10
"What's going on," Steve said to Peggy once he shut the door.
"What makes you think I know any more than you," Peggy replied.
"I can tell," Steve said. "I know you too well."
Peggy was sitting up on the couch and she leaned over the back of it to see him, holding back a yawn. Steve walked over to her and met her on the other side of the couch back, taking her face in his hands and bending down just enough to kiss the tip of her nose. Mouth kisses were saved for after they'd both brushed their teeth. He brushed her hair back and she put her hands gently on his wrists.
"How are you feeling?" She asked.
"I'm fine," Steve said.
"You're not," she said.
"What makes you think you know better than me how I feel?" Steve challenged. Peggy smiled a little and parroted him.
"I can tell," she said teasingly, but their smiles were short-lived.
"Are you taking your medicine?" She asked.
"Of course I am," Steve said.
"You looked away from my eyes," Peggy said. Steve took his hands back and turned around, walking towards the kitchen.
"You don't have to hover over me about it, Peg. I took it yesterday, I took it the day before that," Steve said and he opened the fridge.
"If I ask Barnes, will he back you up?" Peggy asked.
"If you ask Barnes, he'll say he doesn't remember," Steve replied and when he said that, he felt as though he'd been stabbed in the gut. Bam, the real world again, coming to remind him that this wasn't a dream. Steve took a breath.
They were quiet for a moment.
"How is he now?" Peggy asked quietly.
"He's lying in bed with a pillow over his face," Steve said. There was an edge of spite, or anger in his voice. He didn't know exactly where it came from. "Like he has been for the past two days." Steve took the orange juice out of the fridge and turned around. He used it to gesture towards her. "You know something about this," he said and uncapped it and took a swig. Peggy sighed.
"I know there's something wrong with SHIELD," she said. "That's really all I know. Whoever did this to him," she paused. "Well, I'd be willing to bet they're some of our coworkers."
Steve set the carton of orange juice on the counter and began pulling out pancake mix.
"What's the special occasion?" Peggy asked, noticing the pancake bag.
"My best friend came back from the dead," Steve said.