La Vie En Rose
She managed to coax Peggy out of her room, a feat that was worthy of several awards but Angie accepted the dry smirk on Peggy's face as she slipped on a jacket, feathering her hair out over her shoulders.
"C'mon English, you gotta do something besides listen to me ramble and go to work." Angie teased from her perch on the edge of Peggy's well kept bedspread. She fidgeted with the seams of the quilt following it with her fingertips, well aware that Peggy was eying her.
" Well?"
"Well what?" Angie's head snapped up, green eyes wide with innocence.
"Are we not going to the movies?" Peggy asked.
"You're serious? You're not flaking out on me?" Angie asked, eyes narrowed as she slowly stood up, giving her best suspicious scowl. "You're not gonna get all…weird?"
"I don't understand what you mean." Peggy replied, her head tilted to the side with mock curiosity. "You invited me out when I'm perfectly content with staying in and getting much needed rest."
"You don't have to twist my arm…" Angie winked, heading towards the door, a spring in her step, hoping that Peggy wouldn't back out.
Peggy hated the newsreels. She hadn't always disliked them, they served a purpose but she preferred watching the cartoons that followed versus the casual reminder that the world was still a mess, Steve was gone and the Howling Commandos were off having all the fun. She'd adjusted enough to her new life and with Howard's current situation, her life was not at all lacking in adventure but it wasn't the same. There was something missing and she just couldn't put her finger on it. The newsreels only reminded her of what she'd lost and even as she continued her work with the SSR, she hated knowing that they would never know what happened to him and as a result, the news would continue speculating the same. It was an endless cycle.
She always wanted to spend as much time in the lobby as possible before finding a seat but Angie insisted they find a seat. She'd snuck in sandwiches from the Automat and was quite proud of her delinquent behavior. They found pair of empty seats in the back of the theater prompting another giggle fit from Angie as she plopped into the chair, earning a chastising look from Peggy. Peggy removed her jacket, adjusting her blouse before sitting down and draping the jacket onto her lap. Settling in, both elbows shared an armrest and much to Angie's delight, Peggy didn't protest. Peggy's jaw clenched as the newsreel started with its usual fanfare. Baseball highlights, news of the week, all the boys who'd fought making strides in the continued protection and safety of the United States. The final story was exactly what Peggy feared: a tribute to Captain America, encouraging men of appropriate age to continue the legacy of service and sacrifice to the country they all loved. Angie glanced to her left, studying Peggy's face in the flickering light, her eyes shut tight, muscles tense as her left hand gripped the armrest tight. She looked like she was bracing for impact. Angie glanced between her friend and the screen before she slid her right hand over Peggy's left, giving her a squeeze, surprised at how quickly Peggy's hand turned and their fingers intertwined. Angie leaned over, a wave of perfume and concern washing over Peggy her breath tickling Peggy's ear. "Hey, you're alright, okay? You're safe. Breathe through it…" she coaxed, summoning all her theater training to put on a brave voice, masking the fact that she was truly worried about her friend. Peggy swallowed hard, slowly opening her eyes and exhaling, her body sagging with relief. "Still with me, English?" Angie asked, moving closer to Peggy, thankful for the both of them to be concealed by darkness.
Peggy nodded silently, staring straight ahead, aware that she was still holding Angie's hand and trying to come up with a good reason to let go. Angie didn't seem to mind the contact and she didn't want to make an already awkward situation much worse by mentioning it. They sat in silence as the cartoon started, Angie's fingers interlocked with Peggy's casually as could be, surprised at how delicate a grip it was, despite having seen Peggy banged up from whatever it was she had gotten herself into. She should've been paying attention to the screen but she found herself glancing over at Peggy, who was chewing her bottom lip, staring off at the screen. Angie found herself wondering what was going on with her mysterious friend. Her palm didn't get clammy, her fingers didn't feel numb and the contact didn't feel like an obligation. The cartoon ended and the opening title for a hardboiled detective movie started, sweeping music over a title card that made Peggy snicker. She had to appreciate Angie's sense of humor. She'd let her pick the movie and hadn't paid attention to anything else except the welcome respite from all the espionage she'd been involved in. She told herself to turn her brain off and just watch it for what it was.
Angie reclined deeper into the chair, tilting her body closer toward Peggy, their shoulders touching in the dark, sending shivers down both spines. Angie's head rested on Peggy's shoulder, the darkness making her feel bolder than she had any right to feel. She blushed as Peggy shifted her weight, allowing her better access to her shoulder, the two of them lost in a world of spies, murder and espionage.
Peggy shook her head as the detective ran right after the diversion, trapping himself in a room with several armed men. "He didn't check for an exit." She mumbled.
"What?" Angie whispered, lifting her head and whispering in Peggy's ear.
Peggy nodded toward the screen, turning slightly to better see and speak to Angie who had curled her legs underneath her in the chair. "He ran right in, didn't check his exits and that's a diversion. The killer was never there."
"Hm. We'll see…" Angie replied, a look of suspicion on her face as she studied Peggy's profile before resting against her shoulder. Angie was always impressed with how stoically Peggy carried herself; it seemed like she'd taken stiff upper lip to be a true sense of pride, a badge she wore with pride. She wondered how often Peggy allowed herself the simple luxury of a quiet night off, enjoying a movie and holding hands. She glanced down at their firmly clasped hands, wondering if at this point it was just because it was comfortable sitting like this or if Peggy really just needed to feel anchored to someone. She watched the movie, admiring the outfits, the flair, the moody sets and dreamt that she was watching herself on screen, all lights camera action. She sighed contently, the screen flickering away in front of them.
Peggy watched with growing interest, paying closer attention to the smaller tells then the rest of the audience, the left side of her mouth quirking at the sight of the woman who'd solved a key piece of the puzzle for the detective who naturally took the credit for cracking the case. She mulled over her own situation with Howard, aware that it was dangerous to play both sides so closely; the side with loyalty to her friend who saw beyond her gender and the side that allowed her to continue work that meant the world to her. She knew the answer was within her grasp and she could see the pieces starting to fall into place but what she was having a hard time seeing was the even bigger picture was. What did Leviathan have to do with Howard and was there a connection to HYDRA in all of this? Would there be something that would bring her whole world crashing down? She drifted back to the movie as the music hit a crescendo as the detective was now face to face with the killer who naturally began to spill the details of his plan. If only it were that easy. She thought to herself, watching as Angie leaned forward, more than likely taking notes on the acting chops on screen than being engaged with the thin plot. It was endearing watching her in the dark, the way the screen cast its ghostly light across her features, eyes wide as she drank in the whole scene. She was a regular Alice tripping along Wonderland in the theater.
The credits began to roll as the audience began to murmur their approval or disapproval of the film. Angie leaned back in her chair, stretching out her legs, releasing Peggy's hand casually, her hand feeling colder without the contact. "You called it English." She said shaking her head in disbelief. "You're a regular super sleuth." she joked, resting her elbows on her knees, a lopsided grin on her face. "How'd you figure out it was the other guy the whole time?"
Peggy shrugged nonchalantly as she rubbed her palms together, her right eyebrow quirked. "He made it quiet obvious midway through."
"I bet he did." Angie replied with an eyeroll. "What'd you do, read his body language or something? He's an actor, he was supposed to fool you. It's called a misdirection."
"Even the best actors have tells, Angie." Peggy said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Oh do they?"
Peggy nodded, a warm smile on her face as Angie stretched, rather theatrically, throwing her arms over her head, wriggling her fingers while extending her limbs every which way possible. "They do. I suppose we should head back."
"Are you kidding? We still have a whole night ahead of us…with…uh…dinner and dancing and…drinking…" she yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "The world is our oyster."
"Perhaps on another night maybe." Peggy replied sadly, pulling her jacket form her lap and smoothly slipping it on. "Tonight, I think, we should head back." Peggy offered a shy smile, any worry that presented itself at the top of their evening erased by the easy smile. Angie reluctantly stood up, slipping on her own jacket (with Peggy's help) before following her out of the aisle and into the lobby.
"Hey, so how'd you figure out that he wasn't on the level?" Angie asked, tucking her hands into the pockets of her jacket, ambling slowly along with Peggy as they wound their way through lovers, publically displaying their affection in the sprawling lobby. "You said it was a tell?"
Peggy nodded, blush touching her cheeks as she squirmed under Angie's gaze. "Everyone does something that, to the trained eye, tells that person they aren't being entirely truthful. It's a tell."
"Oh yeah? Everyone does it you said? Even actors?"
Peggy nodded, unconsciously holding the door open for Angie as they exited the theater. "Even actors." Peggy replied, a roguish grin on her face. "Although, some are far more discreet than others. In the case of the gentleman in the movie, he frequently blinked when he was telling a lie."
"Okay, but what if the director told him to do that?"
Peggy nodded again. "Right, well in the real world, he would probably do something like, tap his foot or wipe his brow…"
"Why do you even know this stuff?" Angie asked abruptly, her eyes on the ground, following the cracks in the streets as they slowly wound their way back towards The Griffin, neither in a hurry to end the evening. "What're they teaching you in the phone company, English?"
Peggy chuckled. "I may be inclined to tell you sometime."
Angie snickered. "OH is that your detective tone? You need some work on that."
"Do I? I thought it was rather impressive considering…"
Angie shook her head. "You need to sound like you could kill a man with the sound of your voice."
"Really? What gives you the impression that I am incapable of such a feat?" Peggy asked, feigning incredulity. It felt good to have a conversation that didn't involve her double life, better still, knowing that Angie was such a good sport and quite adept at distracting her from the bigger problems. Despite her initial reservations, she dreaded the night ending.
"Well, there are folks who go absolutely weak for a dame with an accent…" Angie answered helpfully, a goofy grin on her face as she playfully bumped Peggy's shoulder, her curls dancing as she moved. Peggy couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips as she bumped Angie back.
"Are there?" Peggy replied, heat creeping up her neck as she walked along towards home, her pace slowing down dramatically. They were practically taking baby steps down the street, The Griffin looming just a block away.
"Tons." Angie said, eyebrows wiggling suggestively. "I auditioned for Macbeth, LADY MACBETH, she carries the whole thing incase you didn't know and I poured over the whole thing and they said my accent needed work. Serious work. What's that about, eh? We're in New York, just turn it into something about New York and then I would be fine. They wanted accents for some reason."
"Shakespeare? Really? I'd love to hear that." Peggy said with genuine interest as they crossed the street, the building looming closer.
"Really? Would you? I practiced a lot for it, beat it into my head til I was practically speaking iambic pentameter. I feel like I was really something."
"Transcendent." Peggy said simply.
"Transcendent. I like that. Transcendent…" Angie repeated dreamily. "Nice word."
"I tend to be full of them." Peggy said with a shrug, staring down at the gutter while Angie beamed radiantly next to her. "I heard you one evening, rehearsing. I couldn't sleep and I heard you, rehearsing." She hoped Angie couldn't hear the lie in that. She'd scaled the side of the building and perched on the window sill, peering into her bedroom before sliding her window open and icing herself down after another knock down drag out evening. "You were quiet effective."
"Really? No kidding?" Angie asked, beaming at Peggy, genuinely touched by the compliment. "Thanks Peg, that means a lot to me."
Peggy nodded shyly as they crossed the street, bound for the steps of The Griffin, barely scraping in by curfew. They both avoided Ms. Fry's look of disapproval, giggling as they bound up the stairs for their floor. They slowed as they approached Angie's door, Peggy's hands stuffed into the pockets of her jacket in the most unlady like manner, fingers scraping against the fabric as Angie turned on her heel, a smirk on her face. "Hey, if you're not too tired…"
"Let me change, be back in a bit." Peggy replied, her cheeks pinking as she nodded towards her own door.
"Swell." Angie said, ducking her as she tucked a lock of hair behind her left ear. She turned, slipped her key into the lock and let herself in, the door the only barrier between the two of them. "See you in a jiff."
Peggy wasn't sure what to expect. Part of her wanted to change and just spend the rest of the evening in bed, following leads or sleeping but she owed Angie for what she had done for her in the movie theater and truth be told she didn't want to be alone after that. She changed, washing her make up off and sighing as she slipped a robe on over her nightgown. Angie had been extraordinarily good to her, accepting of how dodgy she could be, defending her without prompting and always wanting to hear about her day despite both of them knowing she was lying and accepting it as the truth. Peggy did her best to avoid growing attachments to people, had lost far too much to continue the tedious act of making friends, finding it draining exchanging false pleasantries but when it came to Angela Martinelli, she found that resolve wavering. She sighed and switched off her bathroom light, took her key, tucking it into her palm before closing the door behind her.
She knocked softly, wincing with the action, forgetting her knuckles had been banged up earlier in the week and still hadn't quiet healed. She brought her right hand up to her mouth, blowing on the aching joints as though it made a difference. Angie opened the door with a theatrical wave of her hand. "C'mon in." Peggy slipped in and made her way to the bed, settling on the edge and watching Angie as she tied the belt to her robe tightly around her waist. Soft music was playing from the radio, Angie swayed to the beat, her hips drawing Peggy's eye.
Peggy snorted, watching as Angie dramatically turned, her head bowed before she began to hum along to the song on the radio. Angie's heart was pounding in her chest, much worse than any audition nerves she'd suffered as she hummed along, forgetting what it was she had intended to do by standing in front of Peggy like a fool with a song on the radio that always made her feel giddy because it was applicable to her life.
Hold me close and hold me fast
The magic spell you cast
This is la vie en rose…
Peggy sat still, watching Angie as she sang along, swaying alone. She avoided any scenario where dancing would happen, she didn't like to think about the reason why and she felt that wall of resolve slowly crumbling as she Angie finally turned, her eyes closed tight as she sang along. She felt as if someone picked her up by imaginary strings and with a tentative step, she approached, closing the distance, her left arm looping around Angie's waist, pulling her closer, their hands meeting for a slow waltz.
When you press me to your heart
I'm in a world apart
A world where roses bloom
Angie tucked herself closer to Peggy, both of them swaying barefoot in the dark of Angie's room, the moonlight shining through the window as Angie continued along, resting her head on Peggy's strong shoulder, finally opening her eyes and studying Peggy as she swayed, her eyes closed. It was as though the stars had conspired and aligned for this moment, it felt like a dream. "I really like this song." Angie whispered, afraid to break the spell they both seemed to be under.
"It's lovely." Peggy breathed, eyes still closed, her fingers knotting into the fabric of Angie's robe. She took a deep breath, inhaling whatever it was that made Angie smell so comforting and finding that what was happening was something she wouldn't mind doing more often. "Thank you for the evening."
"Anytime…" Angie replied, still holding onto Peggy despite the song being over and another following it. She felt the words still deep in her bones and held onto Peggy as though her life depended on it. "I like hanging around you."
"Likewise." Peggy replied, a shiver passing down her spine as Angie straightened up, keeping her body close as she studied Peggy's expression, looking for her tell. Grey green eyes drank in the sight of a seemingly befuddled secretive woman still holding tight to the idea that she was convincingly covering up her feelings. Angie found herself endeared by how Peggy was doing her best to play it cool
When you kiss me heaven sighs
And though I close my eyes
I see la vie en rose.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Angie teased, her body humming with proximity, making sure to keep time with the song, watching the way Peggy's eyes nervously flitted from her own towards her lips. She swallowed, moistening her lips with her tongue before tentatively leaning forward, pressing her lips against Peggy's. They stopped moving, stopped breathing, even the radio seemed to hold its breath as they kissed. Peggy's hands slid along Angie's waist as Angie's hands delicately cupped Peggy's face, pulling away slowly, eyes closed tight, fearing her reaction.
"No sooner met but they looked, no sooner looked but they loved, no sooner loved but they sighed, no sooner sighed but they asked one another the reason, no sooner knew the reason but they sought the remedy." Peggy breathed, eyes locked onto Angie's.
"As You Like It, the play about secrets. Very subtle, English." Peggy blushed as Angie tapped the tip of her nose. "Maybe you'll tell me your secrets."
"Someday." Peggy replied, a shy smile playing across her features, relishing how easily it came to her, standing here in the dark with Angie in her arms. "Right now, I'm quite tired."
"Well, I don't take up much room." Angie said, nodding with her chin towards the bed. "I'd hate for the night to end…"
"Likewise."