TM-247: Coming Out
Write about a mess you’ve cleaned up.
Steve hated doing talk shows. He never felt he was interesting enough to merit their coverage in the first place, and the questions were usually repetitive, patronizing, or otherwise the opposite of anything Steve had come to know as respectable journalism. But he knew he had to give more of himself to the press, to reassure the American public that he was still acting in their best interest now that he’d returned. And this was a nice, local morning show - Good Day, Brooklyn - that his hometown pride wouldn’t let him turn down.
The interview had gone well so far. They’d talked about his return, and about the Avengers, and he’d managed to clarify his position on the modified Super Human Registration Act. The questions were fair but relevant, and Steve hadn’t been thrown any curveballs that weren’t on the pre-approved list of questions he’d seen and practiced for.
Now, the commercial break was coming to an end. The lights came up again, and the hosts aimed their million-watt smiles at the camera. 5, 4, 3, 2…
“And we’re back with the one and only Captain America!” Dark-haired and cheerful Julie Compitello turned her smile in Steve’s direction. “Now, Cap, this is the part of the show where we like to get a little more personal. Have you heard any good music lately? Seen any good movies?”
“I’m afraid I haven’t had much time for entertainment,” Steve replied, with practiced, but genuine, self-effacement. “I did have time to check out a baseball game a little while ago. Unfortunately, my Mets haven’t been doing all that well in the weeks since.”
The hosts chuckled appreciatively, and co-host Matt Carpenter, a well-known Yankees fan, shook his head. “It doesn’t seem like anybody in New York has much to cheer about this season.” The studio audience let out a few loud boos.
“So the busy life of the superhero leaves little time for hobbies,” Julie continued, picking up the thread of the conversation. “But does it leave time for romance? Is there a special someone in your life?”
Steve smiled. “Yes, and he’s wonderful.”
The room fell deadly silent. Steve frowned, wondering what had just happened. He’d practiced the answer to this question, like all the others. They would ask, and he would be evasive and non-committal but not dishonest. “Yes, and they’re wonderful.” That was what he’d said, wasn’t it?
Matt let out a nervous laugh. “Guess you had a little slip of the tongue there, eh, Cap? So who’s the lucky lady?”
And then Steve knew what he’d said.
The room remained silent. The hosts’ smiles were frozen solid; worry lines creased their eyes. This was it. Steve could accept the correction and continue to lie, or he could clean up the mess he’d been making by putting things off and let the truth that his careless tongue had already revealed be known to the whole world.
It was an easy decision.
“There’s no lady,” Steve said, and he turned to face the camera head on, his mind wandering back to the time he’d stood in a desert and pulled off his mask in front of a dozen news cameras. The feeling of unmasking was similar, full of nervous worry, but on that occasion, he’d just killed someone. This time, he’d merely loved someone. The difference was enormous.
“It’s time I came clean with the American people,” Steve continued, pushing past his nerves to the depths of his convictions. “I recently came to a revelation about myself. It wasn’t an easy revelation to come to, but now that I know, it isn’t something I’m ashamed of, and it isn’t something I want to hide. And so I’m going to tell you all, right now, that I am a gay man. I’m seeing another man, and I’m very happy.”
The revelation complete, Steve turned back to the hosts, who were staring at him in stunned silence. In the audience, you could hear a pin drop. Then one lone voice called out, “Go, Cap!” A small smattering of applause followed.
Finally, Julie recovered her voice. “Well, thank you for your honesty and your courage, Captain.” She reached out to shake his hand. “Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have for today. Tune in to Good Day, Brooklyn tomorrow for the top ten best pomegranate recipes!”
The cameras panned away as the techs keyed up the closing music. Steve knew that the footage would reach all the major news outlets in minutes. By the time he got back to the Tower, the reporters would be clustered ten feet deep around the door. Steve felt shaky, exhilarated, relieved, and terrified.
Tony was going to kill him.
Steve hated doing talk shows. He never felt he was interesting enough to merit their coverage in the first place, and the questions were usually repetitive, patronizing, or otherwise the opposite of anything Steve had come to know as respectable journalism. But he knew he had to give more of himself to the press, to reassure the American public that he was still acting in their best interest now that he’d returned. And this was a nice, local morning show - Good Day, Brooklyn - that his hometown pride wouldn’t let him turn down.
The interview had gone well so far. They’d talked about his return, and about the Avengers, and he’d managed to clarify his position on the modified Super Human Registration Act. The questions were fair but relevant, and Steve hadn’t been thrown any curveballs that weren’t on the pre-approved list of questions he’d seen and practiced for.
Now, the commercial break was coming to an end. The lights came up again, and the hosts aimed their million-watt smiles at the camera. 5, 4, 3, 2…
“And we’re back with the one and only Captain America!” Dark-haired and cheerful Julie Compitello turned her smile in Steve’s direction. “Now, Cap, this is the part of the show where we like to get a little more personal. Have you heard any good music lately? Seen any good movies?”
“I’m afraid I haven’t had much time for entertainment,” Steve replied, with practiced, but genuine, self-effacement. “I did have time to check out a baseball game a little while ago. Unfortunately, my Mets haven’t been doing all that well in the weeks since.”
The hosts chuckled appreciatively, and co-host Matt Carpenter, a well-known Yankees fan, shook his head. “It doesn’t seem like anybody in New York has much to cheer about this season.” The studio audience let out a few loud boos.
“So the busy life of the superhero leaves little time for hobbies,” Julie continued, picking up the thread of the conversation. “But does it leave time for romance? Is there a special someone in your life?”
Steve smiled. “Yes, and he’s wonderful.”
The room fell deadly silent. Steve frowned, wondering what had just happened. He’d practiced the answer to this question, like all the others. They would ask, and he would be evasive and non-committal but not dishonest. “Yes, and they’re wonderful.” That was what he’d said, wasn’t it?
Matt let out a nervous laugh. “Guess you had a little slip of the tongue there, eh, Cap? So who’s the lucky lady?”
And then Steve knew what he’d said.
The room remained silent. The hosts’ smiles were frozen solid; worry lines creased their eyes. This was it. Steve could accept the correction and continue to lie, or he could clean up the mess he’d been making by putting things off and let the truth that his careless tongue had already revealed be known to the whole world.
It was an easy decision.
“There’s no lady,” Steve said, and he turned to face the camera head on, his mind wandering back to the time he’d stood in a desert and pulled off his mask in front of a dozen news cameras. The feeling of unmasking was similar, full of nervous worry, but on that occasion, he’d just killed someone. This time, he’d merely loved someone. The difference was enormous.
“It’s time I came clean with the American people,” Steve continued, pushing past his nerves to the depths of his convictions. “I recently came to a revelation about myself. It wasn’t an easy revelation to come to, but now that I know, it isn’t something I’m ashamed of, and it isn’t something I want to hide. And so I’m going to tell you all, right now, that I am a gay man. I’m seeing another man, and I’m very happy.”
The revelation complete, Steve turned back to the hosts, who were staring at him in stunned silence. In the audience, you could hear a pin drop. Then one lone voice called out, “Go, Cap!” A small smattering of applause followed.
Finally, Julie recovered her voice. “Well, thank you for your honesty and your courage, Captain.” She reached out to shake his hand. “Unfortunately, that’s all the time we have for today. Tune in to Good Day, Brooklyn tomorrow for the top ten best pomegranate recipes!”
The cameras panned away as the techs keyed up the closing music. Steve knew that the footage would reach all the major news outlets in minutes. By the time he got back to the Tower, the reporters would be clustered ten feet deep around the door. Steve felt shaky, exhilarated, relieved, and terrified.
Tony was going to kill him.