A knock sounded softly against the door. "Come in," Peggy called. Steve's shadow covered Peggy from where he stood in the hallway.
"Hi," he stated awkwardly, hands shoved in his pockets.
"Good evening." Peggy felt her heart skip, but masked it easily.
"So I was wondering…you know how I mentioned the apartment? Well, um…it's actually a two bedroom."
"I see."
He rubbed the back of his neck with his palm. "And I actually do not have a roommate, and I was just wondering if, that is if you want, no pressure, if you feel comfortable with…moving in? With me?"
Peggy paused, her hands hovering at her waist as if waiting to grab her handgun.
"It's fine, actually. You don't have to. Where were from…I totally forgot I get so mixed up between our world and this world and I know it was such a shock. Of course you're not ready, I'm so sorry, I'm-I'm actually going to bed! I forgot to pack something. Hey, I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Peggy." Bright red, Steve waved and scuttled out of the room like a frightened crab.
Morgan Stark appeared in the doorway, clad in fuzzy pajamas. "What's wrong with Uncle Steve?" she asked, staring down the hallway his massive figure had fled down.
Peggy sat down heavily on the bed with a sigh. "It's complicated, my dear."
"Are you confused?"
"Yes, very."
"You know what I do when I'm confused?"
"What?"
Ten minutes later, Peggy and Morgan were sitting at the kitchen counter, the wooden sticks of two juice pops discarded between the two of them. "So, there you are."
Morgan drummed her fingernails on the countertop like she had seen Pepper do when she was thinking. "It seems pretty simple to me. Do you like-like him?"
"Do I what?"
"You know, like-like. Would you date him?"
"Yes," Peggy answered. She had laid the whole story down in front of Morgan, now was not the time to hide her true feelings from her.
"Then I think you should go for it."
"Go for what?"
"Move in with Uncle Steve."
Peggy folded her lips together. "Is it a good idea?"
"You did say you like-liked him."
"I did."
"Then you should move in with him. I've been to his apartment, it's nice, so's his landlady. He helps bring in her groceries and brush the snow off her car in the winter. Her cat doesn't like him, but it likes me."
Peggy smiled to herself, Steve and his heroics.
"And when you think about it, it's basically just a sleepover with your favorite person for the rest of your life."
"I guess you're right."
Morgan nodded, collecting the popsicle sticks and wrappers. "Daddy always said that adults make things harder than they actually are." She tossed them in the trash, biting hard on her lip.
"Morgan," Peggy started gently, "do you miss your father?"
She nodded, her eyes watering.
Peggy jumped off the stool, wrapping her arms around the little girl and letting her cry into her shoulder.
"I just want him back," she sobbed.
"I know," the woman offered, rocking her gently from side to side.
"Where's your daddy?"
A dull ache pressed against her breastbone. "He died a long time ago." She closed her eyes against the memory of her father catching her fainting mother upon hearing of the supposed death of her brother, Michael.
"Do you miss him?"
"Very much, every day."
"Does being sad ever go away?"
Peggy sat back so she could see Morgan's face. "Do you know how your uncles lift very heavy weights to keep them strong?"
She nodded.
"It's like that. When my father died, it felt like I was pulling a very heavy weight, and I wasn't strong enough to lift it. But over time, I grew stronger, and I was able to lift it up, and carry it. It still feels very heavy, some days more than others, but I know I can carry it."
Morgan nodded. "Does Mommy carry a heavy weight too?"
"Yes," Peggy confirmed, thinking of her mother. "She's just like you. And do you know what?"
The little girl shook her head.
"If you and your mother share the weight you are carrying, and let others help carry the weight with you, it will not feel so heavy all the time. I know your uncles miss your father very much, and I do too," here she mostly spoke of missing the father of the father, Howard, his friendship and smile that she would abruptly never see again. "We will help you and your mother carry the weight, Morgan. I promise."
Morgan spontaneously threw her arms around Peggy. "I love you, Aunt Peggy."
Gasping, Peggy felt a sudden lump rise in her throat. With Michael dead, and leaving her first fiancé behind, she had never imagined being an aunt to anyone. "I love you too, Morgan."
Someone cleared their throat, Pepper appeared from the doorway. "Morgan, you need to go to bed, it's late." Morgan nodded, gave her mother a hug, and wished both women goodnight. Pepper breathed out hard, the evidence of tears still glistening on her cheeks.
"How long were you there?" Peggy asked.
"Long enough," Pepper responded choppily. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself. "I didn't realize you had lost your father."
Peggy nodded. "I don't like to talk about it, usually."
"I understand." A pause hung between the two of them. "Thank you, for sharing with her. She doesn't know anyone else who this has happened to and it-" her voice broke. Peggy folded the woman's hand between her own. "She's having a hard time. She's just like her dad, she hides all her emotions, but she's struggling."
Peggy didn't know what to say, so she remained silent, listening.
"I want you to know, if you want to move in with Steve, you should do it."
"I didn't realize he'd told you."
Pepper shook her head, "he didn't, exactly. It took a lot for him to work up the nerve to ask you, he was rehearsing what he wanted to say in the bathroom mirror. His voice carries," she chuckled.
Peggy nodded, thinking back to how many times plans would nearly be leaked from Steve whispering them to himself, making sure he had all the knowledge down pat. Her heart sank at the thought of being without him tomorrow.
"I should head upstairs, make sure Morgan actually went to bed. Thank you, again, Peggy."
"You're most welcome," she responded as Pepper turned, wishing her goodnight. She turned the opposite way, sighing.
"I have to say, I'm surprised." Steve's voice came from the opposite doorway.
"Why?"
"You hugged Morgan-twice. For someone who's serially not a hugger, that's quite a bit of hugging."
Peggy put her hands on her hips. "How many people were watching? I assume Jarvis was as well?"
"To be fair, Agent Carter, I do not have eyes save for the security cameras placed at intervals around the house," Jarvis responded from…somewhere. Peggy still wasn't sure.
"I just came down for some water," Steve held up a glass. He filled it, leaning against the counter. "Anyway, you've gone soft Peggy Carter."
She punched him in the shoulder, not hard enough to do damage to the average man but enough to get her point across.
He gave her a face. "That tickled."
She wrung her hands, suddenly becoming embarrassed. "Did you hear the whole conversation?"
"I started to walk in when Morgan was throwing out the popsicle wrappers, but I kept myself out of eyesight. I didn't want to interrupt."
"I talked to Morgan about moving in with you."
He raised his eyebrows, taking a sip. "You went to a five-year-old girl for advice?"
"A rather intelligent and grown up young lady," Peggy corrected.
"Alright, what did the rather intelligent and grown up young lady have to say?"
Peggy took a deep breath. "Yes."
Steve choked, coughing hard. "What?"
"I want to move in with you."
He set down the glass, trying to see in the dark if Peggy was kidding or not. She seemed genuine. "Ok."