Warnings: None, this is just college au domestic fluff.
Summary: College is leaving you way too overworked, so Wanda uses her magic to distract you until you give yourself a break.
Word count: 963
A/N: I didn’t proof read, so there’s probably some mistakes. This is my first Wanda fic, I hope you enjoy!
Masterlist
If you had to choose one word to describe your semester, you would probably pick “chaos”. College had never been a calm experience, but, this time, it seemed like all of your professors had come together in a twisted deal to drown you in deadlines and tests. After finishing a paper that was due in a few hours, you were trying to catch up on the readings for a test the next morning. All you wanted was to relax for a minute, maybe take a quick nap, but there was just no time.
Surrounded by books, loose papers and colorful markers, you sat at the dining table in the apartment you shared with your girlfriend. She would be home any minute now, and you could already anticipate her rant. You needed to sleep, to take it easy, to give yourself a break. This routine wasn’t good for your body or your mind and that unhealthy cycle had to be broken. Of course, Wanda was right, but you were too anxious and stubborn to give in, no matter how much you would like to.
You shook those thoughts away and tried to focus on your work. You managed to pay attention to the subject, highlighting and annotating the main points, but that didn’t last for long. Soon, the door was opened silently, a red glow making the doorknob move as Wanda entered the room with her arms full of groceries.
“Hey, sweetheart. How is that paper going?” The bags of groceries flew to the table and Wanda walked to you, giving you a small kiss before checking what you were reading.
“I finished it, finally! I’m not even halfway through the readings for Johnson’s test tomorrow, though. I don’t know how I’m going to finish this in time.” You pouted, trying to reorganize the sources in front of you.
“Maybe you should try to get some rest before you continue. It would be easier to focus if you had had a break in the last five days, you know.” She smiled, running her hands over your hair. You both knew that you weren’t that easy to convince, but Wanda would always give it a try just in case.
“I will get a break, I promise. In three days.” You offered, hoping that Wanda would recognize a lost case and let it go.
For a few minutes, it looked like she had. The redhead took the groceries to the small kitchen, and you could hear cabinets opening and closing while each item was put in place. You reread the last paragraph of the page, trying to decode the words. And then, you felt a kiss at the back of your neck, right where Wanda always kissed you, and you turned around, looking for her.
There was nothing there. From the kitchen, still came the sounds of cans and boxes being placed, and Wanda’s light footsteps hadn’t stopped. You turned back to the page and read the paragraph once more. And then you got a vivid image in your head, but it wasn’t at all related to the subject you were studying. It was an image of Wanda’s hair spread over your arm as you two cuddled in bed, a mess of blankets and limbs and you and her. You could almost smell her shampoo as she moved, hugging you closer. You could feel her touch in your arms, the movement of her hands against your skin. The sensation was so clear in your mind, just as if…
Oh.
“That is very much not fair, Wan. I had almost finished this page. Not fair at all.” You said, not bothering to look around. You knew she was still in the kitchen, but she was definitely listening.
Her laughter came floating in the air, making you smile despite how tired and stressed you were. All cabinets were closed at the same time and Wanda walked out of the kitchen, running her hands over your arms just like she did in the vision she gave you. You gave up and turned around to look at her. Studying wasn’t going very well anyway.
“If you won’t take care of yourself, sweetheart, I gotta take this into my own hands. With whatever weapons I find available.” She reinforced her point by bending down to kiss you, holding you close.
“Just a nap, then.” You got up, giving her your best puppy eyes, and allowing her to lead you to the bedroom.
“A nap and then dinner. I’m cooking.” There was no point in arguing with her. Instead, you just kissed her shoulder and pulled her to bed.
“Okay, Wan. And if I don’t pass that test, can you mind wipe the professor to give me a good grade?” You joked, getting comfortable as Wanda passed her arms around you, covering you both in blankets.
“It’s very unethical to get inside someone’s mind without an invitation, honey. I could get my magical license suspended.” She looked so cute pretending to be serious that you couldn’t even be mad.
“Let’s keep that in mind when I have my finals, okay?” You sighed, burying your face in her shoulder and already feeling sleepy. You weren’t sure if it was Wanda’s magic or if you were just that tired.
“No promises. I forget the rules when you forget to be kind to yourself.” She whispered, kissing your hair and holding you close. Your heart shattered at how much she cared, at how dedicated she was to making sure you were well.
“Oh, Wan…” You tried to speak, but you felt her shaking her head.
“Sleep now, sweetheart. We got this. You just need to rest.” You nodded, letting her warmth surround you and breathing in her perfume. In five minutes, you were both asleep.
kingpin scares the shit out of me because big men with guns that have a temper problem and that cannot take a no for an answer are the scariest thing in the world
Summary: Reader is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and historian who specializes in the life and legacy of Captain Carter. After Nick Fury uses the Tesseract to bring Peggy back, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. contacts the reader to help her navigate life in the XXI century.
Warnings and notes: This series takes place after the last scene of What If… episode one, including spoilers to that episode. This chapter is more of an introduction before Peggy shows up.
Word count: 847
Series Masterlist
They say you should never meet your heroes, but you would love to have the chance. It’s a shame that your hero was lost in some bizarre alien dimension since World War II. As a historian, your entire academic career was dedicated to studying the life of Captain Carter and of the people around her. Accessing all official and some unofficial sources, you knew almost everything there was to know about the Captain. Your interest in her life’s work and legacy had led you to work at S.H.I.E.L.D., the agency that Steve Rogers and Howard Stark founded in her homage, and you even got to interview Tony Stark a few of times.
Your job at S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn’t exactly action-packed, but it suited your tastes and abilities well. Your days were dedicated to historical research, sometimes working along with the scientists to find clues about how the super soldier program really came to be, or in the mission to better understand technologies of unknown origin. During that particular month, you had been tasked with revisiting the existing registers about the Tesseract. You didn’t have access to the artifact itself, of course, but that was not where your knowledge came in handy anyway. You just wished someone would tell you what this specific revising was for, so you could focus on the right information, but that was somehow classified, which probably meant someone in power wanted to play around with the shiny blue box for who knows what purposes, and they hoped you could find some relevant piece of information about how to use it.
All the pertinent files you had access to were already in your office. You spent the morning re-reading old journals and occasionally writing down your own observations. It was almost lunch time and you were ready for a break when you heard someone knocking on your door.
“It’s open. Please, come in.”
You expected it to be one of the other agents of the floor, probably calling you to go get lunch in the restaurant across the street. Instead, the door opened to reveal a less familiar face. You recognized the man as Agent Barton, though you had never met him before. He was one of the most known S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, often working with Director Fury himself. If Barton was at your office, something was probably wrong.
“Are you Agent L/N?” He sounded hesitant as he walked in, almost startled by something, and that was starting to freak you out.
“Yes, that’s me. How can I help you, Agent Barton? Is it about the Tesseract?”
“Something like that. Fury requested your assistance immediately.”
Oh, of course. The director of S.H.I.E.L.D. was calling you. No big deal. Just another Tuesday. You closed the journal you were working on, grabbed your bad and stood up. Barton was already walking out, so you locked your door and followed him.
“You are our Captain Carter specialist, right?” He asked, shaking his head as if he was still trying to process something.
“I believe so. What aspect of her history does the Director need to..?” You were not sure of what to ask. If this was related to the Tesseract, it should be more connected to Rogers or Stark (either of them) than to Captain Carter, but it would be happy to help with whatever you could.
“It’s more about her adaptation than her history, I guess.” Barton got to the elevator, with you following closely. You realized you were headed to the top floor, presumably to Fury’s office.
“Oh, her adaptation to the serum? I have some great articles on that on my laptop. Should I go back to my office to get it? It will only take a minute.” You should have brought it along anyway, but you were too surprised by Barton’s visit to remember that at first.
“No, there’s no need. You see, Director Fury was experimenting with the Tesseract, and we got more than we expected. He needs you to help Captain Carter with her adaptation to the XXI century. She’s in his office now.”
Maybe it was a good thing that you left your laptop behind, because you would have dropped it along with your bag. The elevator stopped moving and you bent down to get your bag just as the doors opened. At least, the movement bought you a few more seconds before you had to reply. You weren’t so sure you would be able to speak coherently.
“You mean the actual, real Captain Margaret Elizabeth Carter? Alive?” Yes, you sounded like a fool, but it was better if you got that out of the way before you sounded like a fool in front of Fury or, even worse, in front of real life Captain Carter.
“I’m still trying to figure that out myself, but yeah. The actual, real, alive one. Right behind that door.” Without giving you any time to prepare, Barton walked to that door, opening it like it was no big deal. You took a deep breath and followed his lead, entering Director Fury’s office for the first time.
Warnings: Mentions of death, mentions of worlds ending
Summary: Sylvie and Reader are running together through apocalypses. Reader fears that Sylvie would leave her behind in order to keep her safe.
Word count: 1,467
Masterlist
Running was all Sylvie ever knew, and it was how she met you, too. Your princess in shining armor showed up when your own world was ending. A comet was supposed to wipe out the entire population of the region, destroying everything you’d ever known. You were in the path of destruction, about to disappear, alone and in silence, blissfully unaware of the threat you couldn’t escape.
At least until Sylvie came along. She stepped out of a portal in the middle of your room and almost gave you a heart attack. She was scary, but in a good way, and you didn’t hesitate when she asked for shelter. In exchange, you just wanted to know how she did that portal thing. And why she ended up in your room, of all places. And what she was running from. And what exactly the whole ‘hiding in apocalypses’ deal meant for you, the supposed apocalypse resident.
You later found out that it wasn’t like Sylvie to share her stories and plans with strangers, or with anyone else, but she was tired and lonely, and you were curious, also lonely and about to die anyway, so she decided to indulge. The problem (or the miracle) was that, with every little thing she revealed, she got to see a bit of you too. You were equally fascinated and terrified, and she couldn’t just leave you behind.
After a nice, homemade dinner in your small kitchen, she asked you if you wanted to try the ‘portal thing’. You took her hand without looking back and, ever since, you two had been crossing space and time together. Falling in love with Sylvie was as easy as breathing, and being loved by her was as beautiful and thrilling as the universe itself. You helped her with the ongoing plan to defeat the TVA and, in secret, you dreamed of a life for the two of you when it was done.
You didn’t mind the constant running at all, as long as Sylvie was running along with you. You would rather handle any apocalypse with her than have a normal, secure, boring existence away from the love of your life, and you made sure to tell her so whenever the topic came up. It was one of the few matters you two ever fought about, but you feared you would never truly convince Sylvie of how happy you were to share this journey with her.
You knew Sylvie wished to take you to some peaceful, safe place where you wouldn’t be perpetually at risk. It was impossible, since your survival should be a nexus event on itself if you ever dared to leave the constant string of apocalypses, but your girlfriend still wanted to offer you that. It just hurt to know that she didn’t plan on sharing such a dreamy reality with you, not even if it was more her dream than yours – the quiet life, the stability she never had, the option to stay.
Sylvie was determined to have her revenge, and she wouldn’t sacrifice the mission for anything, not even for you. She was smart, resourceful and capable of getting around any problem, and that made you afraid. If she figured out a way, was there anything to stop Sylvie from giving you the un-apocalyptical world she thought you deserved, even if you didn’t want it at all? Would she even let you know or would she simply convince herself that it was a sacrifice worth making to keep you safe? Could she leave without warnings or goodbyes?
That’s what you were thinking about as Sylvie cuddled you to sleep. You two were hiding in an abandoned house in another ending world – a house with a big, soft bed for once. This apocalypse was supposed to be sudden, so everything would seem just fine for the next 24 hours, according to Sylvie. The blonde could tell you were concerned, but you refused to tell her why. She had promised never to enchant you without your permission, so she just held you close, her hands running over your skin in soothing patterns. Even with your worries, the comfortable bed and the presence of Sylvie helped you fall asleep.
Soon, you wished you hadn’t. That house was too silent, too pretty, too home-like, even if it was completely empty when you arrived. It seemed to fit too well in the safe world that Sylvie used to describe to you. That thought kept running around your mind even when you were unconscious, and it gave space to a chilling nightmare.
In the dream, you woke up in that same bed, but you were lying alone. At the other side of the room, you saw Sylvie. She had her back turned to you as she entered a time door. You immediately knew what she was doing, but you were too shocked to call for her, and then it was too late. She crossed the portal and it closed behind her, making Sylvie, her TemPad and your happiness unreachable for the rest of your existence. The sight was like a sick reverse version of the moment you met Sylvie, a beautiful, magical runaway appearing from nothing in your room. Neither image would ever leave your head.
Then, you actually woke up. For a couple seconds, you weren’t sure of what was real. You were in the exact same bed, staring at the same corner you faced in the dream, where Sylvie had been just a moment before. You were shaking and the tears in your eyes made it hard to see any details, but you felt Sylvie’s arm over your waist as you sat up. You turned around to see her, still awake and looking at you with concern. You tried to wipe away the tears, telling yourself that this was real, Sylvie was real, Sylvie was right there with you. She was hugging you in an instant, kissing your tears away.
“What scares you, my Princess? You are safe, love, I am here to protect you.”
Her words only made you cry harder, holding on to her as if she might disappear.
“I had a bad dream, that’s all. Don’t worry about it, Syl.”
“Of course I am going to worry, Princess. It is my duty to keep you safe and I wouldn’t accept anything less.”
You hid your face against her shoulder and sighed, trying to recompose yourself enough to tell her about it. You weren’t sure if you could find the words to do so, but you looked up to her once you managed to stop crying.
“You were leaving. You had found a way to take me somewhere the TVA wouldn’t look for me, and you were leaving me behind without even telling me so.”
Your voice was just a whisper, but you looked Sylvie in the eyes as you spoke, making sure you wouldn’t miss any signs from her. If she actually planned on ever doing that, maybe this was your chance to know. You watched as realization hit her, and she shook her head, looking even sadder than when you woke up in such a disoriented state.
“How come you think too highly and too low of me at the same time? I would never betray you in such a way, even if I would gladly betray the entire world for you, and I would never be so selfless to leave you, not even if it was to give you a better life, unless you ordered me to.”
Sylvie was capable of deceiving almost anyone, but you knew she wouldn’t lie to you about anything that important. She could, sometimes, strategically forget to mention some relevant information, but she would rather be tough and sincere than lie to protect you. When it mattered, she always told you the truth, even if it hurt you both.
“I know. I know you, Syl, and I trust you more than anyone I’ve ever known, but you speak of that world as if it would be utopia for me. It isn’t, Syl. My utopia is just you.”
She gave you a sad smile and a slow kiss, both of her hands holding your face.
“Don’t be silly, Princess. It is only utopia if it is ours. When I am done with the TVA, we will build it together.”
And you thought you couldn’t be more in love with her… Your princess in shining armor always knew what to say and do to make you feel like there was nothing but the two of you in all of space and time. Nothing as important, at least.
“That and everything else. Promise me, Syl. The good, the bad and the impossible… We will face all of it together.”
Summary: Reader takes Wanda to a festival to distract her from work-related stress, but Reader feeling tense when the games are a little too difficult to win.
Word count: 1,011
Prompt: @flufftober2021 Day 1 - Winning a teddy for the other.
A/N: This is my first attempt at following a prompt list. I don’t know how many prompts I’ll complete, but I’m already having a lot of fun with it!
Main Masterlist
Flufftober 2021 Masterlist
Even superheroes need a break sometimes. Being an Avenger was quite a stressful job, so you tried to make sure your girlfriend would enjoy her day off. You heard of the festival happening in a town nearby and insisted that you two should check it out. It was supposed to be a calm experience to take Wanda’s mind off the daily universe saving struggles, and she did seem quite relaxed with her light dress and her caramel apple, but you hadn’t anticipated how tense you could get in that scenario. After all, what could possibly upset you in there?
The games gave you many chances to get your girlfriend a much deserved, cute teddy bear as a souvenir of that afternoon. All you had to do was pop one stupid balloon and Wanda would take home a big panda bear, or maybe the rainbow dragon. You threw your tenth dart in a row, missing the moving balloon for just an inch. You had to bite your tongue to avoid cursing in front of the seven-year-old standing right next to you.
“You know I am more emotionally invested in this apple than in any bear, right, honey?” Wanda whispered to you, getting a big bite from her caramel treat. Her free hand was in your waist, watching closely as you missed shot after shot. She sounded a bit too amused for your taste.
“Maybe you are, but now I’m emotionally invested in that dragon, so I’ll give it one more try. You know what they say, eleventh time is the charm.”
You threw your last dart. It hit an empty area on the board, nowhere near any balloons. You were about to complain that the game had to be rigged, but the boy by your side threw his own dart, hitting a green balloon and winning a green koala bear.
“Okay, that’s it. I give up.” You announced, low enough that only Wanda could hear you, but emphasized enough that she would know how frustrated you were.
“Hey, it’s not that big a deal. Maybe the thing is rigged and the kid just got lucky.” She laughed, pulling you away from the booth.
Oh, mind reading. Very convenient. Until it wasn’t. You sighed, taking Wanda’s hand and letting her guide you through the festival. She walked beyond the other game booths and past the food carts, stopping when you reached a dimly lighted area. You could see the carousel and smell the fresh popcorn from there, but nobody could see the two of you.
“Okay, now tell me what’s going on.” She demanded, giving you a kiss on the cheek, which left your face sticky from the caramel. Even if she wasn’t a telepath, you were sure Wanda would still be able to read you like an open book.
“Sorry about the mood, Wan. I don’t even know why I’m so bitter about this. It was supposed to be a fun day for you. I had it all planned for this perfect, romantic escape, but… You save the world for a living and I can’t even get one thing done and win you a pretty gift.” You confessed, which earned you a judgmental look.
“It was a perfect, romantic escape. It was perfect because it was ours. You wanted me to be distracted from work, and I hadn’t thought of it all day, because I was having fun watching you mix our snacks and lose silly games and tell bad jokes. You don’t need to be a superhero or win prizes, you just need to be my girlfriend, and that’s something you excel at.” You tried to speak, ready to tell her that any day was only perfect if it was spent by her side, or anything else just as cheesy and sincere, but she stopped you, handing you the remaining part of her apple. “Now, since I don’t want your emotional attachment to that dragon to affect you, I have a pretty gift for you.”
Before you could protest, Wanda’s hands began shinning in red, and something materialized in front of your eyes. It was a big, fluffy dragon just like the one in the booth, but this one was all red. And then it became orange, and then bright yellow, and then green… It kept changing colors, until it became full of rainbow stripes, that changed into polka dots and back to red.
“You have several points. This dragon is the coolest dragon. I love it forever.” You laughed, trading the toy for the apple and hugging it close.
“We should start a collection.” Wanda replied, going back to her apple with a wicked smile. “Maybe we get one for each game you lost today… If we have enough room for that many”
“Oh, so that’s how we’re gonna play?” You held your dragon with one hand, using the other to steal her snack, finishing it with two quick bites. “There, all gone.” You waved the stick at her, and she waved her fingers and made it disappear from existence.
“Joke’s on you, I was almost done anyway. You’ll just have to go get me some cotton candy now.”
“Or we could go get it together so Opal can see the festival.”
“Is Opal the rainbow dragon I just made you?” She laughed, following you back to the crowd.
“The superior rainbow dragon, yes. I know she’ll have to stay undercover as a normal rainbow dragon when we’re around people, but she’s very much the supreme dragon.”
“See, Opal? You’re the coolest dragon in the entire festival.” Wanda played along, giving you another caramelized kiss when you got to the cotton candy stand.
You bought Wanda some pink cotton candy, presenting it to her as a precious gift, and she almost jumped in place when she got the new sweet.
“I don’t know about you two, but I’m counting today as a win.” She told you and Opal.
As you watched your girlfriend eat her candy, smiling like a child under the carousel lights, you realized you couldn’t agree more.
Summary: Reader is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and historian who specializes in the life and legacy of Captain Carter. After Nick Fury uses the Tesseract to bring Peggy back, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. contacts the reader to help her navigate life in the XXI century.
Warnings and notes: This series takes place after the last scene of What If… episode one, including spoilers to that episode. Reader uses she/her pronouns.
Word count: 750
Series Masterlist
Meeting Nick Fury was a big deal. In different circumstances, you would be solely focused on giving the Director a good first impression. At this moment, however, you barely acknowledged the man behind the desk, giving him a small nod while your eyes were fixated on her. She stood in front of Fury’s desk, her back turned to the door. You had seen enough photographs and portraits to recognize that silhouette, but it was still difficult to associate it to a living, breathing person.
“Director, Captain. I found Agent L/N.” Barton announced, causing Carter to turn around to see both of you.
She seemed a bit suspicious, but there was curiosity in her eyes. That was one of your favorite parts of every recounting of Captain Carter’s personality. She was a badass, for sure, but she was also brilliant and eager for discovery.
“I understand you are the local specialist on me, Agent?” And she also had a sense of humor. Carter offered you her hand, which you were a bit too eager to shake.
“It is an honor, Captain. If there is anything I can help with, I’m at your service.” You tried to imagine the level of absurdity the woman was facing. You didn’t know how long it had been since she landed in a new age to find out that everyone she knew was long gone. Even if Carter was as amazing as history believed, this couldn’t be easy to handle.
“Well, thank you, L/N. I will be holding you to that for sure.” She let go of your hand and turned around. “Fury has been walking me through the basics of what happened since my departure, but there is a lot to fill in.”
With that, you had the clarity of mind to turn your attention to the man.
“Director Fury. I hope my work can be of assistance, sir.” He stood up to shake your hand, while you did your best to look composed, even if you were visibly shaken and unsure of what your role there would be.
“It will, Agent. Captain Carter was brought back to Earth early this morning. I sent Barton to get you as soon as we arrived here. Nobody else at S.H.I.E.L.D. is as well equipped to answer some of her questions, so this will be your full time job for a while.” You nodded, purposefully ignoring your internal panic as Fury brushed past the comment. “The Captain and I were just discussing her living situation. There’s a few S.H.I.E.L.D. houses available, but the ones nearby are not what I would call ready to move in. Barton, can you handle that?”
Before you could fully register what your brain was about to offer, you intervened.
“My apartment is just a block away and I have a vacant room, if that would work?” You weren’t sure if the suggestion was addressed to Fury or to Carter, but they exchanged a look and shrugged, almost in unison. Had those two really met that same morning? They already seemed capable of holding entire conversations without saying a word.
“That sounds practical enough to me, as long as I won’t be imposing, Agent. Fury assigned you as my guide of sorts, anyway, so that could save us both some precious time.” She smiled, and you held your breath for a moment. What had you just done? Peggy Carter was now your roommate. And you full time job, according to Nick freaking Fury. And it was only noon.
“It will be my please, Captain.” You managed to reply, hoping someone else in the room would tell you what to do next. There wasn’t much of a protocol that you could follow, but Fury came to your rescue.
“I have some fires to put out for the rest of the day, so I will leave you two to arrange this on your own. Barton, you stay with me. And Agent L/N, not a word of this gets out until I want it to get out. Not to a friend, not to a colleague, not to your cat, if you have one.”
“Understood, sir. I won’t disappoint you.” At least, you hoped so.
“Either way, I won’t allow her to. Save your energy for those fires, Director. We will handle this.” Carter sounded playful, as if she was talking to old friends, and you could almost feel your legs go weak even before Fury responded.
Summary: Reader is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and historian who specializes in the life and legacy of Captain Carter. After Nick Fury uses the Tesseract to bring Peggy back, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. contacts the reader to help her navigate life in the XXI century.
Warnings and notes: Food, mentions of Steggy, mentions of Stucky, very small mentions of war. Other characters are also mentioned. This got way longer than the first two parts, but there’s also way more Peggy here. This series takes place after the last scene of What If… episode one, including spoilers to that episode. Reader uses she/her pronouns.
Word count: 2,304
Series Masterlist
It should be a short walk to your apartment, but you made a small stop each time Captain Carter was curious about something. You also got some take out on the way, making sure to pick at least four different options from separate places and a couple of desserts too, since you didn’t know her taste yet. It was a while before you made it to your street.
During the entire time, your chatting was limited to safe topics - how loud and bright the city was, how many screens there were, the amount of coffee options that existed now. You watched Carter fall in love with her caramel coffee and made a mental note to buy her more sweets.
Soon, the Captain would also need to go shopping. Fury had gotten her the formal white blouse and the black pants she wore now, an outfit much more discreet than the uniform she was wearing when she fell, but that was her entire wardrobe at the moment. That was another mission you should handle, but it could wait until after lunch.
When you finally got home, you placed the food over a kitchen counter and gave Carter a quick tour of the apartment. It wasn’t much, but hopefully it would be enough for both of you until she was more familiar with this century. The tour ended where it started: in your tiny kitchen. You pulled a stool for the Captain and presented her with the options for lunch.
“I suppose you’ve never tried some of those, so I got a few different meals. Burritos, sweet and sour chicken, calzones and Pad Thai. For dessert, there’s lemon tart and triple chocolate cake. I might have gotten a little carried away.”
Peggy took a seat and examined her options. You wondered if that would be, technically her first meal since the 40’s.
“They are all tempting, but I might start with this one.” Her eyes were fixated on a burrito as if it was the Holy Grail. Yeah, that was surely the first time she ate in seventy years. She dove in, so focused on her meal that you didn’t dare to interrupt. Meanwhile, you took the other stool and picked a calzone, eating it while you watched Carter.
You were still trying to wrap your head around the fact that she was really here, and it was surprising that you hadn’t completely freaked out so far, but the prospect of the rest of the day started to worry you. The Captain would certainly have a lot of questions and, if there were inquiries that Fury left for you to answer, they probably pertained more to her personal life than to great historical events.
If the registers about her were right, it wouldn’t be long before the real conversation started. Peggy Carter was too smart to have such a debate in the middle of the street, but she wasn’t known for stalling. As soon as she finished her meal, in the privacy of your (now shared) kitchen, you would have to provide about seven decades of answers.
Before you could try to prepare yourself, she was done with her second burrito. You almost suggested dessert, but the look she gave you left no room for pauses. Carter turned on her stool to face you directly, her posture becoming straighter and her eyes never leaving yours. She was the perfect image of Captain Carter, the hero, the legend who defeated all odds. Still, when she spoke, there was softness in her voice.
“The meal was lovely and so is the apartment. I can’t thank you enough for you kindness, Agent L/N, but I must ask a few things more of you. If you have studied about my life, you must know what happened to Steve Rogers after I was gone.”
You should be ready for that. Of course her first personal concern would be about Rogers. His story with Carter went down in history as a tragic tale of love, bravery and loss. To his last days, Rogers had made it his mission to honor her legacy, but that wasn’t all that he did. How do you tell a person that the love of her life went on to live a decades long, fulfilling relationship with someone else, even though, from her perspective, they were together the day before?
“Please, call me Y/N. And you can ask anything, Captain. I will tell you everything I can.” You took a deep breath, going through the words in your head in search of the best way to let her know. It was best to keep nothing out. Carter deserved that. “Steve Rogers continued to serve as the Hydra Stomper until the war had ended and all known Hydra operations had been eliminated. After that, he stepped out of the suit so that Howard Stark could continue his research with the Tesseract. I believe neither of them ever gave up on bringing you back, but, in many ways, they also moved on to build new lives.”
You made a small pause, in case she wanted to say something, but Carter only gave you a nod, encouraging you to continue. It was impossible to look away from her eyes, or to keep anything hidden when she stared at you with such intensity. Even in silence, sitting still, she emanated a power that kept you talking.
“A few years after the war, Rogers and Stark started an intelligence agency to keep the world safe from threats we could barely understand. They named it S.H.I.E.L.D., because of you. That is the agency I work for, directed by Nick Fury.” There was something poetic in the way that same agency ended up being the reason Peggy Carter was back, but it wasn’t your place to point that out. “Rogers never stopped fighting, even without the suit. He was a legendary agent, working along with James Barnes until they retired. They were also together for the rest of their lives.”
That was the piece of information you feared would break Carter’s heart, but she had a bright smile after hearing that.
“That suits them. All of them.” The joy in her voice sounded so sincere, and you couldn’t help but ask.
“Were you and Rogers… Together? It is said so in the official files, but…” In your studies, you sometimes wondered if their relationship was just a myth, maybe a publicity stunt to humanize the fallen super soldier. It was your job to question the data, but you had never paid that possibility much attention until now.
Instead of being offended by your invasion of her privacy, Carter laughed so lightly and freely that you felt your cheeks getting warm.
“Oh, darling, Steve Rogers had a heart too big to have only one soul mate. He was the love of my life, yes, and I was the love of his, but not the only one. A love so beautiful and dedicated is supposed to be shared. Of course I’m sad I didn’t get to share the rest of his life with him, but I’m relieved to know that he and Bucky had each other. And that’s not to say I’m a being of such virtue that I’m above jealousy. I felt jealous of Steve alright, many times, but I could never be jealous of him with Buck. They fit well together and they were good for each other. They were real, just as Steve and I were. Steve deserved to be loved through a lifetime. I’m grateful that he was.”
Carter’s eyes shined with tears, but she didn’t allow any to fall. Maybe she would let herself grief for the lost possibilities later, but for now she was handling such an emotional journey with more elegance than you thought possible. It didn’t seem to be an act at all. On the contrary, what touched you the most was the honesty in her words. That selflessness of being genuinely happy to hear of how her soul mate lived on without her, in love with someone else, told you more about Peggy Carter than any history book ever had. And that’s how she reacted right after being thrown into the next century, coming directly from a war and landing in a world she didn’t recognize.
“I don’t think history ever made you justice, Captain. The general public thinks of you as a hero, but they’re so far from knowing the person behind the suit... You know, it’s very nice to meet you.” You couldn’t help but sharing a bit of what was on your mind. To that moment, your hero was turning out to be even better than your daydreams, and it was only fair to let her know so.
At that, she gave you a big smile and your heart skipped a beat. You would have a hard time sharing an apartment with this woman.
“You are far too kind to me. To be honest, they never showed much interest on me, suit or not, until I went against official orders and started throwing tanks around and fighting the battles that needed to be fought. I am more concerned about what I am able to achieve, regardless of how they will see me. And there’s no need to call me Captain, Y/N. Heavens, we live and work together now and you’re my guide to modern life. Peggy is fine. And it’s nice to meet you too.” She took the initiative to get a slice of chocolate cake, already making herself at home. You had the feeling that her adaptation to this world wouldn’t be too difficult, all things considered. Peggy Carter would take whatever she was given and make more of it than anyone imagined possible.
“As you wish, Peggy. Speaking of that, there’s a lot I think you’ll like to see about life now. What else are you curious about?” You took your own slice of cake, trying to feel at ease in this conversation. You couldn’t be on high alert whenever Carter was around if she was going to be around all the time, but that was easier said than done. Your responsibilities here were enormous and, to be frank, you were determined to be your best self and impress her, even if just a bit. Maybe telling her about the wonders of nowadays technology would do the trick.
“I am curious about everything. I can’t wait to know all about the development of science, or what I missed in seven decades of sociopolitical turmoil, but there’s one more person I’d love to hear about before we get to that. You mentioned Howard moving on with his life, didn’t you? What exactly was that little menace up to while I was gone?”
Now, that was a rich topic of conversation.
“Well, Stark continued his research with the Tesseract and with many other projects, sometimes along with the US government, and he built a billionaire empire. Weapons, all sorts of technology, wild parties. The man had everything. He has a son, Tony, who inherited the tech, the money and the brains, but with a stronger inclination to heroism. You see, Tony Stark built himself a supersuit, partially inspired by his father’s Hydra Stomper, but with a larger variety of uses. It’s said that Steve Rogers was a sort of mentor to him, but I couldn’t get Stark to talk a lot about it when I interviewed him.”
You couldn’t tell which part made Peggy more excited. She nodded along as you listed Howard Stark’s achievements, as if it was all expected, and her eyes got wider when you told her about his son. When you mentioned Rogers, she almost jumped in her seat. She was already invested, but dropping that name sealed the deal.
“Fury gave me this.” She took two business cards out of her pocket. “It has his telephone number and Barton’s too. Could I use your telephone to call him? I would like to meet this Tony Stark, and I bet Fury would be able to reach him.”
Giving Director Fury a call from your cellphone felt strange, but how could you deny Peggy that? If the Director gave her the number, he wanted her to be able to reach him, right?
Instead of dialing yourself, you showed Carter how to use the phone. She looked like a kid on Christmas whenever she was given access to new technology. You would make sure she got a cellphone of her own soon so you could show her everything the device could do.
She called Fury and you waited as they talked for less than two minutes. Peggy handed you the phone when she was done, with a smile that said she got what she wanted.
“So, what did the Director say?” You asked, anxious to know the outcome of the call.
“We’re meeting Tony Stark tomorrow at 2pm in his tower. Was it him who named it Stark tower or is that Howard’s doing?” She narrowed her eyes a bit, still smiling.
“The tower was built by Tony, so I think we can’t blame Howard for that one.” You joked. “Are you meeting Fury at S.H.I.E.L.D. before you two go to Stark’s?”
“Oh, Fury is not going. He booked the meeting for you and me, if you would like to accompany me.” Peggy sounded hesitant, as if she had just considered that you might not want to join her on that plan.
"You’re asking me if I wish to be there when Captain Carter meets Tony Stark? Please, if I didn’t get the chance to be a part of that exchange, I would beg you for a detailed retelling as soon as you got home.”
Your reply made Peggy laugh once more, and you were getting used to that sound very quickly.
Summary: Reader is a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and historian who specializes in the life and legacy of Captain Carter. After Nick Fury uses the Tesseract to bring Peggy back, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. contacts the reader to help her navigate life in the XXI century.
Warnings and notes: This series takes place after the last scene of What If... episode one, including spoilers to that episode. Any specific warnings will be listed by chapter.
