The truth about their lives came crashing down on him as he poured himself a drink. The lights were mostly off, only the lamp beside his favourite armchair illuminating the room somehow. His mind rasher back to the flowers he found at their door a few minutes ago. He knew that something was up but he couldn't find what up until now. Peggy wasn't the same the past few months; at first he blamed it on her birthday, she turning thirty five and from what he remembered from his sisters that age was hard for all women. Then he thought that maybe she wanted another child and when he tried to talk to her about it she almost bite his head off so he let that be too. Now though, now Jack could see that it was all his fault.

After fifteen years of marriage and two children it was expected that their love life wouldn't be the same it was when they first met. Family, job, friends, the time he spent away from her due to his work overload, it was all a comfortable routine they had and Jack didn't want to ruin it. They made love regularly and it was satisfying but it wasn't what it used to be and he could tell. He didn't blame her though, no, Jack couldn't blame her.

Peggy had tried many times to shake things up, he could see it now. All the times she cooked dinner and he ate without even saying a thank you, all the times she dressed up for him and asked from him to take a walk with her and he turned her down, or all the times she was there for him after a hard day and he had it for granted. He had her for granted and that was a big mistake.

All that until Steve Rogers moved into the apartment right beside them. He was a few years younger than Jack and was holding up quite nicely. Not that Jack had anything to be jealous about, at forty he still had an athletic build and his looks didn't disappoint either. He should have seen it sooner, he should have done something before it was too late but he was an idiot. Steve was there for Peggy when Jack wouldn't, because no matter how many years you are with a woman you should never deprive her from your affections and god knows his Peggy deserved all the love in this world.

The door opening and closing brought him out of his thoughts and his eyes focused on his wife. She seemed tired as she slipped her coat off and left her high heels by the door. He hadn't looked at her like this in years, she was his wife and the mother of his children but it had been so long since he looked at her like a woman. And what a fine woman she was, with her beautiful chocolate brown curls, and her sparkling eyes and the special way she smiled when something made her truly happy. How could he have forgotten all those things? How could he have let someone else sweep in and take her away like that?

"You are back." He said and shot up from his chair reaching her in three long steps. Peggy turned to face him surprised as she flipped the light switch on, a hand over her heart.

"Jack! You scared me!" She exclaimed slapping his arm. "Course I'm back, I live here you know!" There she was, his loving sassy wife. That mouth of hers was the reason he married her, no woman had put him into his place like she did. "I didn't know you'd be back so soon. Give me a few minutes and I'll prepare something for dinner." She said tiredly and he could see the dark circles under her eyes. Peggy tried to walk past him but his hand on her arm stopped her.

She didn't have time to react as he pulled her against him and pressed her back flat on the wall. He left no space between them as his lips came down on hers and Peggy let a surprised moan out when his hands tore the front of her dress open. "Jack." She whimpered when his mouth trailed hot kisses down the column of her throat. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He shot back as one hand slipped under the skirt of her creamy negligee and past her panties. The growl that left his lips was feral as his fingers met wetness. "I'm making love to my wife." He said as two digits stretched her open for him and her blood red nails dug into the back of his neck.

"The kids." She breathed when his thumb found her clit and rubbed tight circles.

"Angie." He answered quickly as she made quick word of his belt and zipper. Typically every second Friday for the past eight years her best friend, Angie, would take their kids for the whole weekend. Angie had three devils of her own and their two boys got along just fine with them.

Her breath hitched when he slide inside her tight heat, and just like that it was felt like the very first time he made love to her. Her hands in his hair, her lips bruising against his, love bites, desperate moves, every single doubt and guilt he had came back to haunt him. He almost lost her, she almost walked away because he was an idiot. "You're mine." He growled as her walls fluttered around him, pulling him deeper. "Say it, Peggy!"

"I'm yours." She nodded and rested her forehead against his, tremors still running through her body. He found his own release at her words, spilling deep within her.

~oOo~

"I know." He murmured, his fingers comping through her messy hair. They had laid together on the couch in comfortable silence sharing a smoke. She wasn't a fan of it but from time to time Peggy smoke a cigarette. She sat up slightly and her eyes met his apologetically.

"Jack I-" He cut her off by putting a finger on her lips.

"Don't." Jack shook his head as if trying to clear his mind. "I don't blame you, I'm the one that messed up not you."

"That's not-"

"That's exactly how it is." He said cupping her jaw softly, forcing her eyes to meet his. "You are a wonderful woman, Peggy Carter, and I was stupid for not telling you every single day. You're special to me, more than any other woman that ever passed through my life and yet I failed in showing you. I saw you with him today and how he made you smile and I got mad at myself for it. Because I want to be the one to make you smile like that."

"I ended it." She admitted. "Whatever that was I ended it because no matter what my feelings for him were I couldn't imagine my life without you or our kids."

"I'm glad you did." He kissed her nose and pulled back into his arms again. "I might not say it enough, and I promise to fix that, but never forget how much I love you. My entire world revolves around you!" Her felt her smile against his skin as he lips traced the burning flesh.

"I love you too."