driftfleet | (no subject)

[ there is a definite snort coming from his end that's followed by a rather pained ]

oh no.

[ because that does sound as if they made her into some disney princess of a sort. A damsel in distress and it makes him shake his head. A part of him is irked that their lives, love, story was warped into some sort of children fantasy but it still beats the hell out of them trying to tell it as it actually happened.

at least children tales have happy endings, absurd as they might be. Maybe in tales, captain America gets to keep his Betty Carver. ]

Don't think I would have liked her very much.

Oh, hush. Say that too loudly and you'll break the heart of every housewife in America. Captain.

[ has she handled it well? her flame -- her soulmate, of sorts -- commoditized and adored by great swathes of the public. even angie, sensible angie, had used a few choice descriptors when describing a man she'd never met. ]

Not that America's housewives are listening to us, I suppose. God only knows how the Atroma market us, if they market us at all.

[ -- if this whole 'show' malarkey isn't just some elaborate ruse. ]

I think they'll get over it, eventually.

[ waking up to the 21st century, he could have just been steve rogers again but then, the Avengers happened. at the very least now, he shares the spotlight, merchandise and child costumes with the rest of them. There's nothing quite like seeing a 5 year old dressed as Thor. ]

If they do, they're doing a rather lousy job. No one on any planet recognized us until now. Maybe it's like daytime soap operas, the only watching us are some elderly ladies in front of their television sets.

Elderly ladies, and each other. [ after all, they all of them do a fair bit of watching on the network. don't they? peggy, at least, does. ]

Your poor star-spangled ego. [ she teases. ] A shock, is it? To stride around unrecognized again?

[ she know he must appreciate it, on some level. but it's easier to make fun. ]

And to think I signed all those pictures of me, too.

[ tragic, really. ]

Looks like I'll get to be Steve Rogers for a while. He was never as good for ratings but it is what it is.

Oh, I wouldn't say that. [ her throat is tight, and there's something coy about her tone. but she can't help but stress a preference that developed even before he stepped out of the vita-ray chamber: ] I fondly recall rating Steve Rogers quite highly. There was a clip-board. I ticked many boxes.

[ lord be merciful and strike her down where she stands before colour reaches her cheeks. ]

'twas my luck, really.

[ professionally speaking, personally speaking. he thinks that supposedly dashing hero captain america would have probably been far more bold than he is. would have probably damned the Atroma to hell and back and sweep Peggy off her feet, anyway. and a part of steve is always very keen on exactly that but if their world made them into some foolish version of star-crossed lovers, turning Peggy into some sort of helpless girl - he's not about to let the Atroma do the same thing.

so there is no bold damning the atroma and there is no literal sweeping of anyone off their feet. there is, however, a somewhat indulgent, gentle tug on her hand until they stand closer together and he can tuck a curl behind her ear. It's fine where it is, really. But it's an innocent gesture that comes instead of a more intimate one. ]

I should have at least gotten a good score for that flag.

[ -- she resists the urge to rise up on the balls of her shoes. somehow, deep in her chest, she still associates longing with weakness. vulnerability with a soft, tender vein that must remain protected. so peggy settles for the electric sensation of his fingertips across her ear and the unfulfilled promise of the inches still between them. ]

You got a lift back to camp, didn't you? [ and with her, no less. ] Gold star, Captain America.

That I did. It was very helpful.

[ they linger in each others' space now. He could take a more appropriate step back but allows himself this for a moment longer, being close to her, fingers resting just behind her ear. He suddenly hates the ship and the week of travel, thank you very much. This whole matter might have been easier on a planet, away from the Atroma's chosen means of travel and their supposed presence.

He shrugs ]

Besides. It was the first time I saw you smiling.

[ -- cheeky bastard. she displays enough good grace to look indignant. scandalized, even, that he should paint her with such a cool brush. there's a lump in her throat. ]

What? [ brows up, breath hitched. ] Can't have been. Was it? You're remembering it wrong.

[ no -- he's right enough. but she can't sort the romantic bloom of her own memories away from the harder truths. she'd hid her admiration well, and from very early on. ]

Don't think I could ever forget.

[ he was more than a bit over the moon back then, to be the one who got to see agent carter smile. Men like he was, small and awkward, didn't normally do or say anything to merit a smile from a woman like her. ]

Talk like that, and you make me sound like some sort of -- dragon lady. [ breathing fire and deigning to smile only on the rare occasions. and yet wasn't that exactly the way of her, back then? middle of a war. and leers, jeers, and fears hounding her from every side. decking hodge on her first day in camp hadn't been pure spontaneity; she knew what sort of reputation she needed curating.

time and circumstance has, at least, tempered some of that within her. paradoxically, the fleet has smoothed out some of her harsher attitudes. ]

Or my mum. God forbid.

-- hey, that still beats the hell out of that damsel in distress nurse girl. Nothing all bad about dragon ladies.

[ as long as you're not caught kissing other girls, that is ]

[ laughter, half-caught by the back of her throat. she places her palm over the back of his hand -- still tucked, as it is, against her cheek. ]

Speaking of dragon ladies. [ tread careful, darling steve. ] I've been attempting to -- ah-- reacquaint myself with Ms. Romanoff.

[ ....oh boy. ]

Natasha?

[ he arches and eyebrow and smiles ]

That's great, Peggy. Always thought you two could work well, together. How'd it go?

Slowly. Still does -- which makes sense. I understand where her mistrust comes from. [ -- peggy feels a great deal of it, herself. ]

Natasha's - special. I know her for quite a while but I don't think I'll ever know everything about her. She confused the hell out of me, at first.

[ with her missions and her secrets ]

Once she gets you, it'll be all inappropriate questions and poking fun. At least that's how it was with me.

[ that and the weird dating service she seemed to have become back in the day but he keeps that part to himself. ]

-- And how does she poke her fun at you, hm?

[ oh please tell her, steve. peggy wants in on this. ]

[ sensing troubles ahead. ]

Not sure I want to give you both a reason to team up against me -

[ especially as peggy alone is scary and natasha on her own is scary, too but the two combined? he stands no chance. ]

As if a reason would ever be needed.

Fair point.

[ is this some sort of an all-lady team up? because if it is, he just knows he's going to lose. ]

First tactic would be not to arm you both any more than you already are.

[ and to be honest, the combination of his 'beautiful dame' prattle and his honeymoon vacation with natasha story is rather worrying.

he might never hear the end of this. ]

[ -- a huff of laughter. ]

You're not seriously worried, are you? [ a tilt of her head. ] Fair enough. Jim didn't fare so well, either.

[ she doesn't discuss jim much. but it's hard to avoid this particular point; it's simply worth making to watch for steve's reaction. ]

No man would -

[ and more accurately, no version of Captain America would but he says it as he bites back on a little smile. In truth, scary potential and all, he is glad they're finally getting to know each other. ]

Now, stop that. Talking about us like we're some sort of brassiere-burning maneaters. [ really! ] You still haven't learned a thing, have you?

[ is this the the wrong moment to snort because there is a definite snort there before he lifts both hands in surrender. ]

Probably not a single thing - but in my defense, I didn't get much practice.