1point5kidsandaruger | but here you are, in front of me

Peggy got the news straight from Howard himself. She didn’t wait for Phillips’s approval, though he gave it anyway; within the hour, she was on a transatlantic flight to New York, having bullied and manipulated her way on board.

She hadn’t even changed, hadn’t packed before leaving, just rushed straight to the hospital upon landing, half in a daze and in disbelief. Howard was there already, but she barely stopped to say a word except get his room number, and then she was gone. Up elevators and stairs to the right floor, where she froze outside his room.

None of them would dare lie about something like this, but standing here now, it felt like all the air was getting sucked away. Count to three. Deep breath. Slowly, Peggy slips her hand around the knob, but it’s another few seconds before she can will herself to open it.

And when she does, when she steps inside, it’s all she can do but keep from crying, because there he is, sleeping. As if he were merely resting after a long day. His chest moves slowly up and down, but Steve Rogers is there. Alive.

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She keeps him steady as they walk, observing as they stroll both the environment and him, her hand still in his with no plans to remove it.

The fighting's over all right, but Peggy's not stupid, and she's more aware than most of certain goings-on behind the scenes. Occupation shows no sign of ending, both in Europe and Asia. There's a reason she started learning Russian before the war even finished.

But that's to be shared later, and there's no sign on her face that she's thinking about any of it, about anything beyond the moment in a world where the war has ended and Steve survived. She gives his hand a squeeze.

"It's over," she repeats, echoing his relief. "People are celebrating everywhere."

And she can only imagine what kind of party the Commandos and Howard will plan now. An end to the war with a happier note.

The War to end all Wars. Steve shakes his head. He didn't believe it because his mother hadn't believed it, but now he doesn't believe it because he knows that's not the way people live.

"Good. That's good." He kisses her temple and rests his face against her hair, more than willing to stop if she wants him to, but not caring just now what anyone walking by might think. "I imagine we'll find plenty to keep us busy, just the same."

She thinks about leaning herself against him, but she holds back. Instead she squeezes his hand, a sign his actions are not unwelcome.

"I already have," Peggy admits. She pauses. "But that's for later. When they find out you've left and haul you back." There's a lightness in her tone of slight exaggeration, even if they both know the SSR will be all over him soon enough.

Work. She doesn't really want to talk about that right now. But she doesn't quite know what to bring up instead, either.

He isn't sure either, at first. Certainly they've talked about other things, but not in this context. Never even with the expectation of this context. There was a war on. There were more important things to do.

"I'd like to show you Brooklyn. My Brooklyn, I mean. Where Bucky and I grew up - all those places with the fights we used to get into."

Steve exhales slowly. It's going to hurt, going back there. No doubt about it. But he needs it, and he wants it, and he wants to show Peggy all the parts of himself he can point out in other places.

Peggy looks up at his face at the offer, and her smile is quiet, reassuring, grateful. "I'd like that," she says softly. His Brooklyn. His life. "I've never seen much of Brooklyn beyond the secret facilities."

Then she takes a tiny breath, pauses for a moment. "The next time we're in London -- " She pauses again; has she ever really offered this to anyone before? "If you'd like to meet them, my family is there."

She knows he doesn't really have one of his own, save Bucky, save the Commandos, and she can't even remember if she's ever mentioned anything about hers in more than just passing. But her brothers are there, her parents. They're so distanced from her job, and she's barely seen them the last few years, but they're her family. And she wants Steve to know them.

The smile that breaks over his face is as startled as it is genuine. "I would love to."

Though, gosh, what could Peggy's parents be like? That's an intimidating thought. And Phillips mentioned her having brothers, though he never said how many. Steve starts to grimace and catches himself. They can't be too bad - besides, Peggy will be there. He can't imagine anyone being unruly with her there to stare them down. Still - "How many brothers do you have?"

She beams, pleased by his reaction. "I think they'd like you."

But the slight grimace doesn't go unnoticed. It doesn't bother her -- if anything, she just grins at it, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Just two. They're both younger than I am."

"Oh." Well. That's not so bad, then. "How old?"

Because Steve can deal with kids. Even if they probably aren't kids. It's just, you know, people his own age he seems to have trouble with.

"Twenty-five and twenty-two. But don't worry, they've learned to listen to me over the years."

Peggy started them young, what can she say? She's fully expecting them to try and make Steve squirm a little bit, especially once they realize what he's like. But she can't imagine them not liking him. She can't imagine anyone disliking this man. (Except maybe Red Skull, but that's another story.)

"How could they not?" Peggy's brothers. Why hadn't he considered them before? Well, he had, but not in the context of a meeting.

He looks up at the trees overhead. "How's Howard? How is everyone? I'm.... sorry, for putting you through that."

That doesn't begin to cover it. He hardly knows what to think, what they must have thought - it makes his stomach twist.

but here you are, in front of me

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