Chapter 5: First quarter of 2016
January 7, 2016
Auburndale Arts School
12:52 PM
Quickening his pace, Steve maneuvers around the people he passes by. He had 8 minutes left before his class started. He had overstayed again in the drawing studio for his Figure Drawing class, completely forgetting that he had a 1 PM class. Now, he's skipping his lunch again.
"Rogers!" someone called, making Steve halt in his pace and look around. He then spots a bubbly blonde, waving at him.
"Hurry up, will you?!" Angie bellowed before she met him halfway and dragged him to the literature building.
Soon enough the two were walking through the hallway. Angie handed a sandwich, "Skipping lunch again Steve?"
Steve looked at the offered meal and smiled gratefully at the blonde, "Thanks, Angie. You're a lifesaver," he then unwrapped the sandwich and took a big bite.
Angie snorts, "Yeah, well, if you didn't know how to tell time, I might as well be your lunch manager and make sure you eat," She then nudged him in the shoulder, "Bucky would be furious if he knew how much lunch period you had skipped because you can't stop working,"
"It's just the third day of school, Ang," Steve reasons as he wipes his mouth, "I haven't skipped many lunches yet,"
"Whatever Rogers, three days or not, you skip lunch," Ange then pulls his arms and walks faster, "Now walk faster, we're late."
... ... ...
"Don't forget to take note of the assignment I left for your class," Mr. Brown announces as students begin to stand from their seats and leave the lecture hall.
Steve finishes up writing his notes as Angie fixes her things. As the young actress-to-be settles in her seat while waiting for Steve, she quickly notices another classmate of hers.
"Oh, no…" Angie mumbles glumly.
"What's wrong?" Steve asks without looking at the blonde next to him and focuses on the board in front.
"There's someone I know that I'm not quite fond of," Angie then elbowed and turned to him, "Rogers, make it quick. I don't really want her to see me here,"
"Huh?" Steve looked up around before glancing at his friend, "Who are you talking about?"
"Her," Angie tilted her head to the side and Steve followed the direction.
He saw another blonde girl sitting by the other side of the row. She had her legs crossed, swinging her left foot boredly as she typed on her phone. Suddenly, she looked up and turned to glance at him. This somehow startles the man, and he quickly looks away.
"I think she saw me looking," Steve mumbled to Angie but kept his gaze down at his notebook.
"What?!" Angie whispered hysterically, "Rogers, hurry up. Are you done? Let's go," Angie then stands up and hauls her bag to her shoulder.
Before she could walk away, someone suddenly cleared her throat, making her stand stiff. Angie slowly turned.
"Hey, Martinelli,"
"Oh, hi, Lorraine," Angie then smiled sweetly as she tilted her head, "I didn't know you were in this class,"
"Yeah, so did I." Lorraine then tilted her head to glance at Steve, who was bashfully packing up his things, "But this cutie here looked at me and then suddenly noticed your familiar blonde hair,"
"Oh," Angie suddenly felt conscious of her hair and playfully ran her fingers through it.
"What's your name?" Lorraine suddenly asked, making Angie furrow her brow.
"Uh, what?" Angie confusingly looked at her classmate.
"Him," Lorraine points behind her before looking back at her directly, "Who's he? Your boyfriend?"
Angie suddenly cackled before turning around to look at Steve, confused and a little annoyed at the loud laughter of his friend.
"Oh, um, this is Rogers. He's not my boyfriend," Angie then grinned as Steve slowly stood up completely baffled at the turn of conversation. "He's my good friend,"
Lorraine smirks, "I'm Lorraine Smith, Performing Arts major" She offers her hand.
Steve looked at the hand for a second before looking back at her, "Steven Rogers, Fine Arts."
Lorraine smiles mischievously again, and then her eyes sparkle with interest, "Are you dating anyone?"
"Woah, okay," Angie then steps in front of the blonde while nervously laughing, "Um, don't we have the same class next? Why don't we head on?"
Lorraine sultrily looks at Steve through her eyelashes, making the blonde man rigid at the absurd interaction. Before he can react, Angie pulls Lorraine and mutters a goodbye to him.
... ... ...
When the weekend came, Steve sat at the L&L automat that midday. Angie was off duty as she had an audition to attend. Bucky was off at his part-time job at Stark Industries, leaving the artist alone by himself. Although, it was more physical.
His phone was prompt up, leaning on a bottle of ketchup. His camera was on, while Peggy was on the screen. Her eyes weren't directed at the camera but looked determined as she typed on her computer. Steve was silently working as well, finishing up an illustration for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
"Steve?" Peggy suddenly called before she paused on her typing.
"Yeah?" Steve mutters without looking up, keeping his eyes on his drawing.
"It's four o'clock here, so it's midday there," Peggy says matter-of-factly, looking at him working.
"Mmhmm…" Steve hums still invested in his task, making Peggy roll her eyes.
"Steven," Peggy calls sternly and this made Steve look up and turn to her.
"Sorry, yes, I'm paying attention now," Steve then brushes his hand to his cheek and a black smudge streaks his face.
Peggy sniggers and then gestures to her cheek, "You have a charcoal smudge on your right cheek,"
"Oh," Steve then searched his table for a table napkin but found none. So, he raised his hand and waited for a waitress to drop by.
"Since you're raising your hand, you might want to order up too," Peggy mutters as she rolls her computer chair back, "It's lunchtime for you and I will have my afternoon tea."
"Oh, right," Steve sheepishly smiles at her reminder, "Thanks for reminding,"
"No problem. I'll be right back," Peggy then grins as she stands up to leave.
"Okay, take your time," Steve then watches Peggy leave her room with her door half closed.
He smiles innocently at how Peggy feels comfortable letting him see her room and a part of her house. He just stared and admired the screen when suddenly, a familiar feminine voice spoke.
"Hey, Rogers,"
Steve turned his attention and was quickly surprised at the sight, "Lorraine?"
"Hi," Lorraine then leans on his table with one hand and the other on her hips.
Steve stared at her and took notice of her attire. She was wearing the L&L waitress uniform, "You work here too?" he confusingly asks as he slowly puts down his hand.
"Yup, just recently," Lorraine smirks and shrugs her shoulders, "So, what can I get ya?"
"Oh…uh," Steve scratches his cheek and tries to remember the menu, "I'll have a burger and fries,"
"Okay," Lorraine writes down on her pad, "Is that your usual?" She inquires.
Steve tilts his head at the question, "Uh, I guess…"
"Noted," Lorraine then slips the paper on the table and hands it to the blonde. She taps on it with her pen.
"Uh, I think this should be yours," Steve muttered, confused being handed over the L&L note paper, thinking that his order was written.
"No, it's yours to keep and take note," Lorraine then chuckles when Steve reads down the note and blushes, "Save my number and text me,"
"Oh…" Steve looks up at the blonde, baffled as he has never encountered this before. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.
"You have something—hold on," Lorraine then wets her thumb with her tongue and leans close to him to wipe the smudge out of his face.
Steve jolts in surprise, wide-eyed at the blonde. She was too close for Steve's preference, and he felt a little overwhelmed with the blue eyes staring at him.
"There, now you look handsome again," Lorraine smirked as she pulled away, "Relax, Rogers. I'm just teasing you. I'll be back with your order," she then walked away with a sway of her hips.
Steve was stunned, sitting down, completely lost with what had just happened. Suddenly, he hears someone clear their throat.
"Are you just going to sit there and do nothing about that?" Peggy madly asks, startling the blonde at her sudden appearance.
"Peggy!" Steve shockingly looked at the brunette, feeling guilty, even if he wasn't sure why, "How long have you been sitting there?"
"Long enough to see how that woman was literally hovering over you," Peggy frowned as her arms were crossed under her chest. "Who is she? You should report her!"
Steve sheepishly looked away and fumbled with his hands instead, "She's Lorraine, a classmate of mine in Formal Reasoning class,"
Peggy was stupefied for a moment as numerous thoughts crossed her mind, "So, you know her?" she asked, almost whispering.
"Sort of," Steve shrugs before looking back at Peggy, "I just met her last Wednesday. Angie knows her more than I do. They are in the same program. Just got introduced,"
"And she's flirting with you already?" Peggy harshly questioned, accusingly.
Steve gawks at her, "What?! No,"
"Are you sure?" Peggy stared irritated, "Because from what I heard, she wants you to save her number and text her. And then she starts calling you handsome—" Peggy trails off, feeling annoyed with how the blonde can freely compliment her best friend without feeling ashamed or shy about it.
She then realized how that sounded, making her look back at Steve who had mixed expressions. He looked puzzled and ashamed.
She spoke softly, "It's not like I'm not agreeing with her. It's just that…" Peggy nibbled her lower lip as she could feel her cheeks warm up, especially when Steve started looking back at her directly, "I just find her a little too aggressive in…flirting with you and I worry that she's overcrowding you,"
Steve heaves in relief as he slowly nods his head, "Actually, she is. I don't even understand why she wants me to text her. Does she want me to remind her of our assignments or something?"
Peggy stares ridiculously at the blonde before she chuckles. At that sound, Steve then smiles and shakes his head, "I'm not keeping this. She's just a little over the top,"
The brunette smiles, feeling a sense of relief, "If you're not keeping it, make sure to redact her number. We wouldn't want her to think that you texted her when a stranger does it for you,"
"You're right,"
"I usually am," Peggy grins and Steve returns the smile before he grabs his charcoal pencil and starts drawing a line over the cellphone number.
February 13, 2016
Russell Square, London
9:16 AM
Peggy and her friends, Gemma, Alice, and Dina walk the garden square early that Saturday morning. It was surprisingly packed with people given the time. Some of the shops and cafés weren't open yet, but the streets were bustling with people already.
It was obvious that the city was preparing for the occasion tomorrow. Many of the shops were decorated with various heart shapes of pink, red, and white. People were already exuding the ambiance of romance.
"I'm so excited for tomorrow," Alice giddily says as she looks daydreaming while walking, "Ellis and I are going to the movies and then he said he's going to take me to a fancy restaurant,"
"What movie are you going to watch?" Gemma curiously asks as she leans on her.
"I'm not sure," Alice laughed, "I haven't thought about it. I'm just really into the idea of having a romantic date on Valentine's Day," she chuckled along with the other girls.
"What about you?" she adds, looking at Gemma.
"Oh, Tommy and I are going to have a romantic dinner too. He said he has some surprise so, I'm not really sure," Gemma then sniggers in enthusiasm.
"How about you, Peggy? Did you say yes to any date proposals?" Dina suddenly asks, snapping the brunette out of her thoughts.
Peggy blinked at her friends, trying to recall the question. She then shook her head, "I have no plans for tomorrow. Probably I'll be cooped up in my room,"
"What?" Gemma slightly bellows, "I have seen several Fulham boys visiting our school dropping letters into your pigeonhole. Didn't you check?"
Peggy rolls her eyes, "Of course, I did. But I respectfully declined. Besides, I need to prepare for my assessment at Trinity. It's in a few days,"
"Oh, please," Alice whines, "You have prepared for that since the school year started, hence why you have been offered by Trinity already. Give yourself a break and have some fun,"
"A romantic fun," Dina teased as she wrapped an arm over Peggy's shoulders, "Why don't you go out with the guy you came with during the Christmas dance? He looks fancy,"
Peggy groans before she huffed in glumness, "If I were to have romantic fun, it wouldn't be with Fred."
Gemma glances at her best friend. She could see the subtle downhearted look in her eyes, as if she was hoping for someone else to ask her. She then remembers a certain good-looking, blonde-haired, angular-faced, and blue-eyed American.
She then said, "Probably an overseas romantic date would do you good,"
Peggy looks at her and a tinge of red dashes her cheeks. She smiled and nodded her head.
... ... ...
February 13, 2016
L&L Automat, Brooklyn
11:28 AM
The diner was bustling with patrons and Steve secured his place on the left end of the diner counter. The automat was surprisingly decorated for the occasion the next day. It was a season of love, as many would say. People were already talking about their plans and were in high spirits. He was happy to see others happy.
"Coming right up," Angie's voice resounded, snapping the blonde artist out of his thoughts.
After a month of knowing that Lorraine worked in L&L too, Steve made it a point to avoid dropping by when she was on shift. The woman was relentless but when she saw Bucky with him, one day, her attention quickly shifted to his best friend. He couldn't be more thankful for his best friend's women magnetism.
Nowadays, he hangs around in the diner where he knows Lorraine is on a later shift or when Angie is present. So, when the bubbly girl turns around and quickly spots him, she waves at him.
"Hey, Steve," Angie then raises a finger, asking for a moment before dashing into the kitchen. After some time, she comes out and hands over a plate of scrambled eggs and hash browns to the man earlier. After, she walked up to him and looked at her wristwatch.
"What's your lunch?" Angie grins as she braces her arms over the counter and raises a brow at the other blonde.
"The usual," Steve smiles, gratefully.
"You got it," Angie then bellows to the kitchen window Steve's order before looking back at him. "So, where's Bucky?" Angie then looked around and found no familiar brunette.
"Uh…probably avoiding L&L because of Lorraine?" Steve sniggers as Angie chuckles along, "It's my fault, really. I brought the trouble to him,"
"Well, if I would blame anybody, it would be Lorraine's flirting habit. Who had the guts to flirt with a guy with his lady friend around?" Angie then smirked when Steve dazedly looked at her, "How's Peggy?"
"Uh, she's great. She's preparing for her college test," Steve then looks down at his sketch, trying to make himself work but then finds himself flummoxed.
"Oh, I see. So, she's got no plans for Valentine's Day?" Angie asks as she begins to wipe the spot next to the blonde.
Steve aimlessly strokes his pencil over a line he has done already, "Not that I'm aware of…She doesn't have to tell me stuff like that. She probably has…She just doesn't tell,"
Angie pinches her brow at the sad tone and looks at him directly. Steve's shoulders were hunched over his sketchbook, but his hands weren't focused on the task. Sighing to herself, Angie felt bad for even insinuating a day of love when the two weren't even officially more than friends. They talked often to the point that Angie thought the two were practically almost dating. But when reality hits her that Peggy is in London, while Steve is in New York, and that the two only know each other through video calls, chats, emails, and letters, it becomes apparent that their relationship isn't conventional.
"How about you? Got any plans for tomorrow?" Angie changes the subject.
Steve shook his head before looking back at her with a gentle smile, "I don't…usually have to make plans for days like tomorrow."
"What do you mean?" Angie places her hands on her hips, "Don't tell me you do not ask girls out for a Valentine's date?"
Steve scoffs, "As if anyone would agree to go out with me,"
Angie scowls at that, "Well, you probably asked the wrong type of girl,"
Steve shook his head, still smiling, "Doesn't matter. Valentine's Day is like any other day. I'm just glad to see people are in high spirits."
Angie purses her lips, "…Ask me out," she blurts.
"What?" Steve bemusedly looks at his friend.
"Come on, for the sake of the season of love, we can go out as friends and celebrate the wonder of love and romance. I'm an enthusiast of romance, and I believe you do too. So, we'll go out and find romantic things around us, and gush over it,"
Steve laughs, tilting his head back, before looking back at the other blonde, "Fine, we'll go in a museum and gush over paintings,"
Angie scrunches her nose before shaking her head, "Okay, fine, deal. But we go to… live music after,"
"How is that supposed to be romantic?"
"I don't know, I just like music," Angie then grinned, "I'll see you tomorrow here, Steve, at 4 PM,"
"Okay…" Steve softly smiles before Angie turns away and heads to the kitchen.
... ... ...
"Stark Art Gallery?" Angie mutters as she reads the big signage of the three-floor large building in front of her, "Why here?"
"Because they are displaying some of the greatest romanticism paintings," Steve looked at the building with excitement, "Just imagine how influential Stark Industries is to get a hold of these paintings and hold a gallery show."
Angie raised a brow, unsure how to react, "That's great, I guess, based on your excitement for this,"
Steve just laughs, "It is. Now, come on, I'll give you background about some of these paintings,"
Angie smiles, trying to match the enthusiasm of the blonde, "Great! Free art lecture,"
... ... ...
"And this—" Steve stops in front of a large painting and then turns to look at his side. He then became bewildered as Angie disappeared by his side. He completely forgot to check up on her as he just continued to babble about each painting. "Angie?"
"Over here," Steve hears her faint voice. He then looked at the back where he came from and quickly saw the now tired, bubbly girl sitting on one of the cushioned ottoman chairs. Bashfully, Steve walks back to her and sits next to her.
"Sorry, I got lost in my lecture," Steve scratched his head as he watched Angie massage her ankle.
Angie chuckles, "It's okay. I was enjoying it too until my ankle whined and I just needed to sit down. I think I lost focus when we reached the second floor. Sorry,"
Steve sniggers, "It's fine. Do you want to leave now? Do something else?"
Angie shook her head, "No, I'm good. I just need to rest for a few more minutes. Enjoy the paintings,"
"You sure?" Steve questioned, "We can grab food instead,"
"I'm fine," Angie reiterates before she nudges him to go on, "I'll be right here,"
"Okay," Steve smiles and stands, "I'll be back,"
Soon Steve left and began his art observance again. Angie could only chuckle at how Steve was so much into art that he lost her. She had been sitting down for minutes already before he realized that she wasn't walking next to him anymore.
Leaning on the cushion, Angie suddenly noticed Steve's phone was left behind. He probably dropped it when he sat next to him. She would hand it back when he got back but then his phone started ringing.
Angie gasps at the name of the caller. She quickly swipes it right and waits for the screen to show the caller. Soon enough, a brunette girl appears before her.
"English!" Angie exclaims.
Peggy furrows her brow, stunned at the unfamiliar blonde girl in front of her screen. She was obviously not Lorraine, whom she wasn't fond of. But she seemed familiar in the sense that she probably knew her by name, not face.
"I'm sorry, this is Steve's phone number. Right?" Peggy curiously asks, getting a little worried.
"Oh, my goodness! I finally meet you!" Angie shook her head in thrill, "We haven't properly met. I'm Steve's friend, Angie?" she said her name as if asking if Peggy had heard her name.
Peggy's face lights up at the name, "Oh, so you're Angie. Hello, I'm Peggy Carter,"
"I'm Angela Martinelli, but you can call me Angie," the blonde girl grins, wiggling in her seat with excitement, "This is so exciting. You are way prettier than Steve let's on,"
Peggy blushes at the compliment, "…Thank you. Um, I don't mean to be dismissive of you, but…Where is Steve?"
"Oh! Right, sorry. Steve is around, walking…" Angie then turns the camera around and shows Peggy the vicinity of the gallery. She then turns the camera back to her, "We're in an art gallery for Valentine's Day,"
Peggy was struck for a second. Valentine's Day? Are they on a date?
Peggy could feel her heart constrict with a tinge of jealousy. She then clears her throat, "Are you—are you on a date with him?"
Angie's eyes grew wide, "Oh, gosh no! I mean…not in a romantic way kind of date?" Peggy raises a brow, completely lost at her words. Angie grumbles, feeling a little panicky about how to explain this, "Okay, this is probably confusing. Let me start again. Steve and I went out together today for the sake of celebrating the season of love as an enthusiast of romance. Nothing more, nothing less,"
Baffled, Peggy was speechless, trying to comprehend Angie's thoughts, "…as an enthusiast of romance?"
"Yeah," Angie shrugs, "I love romantic stuff and Steve seems to be a romantic guy. So, we are appreciating all things that exude romance or love,"
"Oh, so…not on a romantic date?" Peggy clarifies, slowly smiling when Angie frenziedly nods her head.
... ... ...
Standing by the end of the room, Steve contently breathes out. It has been a pleasure to walk around the art gallery. It's been a long time since he had done this. Between work and studies, Steve didn't really indulge in other activities. Bucky had always insisted that he did something fun. He would even invite him on his dates, as a third wheel, just to get him to do other stuff other than doing his illustrations or class projects.
Turning around, Steve sighs. He wished he could bring Peggy to this place. They have talked about art and philosophy a lot of times throughout their friendship, and they have always wished that they could do things together like museum hopping or painting.
Steve shoves his hands into his pockets and tries to find his phone. When he couldn't find it, he tried his back pockets. But it wasn't there. He then looked down at the floor and tried to find any gadget around, but nothing. He then remembered Angie, sitting on the ottoman. It probably was there. So, he walks back to where Angie is.
As he strides back, he suddenly slows down when he sees Angie talking to somebody through the phone. At first, he thought, Angie was probably video calling someone. But then later, he noticed which phone she was using. Is that my cellphone?
"Ang?" Steve calls as he slowly walks up to the blonde.
"He's here!" Angie then turned his phone around and quickly, Steve saw Peggy's smiling face, "Look, Steve, English called you! Can you believe it? She didn't have any date for Valentine's Day!"
Steve was just dumbstruck, standing before Angie, with his mouth open and closing. He then hears Peggy's laughter, "Why are you gawping, Steve?"
"Huh?" Steve shakes his head in focus, "Um—"
"Because he believed that you were secretly having a date today," Angie turned the phone towards her and then chuckled when Peggy looked bewildered at that thought. She then looked at Steve and urged him to sit next to her.
When Steve sat beside her, Angie angled the phone so that she and Steve were seen in the same frame. "Did you enjoy the paintings?" she suddenly asks the artist.
"Huh? Uh…yeah," Steve then glances at Peggy, a little bashful with the way she is looking at him.
"Are those contemporary or older?" Peggy inquires, leaning closer to her camera.
"Romanticism," Steve simply says, smiling widely when Peggy delightfully perks up.
"Is there a piece from Delacroix?"
Steve enthusiastically nods his head, "Yeah, your favorite, Liberty Leading the People," he then sniggers when Peggy gasps and clasps her hands in excitement.
"Really?! Can you show me?" Peggy plead.
Angie grins as she watches the two completely forget about her, even if she is the one holding the phone. She then clears her throat to get their attention. As expected, Steve and Peggy jump at her sudden presence.
"I was thinking, I want to rest my feet up at home and get these heels out of sight," Angie looked at the two simultaneously.
"Oh, uh, yeah. We can leave if you want," Steve timidly says, as he embarrassingly forgets Angie is still there.
"Steve," Angie then looks at Peggy. She was just listening but looking a little sad to cut the conversation short. She then returns her focus to Steve, "I think I'm good for the day, had my fill of romance," she then smirks at the blonde and bounces her eyebrows as if to suggest something to the blonde.
Steve tilts his head as he doesn't immediately catch that, so Angie rolls her eyes and says, "What I'm saying is, seeing you two interact makes me happy. So, why don't you take this beautiful lady on a virtual art gallery date? It's still February 14 in London,"
Peggy suddenly reddens at the suggestion of having a date with Steve, even virtually. They have never talked about things that directly deal with love and romance.
"Yeah, I think that would be nice," Steve replies before looking back at his phone, "Would you like that, Peggy?"
Peggy blushingly smiles, "I would love that."
This makes Steve smile wider.
March 17, 2016
Brooklyn Daily Eagle Building
4:38 PM
Working on his station, Steve busies himself doing the caricature that will be used for Jim's editorial article for the Thursday paper. Jim Morita, one of the new political issues writers, works hand in hand with him. They were somewhat partners, as he was the assigned artist to make the political cartoon for his editorial pieces.
Steve likes Jim as he is like an older brother to him. He is witty, funny, and yet can be serious. When he gets annoyed, he lets his native Japanese slip and then grins when others become confused with his response. Steve would always laugh whenever he did that.
"Hey, Steven,"
Steve looks up from his work and searches around the room. He then sees Jim walking up to him, with two papers in hand. One was likely Jim's article and the other was the illustration he made.
"Hey, Jim," Steve greets as he waits for the man, "What's up?"
"I loved your illustration and the words you used," Morita said as he showed the drawing, "I like how you think. So, I made a few changes to my article. Do you mind if you can read it? I sort of got an inspiration from your words,"
"Oh," Steve bashfully scratches his head, "Well, your article was great in the first place, that's why I came up with that. But yeah, sure," Steve then takes it and begins to read.
As he did, Jim pulled up a chair and patiently waited for the illustrator to finish up. He looked around Steve's desk and drafting table. He was in the process of making a new one, making him a little embarrassed for disturbing the boy.
He then noticed the semi-clean-and-messy desk. Lots of pencils and pens were scattered, erasers and eraser dust were cluttering, and piles of papers were there. But among the mess, he couldn't miss the tiny picture frame. Ironically, even if it was so small, to the point it could probably only fit a 1x1 picture, he still noticed it.
"Your girlfriend?" Jim suddenly asks, breaking the focus of the blonde.
"Sorry, what?" Steve confusingly asks before glancing at the man. He then follows his line of sight and almost yelps when he sees that Jim is staring at Peggy's picture on his desk.
Steve quickly pulled it down, flat on the table, and blushed deeply, "N-no! She-she's just a friend," he kept his hand there, afraid that it would miraculously move on its own and stand again.
It was Peggy's picture for college applications. She had sent him a copy last year, telling him how she finds her picture ridiculous. She was wearing a white blouse, and the background of the picture was cream, making her red lipstick stick out. She found her lipstick out of place and hoped that colleges didn't find her picture too risqué. But for Steve, it was just perfect, her and her attractive red velvet-colored lips.
"So…" Jim tries not to laugh as he sees Steve so rigid, even too shy to look back at him, "She's just a girl…" Steve finally looks back at him, full-on blushing, "…and a friend?"
Dumbstruck, Steve swallows hard as he tries to calm his racing heart. He didn't really expect anyone to see that picture frame. He thought it was too small for people to see. But how in the hell did he still see this?!
"Y-you can say that…" Steve heaves deeply, dropping his head low. He then starts to groan, annoyed with himself more than with anyone. Why did I have to place Peggy's picture on my workstation? I should have left this at home…
Jim starts chuckling, snapping the blonde from his brooding. The man clasps his shoulder and gives it a gentle nudge, "Can I assume you have a massive crush on this girl?"
Steve lifts his head to look at Jim and then at his hands. He slowly lifted the picture frame and fixed its position.
"Yeah…I really like her," Steve stares at Peggy's professional-looking picture.
"Does she know?" Jim curiously asks as he slowly leans back on his chair and keeps his eyes on the blonde.
Steve snorts at the question, "God, no. She'd probably run away if she knew,"
"Really?" Jim questions, brows scrunching up, "How sure are you?"
Steve huffs, "Okay, maybe not run away. But she'd definitely be awkward with me if she found out. So, I'd rather not,"
Jim then sits down properly and leans over the desk, "I think you should tell her,"
Steve gave a dubious look before shaking his head, "No. It's better this way...Anyway, I'll finish reading your article and give you my thoughts,"
Jim grunts quietly at Steve's attempt to change the subject. He breathes out with protest before he nods his head and stands up, "Alright, I'll stop snooping around and let you be,"
Steve huffs a laugh before returning to reading. But before he could read the sentence again, he looked at Peggy's picture one more time and sighed in defeat.
... ... ...
March 25, 2016
Carter residence
10:15 PM
Hello! wellpeggy/
Are you busy? wellpeggy/
Sitting on her bed, wearing her pajamas, Peggy patiently waits for Steve to reply. She bites her inner cheek as she anticipates that three-dotted bubble. But when minutes pass with no response, Peggy climbs out of her bed and decides to find a book to read.
For the past weeks, it had been a hectic one. She had been trying to finish all of her paperwork before the deadline and start with all of her final projects. In a few months, she will be taking her A-level exams and finally start university. She can't wait to start.
Ping!
Peggy whips around to look at her bed and quickly sees her phone lit up. She immediately turns off the ceiling lights in her room, leaving her lampshade to be the only source of light. As she crawls back to her bed, leaning on her headboard, Peggy opens her phone.
/sgrogersart Hey sorry for the late reply.
/sgrogersart what's up?
She then types her reply with a ghost of a smile on her lips.
It's fine. Are you set for our video call? wellpeggy/
She waits again and immediately the three-dotted bubble appears.
/sgrogersart oh, sorry. I can't, I'm still at Brooklyn Daily.
Steve then sent a picture of his station, which was a mess, and the publishing house was still relatively full of people.
/sgrogersart Ineed to work past my schedule today. Philips wants his stories to be out by tomorrow and a lot of illustrations and designs are not yet done.
Oh is that so? wellpeggy/
I hope you don't overwork yourself. wellpeggy/
/sgrogersart I won't. I promise.
Peggy could only sigh as she felt a little dejected for not seeing and hearing Steve the whole day. She had become accustomed to the routine that Steve would be the last person she'd talk to and see before sleeping.
Have you eaten your dinner yet? wellpeggy/
/sgrogersart now that you mention it. I haven't.
/sgrogersart hehehe 😅
/sgrogersart but I will.
Do you want me to ask Angie to send you a meal? wellpeggy/
she's on night shift today wellpeggy/
Peggy then clicked the arrow back on her phone and quickly searched for Angie's name on her chat list. She immediately clicked it as soon as she found it.
Hey, Angie. Are you busy? wellpeggy/
Peggy waits for a few moments before a bubble comes up.
/theangiemartinelli Hey, English!
/theangiemartinelli not that busy yet. What's up?
Ping!
Peggy starts a little as she hurries to reply to her newfound friend.
Can I ask you a favor and send Steve some dinner? I'll wire you the payment. wellpeggy/
/theangiemartinelli awwww
/theangiemartinelli you guys are so cute.
Peggy couldn't help but blush at Angie's teasing. If she would be honest with herself, she would find herself endearing also. She was such a caring friend.
/theangiemartinelli Sure. I'll send him our specialty tonight.
/theangiemartinelli where is he?
At the Brooklyn Daily wellpeggy/
/theangiemartinelli you got it!
You're a lifesaver! Thank you! wellpeggy/
/theangiemartinelli hehe glad to help.
Peggy then sends her a heart emoticon before she exits the chat app and sends Angie the money. Once done, she goes back to the app and clicks on Steve's name.
- Unread message-
10:34 PM
/sgrogersart you don't have to. I can eat when I get off work.
Peggy rolls her eyes after reading. Of course, he'd rather not eat at the right time again than hassle others.
She then types on her phone with a serious expression.
It's done. I messaged Angie and she's preparing your meal wellpeggy/
/sgrogersart what?!
/sgrogersart you didn't have to.
I know. But I wanted to. wellpeggy/
Your food has been paid for by the way. wellpeggy/
/sgrogersart WHAT?!
/sgrogersart I'll pay you back.
Nonsense wellpeggy/
/sgrogersart Peggy
Peggy chuckles as she could only imagine the blonde scowling at her. He hated owing people favors but this wasn't a favor. This was her, caring for Steve. Probably to show how much she cares for him, and not only as a friend. But she wouldn't tell him that because she's too afraid to ruin their friendship by being too naïve with her emotions.
It's fine. You can pay me back by being sure to take care of yourself better. Otherwise, wellpeggy/
I'll have Buckyknock some senses into you.
/sgrogersart hehehe alright
Peggy's orders. wellpeggy/
/sgrogersart yes ma'am. hehe 😅
Peggy grins at his response when suddenly a knocking sound startles the brunette. She knew who it was.
"Margaret? Why is your lampshade still on? Go to bed already," Amanda calls out at the other side of the door.
Peggy sighs and turns off her lamp, "Yes, mum. Good night," she replies and waits for her mother to retreat. When she was sure her mother had left, she pulled out her phone again and typed a reply to Steve.
I should go to bed. wellpeggy/
Mum told me so wellpeggy/
/sgrogersart oh, okay.
/sgrogersart sorry we couldn't call.
It's alright. Tomorrow instead? wellpeggy/
sgrogersart yes, I promise.
Okay. Good night, Steve wellpeggy/
Peggy then waits when a bubble pops up, but it disappears after. She tilts her head in confusion when suddenly an audio clip is sent. She played it.
"Good night, Peggy. Sweet dreams,"
Peggy smiles contently, feeling her cheeks warm up. She still got her dose of Steve's voice. Feeling inspired by his gesture, she clicked on the microphone button and recorded her voice.
"Good night, Steve"
March 29, 2016
Brooklyn Daily Eagle Building
9:27 AM
"Steve!" Jim heads to the artist's station with purpose as he holds a manila folder in his hand. When he spots the blonde, he calls him again, finally catching his attention. "I need your help,"
"Help?" Steve puts down his pencil and stands up, as if ready to fight somebody, "What do you need?"
Jim smiles at his willingness to help without asking why, "My wife called and said that she might be in labor. So, I gotta go home and help her out,"
"What?" Steve was stunned, feeling panicked but unsure how to help, "Is it her due already?"
"No, not yet…well not in a few weeks," Jim wrinkles his nose in confusion, "Can you help me?"
"Uh, sure…" Steve scratches his head in puzzlement, "What can I do for you?"
"Can you interview for me?" Jim then hands the folder to the blonde, "I can't reschedule this as this has been the third reschedule already because of this prick. This is the only available time for him,"
Steve opened the folder and quickly scanned the document with a list of questions. It was about the usage of clean energy for making deadly weapons, to be given to the military. He couldn't help but make a disappointed remark sound, which Jim coincides with.
"Who is this again?" Steve frowns as he looks back at his colleague.
"Anthony Edward Stark, aka, Tony Stark," Jim smirks at the disapproving look Steve had on his face, "Can you do it?"
"…yeah, sure," Steve sighs before shaking his head, "Would you mind if I asked more questions?"
Jim chuckles in amusement, "I wouldn't expect less," he then clasps a hand on Steve's shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze, "Thanks, a lot, Steve. I owe you one," and then he leaves.
Steve sighed for the second time as he leafed through the documents inside the folder. He reads Tony Stark's brief biography and accomplishments. It was impressive and he'd actually admire his works, only if he had not focused his attention on securing the world through bomb weapons.
He closed the folder with a sharp sound and quickly grabbed his things. Soon enough, Steve leaves the building and travels to Stark Industries in Manhattan.
... ... ...
Stark Industries
Manhattan, New York
10:21 AM
As soon as Steve saw the infamous Stark Tower, he fastened his pace and ran up the stairs to the building. He was heaving hard, but he didn't mind it as he took note of the time. The interview was scheduled for 10:30 AM and he had less than an hour to get there. It was a blessing enough that he made it to Manhattan just in time.
When he enters the building, he immediately gawks at the architecture of the building. It was modern and pristine. He would love to observe every corner of the building.
"Steve!"
The blonde snaps out of his trance and looks for the person who called him. Steve immediately sees his best friend walking towards him at a fast pace.
"Have you been waiting long?" Bucky asks as he swiftly maneuvers out of the passerby, "I just have a few minutes of coffee break before I need to get back,"
"Thanks," Steve gratefully smiled at him as he walked next to the brunette, heading towards the elevator. "I just need to get to the floor where Tony Stark works,"
Bucky suddenly stops in his tracks, "Excuse me, what?"
Steve stumbles to a halt and looks back at him, "Uh, I need to interview Tony Stark for Jim,"
"Interview?" Bucky's eyes grew wide. It was both in fascination and bewilderment. He didn't know if he wanted to join and observe or plead with his best friend not to screw up his chance of working in the company full-time. "Why are you doing interviews now? I thought you were an illustrator?"
"Yeah, I am," Steve then walks closer to the elevator and presses the up button, "But Jim had an emergency. So, I helped,"
Bucky just stared baffled at his friend, unsure how to proceed. When the elevator came, the two immediately went inside and settled by the back of the contraption. An attendant stood by the buttons and asked which floor. So, Steve looked at Bucky and nudged him to tell the attendant.
"Oh, uh…50th floor please," Bucky gave a tight-lipped smile when the attendant raised a questioning brow but shrugged it off later and pressed the button.
Soon enough, the two arrived at the designated floor and walked up to the receptionist stationed close to another elevator. It appears to be a private elevator.
"Hi," Steve greets, "I have an interview with Mr. Anthony Stark. I'm from Brooklyn Daily Eagle,"
"Oh, right," The secretary smiles at him before looking down at her computer, "Uh, you're Jim Morita?"
"Uh, no. But I'm his proxy," Steve then opens his bag and brings out his company ID. The secretary took it and made a quick glance before typing something on the computer.
"Alright, Mr. Rogers," the secretary says without looking up and continuing to type, "You can use the elevator and head to the 55th floor. There is a common lounge and Mr. Stark will come to meet you there," she then hands his ID back along with a Stark Industries guest badge.
The secretary then glances at Bucky with a questioning look, "And you are?"
Bucky flashes his handsome smile and offers his hand, "James Barnes,"
The secretary just raised a brow at his introduction, "Is there anything that you need?"
Bucky swiftly retracts his hand and shoves it into his pants, "Not really. Just accompanying my friend,"
"Alright then. If you have no business here, kindly head down now. Thank you," the secretary then looks away and completely ignores the two.
Steve just sniggers at his best friend's failed attempt to woo a lady to get past the floor. Looking back at him, Bucky just rolled his eyes and gently nudged him forward towards the elevator.
"Call me when you're done," Bucky says as he watches Steve enter the elevator, "Can I suggest something?"
"Sure," Steve replies as he presses the correct floor.
"When you get…" Bucky then sighed as he thought about his best friend's tendency when in front of a jerk, "Just don't get riled up immediately even if you really want to…punch him," he whispered his last words softly.
Steve chuckles and nods his head, "I'll try to remember that."
"Good. Good luck, punk,"
"Thanks, jerk,"
... ... ...
Tapping his pen on the table, Steve patiently waits for the man of the hour. Apparently, the young billionaire was 35 minutes late already. When he arrived at the floor, he was anxious that he'd wasted his time waiting. But it seemed the opposite. He could only hope that the billionaire was bound with work that he couldn't leave immediately.
Steve sighs, trying to calm himself as he repeats to himself that this is work and it is necessary. This is the only schedule available for Mister Anthony Edward Stark.
Ding!
He startles turns to the sound of the elevator and quickly sees a brunette, with a trimmed stylish beard, and sunglasses on. He wore a tailored suit that Steve quickly recognized as something expensive. Probably more than his paycheck.
"Alright! Let's get it done!" The man exclaims as he claps his hand as if getting everyone's attention. But given it was only him and Steve, the brunette was a little confused. "Where is the interview?"
Steve raised his pen, finally getting the man's attention. When Tony Stark pulled off his shades and raised a brow at him, Steve quickly stood up and offered his hand, introducing himself.
"Steven Grant Rogers, from Brooklyn Daily Eagle," Tony curiously shakes his hand, but firmly, which Steve appreciates, "I'm here to interview you about your company's latest project."
"Ah, right, about the usage of clean energy," Tony smirks before pulling his hand away. He unbuttons his suit jacket before exaggeratedly whipping it backward as he takes a seat.
Steve looked at the brunette and couldn't help but have his eyebrow shrug. He then follows and sits in front of the man.
"Mr. Stark, I would like to inform you and ask your consent that this interview will be recorded," he puts down his phone in the middle of the table and it shows that it is already recording.
"Yeah, sure," Tony shrugs agreeing.
"Alright, let's begin." Steve looks down at his guide before looking back at the billionaire, "So, what can you tell us about Stark Industries' latest project?"
Tony raises a brow for a moment before nonchalantly speaking, "Well, we are transitioning to using the arc reactor in making military-graded weapons. You can basically get this from the internet. Didn't you do your research?"
Steve seriously looked at Tony and tried his best not to retort back. Just breathe, Steve. Breathe. You need this job.
He exhaled deeply, "I did, Mr. Stark. I just wanted it to come from you." He watched the brunette eye roll, and he decisively stopped himself from making other comments. "Well, since you insist that I ask you questions that aren't trivial, let me ask you these questions frankly."
"Great, fire away," Tony grins.
"Stark Industries had always been a weapons developer company with a mission of providing the best military-graded weapons to protect people. How does making massive destruction weapons protect people?" Steve stared hard at the man, which surprisingly, made Tony a little uncomfortable.
Tony clears his throat as he tries to loosen his tie, "Well…securing our military with the best equipment in protecting our country is a means of protecting—"
"Is our country the only one you think worth protecting?" Steve interrupts, "So, other countries that are not allies are the enemy? So, do they deserve to receive the aftermath of those missiles and bombs that you develop? Are their lives any less than ours?"
Tony scrunches his brows, nose flaring in annoyance with the accusation, "I did not say that."
"Well, you might as well have implied it," Steve straightened himself and raised a brow, "Securing people's safety through the means of enabling war does not protect people."
"Look kid, you don't know—"
"I know enough and I'm not a kid," Steve sternly cuts off. Both are glaring at each other, and Steve tries his best not to throw a punch like he typically does.
His knuckles turn white as he grips his pen tightly, "Look, Mr. Stark, I may not be as rich and significant as you to make a difference in the world, but I wouldn't be doing the same things as you do if I wanted to protect people."
Tony scoffs, looking away but still obviously annoyed with the blonde man. Steve shook his head in disappointment, "I get it that you want to make the world a safer place and I commend that. But, making and selling missiles and atomic bombs for the military to prepare them for possible war is your best way of protecting all people?"
"You have some guts to tell me that," Tony looks back at him with anger in his eyes, "My best interest has always been for the people—"
"And yet you design weapons for massive destruction." Steve calmly looks at him, with disappointment in his blue eyes, making the billionaire even more furious, "That's very kind of you, Mr. Stark. Designing Jericho missiles with clean energy, as if that makes a difference, seems like the best project that Stark Industries could offer to ensure the world's safety."
"I don't like your sarcasm. You haven't proven anything yet, little man," Tony calls as he points at the blonde, who stiffens at the name, "And yet you talk as if you have done something for the world. You're just a college boy, part-timing in Brooklyn Daily Eagle, trying to meet ends. Don't lecture me about how to be a bigger man,"
Steve clutches his pen harder, having that urge to let his anger go and let this billionaire bully get a taste of his fist. But he breathes out as if letting his anger dissipate along with the air in his lungs.
"I'm not trying to lecture you, Mr. Stark," Steve's jaw clenches, "I just want you to realize how much impact your company has in this world. If you enable people with power with such weapons, you allow threats to exist. You enable war, and this doesn't protect anyone and that would be selfish. You should think about the consequences of your actions and make responsible choices."
Tony clenches his fist before he loses his temper and bangs it on the table. He stood up and glared at the blonde. "Get out of my building,"
Steve sighs despondently, shaking his head before he gathers his things and stands, "Mr. Stark—"
"Nope, get out!" Tony shouts as he whips his hand, pointing at the elevator, "Consider this as your last day at Daily Eagle," He menacingly murmurs to Steve as the blonde shoots a quick glance at him and then moves towards the elevator.
... ... ...
"Was I wrong, Peggy?" Steve grunts as he runs his hands through his hair and then tugs it. He closed his eyes, feeling guilty and yet furious at being treated that way.
"You were just honest, Steve. As a journalist, it is your responsibility to address these concerns," Peggy consoles the blonde, wanting to hold him and stop him from tugging his hair too much. He looked in pain and yet angry about how the interview had gone wrong.
"That's the thing, Peggy. I'm not even a journalist, I'm just an illustrator! A part-time illustrator with no college degree—"
"Okay, hold up," Peggy interrupts and successfully stops the blonde from rambling, "You're not just an illustrator. You are a responsible citizen who cares for the welfare of everyone. Even if you are not hired as a journalist, that doesn't mean you can't question a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist with his intention of making massive destructive weapons,"
Steve could only groan at her description before looking back at her, "You said it yourself, Pegs. He is a genius, billionaire, philanthropist—"
"And playboy" Peggy slyly smirks, shrugging her shoulders as Steve bafflingly looks at her, "What? It's part of his description. But I'm not into him just to be clear,"
Steve rolls his eyes, "Peggy, I'm serious. I think I just lost my job,"
"Did Mr. Philips tell you that?" she challenged with a raised brow.
"No," he replies with a questioning tone.
"Then you haven't lost your job. If he questions you, then you tell him." she then gives a reassuring smile, "I'm sure, he'll understand you."
... ... ...
Chester Philips slams his palm down on the table hard, shaking the table and startling Steve and Jim at the other end.
"What the hell did the two of you think?!" Chester barks, making Steve cringe at the loudness even for his poor left ear. "Morita! Why the hell him?!"
Jim looks at Steve briefly, apologetic, before looking back at their boss, "Mr. Philips—"
"Fucking hell!" Chester abruptly turns as he throws his arms up.
Steve couldn't look at the older man, feeling his doom of getting fired.
Jim exhales softly before he tries again, "Mr. Philips I know that Steve isn't a part-timer as a journalist, but this guy has good intuition about social issues and news. In fact, he doesn't even have to be in our weekly meetings if he's an illustrator. Stan is his senior and he can do the delegation of art illustration tasks. But Steve is more than that. He contributes to my editorial opinion section because he knows how to depict these issues without words."
Philips turns to glare at him, hands on his hips. When the older man just glared, Jim swallowed his nerves and continued, "I asked Steve to interview for me because I had an emergency with my wife. I couldn't reschedule the fourth time with Stark. That man has no consideration, to be honest, so I had no choice. Steve was just kind enough to help."
"Now you let his smart mouth talk," Philip grumbles as he looks back at the blonde, "Rogers!"
Steve abruptly looks up and pays attention.
"Why the hell would you talk to Stark like that? Do you have any idea who that man is?" Philip questioned with a sharp gaze on him.
Steve wriggled with his fingers, "I do. That's why I questioned his morality. He claims to be a philanthropist and yet he is pro-war by selling missiles. It's just hypocrite of him,"
Philips stared at him and thought about the guts of this small man. Sighing as he shakes his head, "You have some guts to out him, Rogers."
"I just had to ask the question," Steve replies, feeling a little lighter as he notices the subtle approval look from the man before his scowling face returns.
"Morita, Rogers, I'll let this slide." Philips then points at Steve, "I won't fire you yet even if Stark whines about it. I don't give a shit about what he wants. You've done good but stick to your job next time. Got that?"
Steve and Jim nod their heads, "Yes sir,"
April 8, 2016
Auburndale Art School
10:42 AM
Minutes had passed since the bell rang, indicating the end of Steve's class for Figure Drawing 1. Tony patiently waited by the entrance of the Fine Arts building but no familiar blonde man walked past him. Some students were already looking at him oddly, even if he was the Tony Stark. No one seemed to care who he was.
Grunting as he pushed himself off his car's hood, Tony looked around the area before he walked inside the building. It was a large building and he had to search every room before he finally spotted Steve on the second floor, inside the drawing studio.
"You do know that your classes are done, right?" Tony comments as he stands by the doorframe and stares at the back of Steve, focused on his work.
The blonde startles as he turns to look at the sudden visitor. Steve's eyes grew wide at the sight of the brunette man.
"Mr. Stark?" Steve softly calls in bewilderment.
"Tony," the man corrects as he steps inside the studio, "I think you earned to call me Tony after the lecture you gave me last week,"
Steve winces at the reminder, "I wasn't trying to lecture you, Mr. Sta—Tony," Steve sighs as he puts down his graphite pencil, "I just know that…there is more in you that you let the world know. From all the work you've done for society, I know that you could do more than just develop and sell missiles. You hid behind those aliases to help the community, and I get that you want to be anonymous for it. But why does Anthony Stark have to be…the jerk billionaire?"
"Hey," Tony barks, but not furiously, making the blonde chortle.
"All I'm saying, Mr. Stark, is you don't have to hide your genuine kindness to be a weapons developer. You can create a lot of technology out there that can help protect the people without causing the lives of anyone." Steve shrugs his shoulders when Tony sighs in defeat. He then realized that he might have overstepped again. "I'm sorry Mr. Stark. I didn't—"
"When will you stop calling me that?" Tony barks at the blonde as he raises a brow, "You make me sound so old. I'm just older than you by a few years, god."
Steve just stares back, stumped at the billionaire's reaction. When Tony pulled out a stool and sat down next to him, he couldn't help but wonder what was going on. In the first place, he didn't understand why Stark was at his school.
"I didn't come here so that I'd get a second round of your wise teachings," Tony smirks when Steve subtly rolls his eyes at him, "I came here to apologize,"
Steve gawks at him.
"You heard it. Tony Stark is apologizing." Tony looks down at his shades as he fumbles with it, "I was angry that you had called me out. But to be honest, I was angry with myself. I had been having these morality questions as more articles came out about the Jericho project. These writers never had the guts to question me in person, which gave me the excuse not to deal with it."
He glances at the blonde, "But then you came along and burned me with the exact moral questions I have been ignoring. So, I hated you that day."
Steve shrugs at that reasoning.
"So, I apologize for my rash words. And really, I've got no say about your job. Chester Philips doesn't even care who I am." Steve snorts as he remembers that day he was scolded, "My point is, I appreciate what you've done. I think I needed that to wake me up and realize things."
Steve tilts his head in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"I'm discontinuing the Jericho project and I'm currently developing a different technology that will use the arc reactor. Put to use that clean energy in a better way," Tony smirks when Steve's eyes grow big in surprise and then smiles at his news.
"That's great to hear," Steve nods his head in approval, "I'll let Jim Morita know that. He'd be delighted to know that. He'll probably want another interview."
"Sure, why not." Tony then stands up and offers his hand, "Are we good?"
Steve smiled gratefully and shook his hand, "We're good." Tony grins at that as he feels relieved while shaking his hand.
... ... ...
April 8, 2016
Carter Residence
11:51 PM
"It was just ridiculous that Michael would do that, and now I owe him a meal," Peggy stifles her laughter as Steve sniggers at her story.
"You underestimated Michael. He can be as stubborn as you, you know?" Steve grins when Peggy snorts and rolls her eyes at him.
"Well, I think I can outstubborn him if I wanted to," Peggy smirks knowingly and Steve nods at her statement.
"Sure, you can. You're Peggy Carter," the two fall into soft giggles before settling down in comfortable silence.
"So how is Morita's article coming?" Peggy asks as she gently slides down on her bed. More than half of her body was lying down already, but her head was still inclined up on her headboard. Her laptop is securely on top of her chest.
"It got revised," Steve contently smiled, which Peggy found odd.
"What? Why?"
"Oh!" Steve sits up straighter on his bed, "Didn't I tell you about Tony?"
"Tony? As in Anthony Stark?" Peggy raised a brow at the casualness of naming the billionaire.
"Yeah," Steve grins in excitement, "He came to school and apologized,"
"Really?" Peggy suddenly pushes herself to sit up and gawk at the blonde, "What happened?"
"Well, he said I did push some of his buttons. But it was a wake-up call for him and made him realize what really bothered him about the Jericho project. He was bothered by his moral compass, and I was just sort of the last straw,"
Peggy smiles proudly at him, "You do have compelling moral principles and you can be persuasive if you want to. Sometimes, you can be annoying about it, but, you do always have a point,"
Steve bashfully scratches his cheek, feeling it warm up. Thank god for the warm lamplight that made his pinkish cheeks not obvious.
"Well, I wouldn't say I'm always right. But I try to do what is right," Steve smiles back at Peggy, who was genuinely smiling at him. "I would always ask myself, what would Peggy do?"
This made Peggy chortle at the sweetness of that thought, "You quite have high regard for me,"
"Of course. I would always look up to you," Steve stares at Peggy with admiration in his eyes. He couldn't stop himself from grinning proudly at his best friend.
"As do I," Peggy softly mumbled as she could feel her heart pound inside her chest as she tried to immortalize Steve's smile in her memory.
"And now, Tony Stark is considered my friend," Steve huffs laughter at the ridiculousness of the turn of events, "All thanks to you,"
"Me?" Peggy bemusedly asks as she points to herself, "Why would it be because of me?"
Steve just grinned as he briefly glanced at the time shown on his laptop. It's 8:00 PM now…
"It's your birthday miracle for me," Steve's smile grew even wider if it was possible. He felt his face was going to split but he was just truly happy and content, "Happy Birthday, Peggy."
Peggy jolts at the sudden greeting. She glances at the time, 12:01 AM, April 9, 2016.
She huffs a burst of pleased laughter before she contently smiles at him, "I guess it is…Thank you, Steve."
To be continued…