[ he's moving boxes at the marketplace, helping out more for the sake of something to do than for the acorns. he doesn't quite run over, the message is casual enough not to make him thing there's any trouble but still, if something is somehow amiss -
a quick walk, then followed by a knock on the door, followed by a semi-concerned hey.
it's pretty clear the birthday subject never really made it to his head ]
Come on in -- [ her voice lifts from behind the wood. she knows his monosyllables by rote, and feels a stab of cheer to hear him at the door. peggy is wrapped in silk while she continues her convalescence. unless she's leaving the room for the day, the (modest) pyjama set is simply less hassle. and yet her hair remains immaculate in its curls and pins. and her make-up is not a smidgen out of place.
[ he fights the urge to look away as soon as he enters, seeing a lady in her sleeping clothes still makes him feel as if he's somehow invading her privacy. it was a good idea, the inn, the room is warm and cozy enough, much more so than the ship. a good place for healing. after everything that happened, he's glad they at least have this. ]
Much better, [ her answer is quick. concise. ] It won't be much longer, now.
[ is she saying it simply to appease him? perhaps. but she's also optimistic. every day, strength returns. funny, really, how the fleet actually affords her the opportunity to heal. it wasn't something readily enjoyed, back home. by the end, she may feel more rested than she has in years. ]
It's - [ not? for a moment, he still looks puzzled until one plus one finally results in two and the chips start falling, making him smile a bit. ]
You remembered.
[ his tone doesn't suggest that surprises him. If anything, he's surprised he didn't occurred to him before now. Of course she would remember, he should have guessed. ]
A little bloody difficult to forget. [ a half-smile. independence day -- celebrated with streamers, with banners, with ticker-tape parades. living just a couple of years in america has taught her all she needs to know about the 4th of july.
she crosses to the table. peggy's leaning less and less on chair-backs for support. but she does grab the table's edge when she reaches for the narrow, long box. ] I had one of the local craftsman prepare something for you. I can't speak to its quality -- I'm no expert on these things, and the man had never heard of one before.
[ but when she flips the box's lid (and the box was made with its own level of loving craftsmanship), she reveals a light-coloured wooden baseball bat. the craftsman's mark is burned into the handle-end. peggy knows little about the sport, but she knows enough to know steve's affection for it. ]
[ it's a bit weird, in retrospect, a quiet 4th of July. No fireworks and no parades. A quiet birthday is a regular affair, a quiet independence day, not so much. On the other hand, there seems to be a present. The last few years, the most he received for his birthday were toasts and a few incredulous comments about the irony of the date but maybe he should have known Peggy Carter won't do anything like this by halves.
He should tell her something about not needing to search for a present on the planet when she is already injured but he doesn't. if anything, he understands. they have never had the chance to do these things, birthdays, presents, ordinary things. much more than the actual present, he's grateful for the chance to have something from her.
There's a broad smile and a huff of surprise at the actual present, however. It's been years since he attempted playing but he does watch the games quite religiously. he holds it in his hands, assessing its weight ]
Gotta hand it to him, the weight is just right. Gonna have to find a ball and make good use of it. A good thing we're on a planet with a lot of open space.
[ he's going to have to tell Sam, maybe Wanda. He does have to wonder if Stark plays. In his mind, he is already planning two teams before deciding that can wait for a little while. he places it carefully back into the box, reaches for her hand. ]
Thank you.
[ in all honesty, it's the best gift he has gotten in years. There is a hint of nervousness there, he is only somewhat aware that she must be feeling it with how this planet seems to work, there is a moment where he is only standing there, grateful for her efforts and thoughtfulness and just for her being before gives her a bit of a sheepish smile. ]
[ there is a deep pleasure found in being the purveyor of a good gift. peggy's smile grows in fractions -- a sort of tight weight taken off her shoulder when she watches him take stock of the bat's grip; it's weight; it's balance. and then he exchanges the gift for her hand and the rush of gratitude mingled with hesitation overcomes her. her cheeks puff up with a sigh. ]
Yes, Steve? [ there is so little space between them, and yet it feels like a canyon. she leans forward on the bare ball of one foot -- magnetized. ]
[ this is always a determined decision for him, to be able not to lose his bearings around Peggy Carter. He's getting better, too. he doesn't ramble on nonsensically like he did in the beginning, is usually a little less awkward when they're like this ( alone, that is ). but he's beginning to accept that this - the way his breath catches in his throat when she moves in closer, the fact that for a short moment, his mind goes blank - that isn't going to go away. not anytime soon, maybe never. probably never.
he should tell her, soon; but he doesn't know if it'll make her happy as much much as it'll sadden her, what he feels for her. she knows, of course, being close to her on this planet would have affirmed that and Steve is horrible at hiding it even without the magic of this land but knowing and hearing it-
perhaps it'll be more of a burden than a blessing.
still, she is here and well, after everything, despite of everything and he opens his mouth, closes it again. ]
I know we - said - with the Atroma - it was a good decision, too, the only sensible one but -
[ dear god, but he is nervous; as close as they are, he still ought to ask, he should ask ]
Can I kiss you?
[ what a thing to ask the woman who twice now grabbed on his collar and pulled him into a kiss he wasn't entirely expecting at the time but wholeheartedly cherished later. ]
[ she feels a yearning. worse yet, she knows he'll be like a barometer -- sensing that change along her skin, and feeling the same as she feels. peggy ebbs longing and flows love, like a tempest that can't quite settle. like a wind that won't blow itself out.
and maybe it's the wholesome tree-bound architecture of this planet, or maybe the fact that ahsoka had brought to her attention how none of the planets they've visited seemed to know about the atroma's show, but she suddenly feels less pinned down by their presence.
she clears her throat. ] Of bloody course you can.
[ there is a moment where he is left wondering - if this, holding hands, if this is so much in the terms of what he is feeling from her, what she must be feeling from him, then what would kissing her be like? but the moment comes to a wonderful abrupt end when she answers and he doesn't bite back a smile because this is another one of those only Peggy Carter moments.
he can distinctly remember their first kiss, all rushed and filled with adrenaline, somewhere between a plane about t take flight and a car catching up with it. he expected the second one to come when he returns home to her and that never quite happened as they expected it to. it was years later and on a spaceship of all things but it was that nonetheless, it was Peggy pulling him toward her and Steve wrapping her in his arms and despite the timelines and the setting it was wonderful, it was long, very long overdue and it was something he tried ( and failed ) not to think about each time he looked at her afterwards.
They were rushed, both of them, it was either saving the world or becoming familiar with space. so this time he takes a step forward, cups her cheek, gently wraps an arm around her before he leans down to kiss her as if they have all the time in the world. they have that, after all, not a bright promising future but time and thank God for that.
it was never going to be a controllable surge of emotions, not when they're pressed together like that. even if he didn't want her to know, there is no helping it, the love and devotion, the unwillingness to imagine a future without her, not anymore, not here. ]
[ there is a stiffness in her bones -- from the attack, and from misuse. but she welcomes it, because it stands in such complete contrast to the way in which he gently takes her in one arm. and his kiss is tender, slow, and it burns like embers. as they kiss, she knits his fingers with his and she can't untangle her own feelings from his. whose love is this? whose devotion?
in that moment, their previous kisses are relived. remembered. wind in her hair and the hard smell of a military jeep's exhaust. these are all the fireworks her 4th of july requires.
gingerly, she raises an arm so she might rest her palm against the back of his neck -- curling her fingers against the skin. she leans up and she leans in -- eager to return his kiss with just as much slow, easy affection. ]
[ there are two elements at work here, equally overwhelming. There is his arm wrapped around her, their lips pressed together and the distracting touch just behind his neck and then there is the little volcano of feelings, his to her and hers to him, the way he cannot tell where his love begins and hers ends.
There is an absolute refusal to feel anything but fortunate for it. For all the timeline mess and all the loss, he can't feel anything but rare, absolute happiness here and now, with her. This interaction, physical and mental knocks the air right out of his lungs. He could kiss her like this all day.
Even when he breaks for air, moments later, he keeps her close, forehead rested against hers. ]
More than anything.
[ it's whispered to the little space between him and her, as if until now they were having some sort of conversation this fits into. ]
[ how did she get so lucky? lost, kidnapped, and kept in some far-off star system...and yet here she has the one thing she'd missed for so long. although their kiss is tender, it's far from passive. peggy takes and gives in equal measures -- deferring to his height in one moment, but then chasing his mouth in the next. hell! if she didn't have injuries to be mindful of, it might have been a different kind of kiss altogether.
in the wake of his words, she answered: ] I never stopped.
[ the context didn't need to be voiced aloud. they both felt it, danced around the word 'love', and filled in its blank spaces. ]
[ it's an odd do-over, there's little doubt about that. He lost the Stork club and the chance of being one of the only sober men during ve-day ( he has to remember to ask her how that one went for her ) and the chances of walking her to her door of some very expensive apartment in new york city. Instead there are -- spaceships and foreign planets and while isn't not exactly ideal, it's still much more than he has hoped for.
space do-over still beats the hell out of no do-over, after all.
he is still holding her, arm around her waist, fingers entwined, more than a bit lightheaded. he manages to gather up his thoughts and smile a bit ]
You know, we're doing this backwards. Even the 21st century, a bloke usually takes a lady out on a date before telling her he loves her.
[ seemingly, she doesn't much mind backwards. but putting words to the circumstance makes her mouth go dry in that pleasant, tension-filled fashion. softly, she pats her palm against the back of his neck. ]
And what do you know about blokes and dates, hm? [ she's gotta admit, it's not like she's been on one for a damn long time. meeting with jason wilkes doesn't count; they may have danced, but it had all been part of the job. hadn't it?
but standing so close to steve -- touching him! -- she'd better chase doctor wilkes straight out of her thoughts. no need to spoil a good thing before it's begun. ]
[ her fingertips caress the nape of his neck. flirt, just a little, with the line where his hair begins. it's a thoughtless gesture. the affection comes easily to her so long as they're still in contact and she's acting not only upon her own desire, but his as well. ]
Dinner would be lovely. You can skip the rest, if you like. [ --- ] Steve, I'm not all that high maintenance. An evening with you would be prize enough.
[ it's a good thing to try and get used to, concentrating on the matter in hand while they're like this. He gives himself a fraction of a moment to focus on her touch before grinning a bit ]
Taking a date with my best girl lightly?
[ it can't be helped, he swoops down to steal another, a short press of his lips to hers. ]
...Your best girl. [ it's not a question. and straight after she repeats it, it's echoed again -- while they kiss, touch transfers a memory. dugan. it's likely one of the few time the allusion had warmed her heart. the men at the office tended to be pigs about it.
peggy's forehead presses against his. ] I'm trying to give you a bloody hint, Steve. Wise up and listen: I don't need a ticker-tape parade.
[ he huffs a chuckle against her lips and tries to put aside anything else save for the amusement. It's a glimpse to the life they've led without him and it's bittersweet, to see himself still present in it, what would cap say, indeed. He will admit to her, somewhere in her future, that serving is just not the same as it used to be, sometimes, the best we can do is to start over, she'd say and he will abide those words, become more of an avenger, less a soldier.
They carry each other in their hearts, it would seem. Inspire and affect.
He does so miss those days. ]
Well he knew me better than most and whatever this was, he was right, you know.
[ -- frankly, peggy never thought she'd be thinking of dugan while she was kissing anyone. but it's easier to think about old friends than new flames. safer, too.
she left her arm looped around his neck. ] And the humble idyllic goat path strewn with rose petals can be axed, too.
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july 4th »
Date: 2016-07-05 02:42 pm (UTC)[ yes, this is birthday related. no, she isn't going to make that overtly obvious. ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-05 07:23 pm (UTC)a quick walk, then followed by a knock on the door, followed by a semi-concerned hey.
it's pretty clear the birthday subject never really made it to his head ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-10 12:25 am (UTC)a narrow, oblong wooden case sits on the table. ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-12 08:28 pm (UTC)How are you feeling?
[ ever worried, it seems ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-13 10:55 am (UTC)[ is she saying it simply to appease him? perhaps. but she's also optimistic. every day, strength returns. funny, really, how the fleet actually affords her the opportunity to heal. it wasn't something readily enjoyed, back home. by the end, she may feel more rested than she has in years. ]
But today's not about about me, Steve.
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-13 12:23 pm (UTC)You remembered.
[ his tone doesn't suggest that surprises him. If anything, he's surprised he didn't occurred to him before now. Of course she would remember, he should have guessed. ]
Not a bad location to spend it in.
[ the company matters far more, of course. ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-13 01:46 pm (UTC)she crosses to the table. peggy's leaning less and less on chair-backs for support. but she does grab the table's edge when she reaches for the narrow, long box. ] I had one of the local craftsman prepare something for you. I can't speak to its quality -- I'm no expert on these things, and the man had never heard of one before.
[ but when she flips the box's lid (and the box was made with its own level of loving craftsmanship), she reveals a light-coloured wooden baseball bat. the craftsman's mark is burned into the handle-end. peggy knows little about the sport, but she knows enough to know steve's affection for it. ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-13 03:35 pm (UTC)He should tell her something about not needing to search for a present on the planet when she is already injured but he doesn't. if anything, he understands. they have never had the chance to do these things, birthdays, presents, ordinary things. much more than the actual present, he's grateful for the chance to have something from her.
There's a broad smile and a huff of surprise at the actual present, however. It's been years since he attempted playing but he does watch the games quite religiously. he holds it in his hands, assessing its weight ]
Gotta hand it to him, the weight is just right. Gonna have to find a ball and make good use of it. A good thing we're on a planet with a lot of open space.
[ he's going to have to tell Sam, maybe Wanda. He does have to wonder if Stark plays. In his mind, he is already planning two teams before deciding that can wait for a little while. he places it carefully back into the box, reaches for her hand. ]
Thank you.
[ in all honesty, it's the best gift he has gotten in years. There is a hint of nervousness there, he is only somewhat aware that she must be feeling it with how this planet seems to work, there is a moment where he is only standing there, grateful for her efforts and thoughtfulness and just for her being before gives her a bit of a sheepish smile. ]
Peggy?
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-13 04:54 pm (UTC)Yes, Steve? [ there is so little space between them, and yet it feels like a canyon. she leans forward on the bare ball of one foot -- magnetized. ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-13 06:12 pm (UTC)he should tell her, soon; but he doesn't know if it'll make her happy as much much as it'll sadden her, what he feels for her. she knows, of course, being close to her on this planet would have affirmed that and Steve is horrible at hiding it even without the magic of this land but knowing and hearing it-
perhaps it'll be more of a burden than a blessing.
still, she is here and well, after everything, despite of everything and he opens his mouth, closes it again. ]
I know we - said - with the Atroma - it was a good decision, too, the only sensible one but -
[ dear god, but he is nervous; as close as they are, he still ought to ask, he should ask ]
Can I kiss you?
[ what a thing to ask the woman who twice now grabbed on his collar and pulled him into a kiss he wasn't entirely expecting at the time but wholeheartedly cherished later. ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-13 07:45 pm (UTC)and maybe it's the wholesome tree-bound architecture of this planet, or maybe the fact that ahsoka had brought to her attention how none of the planets they've visited seemed to know about the atroma's show, but she suddenly feels less pinned down by their presence.
she clears her throat. ] Of bloody course you can.
[ only a half-step away from please. ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-13 08:49 pm (UTC)he can distinctly remember their first kiss, all rushed and filled with adrenaline, somewhere between a plane about t take flight and a car catching up with it. he expected the second one to come when he returns home to her and that never quite happened as they expected it to. it was years later and on a spaceship of all things but it was that nonetheless, it was Peggy pulling him toward her and Steve wrapping her in his arms and despite the timelines and the setting it was wonderful, it was long, very long overdue and it was something he tried ( and failed ) not to think about each time he looked at her afterwards.
They were rushed, both of them, it was either saving the world or becoming familiar with space. so this time he takes a step forward, cups her cheek, gently wraps an arm around her before he leans down to kiss her as if they have all the time in the world. they have that, after all, not a bright promising future but time and thank God for that.
it was never going to be a controllable surge of emotions, not when they're pressed together like that. even if he didn't want her to know, there is no helping it, the love and devotion, the unwillingness to imagine a future without her, not anymore, not here. ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-13 11:52 pm (UTC)in that moment, their previous kisses are relived. remembered. wind in her hair and the hard smell of a military jeep's exhaust. these are all the fireworks her 4th of july requires.
gingerly, she raises an arm so she might rest her palm against the back of his neck -- curling her fingers against the skin. she leans up and she leans in -- eager to return his kiss with just as much slow, easy affection. ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-14 12:29 am (UTC)There is an absolute refusal to feel anything but fortunate for it. For all the timeline mess and all the loss, he can't feel anything but rare, absolute happiness here and now, with her. This interaction, physical and mental knocks the air right out of his lungs. He could kiss her like this all day.
Even when he breaks for air, moments later, he keeps her close, forehead rested against hers. ]
More than anything.
[ it's whispered to the little space between him and her, as if until now they were having some sort of conversation this fits into. ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-14 12:33 pm (UTC)in the wake of his words, she answered: ] I never stopped.
[ the context didn't need to be voiced aloud. they both felt it, danced around the word 'love', and filled in its blank spaces. ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-14 02:22 pm (UTC)space do-over still beats the hell out of no do-over, after all.
he is still holding her, arm around her waist, fingers entwined, more than a bit lightheaded. he manages to gather up his thoughts and smile a bit ]
You know, we're doing this backwards. Even the 21st century, a bloke usually takes a lady out on a date before telling her he loves her.
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-14 06:58 pm (UTC)And what do you know about blokes and dates, hm? [ she's gotta admit, it's not like she's been on one for a damn long time. meeting with jason wilkes doesn't count; they may have danced, but it had all been part of the job. hadn't it?
but standing so close to steve -- touching him! -- she'd better chase doctor wilkes straight out of her thoughts. no need to spoil a good thing before it's begun. ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-14 09:16 pm (UTC)[ he frowns in mock concentration, as if this takes enormous effort ]
I heard they usually involve flowers, dinner - something alone the lines? This planet does have more to offer than protein solids.
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-15 02:33 am (UTC)Dinner would be lovely. You can skip the rest, if you like. [ --- ] Steve, I'm not all that high maintenance. An evening with you would be prize enough.
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-16 12:51 am (UTC)Taking a date with my best girl lightly?
[ it can't be helped, he swoops down to steal another, a short press of his lips to hers. ]
Highly unlikely.
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-16 02:09 am (UTC)peggy's forehead presses against his. ] I'm trying to give you a bloody hint, Steve. Wise up and listen: I don't need a ticker-tape parade.
[ i just need you. ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-17 12:02 am (UTC)They carry each other in their hearts, it would seem. Inspire and affect.
He does so miss those days. ]
Well he knew me better than most and whatever this was, he was right, you know.
[ a beat ]
Never thought I'd think of him while kissing you.
[ the little oddities of this planet. ]
Cancel the white doves, then?
[ bummer. ]
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-17 03:30 am (UTC)she left her arm looped around his neck. ] And the humble idyllic goat path strewn with rose petals can be axed, too.
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-17 10:19 pm (UTC)Do you know how hard it is to find the equivalent of roses on this planet?
[ because believe it or not, Steve Rogers and Hank McCoy sure do. He really hopes Raven ended up liking the flowers. ]
You sure you don't want to rethink that one?
july 4th » action
Date: 2016-07-19 01:49 pm (UTC)Contrary to popular believe, Steve, I'm a person of terribly simple tastes. Good whiskey, good food, and good company. I don't need the extras.
july 4th » action
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