Peggy sat on the couch in her and Steve's quarters. Her knees up to her chest as she rested the side of her face on them as she looked down to the pillow that was on the floor. Knowing that Steve was lying to her about something made her feel very uneasy. And angry. Perhaps angry above all else. But she was always one to keep her temper under wraps...for now.
Steve came through the quarters door, he saw Peggy and tilted his head with a confused smile
"You okay, honey?" he muttered as he laid a kiss on top of her head as he walked over to their kettle.
"Yeah I just...have something on my mind"
Steve looked at her for a moment and then turned back to the kettle "Yeah? What would that be?"
"I just can't help but think why the hell you are lying to me"
Steve stopped pouring the water into his cup. He stopped moving altogether. Steve gulped heavily, after a moment he turned around to Peggy now stood up, staring at him. She saw how he was going to say something stupid such as 'what are you talking about'
Peggy pointed to him and shook her head "You're so-"
"Just let me explain, okay?" Steve kept his tone soft and calm as he held his hands up. Peggy crossed her arms and nodded "Oh. I expect you to"
Steve walked over to the couch and motioned his hand to it "Want to sit down?"
"No" her tone was so sharp that it felt like it actually stabbed him. Steve closed his eyes for a moment and stayed stood up, facing her. He opened his eyes and looked back into her brown eyes that weren't as soft and sweet as they usually were.
Steve laid his hands on his hips, his words started off shaky through his nerves, this was the not so good kind of nervous that she made him feel. It was a rare kind of nervous and one he did not enjoy.
"Why have you lied to me?"
"Alright, alright look...the day of the party I went to visit Bucky, to ask him to come to the party and he said no"
"Yes I know he said no, you told me he said no"
Steve cleared his throat and then said "But I never said why"
Peggy's eyebrows pinched together "You told me there was no solid reason"
Steve nodded and rubbed his lips together "That's the lying part"
Peggy placed her hands together and pointed them towards him "You really need to stop beating around the goddamn bush" she hissed. Steve tried to be as straightforward as he could, but he was panicking inside. He could tell that she was hurt by knowing that he's lied to her so far. How is she going to react when he tells her he was keeping the truth about Howard's death from her "It was Bucky. He...found something out"
Peggy crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows "Go on"
"Peggy please you don't-"
"Steve!"
"It's about Howard, okay...Bucky...caused Howard's car crash...it was an accident, Peggy it was an assassination"
Right there, Peggy's heart dropped. Howard. She never even imagined that thi would be about Howard. The only man in her life besides Steve, when she no longer had Steve she still had Howard to be there for her. Like Bucky was to Steve. Howard was to her. A brother. A younger, stupid little brother that she felt like she had to take care of all the time. But she loved him nonetheless. Peggy's jaw slightly dropped, she fell down onto the couch and just stared straight ahead.
"Promise me you'll be careful, Peg"
"I promise you"
Those last words. Those very last words rung in her head. Knowing that Howard didn't die in an accident...that he was...assassinated. It hurt more than she could ever imagine. Peggy bowed her head down and pressed her forehead against her clenched hand. Steve sat down next to her and just looked at her "Look I was going-"
"To tell me?" Peggy snapped, looking back him. She stared at him, he looked like a deer in front of headlights, but right now she didn't really care. She was just mad.
"How about you don't put a lie on top of another lie, Steve. You never intended on telling me"
"Look, I know how this looks. Lying about a friend's death"
"Howard. This is not just some friend that I knew for a few months, this is Howard Stark. A man who has been there for me before and after you"
Hearing her talk like that 'before and after you' hurt him. Quite a lot if he was being honest. It just reminded him of the pain that she went through. Sometimes, he forgets all that even happened.
Steve stared at her for a moment, her angered and hurt eyes. He was rather speechless on what to say "Okay...maybe I wasn't going to tell but I was just trying to protect you"
"I don't need protection! Since when have I been the type of woman in your life who needed your protection?"
He bowed his head down for a moment as Peggy stood up. But he wanted to stand by his point. He stood up after her and stared at her, her back was facing him. She was taking deep breaths to try and keep calm.
"Wouldn't you have done the same thing if it was Angie?"
And that was it. That was something she just couldn't shake off. Peggy spun around and yelled "Don't you dare bring her into this!"
Steve could tell that he hit a nerve by the way she looked at him. Peggy clenched her fists and brought them up in level with her face
"I can not believe you've even dared to use her as an...excuse like that to try and...okay...let's play long here. If Angie ever came to me with such a secret and begged me not to tell you...although I valued her friendship with an incredible amount. I wouldn't be able to keep anything from you, especially if it was about your best friends death...if Bucky actually did die from falling off that train, and I found out from Nat about something more to do with his death I would tell you regardless of what Natasha wished because, above all the friendships we have. I value you. My fiance. My love...I value trust and truth in our relationship more than anything...and I thought that you felt that the same"
"I-I do, I just-"
"You don't" Peggy shook her head, her tone fainted to a more weak and wounded one. She didn't want to make it sound like she thinks that she was more important than Bucky in Steve's life, it's not what she meant. Bucky was practically Steve's brother and she knew how important their relationship is because she knew how important her relationship was with Angie, and how it is with Natasha. But her point was. When it came to be honest. Their relationship should be his number one when it came to that. Especially about this.
Peggy dropped her hands and let out a deep sigh, she shook her head and looked down to her shoes.
"Baby. Please just-try to understand"
"I understand. I understand why Bucky wouldn't want me to know and I understand why he would ask this but I don't understand why you would keep the truth about Howard's death from me. And why you've still tried to dig your way out of this hole by worming your way around it rather than just laying it down. I loved Howard. He felt like a brother to me just as much as Bucky feels like a brother to you! And you know what" Peggy grabbed her gun from the side and slid it into her holder.
She walked past him and over to the door and said "You would be just as pissed with me if the tables were turned"
"Peggy!" Steve pleaded with her as he spun around. He then made his one more sharp and loud "Peggy! Hey! Don't walk out on me"
Peggy, with her door on the handle looked back at him and snarled "Tell you what when you stop lying to me, I'll stop walking out"
She turned the handle, opened the door and slammed it shut behind her.
Steve let her be. She clearly didn't want to speak to him right now. By the way she avoided eye contact and stuck by Natasha as they were all rounded up to get set on their mission that Tony had finally prepared. During his whole time of explaining, Steve listened but also had his eyes fixed on Peggy. Peggy listened with her eyes still on Tony.
As they all went to walk towards the plane. Tony walked by the side of Steve "So. My dad was assassinated"
Steve shut his eyes for a brief moment and sighed "She told you"
"Straight away, she came to my quarters as soon as she found out and told me"
"Tony...I'm sorry...and Bucky he didn't-"
"Let me stop you right there Rogers, my dad and I have invented things that has been the cause of thousands of people's death over the years. We all make mistakes. This mission is evident to that. And your buddy Barnes had no control I know that where as we did"
"Still, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you"
Tony cleared his throat and muttered "Well between you and me. I do get why you didn't. I even get why you'd want to keep it from the mrs. You had good intentions, Steve. I know that and so does she"
"She's furious with me"
"Peg is taking it to heart because she is in love with you and is therefore more emotional about it. I on the other hand can confidently tell you now that I'm not in love with you and so I am not as emotional about it" Tony patted Steve on the back "What's done is done. Knowing the truth about my parents death may feel good in a way to at least know the truth but, it's not gonna make them any less dead" he gave Steve another slap on the back and then walked ahead of him onto the plane.
Steve slowly walked up the ramp to see Peggy sat down, putting on her finger-less gloves. She glanced to him but didn't say anything, she looked back down to her gun and set up the bullets for it.
"Are we good to go?" she called out to whoever was playing pilot. Clint flicked the odd switch and called back "Yep, hold onto your seats kids"
Steve would have gone and sat next to Peggy, but Natasha placed her hand on his chest "A bit of sisterly advice here, Rogers. Let it simmer down before trying to talk to her" she gave his chest a light slap and walked over to sit next to Peggy.
Steve walked to the other side of the plane and sat in the middle of Thor and Bruce.
Natasha nudged Peggy "He had a good heart with it all"
Peggy glanced to Steve and then looked back down to her gun, staring at the engraving Cap's best girl. She cleared her throat and brought her eyes back to Natasha "Wouldn't you be angry if you were me?"
Natasha looked at her for a moment to contemplate her deep down, that gave Peggy the feeling that Natasha wanted to say no but she really meant yes. Peggy gave her a warm smile "It's alright, Natasha. It's not like I'm calling off the engagement" she lightly laughed "I just...Howard...it all needs to sink in, I need to just get a chance to calm down about it"
"I know, Peg" Natasha rubbed Peggy's back and then sat back in her chair.
The plane flew at such a fast pace it took half the time to get to the African coast. The whole time, Peggy stayed on one side of the plane and Steve on the other. She fell asleep at one point, and he did go over and kiss her on the forehead, whispering 'I'm sorry' to her softly. He didn't know if Peggy heard it or not...she did. Now awake and ready, Peggy stood with the team and listened to their orders "Thor, Cap and I will confront Ultron. Widow, Hawkeye n Carter, stay in the shadows, if we all approach together then it'll be hard to cover each other"
They all nodded to them, Tony turned to Bruce "Banner...you stay behind here in case of a code green, yes?"
"That would be much preferred" Bruce said with a confident nod "The less I get involved the better" he muttered as he sat back down on the seat. Thor slapped Bruce's shoulder and bellowed "Do not speak so low of yourself banner, you are of great use to us"
Bruce gave Thor a tight smile and a grateful nod "Thanks"
The door opened, all of them giving either a nod or a small smile to Bruce as they walked down and outside. Steve walked beside Peggy, both of them looking straight ahead Steve muttered "Do you plan on talking to me?"
"Can we please just get this mission done?" Peggy sighed as she placed her hands on her hips. She didn't give him a glance. Natasha looked to Clint beside her and raised her eyebrows at him about the situation. Clint let out a quiet chuckle and swung his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. He didn't comment on the situation. He just kissed Natasha on the top of her head and carried on walking with her.
When they arrived outside the building. They all stopped, ready to split up. Peggy looked to Steve and said what she says when she's angry before a mission but still wants to show an element concern towards Steve "Don't die"
Steve gave her a small tight smile and just said "I love you too"
Peggy hung back with Natasha as Clint was on another side of the ship. They all had their ears focusing on Thor, Cap and Tony's confrontation with Ultron. Peggy felt a nudge in her back from Natasha "Maximoffs" she nodded up to the young man and woman stood behind Ultron. They could only see them ever so slightly by their holding location.
Deep down, Peggy wanted to...save them. There was something about them which made her pity them. Feeling that they were brainwashed some how. Being young meant they were easily manipulated. Peggy noticed the anger on Pietro and Wanda's face when looking at Tony. Making her wonder what Tony did to them, because Tony sure as hell didn't seem to know. Steve earned himself a brownie point with her as she heard him say to the twins
"You two can still walk away from this"
He felt just the same as she did, thinking that the twins needed to be helped instead of stopped.
"Oh we will" Wanda spoke up, giving Steve a sarcastic sympathetic face.
Steve kept his tone in a calm voice "I know you've suffered-"
His attempts in trying to get through to the twins was quickly shut off from Ultron. Ultron let out a sinister laugh "Captain America. God's righteous man. Pretending you could live without a war"
Peggy gripped tighter on her gun, taking in a deep breath. Although she was mad, it still made her blood boil hearing people or in this case robots say things to Steve that she know will be hitting a nerve with him and hurting him. Saying that Steve needed a war...it would make him feel guilty, she knew how much he wanted peace. How much he felt a war could cost him every time.
"Keep it calm, Peg, he's just trying to rile him up and you for that matter" Peggy then looked to Natasha, not fully understanding what she means, Natasha raised an eyebrow "He knows your watching"
Peggy gulped heavily and licked her bottom lip, she glanced down to her gun as she looked back to Ultron.
"What's the vibranium for?"
"I'm glad you asked that because I wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan"
Ultron's hand lit up as he began his attack on Tony, with his bots setting off on Steve and Thor. Soon enough Klaue's came in on their own attack. Peggy and Natasha looked to each other.
"Time to get to work" Natasha said in a singie high pitched tone.
"Hi-ho" Peggy laughed as they gripped onto their weapons and got ready to fight the men as they came in. Taking them on was no sudden task. Peggy made her way outside. With her serum in her veins like Steve. She could take on things a little heavier. Steve saw her run past and jump on one of the bot, taking it down and smashing it apart.
"Peg! You-"
"Don't tell me to just handle Klaue's henchmen!" she yelled back as she walked away, holding her gun up for any chance to shoot.
Peggy made her way up a floor. The same floor as what Thor was on. She slowly walked down a quiet pathway, her gun still in her hold. She suddenly felt a fuzzy feeling go through her brain, she didn't exactly know what was happening to her but, she suddenly felt...odd. Her hand lent against the fall as she felt slightly dizzy for a moment.
She may not know what was happening to her.
But you do. Don't you?
Poor Steve and Peggy. Both hurting in different ways for the same reason..
YESS the dreams are coming! That little witch is messing with their minds...
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