ɪᴄ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀᴄᴛ

[uprightness]

STEVE ROGERS;

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[mucked]

Don't tempt me.

[ or do. who knows, it might be exactly what she needs. ]

[uprightness]

Go ahead. Just mind your fingers. you don't really ever take on that thing with gloves.

[ and unlike her punching bag, hitting him might break her knuckles. ]

[mucked]

Alright. [ she squares up and sets the tea aside. will she ever manage to finish it? likely not. she's got a better mission in mind, now. ] Get over here. Stand up straight and tall like I know you can.

[ -- she slips into a demanding, commanding tone of voice without so much as thinking about it. ]

[uprightness]

You can't get up and walk over to punch me? really?

[ it almost makes him smile but if it'll get her to forgive him for tearing her punching bag, he'll put down the pencils and walk over. ]

alright, go ahead. do your worst.

[mucked]

My worst?

[ her fists do come up -- boxing-style, as brawling and gutter-appropriate as ever. the scene is ridiculous, frankly. she's still in her pajamas; her hair is a mess.

but no hit is thrown. not yet. ]

[uprightness]

your worst, yeah.

[ he affirms. heaven help, he just stands there and gestures at her to go on with it. ]

go ahead.

[mucked]

Belly, face, it's all on the table?

[ -- is she hesitating? maybe. truth it, it's simply not the same if the shot is free and he's offering up with no real opposition in play. she likes to tussle with him not at him. ]

[uprightness]

damn right it is.

[ a firm nod. he's doing a fine job not smiling at all about it. mostly since she might go for it and then he might end up looking mighty silly. ]

[mucked]

And you'll simply -- what, stand still and let it happen?

[ take it? ]

[uprightness]

I did tear your punching bag.

[ so apparently, that's a yes. ]

[mucked]

You did tear my punching bag. [ she repeats. and here she is, displacing her frustration with a situation back home onto this one -- willing to the point of still flexing her fists in the air in front of her. she steps forward, closing the distance, and eyes him just over the tops of her knuckles. ] You must have been mightily upset.

[uprightness]

[ it says a lot for that infamous steve rogers nerve that came before captain america that he doesn't back away, he doesn't even flinch. she could have punched him square in the nose but steve notes that she hasn't yet. he looks at her and nods. ]

of course I was. you were -

[ out of it. three weeks for him, a week for her. the atroma went and stolen a whole month away from them. that's been the main reason behind it all, all that lost time. ]

I'm sorry about your punching bag, Peggy.

[mucked]

And when you were -- [ out of it. ] I managed not to break anything. Not a single thing.

[ do you count friendships, though? she bruised and bent a couple of those. ]

[uprightness]

You did.

[ he nods, there's no denying it. ]

I should have probably managed the same thing but I didn't.

[ perhaps he really does have the worse temper of them both. ]

[mucked]

You know, [ oh god where is this going, ] the more I think about it? The more I realize only getting a hit in on you isn't exactly fit retribution. It's not really quid pro quo, is it?

[uprightness]

--- No, it really is.

[ you know what! he just now realizes it. ]

It actually just dawned on me that we're finally equal.

[mucked]

Equal! [ she repeats. ] Equal for what?

[uprightness]

[ he smiles. oh lord, he does look happy all of the sudden. ]

if you have to ask -

[mucked]

[ well, now she might just hit him in order to crack the grin off his face. peggy doesn't ask so much as stand there, hands suddenly dropped to her hips, and stare at him with a measure of expectation.

spit it out, rogers. ]

[uprightness]

I'll tell you some other time.

[ he says, he promises ]

when none of us is affected by any atroma-induced glitches.

[ apparently, it falls into the category of things he won't discuss in her current situation. ]

[mucked]

You can't go and leave it at that. Steve.

[ steve. you can't go and dump a puzzle in her lap and then deny her the pieces. ]

[uprightness]

Well, I have to, we have a plan, remember?

[ keeping it safe. he does find her impatience endearing, however. ]

but I'm sorry, it does mean you can't hit me seeing that we're finally even.

[mucked]

I'm not yet convinced we are.

[ give us a hint, darling. ]

[uprightness]

well, I am.

[ and that will have to do for now but he does lean over to press a soft kiss to her cheek. ]

we'll have to talk about it again next week.

[mucked]

[ she puts the heel of her palm against his chest and gives him a steady little rock-back immediately following his kiss. but, once the deflection is done, she leaves her hand precisely where it is. it's nice, in the end, to keep a bit of contact. after all, it's been a week.

a week and two years, if you cram those fresh memories back into place. ]

I'll have you 'fessing up to whatever it is within that time. I swear it.

[ it's a challenge, now. ]