in, but she was already thinking up a game plan of how to snatch Boone back, maybe steal a car to the movie set, and she may have forgotten how to defuse a bomb-
“Famous minors, apparently,” Penn added quickly.
Sashi didn’t even have time to register his statement when suddenly, a flood of cameras and shouting people headed towards the both of them. Of course. This was Hollywood World, they were famous, it only made sense-
-but it felt so odd.
The paparazzi were yelling names that were neither the hero’s nor the sidekick’s but Penn and Sashi played the parts that they were assigned for today. Assuming other people’s identities everyday was sort of their job, after all.
Posing for pictures was easy, answering questions was a bit of a challenge, but one of the photographers shouted quite a blunt request-
“Give us a kiss for the camera!”
That wasn’t the awkward part. Sashi was perfectly fine with getting a kiss from her boyfriend. The awkward fact was that it was so unlike a kiss she usually got from Penn.
Back home, they kissed no problem - before, after and during dates, sometimes at school between classes, once in a while in the back of her car - and very rarely on missions. But those were all fine. She liked- no, rather, loved those. Yet Sashi couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable as Penn’s arm was around her waist, and their lips were more or less smushed together.
It lasted maybe ten seconds, but to her, it felt like ten long, humiliating and strange minutes.
Penn, on the other hand, was eating it up, letting the paparazzi fuel his ridiculous ego. It took him a few moments, but he eventually noticed that his bold, confident girlfriend was stiff as a board and a bit anxious in the crowd of their supposedly fellow celebrities. He took her hand, leading her away from the chaos and Sashi released a breath she didn’t know she was holding once they found themselves in a calm lounge, a lighter side of the party.
“You okay?” Penn spoke up.
“I’m fine,” Sashi said instinctively. “We should go do the mission already-” She hesitated when she looked up and met his gaze. It was clear to see he could squint through her facade. “-I just have to get used to this world.”
That was one way to word it…
“Sashi-” he muttered.
“-Penn,” she said back, with a bit of mocking in her tone of voice. She raised an eyebrow, and he raised one as well, as a silent sass back.
They were silent for a moment, just holding hands and barely-there looking at each other.
Finally, Sashi sighed and managed to speak up, “That was … weird.”
“What was weird?” Penn asked, sounding genuinely confused.
“The-” Sashi bit her lip and gestured outside of the lounge. “-that. Us, just- being there.”
She was never good with words, she couldn’t bring herself to explain how she just felt a minute or two ago. It all seemed so surreal, despite this Multiverse being rather normal.
Penn softly laughed. “You’re adorable,” he teased, leaning in for another kiss-
-but she gently pushed him away. She couldn’t kiss him again, not in front of all the people nearby-
God. This was not the time or place to discuss their relationship. But if it was one thing Sashi knew about her boyfriend, it was that sometimes his stubbornness and hers almost evened out. He wouldn’t give until she told him what was eating at her.
“Just,” She couldn’t stammer. That would be stupid, and sort of weak. “Don’t kiss me like that again. Please.”
“Oh,” Penn said, with a nonchalant shrug. “Okay.”
“A-and not in public,” Sashi added, noticing the fact he was trying to pull her in again. “That’s-”
“-weird?” he finished for her, giving her that shit-eating grin. “You’re blushing, you know.” He gently brushed her hair out of her face- she looked so good when it was down and flowing. “Sorry about that. I was being stupid, I guess. Letting fame get to my head already and all.”
Sashi bit back a smile, and nodded. “You're right, you are being stupid,” she teased.
Penn laughed. “Is that why I want to ask you for a dance right now?” he asked.
“Yes, yes it is,” she replied.
He would be getting lots of kisses when they were done with this mission, though...