Chapter 11
“All you need to paint is a few tools, a little instruction, and a vision in your mind.”
― Bob Ross
Peggy remained seated in her chair at the head of the conference room table while chatter broke out around the room. She just closed out another productive, and she would also proudly proclaim efficient, team meeting. The room dissolved into chatter as agents tucked their notepads and files away. She heard snippets of the various conversations: confirmations of mission details, questions about weekend plans and what sounded like a lively discussion over some TV show she was vaguely aware of being popular. She’d have to ask Steve later to explain it to her.
Just the thought of him excited her. Her boyfriend, as his earnest face so desperately needed confirmation on just a few days ago. Peggy couldn’t recall the last time she referred to someone as her boyfriend. Years, no doubt. And yet, it didn’t seem silly. She was even sure she liked it. But then again, it wasn’t hard to like things involving Steve.
Peggy hadn’t planned for a significant relationship. For years she had been telling herself she was too busy, and although true, was only partially the reason for her singledom. She loved her job and she knew she was good at it. It was enough. She wasn’t blind to various interest in her over the years, but still, she didn’t seek out or pursue any of them. It didn’t stop occasional pangs of loneliness. And then suddenly, there was Steve. In a matter of weeks, Peggy, who hadn’t longed deeply for a man or a relationship in years, had developed a strong connection. And suddenly, her reasons for not being in a relationship simply no longer held their weight.
Peggy cared for him, deeply. And that was all that mattered.
She took her time collecting her paperwork and organizing them into her portfolio. She picked up her paper coffee cup and strode over to the large monitor behind her, studying the latest investigation her team was piecing together. When she finally stepped back, the monitor now marked with a swath of notes, the afternoon sun had shifted. She shut off the monitor, picked up her portfolio, then checked her phone. Underneath a notification for her next meeting, she had a text from Steve.
The heat’s made conditions so bad Miller’s sending us home early. Doesn’t want anyone else to pass out. I know you have a long day, so stay cool and I’ll check in on you later. Miss you.
It was the last two words that held her attention. She let herself have a quiet moment, smiling, basking in the message.
With a final flip of the light switch, Peggy shut the door to the conference room and headed back out into the chaos.
Peggy slunk into her office chair, propping up her feet, profusely grateful for the climate control within the office. She had just returned from a meeting at the U.N. and even the brief walk from the car to the building had made her perspire. New York was one giant sauna in the summertime on days like this. She sighed in relief, pulling both a file and her bowl of chocolates into her lap.
She only made it a paragraph into the report when Howard wandered in.
“How was the U.N.? Did they ask you to be a keynote speaker at the women’s rights conference?”
She narrowed her eyes. “I can never tell with you when you genuinely mean something supportive or if you’re just being a little shit as usual.”
He gasped. “Moi? Come on Pegs, this is me we’re talking about.”
“Exactly my point.”
“I don’t like what you’re insinuating. I am a champion of women everywhere. They’re my favorite people anywhere. You know, after myself.”
Peggy rolled her eyes at Howard’s devilish grin.
“Something you needed Howard? Shouldn’t you be on your way to D.C.?”
“Tomorrow morning. Perks of having a private plane. Besides, I need my beauty sleep.”
“For meetings with Phillips?”
“I like to put my best face forward. You know what that’s like. Even for military contracts. Anyway, just checking in. Gonna miss me?”
“What all four days you’re going to be gone? Yes, as ever, I’ll be just fine.”
“You don’t have to be so happy about it.” He snapped his fingers. “Speaking of. What is it you’re doing?”
“Pardon me?”
“You’re less tense these days. Is it yoga? What’s that new one called? The hot one? Bikram? Is your instructor hot? Can I join your class?”
“I’m not doing hot yoga Howard,” she said, flicking her attention back to the file. “In this weather, someone better come up with some cold aerobic variant.”
“Nah, then everyone’s gotta wear clothes,” he replied leaning over to take a foil wrapped chocolate from her bowl. She frowned at him. “Seriously though, you seem less stressed.”
Peggy shrugged. “I’m trying to separate work from the rest of my life in small doses. I stress the mental and physical wellbeing of my agents, therefore I figure I can stand to take a bit of my own advice. Only a little though, I have a lot of work to do.”
Truthfully, it had been more selfish than that. She did stress the wellbeing of SHIELD’s employees, especially given the nature of the work, not to mention the amount of law enforcement and military veterans they had on staff. But she had always been harder on herself, pushing her limits, and never bothering to count her hours or to take a step back as long as there was work to do. Then suddenly, she had Steve in her life, and she could clearly see the benefits of taking some time for herself.
“Good. I told you that you should’ve been delegating more the second you got the promotion.”
She sighed. “Yes, I’m working on that.”
“My super knew that I worked in construction,” Steve told her over dinner. “He knows someone who works with Miller.”
“Oh yeah? Did you tell him you were going to paint your room?”
“Yeah. I mean I asked for permission. I told him I was going to fix the cracks and all that too. He asked me if I would repaint the lobby.”
“And you’re going do it for him?”
Steve shrugged. “It wouldn’t take me long. The walls are in good shape.”
Peggy laughed. “You’re too kind. Please tell me you’re not doing this for free.”
“Well, not totally…”
“Steve!”
“Don’t worry. I told him I’d do it in exchange for him getting the buzzer and intercom fixed. It’s a safety issue. And he’s going to cover the cost of paint.”
Peggy smiled at her boyfriend. “Always so thoughtful.” She pressed her hand into his.
“It’s really not much work.” Steve shrugged. “And I don’t mind so much, as long as it’s going to help someone else out. And there’s this family that lives on the ground floor. I’m sure it would be nice to have some actual paint outside their door.”
“So you have permission and your super is aware of your skillset. Does this mean you’re going to choose a color other than white for your walls?”
Steve grinned. “You don’t like ‘Whisper’s Kiss’?”
“I think it looked exactly like ‘Mountain Snow’,” she remarked. For days he had been sending her pictures of white paint samples with preposterous names, and she didn’t see any difference between them.
“I don’t know. ‘Crisp Linen’ sounds good to me too.”
“You’re missing an obvious choice I think.” Steve hummed in question around his dinner. “Casa Blanca?”
“Oh. I forgot.” He pulled out his phone and started typing. “I put it at the top of the list.”
Seven o’clock passed and it was still scorching. The sun was setting at a snail’s pace with no noticeable temperature difference. The air was uncomfortably humid. Peggy could feel the wisps that had escaped her bun, curl and stick to her neck.
“It just keeps getting worse,” Steve complained from beside her.
She sighed and flicked her hair off her neck. “Seems to be inescapable.”
As they walked their arms touched, skin sticking.
“Ice cream,” Steve said after another half-block. “There’s a good ice cream place not too far. And we could use ice cream.”
Peggy smiled at him. She slipped her hand back into his, sweaty palm against sweaty palm, and let him lead the way. The ice cream parlor was jam packed, everyone seeming to have the same idea of how to beat the heat. The line was long with the upside of air conditioning. Peggy watched Steve grin at a little girl feeding her teddy bear spoonfuls of rainbow ice cream. They loitered in a corner as there were no open seats. There was no point in taking it outside, she didn’t want chocolate soup.
The ice cream cooldown helped, but it too was temporary, and soon they were back outside, melting in the heat. It was too hot to think or talk.
“This has been torturous,” Peggy complained.
“Four days straight of mid-nighties. This had better end soon, otherwise I’m going to live in my shower.”
Peggy nodded in agreement. New York had become a desert, and she was torturously parched. She felt like she could drink a gallon or two. Steve told her stories of the times growing up when he’d stumble upon a fire hydrant some teenagers cracked open during blazing summers. She grinned at the images it conjured, as he told her how he couldn’t help himself, how he’d jump in, cool water splashing him so hard in the face he was easily knocked over. She had a mind to crack a fire hydrant open that very moment, the law be damned.
Suddenly, an idea came to her, a great one. She only wished it had occurred to her an hour earlier. What they needed was a dip in a pool. And she had just the pool in mind.
Peggy pulled out her phone and quickly texted Ana her plan. She knew Ana would approve, but she had rather seek her blessing before breaking into Howard’s penthouse. She stopped Steve in his tracks before they walked any further in the opposite direction of his apartment.
“I have a plan,” she told him, as he looked on in confusion. “Do you have a swimsuit?”
“I have swim trunks,” he answered hesitantly. “Why?”
She eyed him with excitement. This was really one of her top notch ideas.
“I need you to go home and get them. I’ll text you an address. Meet me there in say, half an hour?”
“Where are you going?”
“I need to pick something up. Go. I promise this will be well worth it. Half an hour,” she repeated.
Peggy headed home herself. She rummaged in her drawers until she found her swimsuit, the two piece in sultry red she hadn’t worn in ages. She was thoroughly relieved that it still fit. She grabbed extra towels and sent Ana another reply.
She’s entirely too excited. She couldn’t help it. A rooftop pool amid the New York lights, all alone with Steve… Of course she was excited.
She was around the corner when Steve texted her that he was out front and completely confused as to where he was supposed to be.
“Where are we?” he asked when he spotted her. “I thought you wanted to go swimming or something.”
“Oh, you’ll see,” she said loftily taking his hand.
The doorman tipped his hat at her as she warmly bid him hello.
“Are we pulling some sort of robbery?” Steve asked once they were inside the elevator.
Peggy laughed. “You honestly think if I brought you to pull some sort of heist, I wouldn’t have told you first?”
“I don’t know.” Steve shrugged not backing down. “Maybe the less I know the better when the cops catch us.”
Well, if it had been true once, she supposed she couldn’t blame him for his guess.
“Never you mind. But if I needed your help you would have been given a specific job. Anyway, we wouldn’t be caught,” she told him confidently making Steve chuckle. “I promise this is purely pleasure.”
They met Ana who immediately sized Steve up and eagerly threw her arms around him in a joyous hug. Peggy seemed to have a knack for befriending very affectionate women.
“I’m so thrilled to finally meet you Steve,” Ana said.
Peggy bit her lip looking at the shock on Steve’s face. She wondered the last time, apart from herself, that a woman threw herself so enthusiastically at him.
“It’s very nice to meet you too,” Steve replied ever politely.
Ana turned to give Peggy a particularly approving look, no doubt agreeing with her husband’s earlier assessment of Steve.
Ana led them into Stark’s sprawling penthouse.
“It’s the perfect evening actually,” Ana said. “The pool cleaners were just here, and to be quite honest, it hasn’t been getting much use this summer, not since Howard’s breakup.”
“Really? And he was so fond of those pool parties,” she replied dryly.
“It’s good someone will get some use of it. Now, I left clean towels and robes out, and I brought up a pitcher of Edwin’s famous spa water. It’s in the fridge. And if you need anything, just let me know.”
“I really appreciate it Ana,” Peggy told her, letting herself be pulled into a hug.
“Oh not at all.” She squeezed Peggy close, and then once she pulled away, she winked suggestively. “Have fun,” she whispered.
She certainly planned on it.
Steve seemed to still be shocked at the scene before him, eyeing every corner of the penthouse within view with awe and wonder.
“So this is Stark’s house?”
“Indeed. One of, I should say. He’d be upset to hear I didn’t acknowledge his Hamptons home, or the mansion in Beverly Hills, and so forth,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
Peggy opened the French doors that led to the large rooftop lounge and pool. He let out a loud disbelieving breath. The smell of the chlorine and the sight of the aquamarine water glinting with the last of the sun’s rays captured her attention too. There were plenty of lounge chairs, an outdoor bar, and an outdoor fireplace not far from a Jacuzzi tub at the far end. She couldn’t blame Steve for his awe. It was a rare New York oasis.
“And he knows we’re here?”
Peggy couldn’t help but grin. “Not a clue. That’s part of the appeal.” Steve’s eyes widened. “He’s out of town.”
“So this is a B&E.”
She laughed, walking over toward two lounge chairs. “It’s an evening dip in someone else’s private pool. Come on, you know this is so very tempting.”
Steve didn’t deny it, but it he still looked a little hesitant. That had no place in her plan, and therefore she needed to remedy it.
Peggy shook her hair loose of her bun, kicked off her sandals, and then tugged her shirt over her head. She didn’t have to turn to know she had Steve’s full attention. She walked right past him with innocent eyes to check the water temperature and then to grab towels to drape over their recliners. He was silent as he continued to watch her, the bob in his Adam’s apple clear even from afar. She headed inside to fill cold glasses of Jarvis’ citrus infused water. Steve had finally moved into the chair next to the one she claimed.
She handed him a glass. “It’s perfect weather for a swim.” He nodded, still looking a little dazed. “Well come on,” she urged with an excited smile. “Let’s jump in.”
Steve grinned boyishly and finally stood.
“You go to that end and we’ll meet in the middle,” she instructed playfully.
As she jogged over to one end, Steve finally pulled off his shirt, flinging it toward his chair as he took off in the other direction. From across the long side of the pool they looked at each other. Peggy was glad for the moment that there was a pool between them. She knew he was fit, his usual t-shirts never obscuring his biceps, but bloody hell, he was unfair.
She shimmed out of her shorts, looking over to see Steve do the same.
“Ready?” he teased.
“On three.”
“Meet you in the middle.”
They count out together and on three they dove. Cool water splashed loudly around her and she let herself sink for a few seconds before surfacing. With easy strokes, she met Steve, pushing wet hair out of her eyes. Steve was scrubbing a hand across his eyes, his light hair looking dark plastered to his forehead. She reached out to brush it aside.
“This is amazing,” he said with a laugh.
“As is the view.” She unabashedly stared at his unbelievable pecs as he turned his neck to take in the skyline.
“It’s incredible.”
“I meant you, darling,” she teased, waiting for him to meet her gaze.
“Oh.” He refocused on her. “Well, I know for a fact that I have the best view of all.”
She leaned in, one arm around his neck. “Charmer,” she murmured before kissing him. And then, while he was distracted, she dunked him.
She cackled as he surfaced.
“Oh you’re so on Carter!”
Before she could move out of range he grabbed hold of her feet making her squeal. She kicked out at him but he doesn’t budge. They giggled like children, chasing each other all over the pool, an exercise she found wholly unfair because with his breadth, he was able to get across the pool in mere strokes.
They caught their breaths and she twined her hands around his neck, both giddy. Their lips moved against each other, Peggy unable to stop her palms from pressing against the firm muscles of his chest, nor could she stop the pleasant shudder when Steve’s palm ran up her spine.
¬
After tiring themselves out swimming, they sat at the edge of the pool, feet still splashing in the water, arms and thighs pressed against each other.
“Howard Stark’s private rooftop pool, huh?”
“One of my more brilliant ideas,” she replied, her painted toes nudging against his ankle.
“I just can’t even believe he has this.”
“Billionaire Howard Stark,” she said. “And you heard Ana. He’s hardly even used it this summer. I’m simply adding value to his investments. And what better way than with a private evening swim with you?”
“I definitely can’t argue with that.”
Daniel stopped in her office after another team meeting.
“You’re really taking the weekend off?” he asked her, after a minute of repeating questions she’d already answered.
Peggy raised her eyebrow at him, settling further back in her chair.
“I’ll still be on call, I just won’t be coming into the office until Monday,” she reiterates, even though she had explained it in two meetings and an email that week.
Daniel jerked his shoulders in a gesture vaguely resembling a shrug. “I just can’t remember the last time you’ve taken time off.”
She willed herself not to roll her eyes. The meeting may be casual, but as his superior, she really should maintain her professionalism. Peggy had to assume Daniel was merely curious as she wasn’t known for taking time off, but in fact the opposite. Back when they shared adjoining desks, he had a very clear picture of the hours she pulled, even when she had been relegated to pulling files and polishing reports in favor of Thompson running leads.
“That’s because I haven’t,” she agreed. “But again, I’ll be on call. And it’s only two days.”
“And you’re really leaving Rose in charge?” Daniel asked.
Peggy frowned at him. “Agent Roberts is more than capable,” she said in a clipped tone.
“I know, but she’s never had to hold the entire fort down before.”
“Are you concerned about Agent Roberts’ ability or are you upset in the choice I made?” Peggy doesn’t give him a chance to answer. She’s sure Daniel doesn’t mean harm, but she wouldn’t leave room for anyone to doubt Rose. “She’s the only one on the team who has never had a chance at taking charge, and I believe in the last six months she’s more than proven herself.”
“You’re right. I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry.”
“I am as confident in my decision now as I was when I considered it when I put in my request for the time off.”
“So you planned this time off?”
It’s none of his business really, and she’s never been keen to share on sharing personal matters with co-workers but she supposed it would clear up Daniel’s lingering concerns to know she hadn’t taken time off without thought and care.
“Actually yes.”
“Oh.” He looked shocked. “It just seems so unlike you.”
She shrugged. “It’s hardly a vacation. Just two days out of the office.”
Daniel nodded. “You work hard. You deserve the time off.”
“Thank you.” She purposefully shuffled her papers, straightening a stack noisily. “Any other questions or concerns Agent Sousa?”
He shook his head, clutched his cane and headed toward the door.
“Have a good weekend Agent Carter.”
“You too, Daniel.”
Peggy left the office early on Friday. She had full confidence in her team and in Rose, but she had expected it to be harder to leave. Instead, her heart beat excitedly at the prospect of a full weekend of Steve, morning to evening full of her sweet boyfriend.
She headed home to change out of her suit and into painting clothes. She also took the time to get her bedroom ready for Steve’s stay. Then she dug through her drawers. She sorted through her sleepwear, setting a recently purchased black nightgown at the forefront, her favorite lacy black lingerie set on top of it. No need to risk ruining it painting. She could slip it on later. Pleased with her handiwork, she headed to meet Steve.
He greeted her with a long kiss in the doorway.
“The cracks need to be scraped but I have to run out and get a few more drop cloths to cover the furniture. I thought we could at least start moving all the furniture towards the middle of the room,” he explained when she asked for the day’s plan.
Steve had lined up the supplies in the hallway outside his bedroom.
“And you packed your bag?” she asked.
“Yeah, just about,” he told her pointing at the duffle bag near his closet.
“Good,” she purred, running her fingers up his arm, letting him dip his head to kiss her. “Though I suppose you won’t need much,” she teased, looking up to see him bite his lip. “I’m pretty sure I have most anything you’ll require.”
She purposefully sauntered toward the corner, flashing her eyelashes at him, and bending over to unplug his lamp from the outlet. She grinned to herself hearing his sharp intake of breath.
Peggy focused on the task at hand, working on the left side of his room, while Steve worked on the right. They unplug electronics, and moved everything towards the center of the room. Admittedly, she had the easier load, but Steve had started to move his bed on his own account, and then she got distracted watching. She had a very good memory of the muscles that lay beneath his grey t-shirt, although it was tight enough she hardly needed her memory. It’s strange, because she had undoubtedly seen dozens of similarly impressively built men throughout her career. Steve’s muscular build had been the first time that sight seemed to overpower her sensibleness. He was utterly attractive, no doubt about it, but physical looks had never been enough to sway her. She supposed it made sense that the whole entity of Steve called to her; his gentleness, his vast capacity for focus and thoughtfulness all worked in tandem; of course the whole package attracted her so intensely.
“Peggy?”
She snapped out of her reverie, Steve having moved away from the repositioned bed to check on her. She’d been staring. She had a quite clear idea of the possessive edge to her gaze. But she couldn’t help it.
Her arms flew out, winding around his neck. Peggy kissed him hard, harder still when she felt his broad palms slide down her sides before settling at her hips. The warmth of his mouth, of his hands, burned right through her. She parted her lips and led him backwards with the full weight of her body. She pushed him back onto his bed. He took her with him, one arm curled tightly around her, his other hand cradling the back of her head protectively. They both inhaled at the same moment. Then their kisses became deeper as Peggy traced her fingertips down his neck and Steve gripped her even tighter against him.
She broke from his mouth, only to hear him gasp her name when she pressed a feather-light kiss to the underside of his jaw, and then lower down his neck. She felt his fingers skate underneath her shirt, swirling in circles at the small of her back. The touch made her sigh in full pleasure. Steve took the opportunity to sit up, gazing at her so intensely with those blue eyes that she shivered in the heat. He cupped her cheek, both rearranging themselves in the new position. Steve leaned forward, kissing her cheek and then her neck, fingers still tucked underneath her shirt. She moaned, fingers tangled in his hair.
And then her phone chimed. Four times in a row.
She gritted her teeth in frustration.
“Work?” Steve murmured hoarsely, already disengaging.
“They better bloody hope not,” she muttered.
The last thing she wanted was to stop touching him, but her purse was lying on the floor in between a bookcase and his desk, too far to retrieve from Steve’s lap. While she rifled through her purse, silently cursing whoever suddenly needed her not even four hours into her absence, Steve swung his feet over the side of his bed, trying to smooth down his hair.
“It’s Howard!” Peggy cried out. “Oh that asshole.”
“About work stuff?”
“Partly,” she said with another loud sigh. The fact that he had a legitimate reason, rather than just somehow sensing the exact best time to interrupt her, only made Peggy more frustrated. “Not that he really needed to send this to me when he knows full well I’m out of the office.”
She spent a good five minutes forwarding inquires and directions for Rose and a few other agents. She supposed she should have been glad Howard actually seemed to have his head focused on SHIELD and not just Stark Industries, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to find a reason for slapping him in the face when she saw him next.
“Sorry,” she told him. “It shouldn’t happen again unless it is honestly an emergency.”
Steve nodded with an unperturbed smile. “Not a problem. You told me you were still going to be on call.”
“Maybe it’s a problem in my book.”
Steve pinked just slightly, but he grinned openly at her. “Probably best if we go get those drop cloths before the hardware store closes.”
Right. The job at hand. She hadn’t realized how much time had passed in getting caught up. But it had felt so good. And she was far from done with him.
“Yes, I suppose we should,” she said reluctantly. “I suppose we do have all weekend.”
The pink in his cheeks became more noticeable.
When they returned with the drop cloths, she had thrown the first over his bed as to remove the temptation. Out of sight, out of mind. For the moment. She put her hair up, and listened as Steve instructed her on how to scrape the peeling paint. He handed her a paint scraper and showed the best way to hold it. Throwing herself into an assignment was something she very adept at, and it happened to be a very good distraction from the other things she wanted to do with Steve. But first and foremost, she needed to help Steve remake his room. After all, it had been her idea. They worked in tandem, starting in the same corner, only Steve stood on a chair scraping the cracks from the ceiling.
“I knew those cracks so well,” he told her when he reached the middle of the room. “Used to stare at them when I couldn’t sleep. Drove me nuts. I don’t know why I never thought to just get rid of them.”
She reached a hand out to squeeze his arm, watching him smooth them out. He let out a satisfied breath when the ceiling no longer bore the angry grooves.
Scraping took time, more than she had expected, and her forearms started to feel sore from the back and forth motion. The floor and all the coverings were littered with paint chips.
Steve brought both a vacuum and a broom into the room. Peggy snagged the vacuum and directed him to sweep the dust out of the corners for her to suck up. There was a bit of a dance to the rhythm of their work, Steve shuffling in front of her, Peggy twirling around him, wrapping his feet with the cord more than once. They laughed, and when finally the cleaning was over, Steve wrapped an arm around her, and with a slight dip, pressed a kiss to her mouth.
¬
Peggy felt butterflies when Steve picked up his duffle bag and they finally headed for her place. Again, it sank in that they were really spending a weekend together. Steve seemed a little nervous once they were headed up her elevator. She squeezed his hand and gently led him through her door. And then again through her bedroom door.
“So, the blue towels are for you. And I brought in extra pillows and blankets,” she said. “And I don’t know which side you like to sleep on, but I cleared off the bedside table on your right. Which can easily be swapped. And as you did work on my place, I’m sure you know where everything is.”
He nodded with an amused smile. “Yeah, I do.”
They both wanted to wash up, so while Steve headed to the guest bathroom, Peggy grabbed her planned attire from her drawer before heading into her bathroom to shower. She didn’t bother with makeup or fixing her hair. She was sure she didn’t need either, not with Steve. When she heard Steve’s footsteps she quickly slipped on her silky robe and went out to meet him.
He had his back turned to her, wearing a soft looking t-shirt and athletic shorts. He turned, surprise coloring his face, only it wasn’t because of her short and partially open robe.
“How did you—” He pointed to the photo she kept propped against her vanity mirror, his face staring back at him.
Her cheeks burned a little as she grinned at him a little guiltily. She had forgotten he didn’t know she had it.
“I might have nicked it.”
“But—” He was bewildered and totally lost for words. “—why? It’s such a bad picture.”
“Take that back,” she said fiercely. “It’s lovely. And I get to see your face every morning.”
It made him blush, but that pleased bashful look she loved so much returned to his face. From the second she looked upon that photo of young Steve, she had been enraptured, melding the Steve she knew with the one who started boot camp with maybe a little more to prove. Peggy had found herself tucking the photo carefully into her purse when Steve hadn’t been looking and for days she studied his thin, serious face and with the blond hair falling over his forehead. It was Steve. Her Steve.
“Gee Peg, you sure know how to make a guy feel special.”
She laughed in a low tone, releasing the knot in her robe’s sash. “Night’s not over. I know other ways to make you feel special.”
He inhaled sharply, stepping forward until they were inches apart, pupils dilated. She eased the silky fabric off her shoulders, and the moment it fell to the floor, his hands were cupping her shoulders.
“And you could still see my face in the morning.”
Then it was her breath that caught, the heat from his body against hers making her flustered.
“That’ll be a requirement.”
Their mouths met, desperate and needy, and in no time she has a leg around him. Hands grasped at each other, pulling off clothing and exploring new patches of bare skin. She hummed at the sound of Steve gasping her name especially when he discovered the lace she was wearing, and they finally landed on her bed, bare skin against bare skin.
In the cool, still dark of her room, hours later, long after she’s more than just a quivering mess of muscles, breath steady, body loose, she focused on the feel of Steve’s index finger tracing up the long line of her body. They were both lying on their sides, looking toward each other with lazy, sated smiles. His tender touch, appreciatively in its wandering, was endlessly soothing. It was undoubtedly the most pleasant company she’s had in bed.
“That was more than anything I could’ve ever dreamed up.”
She smiled, reaching out to caress his cheek. “It was pretty incredible, darling.” His eyes fluttered and he leaned into her touch, his finger stilling against her skin.
“I like it when you call me that,” he whispered, eyes still closed.
“Oh, good to know,” she teased, “darling.”
She basked in the silence, warm and cozy, letting Steve continue to map her contours. And something about the moment, the incredible level of her comfort, made her want to open herself up further.
“I’ve never taken this amount of time off,” she admitted.
“Never?”
“Never. Definitely never for personal reasons.”
“Peggy.” His voice was slightly hoarse, and she knew that the message even more than the words had an obvious effect on him. His presence was a choice she made full well.
“Not just for this,” she continued, “I just wanted to spend the weekend with you.”
He turned his head until her palm met his lips.
“I’m glad you’re here Steve.”
He exhaled. “Me too Peggy, you have no idea how much I wanted this.”
She let out a quiet laugh. “Oh, I’m pretty sure I have a pretty good idea.”
He snorted, then shivered as her fingers touched his upper thigh.
“I still can’t believe you stole that picture,” he said. “I didn’t even notice it gone.”
She laughed. “You told me I needed a picture of some good looking guy in my room.”
“I didn’t expect it to be me.”
“Maybe I didn’t want anyone else.”
His hand stilled against her hip, fingers spreading out, cupping it. “I don’t either.”
“I’ve never wanted a relationship with someone the way I do with you. Never thought it practical given my line of work. But now, I just know that I want to have you in my life.”
“I know what you mean.” He curled an arm around her, pulling her flush against him. “You mean so much to me,” he whispered hotly.
She threw a leg over his, humming. “How about you show me one more time just how much.”
He grinned up at her, smiling against her lips before he pulled her onto him, hands wandering low against her spine, lips already nipping at her neck. She sighed. She could get used to being spoiled by Steve Rogers.
She woke to the sun streaming in through the window. Peggy blinked awake to find her head resting on Steve’s chest who was still sleeping, his arm curled tight around her. She listened to his breathing and peeked up to see his free arm raised over his eyes. Without a compelling reason to wake up, she stayed snuggled against him. Contented and peaceful, she drifted back to sleep.
The next time she woke, Steve had both arms around her and his blue eyes were watching her.
“Good morning,” he said with a sleepy smile.
“Morning.” She ran her hand up his chest before sitting up. “How about some coffee?” He managed a hum of approval as his eyes wandered. She moved off the bed and when he started to follow she pushed him gently back onto the bed. “Stay. Coffee in bed.” He pulled her in for a kiss before letting her go.
She picked his shirt off the floor and pulled it over her head. She glanced back to see Steve still eyeing her. She grinned to herself all the way to the kitchen, barely aware of the coffee pot gurgling as she drifted with the memories of the previous night.
Steve had propped himself up against the headboard on a stack of pillows when she returned with two mugs. He let her place them on the bedside table before he reached for her waist and settled her into his lap. They made it through two sips of coffee each before she set them aside. Steve grabbed the hem of his shirt and she pulled it fully off. She gasped as he smoothly rolled them until she was situated beneath him. Her eyes shut as he kissed down her shoulder, stopping over her breast before continuing further down. Just as he had earlier, he spent a long moment on each of her thigh scars, pressing soft kisses, thumbing at the marks. Her fingers threaded through his hair keeping him exactly where she wanted him as he continued on, making her lose her breath.
She had to insist on separate showers if they were ever going to get out of her apartment and back to working on his room. It didn’t stop her from reeling him in for some last minute languid kisses before she made it into the bathroom.
It’s mid-afternoon before the newly patched walls were ready for sanding. Steve, having only one protective face mask and safety glasses, preferred that he do the less than glamorous task alone. Peggy volunteered to grab lunch.
Steve was covered head to toe in white dust from sanding when she made it back.
“You weren’t kidding about the mess.”
“Nope.” He shook his clothes clean. “It’s really my least favorite part. But it’s done.”
They ate in the living room, spreading the food out on the coffee table. Steve turned the TV on for background noise.
“The extra sandwich is for Bucky. I didn’t know if he was going to be around or not.”
Steve mumbled around the large bite he had just taken and reached into his back pocket for his phone. “I’m not sure actually,” he said. “I think he’s with his sister but I’ll ask him. But thanks for thinking of him.”
“I still have yet to meet him.”
She thought it might have happened over the weekend, but Bucky apparently hadn’t been spending much time there. But she was glad to know that his absence seemed normal and not upsetting to Steve.
“Yeah. I really want to introduce you two,” Steve said. “Maybe we can all go out to do something. Grab dinner or something.”
“Sure, whenever he’s available,” she agreed. He was important to Steve, and she figured it was better to meet him sooner than later.
Steve finished the last of his sandwich and fell back against the couch cushions with a loud sigh.
“Tired?”
He smiled sheepishly. “I’m just kinda sore. You know. From the work and well last night.”
Peggy smirked. She did know. “Do we have a lot left today?”
“Well, I thought we’d maybe even finish today and have a free day tomorrow. But honestly, I’m not sure I want to both prime and paint it today.”
She nodded, reaching over to rub his shoulders and arms. “So we’ll finish tomorrow. We’ll get an early start in the morning. There’s no need to rush.”
“Yeah. That sounds good.” He sighed again as she dug her fingers further into his tight shoulders, loosening his tense muscles.
A sharp sound caused Peggy to jerk awake. She blinked rapidly, already feeling the absence of a warm body pressed against her back. Steve was sitting up, chest heaving, staring blankly at nothing. He evidently was startled awake from a nightmare.
Peggy switched on her lamp.
“Steve?” she murmured softly.
She didn’t like the sound of his labored breathing, nor the way he flinched when he finally met her eye.
“Sorry. I’m sorry,” he managed between gasps.
“It’s alright,” she said, moving behind him to rub gently at his back. She reached a hand around toward his. He squeezed it, a little too tightly, but she didn’t pull away. “It’s okay Steve.”
Peggy patiently murmured gentle assurances, as he slowly regain control of his breathing. Finally, most of the tension in his back released, he allowed her to tug him back down against the bed, cradling him close.
“Nightmare?” she asked gently.
He nodded eyes serious and downcast. “I woke you,” he told her miserably.
“Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay, darling.” She brushed her fingers through his hair as he squeezed his eyes shut. “Would you like to talk about it?”
Steve was silent, but she didn’t push for more. She continued to play with his hair, hoping that if he didn’t want to talk, it would at least help lull him to sleep.
“Don’t remember much,” he broke the silence after a long while. “It was confusing. Buck was there. You were there. Then an explosion. And I couldn’t find anyone. I was alone. Everything hurt. But I couldn’t find anyone. And then boom. Again.”
Peggy slid down to his eye level. She made a point of keeping eye contact.
“It was a nightmare. Everyone’s okay. Just a bad dream,” she whispered. “I’m right here.”
Steve nodded fervently even as he buried his head against her chest.
“Just a dream,” he breathed against her clavicle.
Peggy clutched him close. “Just a dream.”
She must have dozed off because when her eyes opened the room was full of sunlight and Steve was no longer in bed. She spotted him sitting in her armchair, pulled up to the window. He had a sketchbook in his lap with his pencil poised mid-air as he looked out. He looked exhausted and she wondered if he had slept at all.
“Steve?”
He craned his neck toward her and she had a clearer view of his heavy eyes. He tucked his pencil into the book and set it down before walking toward her bed.
“I’m sorry I woke you up in the middle of the night.”
She shook her head. She didn’t care in the least about that. “How are you feeling?”
“Tired.”
Peggy reached for her phone to check the time and then beckoned him with an outstretched arm. It was early enough and she would feel better if he slept even a little. Once within reach, she cupped his cheek and pressed a feather light kiss to the top of his head. He sighed heavily.
“Try to sleep.”
“We were supposed to get an early start.”
“Doesn’t matter. We have time. Sleep.”
Steve tucked his head against her shoulder, his breath tickling the base of her neck. Her arm around his back remained firm, her fingers running lightly over his back. Just as she had hours earlier, she listened to his breaths, only letting her guard down once he was asleep.
He looked much more alert when he woke later but he thought a shower would help refresh his headspace. While he showered, Peggy grabbed her phone. She had a sudden idea she wanted to pursue. While she waited for responses, she threw on her robe and went in search of the nice tea set she received from her grandmother the first time she left London. She was still typing on her phone when Steve wandering into the kitchen.
He pressed a kiss to her cheek and even managed a smile.
She set tea and breakfast out on her dining room table.
“You left the bed,” she said gently, setting a hot cup of tea in front of him.
“Yeah.” Steve scratched the back of his neck. “Usually if I can’t sleep I draw. It helps. And I didn’t want to wake you. Again.”
Peggy nodded, sliding over the sugar bowl. She had a feeling that was the case.
“Well you’re welcome to draw in my bed. I’m usually a heavy sleeper.” she said with a smile.
“Okay. I guess I wasn’t sure. I’m not used to sharing a bed with someone.”
“That I understand. It’s an adjustment,” she agreed. “But if there’s anything I can do to make you feel more comfortable…”
“You’re great Peg. Really. It’s nothing to do with you. It just happens to me some nights.” He sighed. “I guess I should be glad it didn’t happen the first night.”
“It wouldn’t matter. It’s not something I’d be upset over,” she stressed. “So I don’t want you to be upset with yourself. Not on my account. Ever.” She took a long sip of piping hot tea. “I imagine in given time you’ll unfortunately be woken up by me getting called in at odd hours.”
Peggy watched him perk up, as if hearing that he finally understood that she really expected to keep inviting him into her life.
“Comes with the territory of being with you,” he said with a full blown smile. He was proud, she realized, and that made her stomach flutter.
“Indeed,” she said. “Just make sure you sweep your eraser bits away from my nice sheets.”
He chuckled and kissed her cheek again.
She was putting the tea set carefully into a cabinet, Steve wiping down the table in the next room, when she heard her text alert. She had one of the replies she had been waiting for, a positive one at that.
I’m thrilled to have you on board. I’ll be sure to email you further details, she typed out.
One thing set, she sent a quick email Howard and Colonel Phillips. With the ball rolling, she put her phone down and returned her focus to her last day off with Steve. After all, they had a room that needed painting.