Title: So Kiss Me
Pairing: Peggy Carter/Angie Martinelli
Rating: K+
Author's Note: As always, these characters aren't mine.
Summary: Five times Peggy and Angie should've kissed and the one time they did.
.
One
"Everything all right, English?" Angie asks, her hip resting against the table.
Peggy looks up from her newspaper, wringing her hands. "Fine, Angie, if you don't count work."
"Boys at the phone company giving you a hard time?"
"No more than usual. It's just…" Peggy sighs, looking off into the distance before turning her gaze back to Angie's face. "During the war, I had a sense of purpose, responsibility. But now I…connect the calls but I never get a chance to make them. Do you know what I mean?"
Angie looks around the L&L quickly before sinking into the seat across from Peggy. She crosses her arms on the table, leaning forward like she's sharing a secret. "I had an audition today, uptown. Took three trains, get two bars into 'Is You Is Or Is You Ain't' – they give me the hook." She smiles that sad little smile and Peggy feels her heart break. "I guess I ain't. We all gotta pay our dues, even if it takes a while. You got talent. It's just a matter of time before Broadway calls."
"I'm afraid I can't carry a tune."
"Doesn't matter when you got legs like yours," Angie says, smirking.
Peggy smiles and looks at Angie for just a second too long, thinking about how easy it would be to just lean across the table and kiss her senseless.
But then a customer a couple tables down starts to complain about his BLT and the spell is broken.
"Looks like I gotta go," Angie says.
Peggy stares at the man, disdain written all over her face. "Is he a regular?"
"Yeah," Angie says, "but a regular what, I'm not allowed to say that on the clock."
Peggy smiles, looking down at her hands.
Angie stands, giving Peggy one last look before heading off to help the unhappy customer. "See ya later."
Peggy stares at the man like she could quite literally kill him.
…
…
Two
"No men above the first floor," Miriam Fry says, perfectly and clearly enunciating each word. She smiles but there is no humor in it. "No exceptions."
Angie turns around, looking through the glass to grin at Peggy like she has a secret.
"Is that clear, Miss Carter?"
Peggy nods, her curls bouncing with the movement. "Perfectly."
Behind Miss Fry, Angie grins widely, nodding. Miss Fry turns around and Angie turns her head, looking down at her mail. Narrowly avoiding getting caught, she chuckles softly.
Miss Fry hands Peggy a key and then dismisses her with a kind, "Welcome to the Griffith Hotel, Miss Carter."
Peggy smiles and departs the small office with a "Thank you, Miss Fry."
Angie circles around the office and comes up beside Peggy, linking their arms. "See?" she says, leading Peggy toward the stairwell. "I told you you'd be fine, English." Out of the corner of her eye, she gives Peggy a onceover and smirks.
Peggy sighs, a smile playing at her lips. "What?"
Angie shakes her head. "Nothin', nothin'."
They stop in front of the door to 3E and just look at each other for a long moment. They're standing close – too close to be considered friendly – and thankfully the hallway is empty.
Angie lets her hand travel down Peggy's arm and their fingers intertwine without really knowing who initiates it. "I'm really glad you decided to give this a try, English."
Peggy nods, her eyes flicking down to look at Angie's lips. "Well you can be extremely…persuasive."
Peggy's not sure if it's all in her mind, but Angie seems to be closer than she was just a moment ago, and it would be so easy to just lean down and press their lips together.
But then a door slams in the distance and they jump apart, blushing wildly.
Peggy looks down at her hands, twirling her key around her finger. "I should…get back to work," she says, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach.
Angie nods, composing herself much more quickly than Peggy. She grins widely. "You got it. See ya tonight, English."
…
…
Three
"Let me get this jerk his refill," Angie says, grinning, "and I'll clock out." She turns around and picks up the pot of coffee from where it sits on the burner.
Peggy chuckles, letting her eyes roam over Angie's back. "I think that jerk quite fancies you," she says, hoping Angie can hear both the apology and the confession she's wrapped up in those seven little words.
She must because when she turns back around, she's grinning. "Shut up, English," she says with a wave of her hand, "you talk too much."
Peggy laughs, spinning in her chair to track Angie's movements through the L&L as she refills the customer's coffee. It hits her then, as Angie disappears into the backroom to clock out and trade her apron for her pocketbook, that she's smitten with this girl.
The realization isn't as shocking as she supposes it should be; there had been other girls before Angie of course. Most recently there had been Colleen and before her there had been Amelia from school and Miranda who had been a friend of a friend.
"You ready to go, Peg?" Angie asks, breaking Peggy out of her thoughts.
Peggy nods quickly, gracefully sliding off her chair. She links her arm with Angie's and they walk out into the night.
They make it back to the Griffith just before curfew and only have to endure Miss Fry's disappointed look for a few seconds before they scamper off to Angie's room, giggling at the door clicks shut behind them.
Angie pulls open the third drawer of her bureau, moves some linens, and pulls out the bottle of schnapps. Looking around her room, she grimaces. "I hope you don't mind drinkin' off the bottle," she says. "I don't have any clean glasses up here."
"That's all right, Angie," Peggy says, moving across the room with a lightness in her step that is directly at odds with the sudden heaviness in her heart.
Angie turns and, as seems to be the case as of late, Peggy is standing right there, close enough to kiss. "Oh," she breathes.
Peggy reaches out, pushing a stray curl behind Angie's ear. Her free hand finds purchase on Angie's hip. "Tell me you don't want this."
Angie tries to remember to breathe, tries to force those words past her lips, but all that comes out is, "That would be a lie, English."
Peggy leans in and Angie's eyes flutter shut, and then Angie is reaching out to ball her fists in the lapels of Peggy's blazer, but before she has a chance to press their lips together the bottle of schnapps clatters from her hand and smashes on the floor.
Hearts beating quickly and schnapps all over their legs, they jump apart.
Peggy sighs, pushing her hand through her hair. "Angie…"
But Angie cuts her off with a quick shake of her head. "Don't worry about it, Pegs," she says.
"We have to talk about this, Angie."
"There's nothing to talk about, English."
Peggy sighs, shaking her head. "Let me help you clean this up."
"I can handle this," Angie says, stopping Peggy with a firm hand to her chest. "You should go home and get some sleep."
"Angie…"
"Really, Peggy, you should."
Peggy sighs but does not bother to argue.
…
…
Four
After her shift, Angie shows up at Peggy's apartment with a piece of rhubarb pie. For a moment, she debates not even leaving the pie for Peggy but then she remembers how distraught Peggy had looked at the L&L earlier that day and she knows that it's her duty as Peggy's best friend to help her through difficult times.
So Angie does what she does best – she plasters on a smile and knocks on Peggy's door.
It doesn't take Peggy long to answer but when she does, Angie nearly drops the pie on the ground because Peggy Carter is standing in front of her wearing a criminally-tight pair of black pants and an equally-tight black tank top.
"Wow," Angie breathes.
Peggy blushes. "Did you want to come in, Angie?"
Angie shakes her head. They have to talk and she knows that that would not happen with Peggy dressed the way she is. So, she pushes the plate into Peggy's hands and goes home.
Peggy watches Angie's door open and slam shut before closing her own door.
…
…
Five
Peggy Carter is drunk.
Stumbling into the Griffith five minutes to curfew, she is relieved to find the lobby devoid of Miss Fry. Grinning at her luck, she climbs the stairs to the third floor, headed to Angie's room. Leaning against the doorframe, she knocks on the door until Angie opens it.
"Aw jeez, English," Angie says, pulling Peggy into her room and kicking the door shut behind her. "You're lucky Miriam didn't catch you or you'd be out on the street for sure."
Peggy grins, sitting on the end of Angie's bed. She watches as Angie busies herself with getting Peggy a glass of water. She takes the glass from Angie and downs it all in one go.
Angie takes the empty glass and sets it on the table before sitting next to Peggy. "You wanna talk about it, honey?"
Peggy sighs, leaning against Angie. "I went out with the boys from work and I may have had a bourbon or two too many." She turns and rests her head in Angie's lap and just stares up at her like she's in awe. "You're so beautiful, Angela Martinelli, have I ever told you that?"
Stroking Peggy's hair, Angie blushes. "C'mon, Pegs," she says. "You're talkin' nonsense."
Peggy shakes her head and tries to look as serious as she can drunkenly muster. "You're beautiful, Angie, and I've wanted to kiss you since the day we met."
"Shut up, English," Angie says, grinning, "you talk too much."
Peggy laughs and closes her eyes, falling asleep instantly.
…
…
Six
"Just got off the phone with my brother," Angie says, crossing her room to where Peggy is still standing by the window. "He's gonna drop a car off at the Dublin House for you. Should at least get you out of town for a while."
Peggy's eyes flick down to Angie's lips then back up to her eyes. "Thank you, Angie."
"I also told my father to stuff secretary school," Angie says, grinning and placing her hands on her hips. "I belong on Broadway."
"After the performance I just saw, there's no way you should be doing anything else. You're an amazing actress."
Angie smirks. "You're not so bad yourself."
Peggy grins, pulling Angie into a tight hug. She closes her eyes and breathes in deep, trying to memorize everything about this moment. When she pulls back, her hands remain intertwined with Angie's.
"Well," Angie says, "I look forward to hearing what this is about someday."
Peggy nods. "Someday." She attempts a smile. "Take care of yourself."
"You too, English."
Peggy makes it halfway to the door before shaking her head and turning around, crossing the distance between her and Angie in three strides.
Angie reaches out, tangling her fists in the lapels of Peggy's blazer. She pulls her close and kisses her like the world is ending. "Don't you forget about me, Peggy Carter," she says when she pulls away.
Peggy leans down, kissing Angie once more. "Never, Angie Martinelli," she whispers, her breath hot against Angie's ear.
Peggy slips out the door while Angie's eyes are still closed; they both try to convince themselves it's easier that way.
End