She's dead. She's dead. She's dead and her once warm skin was already growing cold. Steve could think of nothing else, thoughts repeating in his head like a broken record, as he clutched her lifeless body to his chest. Dead. Because of him. Because he had been careless, relying on his enhancements to keep him safe.

Once upon a time in school he learned that it took a body a couple of hours to lose all warmth after death but Peggy's skin was chilled already and no amount of talking to her had any effect. Her eyes stayed closed, hiding her beautiful brown eyes. A sob got stuck in his chest and he pressed his nose to her hair. Her blood was slicking his hands, making them stick to the fabric of her clothes.

Tears burned their path down his face.

"Now, don't you cry, Stevie." a voice drawled and Steve whipped around.

Clean cut dark pants were in front of him, leading up to a white, pressed shirt and a neatly cut mustache in a sly looking face.

"Yeah, why so sad?" another voice skipped in, belonging to a man with low sitting jeans and a simple shirt. Steve physically jerked back when his eyes brushed over the horns protruding from his forehead, framed by dark hair.

Steve clutched Peggy's body closer to himself. Were they here to take her away from him? Peggy didn't belong in hell.

"Who are you?" he asked with his breath hitching. He scooted back, keeping his hold on Peggy. They wouldn't get her. Not without a fight.

"I'm Bucky." the horned one answered with a lazy smile.

He waved a hand towards his dapper looking companion who nodded his greeting with a serious face.

"This is Howard. We can help you." Bucky all but purred.

Steve gently lowered Peggy's corpse to the floor and stood up, realizing with a certain, distant sense of satisfaction that both men where smaller than him by an inch at least.

"You're demons." He said slowly and moved so he was in front of Peggy, shielding her from their eyes.

"Why would you help me?"

"Don't you want her back?" The demon with the mustache, Howard, said, gesturing towards Peggy.

"Yes, of course I-"

"We can revive her. She'll be as good as new." Howard cut him off. His eyes were a deep dark red; his companions were a gold yellow tone.

"What's the catch?" Steve asked defensively. These things never came without a price and that price was usually quite steep.

"Just a kiss." Bucky said. He was smiling slightly, softly, no mocking in his tone but who knew with demons.

"You're demons. That won't be all, will it?" Steve shot back, narrowing his eyes at them. If he could kill them?

"Well. It's not easy to put the right soul back into the body, so we'll need a little more, of course. As compensation for our troubles." Howard said and Steve could see Bucky smirk out of the corner of his eyes.

"How much more?" Steve asked. To himself he acknowledged that he would do anything for Peggy, to have her back, alive in his arms.

"Your obedience for the next 10 years. Every month you will be our slave for three days. After that you're free to do as you please." Bucky said.

"That is all?" Steve asked.

"Yes." The demons answered in unison.

"Make your choice. The longer you wait the higher the prize will get." Howard snapped impatiently.

Steve mulled it over.

"Deal." He finally said.

With a sly grin, eyes flashing a brighter red, Howard pulled Steve down, then Bucky took his turn plundering his mouth.

At his feet Peggy gasped, chest moving and when Steve turned back the demons had vanished.

He fell to Peggy's side and clutched her to his chest in joy.

"Stop, Steve, you're crushing me." She gasped and clawed at Steve's arms.

"What happened?" She whispered and leaned against him, obviously tired..

"You were shot." Steve mumbled into her hair.