driftfleet | （ＶＩＤＥＯ）

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（ＶＩＤＥＯ）

Who: peggy carter, steve rogers and all of you guys

Broadcast: amazingly, yes

Action: on the starstruck, if you're so inclined
When: current.

[ New Year’s Eve has come and gone without anything exploding or going awfully wrong and so today is just safe enough for something else. Steve Rogers doesn’t address the network for no reason, after all. Only today he keeps looking back and eventually, calls: ]

Are you really going to stay there throughout the whole thing?

[ There’s a flicker to Steve’s left: dark curls and a flash of a silk blouse as Peggy leans into view. ] Perhaps. After all, of the two of us, you’re the one with experience in addressing the public.

[ But! Fine! Here she is, framed beside him onscreen, and refraining from making any more jokes about the old USO show. ]

Very funny.

[ but he is smiling, small but amused. For all of his experience, he seems as if he’s been practicing his lines for this one broadcast. ]

I know some of you will say this is long overdue, but after months of asking, mostly on her part, I’ve said yes and we’ve decided to get married.

[ -- and that’s when Peggy slaps the back of her hand against Steve’s shoulder, hissing something (something for him alone) about twisting the truth and tarnishing her well-earned cred. ]

I mean, after a careful observation of mutual interests, we’ve decided to get married. What this is really about is a simple matter of proving me right. I’d like you all to tell her three weeks is a perfectly reasonable duration for a honeymoon.

[ She reaches for the device, tugging its focus onto herself. ] -- For God’s sake, don’t encourage him. We’ve only just got engaged; it’s far far too early to start discussing the rest. [ Aside, to Steve: ] I warned you when I agreed to this ridiculous message. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

[ But she’s laughing. ]

It's not getting too ahead of ourselves. Call it careful consideration of facts.

[ he'll reach out and close the device for the sake of this banter. ]

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Maybe not.

[ he's willing to agree on that. there's a certain charm to the idea of sharing a happy moment with close friends. but steve can see her point, too; so much of their relationship was made public and the one who really dealt with the worst of it was peggy. he can't fault her a bit of reluctance. ]

what I have to say, I only really want to say to you.

A private ceremony, maybe. [ she's not unwilling to bargain. ] With a modest party afterward. And you and I can slip out early, as must be our right.

[ he lets her think for a moment, remains silent by her side. ]

sounds good to me.

[ but then, most things would have. this is about him and her, first and foremost. he doesn't even bring up the subject of a honeymoon, not now. she's been through enough wedding talk for one day. ]

it can be just like Christmas.

Rather fitting, then.

[ the plans might change a hundred times between now and whenever. whatever happens, there's left all sorts of room for negotiation. just how she likes it. ]

I think we can afford to take a break from all of that, anyway.

[ even he is a little tired of saying thank you and answering various the way we were questions. he never really had to tell people about him and peggy before. for all that he is excited, he's probably almost as private as her.

it works just fine. ]

they're being very moderate about it.

[ and thank god for that. ]

Moderate. Is that what you call it?

[ she stretches -- pressing back against him. device forgotten, discarded, shut off. ]

we're still here.

[ he reasons, soft and affectionate, slipping between words and nosing away an earring to kiss a very specific point beneath her ear. ]

we haven't been whisked away to an impromptu party. no one is going for the toast of the evening.

[ he counts his blessings, every single one. there is a moment when he sighs and finally confesses: ]

I think you might have been right about it all.

Oh, was I? Is that so?

[ and it's impossible to know whether that soft sigh -- a near-groan -- was prompted by the warm kiss behind her ear or by his confession. ]

Say it again.

[ well. ]

[ well, she has earned it. she's been giving him warning after warning since mon-el's big announcement back in the day. he has ignored them all, stood his ground and now. well.

so he sees her point, crystal clear, really. ]

You were right about it all. I shouldn't have insisted. we should have told them separately and spared ourselves all of that.

[ well. he doesn't shy from it, at the very least. ]

I should have listened to you. you were right, I was wrong.

[ this whole public thing is headache-worthy. ]

-- Your heart was in the right place.

[ she allows. softens the blow, somewhat, while she turns to face him properly. and yet peggy's glad to know he's learned his lesson and felt a bit of the sting she feels. not out of revenge (far from it) but because she'd come to understand that steve needed to feel it for himself in order to appreciate it.

like letting a rookie make his own mistakes. even so, it's lovely to hear him say it. ]

It so often is.

You know, I think I might need a day off after all of this.

[ ah, there it is. in the end, it'll always lead to this. judging by his tone, he's not planning on it being a solitary day off. ]

Maybe two.

Of-bloody-course.

[ does it ever end? does it ever stop?

she'll be sad the day it does. ]

You know, someone ought to tell your team-mates that the real Captain Rogers is a laze-about who does whatever he can to dodge a decent day's work.

They'll never buy it. They think I'm a workaholic.

[ and far away from home, away from this, he was. alas, it's no longer seems to hold. he has better things to do with his days when there aren't any immediate dangers. ]

I mean, you can think of it as a staycation.

[ he saw that conversation, okay. ]

Deception and eavesdropping. [ she gives his nose a tug. ] Look who thinks he's Mata Hari.

I thought you'd be proud.

[ he's quick to trap her fingers when she pulls back, holding them hostage for a heartbeat or three. ]

I'm finally learning something.

And perhaps I should be. [ proud. ] Except like a true thorn in my side, you're taking all you've learned and you're using them against me. Not so kindly done.

[ only peggy's smirking. and in such such such good spirits, despite the exhaustion of their joint announcement. ]

that's why they say careful what you wish for.

[ how smug can one man be? ]

how would you know I picked the skill if I don't try it on you?

I've got two eyes. And two ears. [ she twirls a finger. ] I would have noticed.

It's hardly the same thing.

[ this is much much better if only due to the way she's looking at him. it's much better than their slowly forming audience and their long list of congratulations. ]

you know, most of those people think I have a point.

Most of these people aren't like us. [ -- a dangerously naive position to take, maybe, but she's a little high on romance and keen to make some mistakes. ] I'm not sure I can trust their verdicts over our own. Together.

Especially since their verdict is in my favor.

[ a dry, amused reminder that's followed by a negotiation attempt of a sort: ]

I'll settle on two weeks and we can call it a deal.

Not all of their verdicts -- [ she reminds him, smiling. ]

Eight days.

Just most of them.

[ and hold on - ]

Gotta say no. twelve.

Nine. [ a beat. ] And I'll let you pick the venue.

You were going to let me do that anyway, that's hardly sweetening the pot.

[ just saying. ]

How about ten. Ten's fair. Ten's a good number.

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