Thanks to CottonCandy, coldcashdivine, FBNAMIKAZE, MarvelGeek, Ky111 and Wolfsdrache for you reviews on the last chapter. Keep em coming!
Steve felt Natasha stir beside him. He smiled as she rolled towards him, pressing against his chest. Still foggy from waking up he sluggishly wrapped an arm around her, trying to fall back asleep.
Their eyes shot open at the sound of a man clearing his throat.
They sat up quickly to see Bruce standing in the doorway, his eyebrow raised as he looked between Natasha and Steve. Clint stood behind him, staring down at his shoes.
"Tried to stop him." Clint said awkwardly. "Sorry guys."
"…Morning, Bruce." Natasha said calmly. Bruce stared at her curiously. His confusion turned into a smile.
"Good morning." Bruce chuckled, shaking his head. "The nurse wanted me to tell you guys you're released."
"Thanks?" Steve stood up.
"Don't get too excited about going home. They want us in DC by this afternoon."
"Wonderful." Natasha sighed. "What's it about this time?"
"Not a clue. Tony's got a jet prepped as soon as you two are ready." Bruce nodded, turning out of the room. "Oh, and guys?"
"Uh huh?" Steve raised his eyebrows, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Your secret's safe with me." Bruce winked, brushing past Clint and walking down the hall.
"You know…" Clint shook his head in astonishment. "For two of the best secret agents on the planet, you two really suck at subtlety."
"I hate this. We save a shit ton of agents, capture Russian enemy number one, retrieve bodies, I have to sleep in a children's chair and we're immediately called back to the field." Clint frowned.
"We get it, Clint." Natasha sat down on one of the jet's long benches. She watched Clint and frowned. "And if you don't stop that pacing I'm gonna throw your ass out of the jet."
"All I'm trying to say is I'm tired and we've been going non-stop for 4 days. I'm taking a nap." Clint said matter-of-factly.
"Good for you." Natasha sighed. Clint laid down on the bench, laying his head in Natasha lap.
"Wake me if one of Tony's stripper flight attendants wants to say hello."
"I don't… do that anymore." Tony rolled his eyes. The Avengers stared at him disapprovingly.
"Stripper… flight attendants?" Bruce raised an eyebrow. "…Really?"
"Okay, you know what-"
"We really don't have time to go over Tony's Pre-Pepper sexcapades." Steve pinched the bridge of his nose. "Has anyone found out why we're being called in?"
"I asked Hill and she said its classified which always means good news." Natasha said dryly.
"I wonder if we'll get gold stars and cookies." Clint mumbled.
"Can't believe I'm saying this but I'm glad to get out of New York for a few days." Steve looked out the jet window as he sat down beside Natasha. Natasha raised an eyebrow, laying the back of her hand on his forehead. "…What are you doing?"
"Captain America's happy to leave New York. Clearly something's wrong here." She smirked.
"Ha ha, very funny." Steve rolled his eyes, pushing her hand away softly.
"You don't have a fever…" She poked his forehead. "Maybe you hit your head on the jet door?"
"Shut up you." Steve poked her back. Natasha raised an eyebrow.
"Make me." She smirked, sticking her tongue out.
"You two are disgusting." Clint mumbled, squinting an eye open.
"Says the guy who just spent the last 30 minutes drooling on my lap." Natasha poked Clint's face with a frown.
"That was involuntary. You being all googley eyed sure as hell isn't." Clint sat up, wiping a dry drool stain off of his cheek. "Bruce already knows, at this rate the New York Times'll be reporting on your one true love by lunch."
"No one else was paying attention." Steve looked over at their remaining teammates. Bruce's focus was on a book while Tony and Thor were deep in discussion.
"Yeah not now. But if you want to keep this up you need to be more careful." Clint said, standing up to grab a drink.
"Clint's right." Natasha sighed. "No more shameless flirting."
"Aw… But it's fun." Steve pouted jokingly.
"Doesn't mean we can't do it when we're alone." Natasha looked Steve up and down, smiling.
"Among other things?" Steve grinned.
"Among other things." Natasha nodded. Clint abruptly sat down between them, glaring.
"I leave you jackasses alone for two seconds."
Steve squinted, his eyes searching through the crowd of adults exiting the rec center. He saw a few familiar faces but none belonging to who he was looking for. He made eye contact with a tired looking woman who smiled at him. He briefly smiled back as she walked past him. He frowned curiously, stepping forward to continue his search.
"On your right." A voice caught his attention. Steve turned to Sam Wilson leaned against the wall, grinning.
"Hey, been looking for you." Steve walked towards Sam, smiling.
"I could see that." Sam laughed, hugging Steve quickly. "Didn't expect to see you here. What're you doing in DC?"
"Don't really know. The whole teams been called in for something. Got some meeting tonight." Steve shrugged.
"Ah… Avengers stuff." Sam nodded.
"Business as usual." Steve said as he and Sam walked towards the door. "So… how's the… Veteran Group going?"
"Why don't you just ask what you want to?" Sam smiled, raising an eyebrow.
"Saw right through me." Steve sighed, putting his hands in his pockets. "…Any leads lately?"
"Nothing major" Sam frowned. "Someone fitting his description was seen in a Russian village stealing a car-"
"Russia?" Steve's eyebrows shot up.
"Yeah? What about it?" Sam asked curiously.
"Nothing… Just a coincidence I guess." Steve frowned, looking down at his shoes. "Sam, I'm sorry for dumping all this on you."
"Man, how many times do I have to tell you not to apologize?" Sam laughed. "You got called in to help rebuild Shield and I volunteered to keep looking. You didn't dump anything on me other than… a new hobby. You know we Vets need something to keep us busy."
"You know most people take up… fishing or gardening." Steve grinned. "I don't think searching for a 96 year old fugitive is recommended by AMVETS."
"Meh." Sam shrugged. "What about you? Got anything to keep your mind off things."
"Kind of been a bit busy lately. Although I did discover the joys of popsicle stick towers the other day."
"What?"
"Long story." Steve chuckled, shaking his head.
"What about dating?"
"Dating?"
"Being alone isn't exactly healthy for guys like us. You got anybody to keep you company?"
"Unfortunately that's a no." Steve lied. "But on my own isn't so bad."
"What about Natasha?"
"What?" Steve's eyes widened slightly.
"Hasn't she been trying to set you up with somebody?"
"Oh… Yeah she stopped doing that."
"Ran of agents for you to get coffee with?"
"Something like that." Steve nodded as he and Sam reached the parking lot. Sam's phone buzzed, catching the men's attention.
"Ugh. I promised my sister I'd go to some work party with her. Hey, speaking of company you wanna come with? There's an open bar." Sam asked hopefully.
"You know I'd love to but I can't. There's a couple more things I've gotta do." Steve pulled his keys out of his pocket.
"Fiiiine." Sam sighed, leaning against his car. "I'd tell you to call me later but I'm guessing I'll see you during my morning run?"
"You can count on it." Steve smiled as he sat down on his motorcycle.
"Where are you going anyways? She'd better be pretty if you're ditching me." Sam said sarcastically. Steve laughed, shaking his head.
"She is."
"Captain Rogers." The nurse at the front desk smiled brightly, holding out a clipboard. "It's been a while since we've seen you around here."
"Too long." Steve smiled back, taking the clipboard and signing in. "How is she?"
"Good, her new medication's really helping her memory." The Nurse said as she walked Steve down the hall.
"That's great." Steve smiled.
"She's actually got a visitor right now but I'll poke my head in and ask if you can join them."
"I'm happy to wait if-" Before he could stop her the Nurse cracked the door open, knocking lightly.
"Peggy, Steve Rogers is here to see you." She smiled. Steve awkwardly leaned back against the wall as the Nurse asked if Steve could come in. "Miss are you sure you don't-"
"Just let him in, Kate." An impatient British voice said. Steve smiled, laughing slightly. Steve waited for the Nurse to leave before he stepped inside. His smile grew wider at the sight of Peggy Cater sitting in her wheelchair by the window.
"Hello you." Peggy smiled, waving.
"Hey, Peg."
"What a surprise. Did you know he was coming?" Peggy turned towards her other visitor.
"Can't say I did." The woman turned, raising an eyebrow.
"…Nat?" Steve's eyes widened in shock. Her red curls were tucked into a beanie, a few strands framing her face. "I can't say I'm not surprised to see you."
"Natalia visits me when she can." Peggy smiled as Steve grabbed a chair, sitting down. "You can't imagine my surprise the first time she did."
"I thought you were going to shoot me." Natasha nodded.
"I almost did." Peggy chuckled. "So, the two of you are in town on Avengers business?"
"Apparently. And please don't ask why because we have no idea." Steve frowned.
"Ah, SHIELD's typical secrecy. Been there." Peggy shook her head.
"So… What've you two been doing?"
"Talking about you." Natasha grinned.
"What?"
"She's joking." Peggy said reassuringly, sipping her tea.
"Slightly." Natasha smirked. "I was just telling her about one of our old STRIKE one up near Greenland. You remember that?"
"Oh yeah…" A still shocked Steve smiled.
"Anyways so we're in the jet, some asshole shoots at us with a missile and we're going down. We'd just saved a kidnapped scientist which left us with one more person than parachutes. Rogers is busy keeping his cool, making sure everyone's got chutes."
"Sounds like him." Peggy nodded, smiling.
"So the jet's going down, it's just the two of us left and of course there's no more parachutes. Rather than follow my plan to have him wear the chutes and carry me, this genius decides the best plan of action was to shove me our of the plane so I couldn't stop him before he jumps out, shield first and lands in the water."
"Steve!" Peggy frowned, disapprovingly.
"What? I'm still alive aren't I?" Steve held his hands up in surrender. Peggy shook her head, laughing.
"You're going to get yourself killed like that."
"That's what I said." Natasha said proudly.
"Not quite, I believe you said I was an 'idiotic american' in as many languages as you could." Steve grinned, turning towards Peggy. "I counted seven."
"Zato što si idiotskim američki." Natasha glared.
"…Okay make that eight." Steve nodded. Peggy laughed before taking a long drink of tea.
"Natalia, could you get me some more tea from kitchen please?"
"Of course." Natasha took Peggy's cup and walked down into the hall.
"So, Natalia told me you found out about our… history." Peggy said once she knew Natasha was out of earshot.
"Not much about it-"
"There's a bit too much to tell really." Peggy laughed. "It got so complex our relationship reached shoot on sight territory."
"And… now you're having tea?" Steve frowned, curiously. Peggy sighed, shrugging.
"After she defected SHIELD she was bit… lost. She was in a century and everyone she knew for was dead. I imagine you understand the feeling."
"…Yeah."
"She needed someone to talk to I suppose. So, when she found out I was alive she came to see me. I was hesitant to trust her at first, even warned Director Fury but over time we'd grown close. We'd sharing stories, I'd help her with paperwork now and then. No one at SHIELD knows the two of us speak at all. A bit like our little secret."
"I really had no idea."
"Well considering our work experience we are pretty good secret keepers." Peggy shrugged. "…She was the one who told me you were alive you know."
"Really?" Steve's eyebrows raised.
"I thought she was playing some sort of cruel joke at first. But then she showed me the photos and… there you were." She smiled sadly, looking off into space. Steve worried for a second he'd lost her.
"Peggy?"
"Hmm? Oh, sorry Steve." She laughed. "Lost in thought again."
"I noticed." Steve smiled weakly.
"The two of you are close aren't you?" Peggy asked.
"I'd say we are." Steve nodded. "Why?"
"Well… She certainly talks about you during her visits. More so now than she used to."
"What's your point?"
"I'm just… glad to see you two happy is all." Peggy smirked.
"Peggy, I don't know what you're talking about. Natasha and I aren't-"
"Uh huh." Peggy rolled her eyes. "Figures… She get's to keep her youth and beauty and now Steve Rogers."
"Peggy-"
"I'm joking, Steve." Peggy laughed, placing her hand on top of Steve's. "I've lived a very long and happy life. There's very little I would trade it for. It's time for you to live yours now too."
"You don't know what you're talking about-"
"Now you listen to me, Captain. My memory may get lost now and then but I know what I'm talking about." Peggy said firmly. "I saw the look you gave her when you walked in here and it wasn't just shock. When she was talking you looked like you'd heard Angel's singing."
Steve stared at Peggy in shock. Peggy nodded, smiling as Steve's jaw hung open.
"I had to make a fresh pot. That mumbling guy at the end of the hall chugged the last one." Natasha walked back into the room, holding a tray with three cups balanced on it. She say Steve's shocked expression and stopped. "You okay there, Rogers?"
He turned to her, then back to Peggy, then back to Natasha again. "My god we're bad at this."
Natasha stared in silence for a moment and frowned in frustration. "Damn it, Peggy."
More Peggy and Sam in the next chapter I promise! It was about time they showed up.
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