Lost in the Arctic in 1945, Steve was found by S.H.I.E.L.D. in 2012 in a state of suspended animation, revived, and invited to join the Avengers Initiative. Eleven years later, he travels back in time to 1947 to reclaim his life and reunite with his one true love, Peggy Carter. Their story starts here ... ((https://youtu.be/IztjGOPMCwU))
Arriving in 1947 was no accident. Steve had known what he was going to do even before he'd left his friends behind in 2023. His goodbye to Bucky had been a real one, but if he was lucky, they might see each other again someday. Right now, there was someone else he'd been waiting a very long time to see. It had taken a little time to track her down, but now that he was standing outside Peggy's door, he was feeling an old familiar case of jitters. What was she going to say when she saw him? Would she be happy to see him? Was she already seeing someone else? Whatever happened, it was too late to turn back. He'd always known this would be a one-way trip, and he had to trust his gut and his heart that he'd made the right decision.
He drew a deep breath to gather his courage and made his way up the walk to the porch. He was tempted to peek in the window, but that's not how he wanted this to go. Up the stairs he went, one by one, clearing his throat as he shifted the dozen red roses he held in his right hand to his left before rapping his knuckles on the door. It was now or never.
The sound of a record playing drifted out through the open window of the little house, occasionally joined by the sound of a woman humming along as she moved about her various chores. The whole place was enveloped by a sense of calm and contentment, almost a feeling of belonging hard won and fiercely defended. As the knock sounded on the door, a melodic British voice called out. "Just a moment, I'll be right there!" And barely a moment later, the sound of heels on hard wood resounded, approaching the door behind which a true blast from the past awaited. The handle turned, the door opened ... and Peggy Carter stopped in her tracks, staring up at a ghost she had never thought she would ever see again. For the space of an eternal heartbeat, her mouth worked soundlessly, jaw bouncing up and down, until finally she dared to reach out. Just one hand, in a very familiar gesture, her fingertips just barely skimming the soft cloth of his shirt before snatching back with a sound that was half-gasp, half-sob. "Steve?"
Though a man in his prime, he felt as jittery as a boy on his first date, and yet, there was a surety about him, a maturity he might have lacked before. He paused a moment to take her in, like a breath of fresh air. The last time he'd seen her ... He didn't really want to think about that now. Though a few years had passed, she was just as beautiful as the first time he'd laid eyes on her. "Is it too late for that dance?" he asked, with a nervous smile.
She still couldn't seem to be able to find words, her dark eyes watery with unshed tears as she looked up at him. She thought she had said her final goodbye just a few years ago, when she had destroyed the last of his blood kept so recklessly by Howard Stark. But here he was. It had to be him. No one would dare use his face and form. No one else would show up on her doorstep with flowers asking for a dance. Her jaw tightened suddenly, the only warning he got before her hand rose and impacted his cheek with a slap that would have knocked a lesser man on his ass. "I thought you were dead, you - you -" Shaking her head, she stepped from the doorway, pushing herself into his arms. "God, I've missed you."
The slap might have taken another man unawares, but Steve hardly flinched. He wouldn't have expected less from her. This was Peggy Carter, after all, and one of the things he'd always loved most about her was her spunk. His smiled turned to a frown, a hint of sadness in his eyes. There was so much she didn't know, but he'd tell her everything in time. "I'm here now," he told her, wrapping her in his strong arms, his cheek brushing her hair and inhaling the all too familiar scent that he'd missed for so long. Or was it? Was she wearing different perfume?
They had never embraced, never crossed that line between colleagues and lovers but once, and that kiss had been barely an hour before he had plunged into the ice with only her voice for company. She still had nightmares about it, reliving those last terrible moments when the radio went static. "How are you here?" she whispered, still holding on tightly about his waist, tipping her head just enough to look into his eyes. "Howard couldn't find the plane. He searched for so long, and there was nothing. No sign of you. How did you survive?"
He frowned thoughtfully down at her. That was the loaded question, wasn't it? But there was no easy answer. Telling her what had happened was going to take time. "It's a long story," he said, pausing a moment to take a closer look at her. He lifted a hand to touch her hair, fingers gentle but tentative. "Are you wearing your hair different?"
She almost laughed, the sound strangely at odds with her wet eyes and tight grasp. "Oh, you know me," she said, the long-missed sarcasm sliding easily back into place as she spoke. "Always the height of fashion, even in uniform."
He smiled, happy just to hear her voice and her laughter. "I've missed you, too, Peg." God, how he'd missed her. "Oh!" he exclaimed, pulling away a little so that the roses wouldn't get crushed between them. "These are for you." Obviously.
"Oh!" She eased back just a little herself, taking the bouquet into one hand with an almost shy smile. "Oh, Steve, they're lovely." And for the first time in a very long time, she smiled a warm, honest smile that had been missing from her life since 1945. "Come inside," she said, stepping back to offer him her hand. "Unless ... you don't have to be anywhere else, do you?"
"I'm right where I'm supposed to be, Peggy," he assured her, hoping she felt the same, as he wrapped his large hand around hers. He thought he'd missed Bucky once, but the loss of his friend paled in comparison to the hole in his heart that only Peggy could fill. Anyway, Bucky was safe now. Didn't he deserve a little happiness, too? He let her pull him inside, heedless of any onlookers outside her door.
As soon as he was inside, she pulled him closer still, leaving the flowers on a nearby table to reach up and drag him down into a kiss that was years in the making. She'd lost so many dreams, so many hopes, the day he had died. Wasting time was no longer part of Peggy Carter's style - what she wanted, she went for, and Steve was just going to have to get used to that.
It's Been a Long, Long Time
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Steve Rogers
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It's Been a Long, Long Time
Last edited by Steve Rogers on Mon Feb 21, 2022 4:26 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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Steve Rogers
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- Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2022 1:19 pm
- Location: NYC circa 1947
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Re: It's Been a Long, Long Time
The kiss took him by surprise more than the slap. He'd dreamed about this moment, stayed awake hours in bed thinking about it, sorting out how he might find his way back to her. It had seemed hopeless once. He could only dream about her kiss, but if he was dreaming now, he never wanted to wake up. He had only kissed her once before, and it had been hardly a kiss. They were both a little bit older now and a little bit wiser. He'd shared a few more kisses since then, but none of them had meant anything compared to this. He poured all his hopeless longing into that kiss, all the nights spent missing her. If there was any doubt in her mind who he was, he hoped this kiss would put all those doubts to rest.
There had been one or two dalliances for her, as well, but nothing that had ever come close to scratching the surface of what she'd felt, still felt, for Steve Rogers. This kiss was the one she had dreamed of, the one she had longed for, the one that had to be the first of many. It was her heart and soul, her grief and her joy, her love and, yes, her hate. Because there had been hate, on long dark nights, when she resented and blamed him for leaving her all alone in this ever changing world that did not want to make a place for her. But those moments had been few and far between; it had always been her love for him that had kept her going, knowing he would not want her to give up.
In the end, there had only been one woman for him, and that woman was and always had been Peggy Carter. For him, no one else had ever come close. If her kiss told him anything, it was that maybe, just maybe, she was feeling the same. For the first time in a long time, he felt hopeful. He smiled as their lips drifted apart, a hint of moisture in his blue eyes and maybe a little amusement. "About that dance ..." he reminded her. That promise had been a long time coming, but it was one he was finally able to keep.
She laughed, her fingers stroking tenderly against his cheek for a moment before she stepped back again, taking his hands to walk him into her living room where the record was still playing. "It isn't exactly the Stork Club," she said, glancing about the room for a moment. "But they are playing something slow."
"Slow is good. I never learned to jitterbug," he told her with a chuckle as she led him further inside. "Two left feet." Though that wasn't entirely true. Natasha had taught him a thing or two about dancing when they'd had down time, but he wasn't going to tell Peggy that. He wanted to surprise her.
"I'll show you how." Same words, very different circumstance. This time he was here, they were together, and if she had her way, he would never leave again. She didn't think she would be able to say goodbye again. As the song switched over, the crackle of the vinyl stuttering briefly before the melody picked up, she eased close once again, sliding her hand into his. "May I have this dance, Captain Rogers?"
He smiled again, remembering their final conversation before his plane had gone into the ice. It was a bittersweet smile, remembering her sadness, but none of that mattered now. He never wanted to give her cause to be unhappy again. "Isn't that my line, Major Carter?" he asked, as he drew an arm around her waist to pull her close.
"Agent Carter," she corrected him gently, her smile relaxing as he drew her into him. The melody washed over them both, her body swaying easily to the familiar music even as she curled herself ever closer, breathing him in. A part of her knew they would have to talk about this, his incredible survival and reappearance in her life, but where was the harm in playing out this long-postponed promise before then?
He smiled back, a gleam in his eyes as if he'd known that all along. He'd done his research and already knew a lot about her, but he had a feeling she still had a few surprises in store for him. "You still outrank me," he murmured as he held her close, swaying slowly to the music. There couldn't have been a more appropriate song. Maybe it was Fate's way of letting him know he'd done the right thing. This was the kind of love the poets wrote about. In this case, the poet had been lyricist Sammy Cahn. He let the music wash over him as he held her in his arms. The song told her everything he wanted to say and more.
Kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again
It's been a long, long time
I haven't felt like this, my dear, since I can't remember when
It's been a long, long time
You'll never know how many dreams I've dreamed about you
Or just how empty they all seemed without you
So kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again
It's been a long, long time
You'll never know how many dreams I've dreamed about you
Or just how empty they all seemed without you
So kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again
It's been a long, long time
Long, long time
And as they danced, the tears finally fell, soft and silently, releasing years of pain and loss, safe in the arms of the man she loved. Peggy barely seemed to notice that he moved with confidence, closing her eyes to just experience the simple pleasure of finally dancing with Steve Rogers. Even when she raised her head to look into his eyes, half afraid he wouldn't be the man she was dancing with, there he was again, and her smile rose just for him.
There had been one or two dalliances for her, as well, but nothing that had ever come close to scratching the surface of what she'd felt, still felt, for Steve Rogers. This kiss was the one she had dreamed of, the one she had longed for, the one that had to be the first of many. It was her heart and soul, her grief and her joy, her love and, yes, her hate. Because there had been hate, on long dark nights, when she resented and blamed him for leaving her all alone in this ever changing world that did not want to make a place for her. But those moments had been few and far between; it had always been her love for him that had kept her going, knowing he would not want her to give up.
In the end, there had only been one woman for him, and that woman was and always had been Peggy Carter. For him, no one else had ever come close. If her kiss told him anything, it was that maybe, just maybe, she was feeling the same. For the first time in a long time, he felt hopeful. He smiled as their lips drifted apart, a hint of moisture in his blue eyes and maybe a little amusement. "About that dance ..." he reminded her. That promise had been a long time coming, but it was one he was finally able to keep.
She laughed, her fingers stroking tenderly against his cheek for a moment before she stepped back again, taking his hands to walk him into her living room where the record was still playing. "It isn't exactly the Stork Club," she said, glancing about the room for a moment. "But they are playing something slow."
"Slow is good. I never learned to jitterbug," he told her with a chuckle as she led him further inside. "Two left feet." Though that wasn't entirely true. Natasha had taught him a thing or two about dancing when they'd had down time, but he wasn't going to tell Peggy that. He wanted to surprise her.
"I'll show you how." Same words, very different circumstance. This time he was here, they were together, and if she had her way, he would never leave again. She didn't think she would be able to say goodbye again. As the song switched over, the crackle of the vinyl stuttering briefly before the melody picked up, she eased close once again, sliding her hand into his. "May I have this dance, Captain Rogers?"
He smiled again, remembering their final conversation before his plane had gone into the ice. It was a bittersweet smile, remembering her sadness, but none of that mattered now. He never wanted to give her cause to be unhappy again. "Isn't that my line, Major Carter?" he asked, as he drew an arm around her waist to pull her close.
"Agent Carter," she corrected him gently, her smile relaxing as he drew her into him. The melody washed over them both, her body swaying easily to the familiar music even as she curled herself ever closer, breathing him in. A part of her knew they would have to talk about this, his incredible survival and reappearance in her life, but where was the harm in playing out this long-postponed promise before then?
He smiled back, a gleam in his eyes as if he'd known that all along. He'd done his research and already knew a lot about her, but he had a feeling she still had a few surprises in store for him. "You still outrank me," he murmured as he held her close, swaying slowly to the music. There couldn't have been a more appropriate song. Maybe it was Fate's way of letting him know he'd done the right thing. This was the kind of love the poets wrote about. In this case, the poet had been lyricist Sammy Cahn. He let the music wash over him as he held her in his arms. The song told her everything he wanted to say and more.
Kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again
It's been a long, long time
I haven't felt like this, my dear, since I can't remember when
It's been a long, long time
You'll never know how many dreams I've dreamed about you
Or just how empty they all seemed without you
So kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again
It's been a long, long time
You'll never know how many dreams I've dreamed about you
Or just how empty they all seemed without you
So kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again
It's been a long, long time
Long, long time
And as they danced, the tears finally fell, soft and silently, releasing years of pain and loss, safe in the arms of the man she loved. Peggy barely seemed to notice that he moved with confidence, closing her eyes to just experience the simple pleasure of finally dancing with Steve Rogers. Even when she raised her head to look into his eyes, half afraid he wouldn't be the man she was dancing with, there he was again, and her smile rose just for him.
Last edited by Steve Rogers on Mon Feb 21, 2022 4:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Steve Rogers
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Re: It's Been a Long, Long Time
There was so much he wanted to tell her - needed to tell her - but at the moment, all he wanted to do was what the song said. And so, he dipped his head to meet her lips for another slow, lingering kiss, unafraid of her tears or of the tears that had gathered in his own eyes. Tears of joy this time, not of loneliness or sorrow. Whatever happened from here, whatever the future held in store, they'd face it together.
Salt and smiles on their lips, shared and exchanged and adored in equal measure. Peggy's smile didn't dim as she drew back, just far enough to meet his gaze once more, still swaying fondly to the music, to the beating heart she could feel in his chest. "I love you, Steve," she whispered, unwilling to let it go unsaid a moment longer. "I always have."
Somehow, he'd always known it. How could he not know it when he'd seen it in her eyes so many times, even as she’d laid dying in the hospital. Still, his heart soared to hear her say it. He'd waited countless years for this moment, practicing the words over and over again in his head, and yet, it was so simple. All he really had to do was tell her the truth; tell her what he was feeling in his heart. "I love you, too. Peggy. I never stopped loving you," he whispered back. "Marry me."
His eyes met hers in an unwavering gaze, as if trying to tell her with just a look how much he'd missed her, how much he loved her. This was the moment of truth; there was only one answer she could give him that would prove he'd done the right thing. Whatever her answer, he had nowhere else to go. He waited for it, unable to hide all the love and longing he felt for her in his heart. Could she ever know how much he'd missed her?
She looked into his eyes for what felt like a lifetime, that busy mind of hers whirling as she considered all the ways this could go, right or wrong, good or bad. But really, there was only one answer to give, an answer she did not need to think about. "Stay with me," she said, "and I'll marry you today."
When he finally had his answer, it felt like a thousand pounds had been lifted off his shoulders. A smile spread across his face brighter than any she'd ever seen from him as he lifted her off her feet and spun her around in a circle, giving a very uncharacteristic whoop of pure joy.
"Steve!" For all the changes in her, she was still Peggy; still the well-bred English rose who could be startled by an unexpected eruption of emotion into gasping his name and laughing as he spun her about, clinging to his shoulders. She laughed with him, rolling her eyes at his effusive display of joy. "I take it that was the answer you were hoping for then?"
He chuckled in amusement at her admonishment. They were as different as night and day, but maybe that was what made it work. "Should I get down on one knee?" he asked, that teasing gleam still in his eyes. He'd do it if she wanted him to. He'd do just about anything she asked of him.
"I'd much rather you didn't," she assured him, apparently quite content to dangle where she was, just so long as she could hold him close. "I rather like being exactly where I am, thank you."
"With your feet off the ground?" he teased further. He had never been one to tease her much, but those had been different times, and they had both changed. Despite his teasing, he set her back on her feet, sorely tempted to go down on one knee, but he didn't have a ring just yet. "I mean it, Peggy. I love you, and if you'll have me, I'm right where I belong," he assured her, turning serious.
Eased back onto her feet, she didn't ease her grip on him, half-afraid he might disappear on her if she did. "I haven't felt like I belong in a very long time," she admitted softly, drawing her knuckles against his cheek. "But I've never felt out of place with you. You see me, Steve, you did from the start. I'm not going to let you leave me again."
He held her close, no intentions of ever letting her go now that he'd found her. He leaned into her, touching his forehead to hers, his voice soft with emotion. "I never left you, Peg. You were always with me in my heart," he told her before kissing her once more.
Despite herself, despite everything about her that she had trained to be strong and keep going, Peggy felt the tears fall again as he kissed her, curling into him all over again, starved for the love she could feel in his touch. "It's been so hard without you," she confessed through those tears. "Idiot men fannying around thinking they know what's best for me is putting me behind a bloody desk and only letting me get their lunches, and Stark repeatedly getting himself in trouble, and now Hank is messing around with something to do with molecules in a lab that has no funding and no security, and apparently I'm the delicate flower who needs looking after."
His brows arched upwards, clearly surprised by her outburst, but not shocked. He could only imagine what she'd been through, but he knew he'd hear it all in time. He laid a gentle finger against her lips, not to quiet her so much as to calm her. "They probably want to protect you, but they don't know you like I do," he told her. As much as he'd like to protect her, too, he knew she was more than capable. You could keep a bird safe in a cage, but it was still a kind of prison, and Steve knew Peggy well enough to know she was the kind of woman who could never be caged.
"Thank god for the Commandos is all I can say," she said, finally calming as he soothed her. "And Mr Jarvis, of course." Her smile flickered into place for a moment, knowing he had not met one of those people she considered to be one of her dearest friends. That would have to be fixed.
Salt and smiles on their lips, shared and exchanged and adored in equal measure. Peggy's smile didn't dim as she drew back, just far enough to meet his gaze once more, still swaying fondly to the music, to the beating heart she could feel in his chest. "I love you, Steve," she whispered, unwilling to let it go unsaid a moment longer. "I always have."
Somehow, he'd always known it. How could he not know it when he'd seen it in her eyes so many times, even as she’d laid dying in the hospital. Still, his heart soared to hear her say it. He'd waited countless years for this moment, practicing the words over and over again in his head, and yet, it was so simple. All he really had to do was tell her the truth; tell her what he was feeling in his heart. "I love you, too. Peggy. I never stopped loving you," he whispered back. "Marry me."
His eyes met hers in an unwavering gaze, as if trying to tell her with just a look how much he'd missed her, how much he loved her. This was the moment of truth; there was only one answer she could give him that would prove he'd done the right thing. Whatever her answer, he had nowhere else to go. He waited for it, unable to hide all the love and longing he felt for her in his heart. Could she ever know how much he'd missed her?
She looked into his eyes for what felt like a lifetime, that busy mind of hers whirling as she considered all the ways this could go, right or wrong, good or bad. But really, there was only one answer to give, an answer she did not need to think about. "Stay with me," she said, "and I'll marry you today."
When he finally had his answer, it felt like a thousand pounds had been lifted off his shoulders. A smile spread across his face brighter than any she'd ever seen from him as he lifted her off her feet and spun her around in a circle, giving a very uncharacteristic whoop of pure joy.
"Steve!" For all the changes in her, she was still Peggy; still the well-bred English rose who could be startled by an unexpected eruption of emotion into gasping his name and laughing as he spun her about, clinging to his shoulders. She laughed with him, rolling her eyes at his effusive display of joy. "I take it that was the answer you were hoping for then?"
He chuckled in amusement at her admonishment. They were as different as night and day, but maybe that was what made it work. "Should I get down on one knee?" he asked, that teasing gleam still in his eyes. He'd do it if she wanted him to. He'd do just about anything she asked of him.
"I'd much rather you didn't," she assured him, apparently quite content to dangle where she was, just so long as she could hold him close. "I rather like being exactly where I am, thank you."
"With your feet off the ground?" he teased further. He had never been one to tease her much, but those had been different times, and they had both changed. Despite his teasing, he set her back on her feet, sorely tempted to go down on one knee, but he didn't have a ring just yet. "I mean it, Peggy. I love you, and if you'll have me, I'm right where I belong," he assured her, turning serious.
Eased back onto her feet, she didn't ease her grip on him, half-afraid he might disappear on her if she did. "I haven't felt like I belong in a very long time," she admitted softly, drawing her knuckles against his cheek. "But I've never felt out of place with you. You see me, Steve, you did from the start. I'm not going to let you leave me again."
He held her close, no intentions of ever letting her go now that he'd found her. He leaned into her, touching his forehead to hers, his voice soft with emotion. "I never left you, Peg. You were always with me in my heart," he told her before kissing her once more.
Despite herself, despite everything about her that she had trained to be strong and keep going, Peggy felt the tears fall again as he kissed her, curling into him all over again, starved for the love she could feel in his touch. "It's been so hard without you," she confessed through those tears. "Idiot men fannying around thinking they know what's best for me is putting me behind a bloody desk and only letting me get their lunches, and Stark repeatedly getting himself in trouble, and now Hank is messing around with something to do with molecules in a lab that has no funding and no security, and apparently I'm the delicate flower who needs looking after."
His brows arched upwards, clearly surprised by her outburst, but not shocked. He could only imagine what she'd been through, but he knew he'd hear it all in time. He laid a gentle finger against her lips, not to quiet her so much as to calm her. "They probably want to protect you, but they don't know you like I do," he told her. As much as he'd like to protect her, too, he knew she was more than capable. You could keep a bird safe in a cage, but it was still a kind of prison, and Steve knew Peggy well enough to know she was the kind of woman who could never be caged.
"Thank god for the Commandos is all I can say," she said, finally calming as he soothed her. "And Mr Jarvis, of course." Her smile flickered into place for a moment, knowing he had not met one of those people she considered to be one of her dearest friends. That would have to be fixed.
Last edited by Steve Rogers on Mon Feb 21, 2022 4:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Steve Rogers
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Re: It's Been a Long, Long Time
"Jarvis?" he echoed. He'd poked around in the past, but apparently, there were still some things that surprised him. "Howard's .... butler?" he ventured, uncertainly. The J.A.R.V.I.S. he'd known in the future had been a very different kind of being.
"Oh, you know him?" Peggy couldn't mask her surprise at that. After all, she hadn't known Jarvis until long after the war, though now she truly would not count her life complete without his friendship. "I had the distinct pleasure of befriending him a few years ago, during one of Howard's more spectacular muck ups."
"Yes ... no ... sort of?" he replied, with a slightly confused expression on his face. "I've heard of him," he admitted, though he'd never met the A.I.'s namesake in person. "Do I even want to know?" he asked, regarding one of possibly many of Howard Stark's muck ups. He was pleased to hear the Commandos were still around, but he wasn't sure he'd been seeing them anytime soon.
"It's ... complicated," she admitted. "I daresay I'll talk you through it sometime, probably over a large glass of wine or seven. Howard has not become any less ... eccentric, since you left." She kissed his chin affectionately. "I'd forgotten how tall you are," she mused. "Somehow, in my memory, you're always the skinny boy who could not talk to a woman to save his life."
He made no more comment regarding Stark. There would be time for all that later. He couldn't help the surprised expression on his face at her remark about his size though. "I talked to you," he reminded her. She was, in fact, the only woman he'd ever really dared to have a conversation with back then. "There was something different about you. You ... saw me, too," he mused aloud, as if just realizing it.
She smiled tenderly. "I knew, even then, what it was like to have to force your way in and fight to be taken seriously," she reminded him. "I knew you were fighting, too. Sometimes all you need is for someone else to notice."
"You believed in me," he told her. Just as Dr. Erskine had believed in him. If it wasn't for them, he wouldn't be there today. His past and future would have been very different.
"I am an excellent judge of character," she agreed, a rare tease of her own gracing her voice. "Oh, goodness, look at me. You've come goodness knows how far, and I haven't even offered you a drink!" She stepped away, turning toward another door through which was visible a kitchen. "I have tea or coffee, orange juice?"
"Peggy," he said, reaching for her arm, to keep her with him there a moment longer. "You said you'd marry me today. Do you mean it?" They both knew that wasn't really possible, not in New York anyway. There was the matter of a blood test and a license, but there were other places to get married besides New York.
She paused, meeting his gaze with eyes that were clear with sincerity and promise. "I never say anything I don't mean," she reminded him, soft but firm. "And I have favours I can pull in across the state if necessary to make it happen. Even if I am on enforced vacation time right now." This last was muttered, but she obviously knew he would hear it. Apparently Peggy Carter did not like to take time off work. Who knew?
His expression turned thoughtful. While he wanted nothing more than to marry Peggy Carter, it might be a little more complicated than either of them had anticipated. "I think I'll take a cup of coffee," he told her. He wasn't too surprised to hear she was being forced to take a break. Peggy had always been a - what did they call it in the future - workaholic?
Her smile returned, one hand squeezing his before she moved into the kitchen to begin the process of putting the coffee on to brew. "Steve," she said thoughtfully, raising her voice to be sure he would hear her as she spoke. "What name are you using? You ... you were declared dead in '45. A sudden return would put you right in the middle of an awful lot of complex nonsense."
That was another big question. He'd known coming back that he couldn't use his real name. Steve Rogers had gone down in the ocean years ago, but he'd need help inventing a new identity, forging papers. Who better to help him than Peggy Carter? "Yeah, I've been thinking about that," he admitted. "What do you think of Steve Wilson?"
"That could work," she agreed. "And the records are still completely shot from during the worst of the Hydra battles - the SSR have been working to correct records and disguise Hydra as best we can, but there is still so much to do. We could easily insert you into one of those moments of chaos."
"Whatever works. I trust you," he told her, following her into the kitchen. "Peggy, I meant it when I said I'm here to stay. There's a lot I have to tell you, but ... I can't go back to being Steve Rogers. Not anymore."
She turned to him, like a flower turns toward the sun, almost unconscious of having done it until her gaze was fixed on his face once again, hungry just to have the leisure to look at him all over again. "You will always be Steve Rogers, in your heart," she assured him, laying her palm over the heart she was talking about. "The rest of the world doesn't need to know it for that to be the truth that you live by."
"Oh, you know him?" Peggy couldn't mask her surprise at that. After all, she hadn't known Jarvis until long after the war, though now she truly would not count her life complete without his friendship. "I had the distinct pleasure of befriending him a few years ago, during one of Howard's more spectacular muck ups."
"Yes ... no ... sort of?" he replied, with a slightly confused expression on his face. "I've heard of him," he admitted, though he'd never met the A.I.'s namesake in person. "Do I even want to know?" he asked, regarding one of possibly many of Howard Stark's muck ups. He was pleased to hear the Commandos were still around, but he wasn't sure he'd been seeing them anytime soon.
"It's ... complicated," she admitted. "I daresay I'll talk you through it sometime, probably over a large glass of wine or seven. Howard has not become any less ... eccentric, since you left." She kissed his chin affectionately. "I'd forgotten how tall you are," she mused. "Somehow, in my memory, you're always the skinny boy who could not talk to a woman to save his life."
He made no more comment regarding Stark. There would be time for all that later. He couldn't help the surprised expression on his face at her remark about his size though. "I talked to you," he reminded her. She was, in fact, the only woman he'd ever really dared to have a conversation with back then. "There was something different about you. You ... saw me, too," he mused aloud, as if just realizing it.
She smiled tenderly. "I knew, even then, what it was like to have to force your way in and fight to be taken seriously," she reminded him. "I knew you were fighting, too. Sometimes all you need is for someone else to notice."
"You believed in me," he told her. Just as Dr. Erskine had believed in him. If it wasn't for them, he wouldn't be there today. His past and future would have been very different.
"I am an excellent judge of character," she agreed, a rare tease of her own gracing her voice. "Oh, goodness, look at me. You've come goodness knows how far, and I haven't even offered you a drink!" She stepped away, turning toward another door through which was visible a kitchen. "I have tea or coffee, orange juice?"
"Peggy," he said, reaching for her arm, to keep her with him there a moment longer. "You said you'd marry me today. Do you mean it?" They both knew that wasn't really possible, not in New York anyway. There was the matter of a blood test and a license, but there were other places to get married besides New York.
She paused, meeting his gaze with eyes that were clear with sincerity and promise. "I never say anything I don't mean," she reminded him, soft but firm. "And I have favours I can pull in across the state if necessary to make it happen. Even if I am on enforced vacation time right now." This last was muttered, but she obviously knew he would hear it. Apparently Peggy Carter did not like to take time off work. Who knew?
His expression turned thoughtful. While he wanted nothing more than to marry Peggy Carter, it might be a little more complicated than either of them had anticipated. "I think I'll take a cup of coffee," he told her. He wasn't too surprised to hear she was being forced to take a break. Peggy had always been a - what did they call it in the future - workaholic?
Her smile returned, one hand squeezing his before she moved into the kitchen to begin the process of putting the coffee on to brew. "Steve," she said thoughtfully, raising her voice to be sure he would hear her as she spoke. "What name are you using? You ... you were declared dead in '45. A sudden return would put you right in the middle of an awful lot of complex nonsense."
That was another big question. He'd known coming back that he couldn't use his real name. Steve Rogers had gone down in the ocean years ago, but he'd need help inventing a new identity, forging papers. Who better to help him than Peggy Carter? "Yeah, I've been thinking about that," he admitted. "What do you think of Steve Wilson?"
"That could work," she agreed. "And the records are still completely shot from during the worst of the Hydra battles - the SSR have been working to correct records and disguise Hydra as best we can, but there is still so much to do. We could easily insert you into one of those moments of chaos."
"Whatever works. I trust you," he told her, following her into the kitchen. "Peggy, I meant it when I said I'm here to stay. There's a lot I have to tell you, but ... I can't go back to being Steve Rogers. Not anymore."
She turned to him, like a flower turns toward the sun, almost unconscious of having done it until her gaze was fixed on his face once again, hungry just to have the leisure to look at him all over again. "You will always be Steve Rogers, in your heart," she assured him, laying her palm over the heart she was talking about. "The rest of the world doesn't need to know it for that to be the truth that you live by."
Last edited by Steve Rogers on Mon Feb 21, 2022 4:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Steve Rogers
- Junior Adventurer
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2022 1:19 pm
- Location: NYC circa 1947
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Re: It's Been a Long, Long Time
He nodded in agreement, even if there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, but the truth was he didn't want to be a soldier anymore. Not a spy either. He was sure there were other ways he could make a difference. "I can't be anyone but myself, but I can't be Steve Rogers either." Or Captain America.
She saw that sadness, feeling some of it reflected in her own eyes. "Steve ... I'm not going to step away from the SSR," she said quietly. "There's something else in the works, something Stark and Colonel Phillips have been working on setting up. They're talking about asking me to run it."
"I know ... S.H.I.E.L.D.," he replied. How did he know about something that so few people in this time knew about? He'd told her it was a long story. He tucked a strand of hair back from her face, his expression serious. "I'd never ask you to change for me, Peg. You are who you are, and I know how important all that is to you, but there's a lot you don't know."
Her expression was enough to tell him that she had never heard of S.H.I.E.L.D., at least not yet. But that was not what brought a worried frown to her face. "It sounds as though we have an awful lot to talk about," she agreed. "But if we are getting married today, then I have a few phone calls to make."
He only hoped that once she heard the truth of it all, her love for him wouldn't waver; but then why would it? He had kept his promise; he had found a way back to her. "We do, but first things first," he said, the smile returning to his face. "Coffee, and then we have a wedding to attend."
She laughed, patting his chest fondly. "The milk is in the cupboard behind you." She turned away, opening a cupboard of her own to collect cups as the coffee pot burbled away happily on the stove. "Fresh this morning, so it shouldn't have turned yet."
He drew in a breath, inhaling the smell of almost freshly brewed coffee. The twenty-first century had done nothing that could improve upon that, except make it faster, fancier, and more expensive. "God, I've missed this," he said, exhaling a sigh. It wasn't just Peggy he'd missed, though she was a good part of it. It was the simple pleasures in life that made it worth living. "You said something before about feeling like you don't belong. I know what that feels like."
Her smile was just a little bitter, but understanding of his being able to relate. "I can't imagine where you have been or what you have been through. Just know that you will always have a place with me. We belong together."
"I'm right where I belong, here with you," he assured her, a soft smile on his face. That was one thing he was very sure of.
Her smile softened in the face of his certainty. “I suspect you may have an inkling of just how much that means to me,” she murmured, one hand resting with almost trembling fingers over his heart.
"Maybe I need a reminder," he teased, pulling her back into his arms. The heck with the coffee; this was what he'd really missed. It might have only been a few years for her, but for him it had seemed like a lifetime.
She laughed, leaning into his embrace, her wide smile bright and fond. "Why, Captain Rogers," she teased. "One would think you might be attempting a seduction of sorts. Where did you learn to do that?"
He smirked, a teasing gleam in his eyes. "I watch ..." He paused momentarily to check himself before referencing things that were still part of her future. "I've seen a lot of movies the last few years." No real first-hand experience though, unless a few brief kisses counted.
Peggy blinked, raising her brows above a smile that, for all her affection, was definitely suspicious now. "Anything you would recommend?" she asked, almost daring him to say something he shouldn't.
He blushed a little, knowing he'd almost put his foot in his mouth, but he fully intended to tell her everything eventually - just not right now. His smirk widened, a look on his face that said he knew something she didn't. A lot of somethings actually. "There's a lot I'd recommend, but not right now." His forehead came to rest against hers and he drew a happy sigh. "I've missed you," he confessed again. There was only truth in that.
She laughed softly, knowing he must have a wealth of knowledge she should not be privy to, happy to be tucked into his embrace and breathe him in. "I've missed you too, so very much," she breathed to him. "I cannot tell you how happy I am to have you home, darling."
"I can't tell you how happy I am to be home," he said, echoing the feeling. If she only knew just how happy and everything he'd gone through to get there. All in good time. Now that he was back where he belonged, they had all the time in the world. Or at least seventy years.
Some people got barely a second kiss. Together, they had a lifetime.
((Yes, we're still around, still plugging away, albeit slowly. Neither of us has a lot of free time right now, so this story may take a long time to tell, but we are hoping to be able to share a little more of the story sometime soon. As always, thanks for reading!))
She saw that sadness, feeling some of it reflected in her own eyes. "Steve ... I'm not going to step away from the SSR," she said quietly. "There's something else in the works, something Stark and Colonel Phillips have been working on setting up. They're talking about asking me to run it."
"I know ... S.H.I.E.L.D.," he replied. How did he know about something that so few people in this time knew about? He'd told her it was a long story. He tucked a strand of hair back from her face, his expression serious. "I'd never ask you to change for me, Peg. You are who you are, and I know how important all that is to you, but there's a lot you don't know."
Her expression was enough to tell him that she had never heard of S.H.I.E.L.D., at least not yet. But that was not what brought a worried frown to her face. "It sounds as though we have an awful lot to talk about," she agreed. "But if we are getting married today, then I have a few phone calls to make."
He only hoped that once she heard the truth of it all, her love for him wouldn't waver; but then why would it? He had kept his promise; he had found a way back to her. "We do, but first things first," he said, the smile returning to his face. "Coffee, and then we have a wedding to attend."
She laughed, patting his chest fondly. "The milk is in the cupboard behind you." She turned away, opening a cupboard of her own to collect cups as the coffee pot burbled away happily on the stove. "Fresh this morning, so it shouldn't have turned yet."
He drew in a breath, inhaling the smell of almost freshly brewed coffee. The twenty-first century had done nothing that could improve upon that, except make it faster, fancier, and more expensive. "God, I've missed this," he said, exhaling a sigh. It wasn't just Peggy he'd missed, though she was a good part of it. It was the simple pleasures in life that made it worth living. "You said something before about feeling like you don't belong. I know what that feels like."
Her smile was just a little bitter, but understanding of his being able to relate. "I can't imagine where you have been or what you have been through. Just know that you will always have a place with me. We belong together."
"I'm right where I belong, here with you," he assured her, a soft smile on his face. That was one thing he was very sure of.
Her smile softened in the face of his certainty. “I suspect you may have an inkling of just how much that means to me,” she murmured, one hand resting with almost trembling fingers over his heart.
"Maybe I need a reminder," he teased, pulling her back into his arms. The heck with the coffee; this was what he'd really missed. It might have only been a few years for her, but for him it had seemed like a lifetime.
She laughed, leaning into his embrace, her wide smile bright and fond. "Why, Captain Rogers," she teased. "One would think you might be attempting a seduction of sorts. Where did you learn to do that?"
He smirked, a teasing gleam in his eyes. "I watch ..." He paused momentarily to check himself before referencing things that were still part of her future. "I've seen a lot of movies the last few years." No real first-hand experience though, unless a few brief kisses counted.
Peggy blinked, raising her brows above a smile that, for all her affection, was definitely suspicious now. "Anything you would recommend?" she asked, almost daring him to say something he shouldn't.
He blushed a little, knowing he'd almost put his foot in his mouth, but he fully intended to tell her everything eventually - just not right now. His smirk widened, a look on his face that said he knew something she didn't. A lot of somethings actually. "There's a lot I'd recommend, but not right now." His forehead came to rest against hers and he drew a happy sigh. "I've missed you," he confessed again. There was only truth in that.
She laughed softly, knowing he must have a wealth of knowledge she should not be privy to, happy to be tucked into his embrace and breathe him in. "I've missed you too, so very much," she breathed to him. "I cannot tell you how happy I am to have you home, darling."
"I can't tell you how happy I am to be home," he said, echoing the feeling. If she only knew just how happy and everything he'd gone through to get there. All in good time. Now that he was back where he belonged, they had all the time in the world. Or at least seventy years.
Some people got barely a second kiss. Together, they had a lifetime.
((Yes, we're still around, still plugging away, albeit slowly. Neither of us has a lot of free time right now, so this story may take a long time to tell, but we are hoping to be able to share a little more of the story sometime soon. As always, thanks for reading!))
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