"You're telling me you can speak how many languages, but Italian's not one of them?"
Peggy Carter had the grace to blush when Angie Martinelli plopped down on the couch beside her, eyes wide in disbelief.
"I barely spent any time in Italy during the war, Angie," she reminded her, smoothing down her skirt. "German, French, Russian – those were the ones I needed to know in order to stay alive."
Angie groaned. "But Pegs, Italian is the language of love."
Peggy laughed and swatted her arm. "I believe that's French."
"Nuh-uh. Not buying it," Angie scowled, leaning over to waggle a finger at her roommate. "Have you even heard Italian? Real Italian?"
Peggy bit her lower lip and grinned. "Is that what you yell whenever you burn yourself in the kitchen?"
"Very funny, English." She scooted closer and studied her friend. "How about I teach you a few basic phrases? You're smart. Bet ya' can pick it up real quick."
Peggy actually seemed to consider this. "Learn Italian from a native speaker? How could I possibly resist an offer such as that?" she finally relented in a teasing tone.
Angie immediately thought of several other offers she wished Peggy wouldn't resist, but quickly pushed those thoughts aside. Not the time, she reminded herself. She could visit those ideas later in the privacy of her own room. With the door closed. And a pillow over her head to muffle her inevitable moans. She swallowed hard.
Not. the. time.
"Angie?" came Peggy's concerned voice. "Are you feeling all right? Your face is quite red."
Angie coughed uncomfortably, trying to mask her embarrassment at being caught fantasizing by the object of her fantasies.
"I'm fine, Pegs. Just a little warm in here." She leaned over and tried to steer the conversation back in a safer direction. "So whaddya say? How about we start with the basics?"
"Seems reasonable enough," Peggy smiled, apparently satisfied with her explanation.
"Okay. Well first thing you should probably know is good morning," she began, but Peggy interrupted her.
"Oh! That one I think know. Buona jorno," she smiled triumphantly, a wicked gleam in her eyes.
Angie stared at her in horror before breaking out into peals of laughter. "Oh geez, Peg, that's awful," she stammered, cracking up even more when she saw the look on Peggy's face.
"Is that not how it's pronounced," Peggy asked, seemingly affronted.
"No!" Angie giggled, wiping a tear from her eye. "Let's try it again, okay? Good morning is buon giorno," she told her.
"Buon giorno," Peggy repeated.
"Exactly!" Angie beamed. "Now let's try good evening – buona notte."
"Buona notte," Peggy parroted.
Angie winked. "Gee, English, you're a natural."
"It would seem so," Peggy agreed, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Well let's try something a little harder, then. Here's one that'll come in handy – Dov'é il bagno."
"And that means what precisely?"
"Where's the bathroom," Angie snickered.
Peggy cracked a smile. "I can see how that could be useful."
Angie laughed and proceeded to teach Peggy another phrase, then another, until they had spent close to half an hour of Angie saying a word or phrase and Peggy repeating it back to her until Angie was satisfied the older woman could properly say it. She had to admit, Peggy was picking it up beautifully, able to grasp some of the more complex phrases Angie threw at her with ease.
"So, you're telling me every time you've smiled at me and said di niente, you were actually saying it doesn't matter?" Peggy asked amused.
Angie grinned. "Guilty as charged."
Peggy glared at her in mock anger. "I'm disappointed in you, Miss Martinelli."
Angie rolled her eyes. "No you're not. Admit it, English, you find my Italian outbursts charming."
"I admit no such thing," Peggy told her, arching an eyebrow.
Angie leaned in closer. "Charming," she repeated in a sing song voice.
Peggy simply stared at her. Angie, undeterred, laid her head on Peggy's shoulder and looked up at her.
"Charming."
Peggy let out a resigned sigh. "Oh, all right. You're charming."
Angie popped up in triumph. "I knew it!"
"Incorrigible," Peggy muttered, but Angie could see the laughter in her eyes. "Are we done for the evening?"
"I think so," Angie nodded. "I'm going to take care of a few things in the kitchen."
"I believe I'll stay here for a bit. There's some reading I'd like to catch up on," Peggy replied, reaching for the book that lay on the end table near the couch.
Angie grinned. "Not gonna work on that Italian? I'm disappointed in ya', English."
"I'm sure you'll get over it," Peggy retorted dryly before opening her book and settling back against the soft cushions.
"Caio!" Angie playfully called out as she left the room, leaving Peggy to her reading.
XXX
More than two hours had passed by the time Angie finished clearing away the pots and pans from dinner and had made sure everything was spic and span in the kitchen. She supposed her impromptu organization of the spice shelf hadn't really been necessary, but years of cooking organization had been ingrained into her by her mother, and, sadly, it wasn't as if she'd really had anything better to do at 9 p.m. on a Friday night.
Turning off the light, Angie started towards the stairs to go to her room when she noticed the study light spilling into the hallway from beneath the door. Was Peggy still awake? She padded over to the door and gently pushed it open, peeking her head inside. What she saw made her smile.
Peggy lay reclined against the armrest of the couch, book perched on her chest, eyes closed in what looked to be a light slumber. It was rare for Angie to witness Peggy in an unguarded moment such as this, and she found herself eager to take advantage of the opportunity to quietly study her friend.
She quietly made her way across the floor and knelt down, staring longingly at Peggy's peaceful features. Even in sleep, she was beautiful, and Angie wistfully wondered if she'd ever see the day when the British woman regarded her as anything other than simply a friend.
Sighing, she reached out and brushed a curl away from Peggy's eyes. "Ti amo, il mio cuore,"she softly whispered. "Con te voglio passare la mia vita."
She rose and turned to leave, but stopped when gentle fingers enfolded her wrist.
"Angie?" came Peggy's soft voice.
"Peggy!" she exclaimed whirling back around. "I thought you were asleep!"
"I was merely resting," Peggy informed her, rising to sit, dark brown eyes fixed upon Angie's shocked gaze.
"Oh! Well, that's good. I'm just… gonna' head upstairs now and… go to bed. Yeah! Bed. I'm real tired," Angie said, stumbling over her words. "So uh, good night, Pegs!"
She tried to leave, but Peggy wouldn't release her. Instead, she tugged on Angie's wrist, beckoning her to sit by her side. With a sigh, Angie complied, staring at the older woman, unsure what to say.
When Peggy spoke, her words were gentle. "What did you just say to me?"
Angie gave her a weak smile. "Uh, good night, Pegs?" she offered hopefully.
Peggy rolled her eyes. "The part before that – the Italian."
Angie felt her cheeks begin to burn, and she knew her face must be turning a brilliant shade of red.
"Oh? That?" she said with a forced laugh. "I was… uh… just telling you good night."
Peggy seemed skeptical. "Oh?"
"Absolutely!" Angie insisted, running with the lie. "Good night and sweet dreams. That was it!"
"How interesting," Peggy replied, an eyebrow arched in disbelief. "I thought good night was buona notte."
"Um," Angie bit her lip. "It's different in a Sicilian dialect?" She winced, the fib sounding hollow even to her.
"I think not," she murmured, and Angie was surprised to see Peggy's eyes darken with emotion as she continued speaking. "Because if I'm not mistaken, what you said was 'I love you, my heart.' And "I want to spend my life with you."
Angie's mouth fell open, because that was exactly what she'd said, but there was no way Peggy could've known that unless she…
"You said you didn't speak Italian!" she breathed accusingly.
The corners of Peggy's mouth curved in a smile, and she shrugged.
"I lied."
Angie stared at her, brows furrowed in confusion. "But, why?" She was still trying to process the fact she'd just admitted her love to a very awake Peggy, and the older woman hadn't slapped her or yelled at her to get out of their home. Quite the opposite, in fact. Peggy watched her with, dare Angie think it, a sheepish look.
"I actually quite enjoy hearing you speak your family's native language, but you do it so rarely," Peggy admitted, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
Angie gave an awkward laugh. "You coulda' just asked, English."
"I suppose I could have," Peggy agreed, bringing her gaze back to Angie's. She raised a tentative hand and gently cupped Angie's cheek. "I must admit I wasn't quite expecting such a revelation when you offered to teach me tonight." Her gaze softened. "I didn't mean to embarrass you."
Angie released a shaky breath and leaned into the caress, not quite believing this was actually happening. "Loving you doesn't embarrass me, Peggy Carter."
She heard Peggy exhale and when she looked up, Angie found those sinfully red lips only inches away from her own.
"Thank God," is all Peggy said before capturing Angie's lips with her own.
Heaven. The word kept repeating itself over and over in Angie's mind as Peggy's lips and tongue did the most delicious things, and when she felt Peggy gently push her back to lie atop her, she was sure of it. When they finally broke apart for air, Peggy's forehead resting against her own, hand tracing a lazy pattern on Angie's hip through the fabric of her skirt, Angie sighed.
"What is it, darling," Peggy asked, dropping a tender kiss against Angie's lips.
"I was just thinking," Angie murmured.
"About?"
"Well if this is how all our lessons are going to go, I think I'm going to want to learn German, Russian and French!"
Angie smiled when she heard Peggy's laughter and responded with a giggle of her own, but her merriment quickly morphed into a gasp when she felt warm fingers slip under her skirt and begin to trail up her thigh.
She glanced up to see Peggy staring at her with a wolfish smile. "I believe we can arrange that, but for now, I think I'd like to continue with Italian." Her hand glanced across bare skin and Angie sucked in a sharp breath. "Wouldn't you agree?"
"Assolutamente."