A/N: Once I had the idea for this I just had to write it down. Since the headcanon about Peggy telling Cap stories to little Tony is one my favorites I'm excited to share this with you. Thanks for reading in advance.
"You are hopeless, Daniel Sousa", Peggy exclaimed as she walked across the hallway to get her keys and her handbag. Daniel was in the living room, watching Peggy run around the house from his place on the sofa, where his pyjamas wearing self was covered by a woollen blanket. Smoothing out the jacket she had just put on, Peggy appeared in the living room's doorway. Daniel sat his cup of tea back on the table as he saw the look Peggy gave him. She was not amused which she additionally showed by clearing her throat.
"You look great, dear", he complimented, putting on his best puppy face. She did look great in the simple yet stylish dress she wore under her anthracite coat.
"And you look as if you were trying to duck out of attending this party", Peggy observed. Daniel let out a little cough at this and remarked, "You know how unpredictable colds can be, Peg. And besides Howard is celebrating something every other weekend anyway."
"It's his birthday, Daniel. I know quite well that Howard's a notorious-", Peggy had to think about this, "Well , to be honest, name me one title he isn't notorious for. His heart, however, is in the right place. Well, most of the time, that is."
Given that his cover didn't seem to be working Daniel stood up from the sofa and approached his wife, who was still scowling at him.
"Look, I know he's not a bad guy. I will forever be thankful for what he did with my war injury. But him being a long time friend of yours, you don't need my help to handle him, as has always been the case. And did I mention that there's this baseball match on TV this afternoon that I really don't wanna miss?"
"Just because I could throw Howard over my shoulder by only using my little finger doesn't mean it wouldn't be brilliant to have you with me, watching me as I do so", Peggy gave in with a smirk.
They both knew this argument was settled. Maybe it was for the best that Peggy wouldn't have to worry about Daniel in the company of Howard's business partners.
"Thanks Peggy. Love you", Daniel said, pulling her closer for a bear hug. "I love you too, Darling. I'll be back soon", Peggy replied, hugging him back.
"See you later" Daniel loosened the embrace in order to lock gazes with Peggy's warm brown eyes. "And tell Maria I said hello, please", he added, his eyes travelling to her red lips.
She leaned in as if she was going to reply to his intention of snatching a kiss and then she stopped. "Actually, I thought you were having a cold and I do not want to take the risk of getting sick." Saying this, she sheered off from him and turned on her heals, leaving Daniel baffled on the spot.
Peggy strolled over to the car parked in the gateway of their garage. The first thing she did when she got in was switching the radio channel for she simply couldn't get used to the synthesisers playing on most of the main stations. Her children of course would tell her that this was the current music and totally hip. Peggy wasn't happy until she listened to 40s music and only then headed off to the Stark mansion here in DC, glad that she didn't have to visit Howard in Long Island for this occasion.
Before long Peggy steered the car around the driveway of the Starks'. She didn't care and she didn't bother where she parked it as long as it wouldn't hamper anyone else. She gathered her things, opening the car door just when an employee came hurrying to do so for her. "Too late", she smiled sweetly. To park the car with the others for her the employee asked for the car keys which Peggy threw over with a 'Thank you'.
She then took the few stairs leading to the villa's front porch. At the door a maid was ready to take her coat. Peggy politely thanked her, too. She fixed the neckline of her navy blue dress and adjusted the strap of her purse on her shoulder when a blonde woman was appearing in the corridor next to the entrance hall.
"There you are, Peggy", Maria Stark stopped upon spotting her. She was glad to welcome the only other woman who knew how to handle Maria's husband. The two ladies embraced each other.
"I was just about to get myself a drink", Maria informed Peggy which explained why they were headed the opposite direction of the sitting room, where Peggy expected everyone else to be on account of her perceiving indistinct conversations from there. "Can I give you a treat? Coffee? Tea?"
"Tea, please", Peggy chose immediately. "Ever so British", Maria chuckled. It was easy for the both women to engage in conversation and so they drank off their cups of coffee and tea before joining the party.
Being in a room with Howard and his friends went just as expected. A lot of cigars, a lot of bourbon. Peggy being addressed as Director Carter and three different people asking how the Triskelion was doing, at which Peggy replied with "It's growing."
"How's the chief?", another wanted to know, referring to Daniel's title back in the days of the SSR.
"Daniel's caught a bit of a cold, sadly. But he wanted me to let you know that he hates to miss the chance of sharing a drink and a profound conversation between men with you all", Peggy claimed. None of this was true, though. Neither the drink nor the conversation. Now she was the one who had to cope with them.
Popping up beside her, someone wrapped a costly suited arm around her shoulders. The person hugging and squeezing her turned out to be the host, her old friend, Howard. "Peg", he exclaimed joyfully, "Thanks for dropping by."
"Well now, I wouldn't miss your birthday do, would I, Howard", Peggy declared, hugging him back.
"Well, I'm glad we're complete now", Howard observed. Oh God, it's time, Peggy thought. Sure enough Howard then showed of his unique title as a master at talking big and talking too much with a speech. It took a few minutes but it seemed to be longer, the speech exceeding a speech of thanks. In the end Howard said a few words about their biggest project at the moment, the Triskelion, and he also spoke in high terms of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Director, the former SSR Agent Peggy Carter, and the devotion she put into her work. It was a bit unusual for Howard and Peggy was all the happier when his speech was over.
"Thank you. I am delighted, Howard", Peggy stated, slapping his upper arm a little too hard, "Now, where's my godson?"
Howard escorted her down the hallway. Regarding the fact that he had just spent a minute praising Peggy's skills, Peggy started a discussion about his mental health.
"What gives you that idea? My mental health is splendid."
"I did not have the impression", Peggy spoke to the contrary.
"Then your impression must have been dazzled by my good looks", reasoned Howard.
"I have never been dazzled by your good looks. Nor will I ever, Howard Stark", Peggy ascertained matter-of-factly.
Upon hearing his aunt bicker with his father, Tony, who was sitting at his computer, turned around on his swivel chair. "All right, Howard. Now go have some raspberry truffles or a good old scotch. Whatever makes you feel better. Peggy's order", Peggy made sure to be alone with Tony whom she greeted with a kind generous smile.
Being the mannerly young man he was, Tony then stood up to properly greet his aunt. "Hi. It's good to see you, Aunt Peggy."
"Oh, it's good to see you too, darling", Peggy replied, dragging Tony into a hug he would never admit he enjoyed deeply.
Suddenly a voice came from nowhere. "Good Afternoon, Ms. Carter."
"What the flipping hell was that?", Peggy asked, looking around herself for the disembodied voice.
"He's pretty cool, huh", the fifteen-year-old was visibly proud.
"Well, he sounds British. That's never a bad thing", Peggy replied honestly since cool wasn't really a word that existed in her lexicon, despite having two children of her own. She'd rather use the word impressive to describe her godson's creation. She had known before that Tony had inherited his father's genius. But right in this moment she couldn't help but reminisce about Howard's inventions, that had the habit of being deathly, or exploding at the very least. Still she's always been in awe of his creativity and his ingenuity. Though she had to admit she was more willing to learn about Tony's technology than she used to be concerning Howard's, so she sat down on Tony's bed next to his desk and let him explain.
Tony sat back down on his chair to be able to show Peggy things on his computer screen if needed. "He's supposed to become a multifunctional software program capable of managing anything I need him to one day. Maybe when I have my own place." The time he would move out was one Tony highly anticipated. "He could only address you because I greeted you beforehand. I'm still programming the voice input while I'm here for the vacation. You all right, Jarvis?", Tony addressed the AI.
"Terrific, Mr. Stark", the AI actually sounded sarcastic which caught Peggy's attention.
"He reminds me a lot of the human Jarvis. Did you show him?"
"What? No. You mean because- No, I didn't name it after him. That's just coincidence. J.A.R.V.I.S. stands for Just…Another...Rather Very…Intelligent System", stammered Tony. "Yeah, that's what it stands for", he stated. He seemed to be surprised about his own idea and sounded as if he wanted to convince himself more than Peggy.
"I see", spoke Peggy. Then there was a fragile silence between them as Peggy sat on Tony's bed, trying to consider this. The man who had always been Mr. Jarvis to her probably would feel honoured to serve as the inspiration for his young master's invention. It had never been a secret that Tony and Edwin Jarvis went down well together. Peggy could hardly tell who of them was happier to see the other every time Tony came home from boarding school. They were important to each other, as they were to her, too. She let her gaze wander around Tony's room, lingering on what she recognized as his most precious belongings for they were the things he had taken to boarding school with him. Among the books and his treasured AC/DC records was a Captain America action figure. That reminded Peggy of something.
"Tony dear, you know what S.H.I.E.L.D. stands for, don't you."
"Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division", Tony sang in a habit he had acquired years ago, involuntarily.
"And what does that mean to you?", she tried helping him along.
"Someone really wanted the initials to spell out shield." Saying this, Tony realized what the sudden question about S.H.I.E.L.D. was about. Peggy raised both her eyebrows, taking a mischievous pleasure in seeing the understanding light up in his eyes. She smiled a smile that virtually screamed 'I did!'.
"You didn't", Tony remarked although he had a feeling it was the truth. Peggy confirmed his assumption with a simple nod and a soft smile. It made sense, of course. After all his so called Aunt Peggy was the one who told him the real stories about Captain America, which, unlike the stories his father had told him, didn't end with the conclusion that Steve was the greatest thing Howard ever created. Coming from his father, this had only made Tony dislike, at times even hate, the super soldier. But with Peggy he shared other memories completely. About the heroic and brave human Steve Rogers and not about the serum that had made all this possible.
"Steve meant a lot to me. And when the time came to find a name for the agency we were building I spent the night, looking for words, with the purpose of forming the acronym shield."
"Because it was his weapon", noticed Tony.
"How right you are. The weapon, carrying the star that will forever make us remember him and what he did for all of us. I had to find six words that would make sense when you put them together. Not an easy task, that much I can tell you. What I did there, however, never occurred to any of the muggins, founding S.H.I.E.L.D. with me", Peggy laughed, reminiscing it. Tony burst out laughing with her.
He's always had a great time with Peggy but their relationship felt all the more special to him now that she had shared this with him. He knew what it meant for her to have opened up about this and he was very thankful that she trusted him enough to tell him what she clearly never had told anyone before. He trusted her, too, he always has, which probably resulted from her treating him like a grown-up instead of sending him away like Howard used to do it when Tony entered his office.
"Aunt Peggy", offered Tony whereupon she applied the attention to him. "I did name my AI after Jarvis", he admitted. "He was always there for me. Until he retired, that is. He was always there and I miss him."
"I know, darling", Peggy referred to everything Tony had said. A certain silence fell between them once again but not an awkward one. Tony opened a cupboard underneath his desk and took out his own stock of raspberry truffles, the love for them being one of the few things that connected father and son. Tony might have shared some of Howard's character traits but he definitely had his own kindness. Joining her in his bed, he offered Peggy the chocolate box.
Once he got comfortable next to her, he suggested, "For old time's sake. Tell me another Cap story?" Peggy agreed, retelling one of the many stories that stayed between the two of them only. So, when Howard would ask what they were up to she would smirk and reply, "That's classified."