You won’t. [ She can say it with complete confidence. She’s seen enough of Steph firsthand to know that she would never and could never become the monster that Schmidt was. Schmidt had been a monster before the serum; it had just given him the strength to carry out his plans. Steph had been someone who had been overlooked and discounted her whole life because of her appearance, because of her gender. Even now, she worried about doing the wrong thing when half the world was killing each other. That spoke to more character than most of the men Peggy had met, who were all too willing to kill not to save others, but in the name of their country.
She takes a breath and reaches up with her free hand to tilt Steph’s chin up so that she can look her directly in the eye. ] You may doubt yourself at the moment, but I don’t. You won’t forget where you came from or why we’re fighting. You won’t ever take a life that you don’t have to. And that’s why you’ll never be like him. That’s why I trust you to wield the power you’ve been given.
[ Steph is moved. Peggy will catch it in the blonde's eyes. Not just the glistening hint of tears, but also the realization that she's been seen.
It's that, and the feel of Peggy's fingers on her face, that makes Steph lean in — but she stops just when a sliver of a space is all that exists between their lips. It's impulsive, she knows. And so, so stupid, the kind that'll get her slapped or even punched. But she can't help herself, or the feelings that are threatening to burst out of her. Having been out there, in the thick of battle, has only made the latter especially worse.
Yet she ain't gonna rob Peggy of her choice. Or the chance to get as far away from her as possible. ]
[ Peggy’s aware of the distance shortening between them, but she doesn’t move, lost in Steph’s eyes. She sees a lot of herself there, but something else, too. Something better.
She lets out a small, amused breath when Steph asks permission and then crosses the sliver of distance to press her lips to Steph’s. Something warm and lovely bursts in her chest, a release of the feelings that have been building in her gut since the first day they met. Still, she knows what would happen if they were caught. Her sense of self-preservation won’t allow the moment to linger, no matter how much she wants it to. She pulls back, reaching up to smooth down Steph’s hair gently. ] Would you like to come to my quarters? For a drink?
[ Steph's blinking, still shocked at what just happened. She can't believe it. She'd expected to be shot down, though hopefully in a kinder manner than Peggy would've done to others. For a moment she's at a loss for words, licking her lips with a half-dazed, half-bewildered expression.
When she finally recovers, she grins and answers playfully: ]
Yes, Ma'am.
[ She gets to her feet, then holds a hand out to Peggy. Peggy doesn't need any help, but who says Steph can't be chivalrous about it? ]
[ Peggy grins at Steph and then takes her offered hand before standing and smoothing down her skirt. ] Alright, then.
[ She leads the way through the barracks, her heart fluttering in her chest like a tiny bird. When she reaches the door to her room, she opens it, gesturing Steph in. She closes and locks the door before immediately moving to the window and pulling the curtains tight. She tries to keep her voice unconcerned. ] Will Private Barnes miss you?
[ She moves to her nightstand, pulling out a bottle of whisky and a single glass, pausing to look back at Steph before pouring a finger's worth into it. She holds it out to her.] Go on. You've earned it.
[ Peggy's not the only one with her heart pounding in her ears. Steph finds herself almost unable to breathe when Peggy locks the door and starts closing the curtains. There's nothing wrong with two women having a private conversation, of course... but they both know they're not only here to talk.
She snorts at the question. ] Nah. He'll be too busy with the chorus girls and won't surface until morning. Besides, we've had time to catch up on the trek back.
[ Something in her voice says that hadn't gone well, but she doesn't expand. She's not here to talk about Bucky.
She accepts the drink with a murmur of thanks, then tips it all back in one go. She feels the burn in her throat, though only that and nothing more. Sighing softly, she looks at the glass before handing it back to Peggy. ] Guess it's for the best. I wanna remember every moment of tonight, anyway.
Oh? [ There's an invitation for Steph to say more about the trek back if she wants to. Peggy knows how much Bucky means to her. She watched her brave boot camp at Lehigh and the dismissal of every man in the room before the serum, and she'd seen firsthand the way they'd dressed her up and wound her up like a porcelain pin-up afterwards. All so she could join the fight. So she could do the impossible when the 107th was in danger.
She gives her an apologetic smile as she takes the glass back and pours herself a finger before knocking it back. She wants to remember every moment as well, but she could use a little courage of her own. She sits on the bed and pats the spot beside her. ] Do you miss it?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
She takes a breath and reaches up with her free hand to tilt Steph’s chin up so that she can look her directly in the eye. ] You may doubt yourself at the moment, but I don’t. You won’t forget where you came from or why we’re fighting. You won’t ever take a life that you don’t have to. And that’s why you’ll never be like him. That’s why I trust you to wield the power you’ve been given.
no subject
[ Steph is moved. Peggy will catch it in the blonde's eyes. Not just the glistening hint of tears, but also the realization that she's been seen.
It's that, and the feel of Peggy's fingers on her face, that makes Steph lean in — but she stops just when a sliver of a space is all that exists between their lips. It's impulsive, she knows. And so, so stupid, the kind that'll get her slapped or even punched. But she can't help herself, or the feelings that are threatening to burst out of her. Having been out there, in the thick of battle, has only made the latter especially worse.
Yet she ain't gonna rob Peggy of her choice. Or the chance to get as far away from her as possible. ]
Ma'am... if I may—
no subject
She lets out a small, amused breath when Steph asks permission and then crosses the sliver of distance to press her lips to Steph’s. Something warm and lovely bursts in her chest, a release of the feelings that have been building in her gut since the first day they met. Still, she knows what would happen if they were caught. Her sense of self-preservation won’t allow the moment to linger, no matter how much she wants it to. She pulls back, reaching up to smooth down Steph’s hair gently. ] Would you like to come to my quarters? For a drink?
no subject
When she finally recovers, she grins and answers playfully: ]
Yes, Ma'am.
[ She gets to her feet, then holds a hand out to Peggy. Peggy doesn't need any help, but who says Steph can't be chivalrous about it? ]
no subject
[ She leads the way through the barracks, her heart fluttering in her chest like a tiny bird. When she reaches the door to her room, she opens it, gesturing Steph in. She closes and locks the door before immediately moving to the window and pulling the curtains tight. She tries to keep her voice unconcerned. ] Will Private Barnes miss you?
[ She moves to her nightstand, pulling out a bottle of whisky and a single glass, pausing to look back at Steph before pouring a finger's worth into it. She holds it out to her.] Go on. You've earned it.
no subject
She snorts at the question. ] Nah. He'll be too busy with the chorus girls and won't surface until morning. Besides, we've had time to catch up on the trek back.
[ Something in her voice says that hadn't gone well, but she doesn't expand. She's not here to talk about Bucky.
She accepts the drink with a murmur of thanks, then tips it all back in one go. She feels the burn in her throat, though only that and nothing more. Sighing softly, she looks at the glass before handing it back to Peggy. ] Guess it's for the best. I wanna remember every moment of tonight, anyway.
no subject
She gives her an apologetic smile as she takes the glass back and pours herself a finger before knocking it back. She wants to remember every moment as well, but she could use a little courage of her own. She sits on the bed and pats the spot beside her. ] Do you miss it?