Hey guys! So yes, I'm writing a new fic! This one a lot less, ya know, rapey. I've been wrestling with myself whether or not I should start this before or after I finished Perfection but then I decided having two stories might actually help with writers block. So here we are. I hope all you Steggy lovers, myself included, enjoy! Also if you haven't watched Agent Carter, you might want to go do that before reading this. (and also watch the first season because it was a masterpiece. The second was eh)
It had been 3 months since Steve crashed the plane, but it felt like yesterday. Some days Peggy was able to push it to the back of her mind, buckle down, and do some work. Maybe go out with her roommate and ward away all the men trying to get into her pants. Then other days one little trigger would push her into back into that room, talking to him on that radio. Today was one of those days. There was a cloud in the sky that almost looked like his profile.
She couldn't fall asleep that night, laying in her bed and watching the clock move, occasionally glancing over at the small picture of Steve on her night stand. Even though the picture was in black and white she could almost see his eyes in color. Those warm, loving, grey blue eyes. She takes a small breath before rolling onto her back and staring at the ceiling, letting her mind wander.
"Give me your coordinates I'll find you a safe landing site."
"There's not gonna be a safe landing but I can try and force it down."
"I-I'll get Howard on the line. He'll know what to do."
"There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York... I got to put her in the water."
"Please, don't do this. We have time-" Peggy turns around and faces Colonel Phillips, "Get Howard!" She begs, "Steve please just wait a little longer-"
"Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die."
"Steve just give me your coordinates Howard is on his way."
"81.19 north, 53.48 west... Peggy, this is my choice..."
"81.19 north, 53.48 west..." She mumbles to herself quietly. That's where he was. Somewhere near those coordinates. So why couldn't anyone find him? She assumed it wasn't that hard to find at least a remnant of a large black plane in the middle of the icy tundra. She guessed that's why Howard and his crew of boats were out there right now. She had to give it to him, Howard was really, really looking. As thoroughly and desperately as he possibly could.
Peggy glances at the clock and sees its almost 4:30 am. She sighs before sitting up and going to turn on the light. She wasn't going to get any sleep so why not just get an incredibly early start at work, maybe make some coffee and go through some classified files she wasn't supposed to look at. She quickly gets ready and puts up the bed before walking out of the apartment and into the cool morning. Tiny rays of light were beginning to peak over the horizon, casting a dim light on the quiet streets of New York. It was very peaceful. She gets to the telephone building and walks inside, surprised to see people were already there. Rose spots her and lights up.
"Oh good! I didn't think you we're coming!" She chirps as Peggy walks over and raises an eyebrow.
"Coming to what?"
Rose's smile fades as she stares up at the agent.
"Dooley said he called everyone, I just assumed you we're late waking up and getting ready."
"I couldn't sleep so I decided to come down here, what is going on?"
"Peg!" A voice exclaims behind them. Peggy turns around and is blindsided by a hug from Howard.
"Howard? Wh-What are you doing here I thought you were in the North Atlantic?" She questions as Howard gives her an odd look;
"What do you mean? Didn't the SSR call you?"
"No alright!" She snips in an exasperated manner, "Just tell me what's going on."
"I found him." He explains, barely holding in his excitement, "I found Steve."
Peggy storms into the office, Howard fresh on her tail. She storms up to Dooley, who was clinking a glass of champagne with Jack and Daniel.
"You didn't think to tell me?" She snarls, taking the glass from her boss and throwing it onto the ground in anger. She usually could take all the shit this boys club gave her but not today.
"Agent Carter! Hello..." He greets sheepishly as Peggy's eyes widen.
"Hello? You find Steve, don't contact me and all you have to say is 'hello'?"
Howard shakes his head disapprovingly at the other men as Peggy takes a deep breath and tries to control her boiling anger.
"How long ago did you find him?" She asks, shaking with rage.
"3 hours ago." Howard answers, still glaring at the SSR agents. Not telling her wasn't even sexist at that point, it was just mean. Peggy turns to him and her face reddens even more.
"Where is he?"
Colonel Phillips was sitting in the nurses wing, fiddling with his thumbs as he waited for more news on if Steve was going to be okay. He really liked that kid. And to see him pull through after a sacrifice like that would just be icing on the cake. Peggy and Howard run in and the brunette nearly jumps at the sight of her former superior.
"Colonel Phillips!" She says in surprise.
"Now where the hell have you been Agent Carter? Your kissin' buddy has been here since 2." He states before standing up to give her a one armed hug. She quickly returns it before going to the door leading to the recovery room and pushing it open, surprising the hell out of the nurses.
"They didn't tell her. The reason she came was because she couldn't sleep." Howard explains flatly as he sits down in a chair next to the older man, who grunts in annoyance.
"This is why I wish I was still working with the SSR." He grumbles.
Meanwhile, Peggy was inside the recovery room, watching Steve's somehow unscathed chest rise and fall. He looks so peaceful. How did he look so peaceful? How is he okay? The nurses finish up their last minute check ups before leaving the room, leaving them alone. Peggy pulls up a chair and sits at Steve's side, gently holding his hand in both of hers, occasionally leaning down to kiss it.
"Steve..." She murmurs quietly, gently brushing the hair out of his face, "Please wake up... the world needs you," she takes a small pause before leaning up and kissing his forehead, leaving a small red stain, "I-I need you... I haven't stopped thinking about you for even a second. You are the best person I've ever met. Just please... wake up..." She whimpers, trying to keep her composure. He had to wake up.
That's when she felt it, a slight stir. Her head whips up and jaw drops slightly when she sees Steve begin to blink awake. Despite her best judgement she instantly climbs on top of the bed and gives him a passionate kiss on the lips, a couple of tears dripping down her face.
"St-Steve." She whimpers as Steve furrows his brows and stares at her.
"Peggy?" He questions, looking around in confusion, "Where are we?"
"In the SSR office in New York." She explains, the initial joy fading away into a flurry of other emotions, "What the hell what that?!" She hisses, hitting him on the shoulder angrily.
"What was what?" He asks as Peggy glares at him.
"You crashing the plane! 'This is my choice' what kind of self sacrificing bullshit is that?!"
"Peggy I-"
"No! It's my turn to talk! Do you have any idea what you put all of us through?" She hisses, clear hurt at the end of the sentence, "We all thought you we're dead. A-And if I hadn't forced you to give me your coordinates we still would."
Peggy crawls off the bed and sits down in the chair next to the bed again, putting her face in her hands;
"You had time. Howard showed up less than a minute after the radio cut out." She mumbles. Steve sits up and stares at her sadly, before wordlessly wrapping his arms around her.
"I thought the next time I saw you you'd be dead." He murmurs quietly. Peggy blinks a couple of times and feels a wet spot on her shoulder. Steve was crying. She swallows hard before hugging back and letting herself cry into him as well. He was alright. That was all that mattered.
"What's the date?" Steve mumbles after a couple of minutes.
"June 2nd. You were in the ice for almost 3 months." She answers quietly. Steve slowly nods, before pulling his head up and sniffing, his eyes red and swollen.
"I'm sorry."