Twist (Steggy, Ch 1/2, Rated M)
Hiiiii @rachlovesligers -- It's me, your @steggyfanevents Secret Santa! I apologize for the delay on your holiday gift, the elves refused to work the holidays (I worked most of the holidays lol), so they're still hard at work on chapter 2. But I didn't want to leave you hanging for too long, so here's part one of two to tide you over. I promise there will be a happy ending...or two.
When Peggy gets injured in enemy territory, the Howlies are forced to abandon their plans and hunker down for a night. Fortunately, they manage to find a place with actual beds—a luxury she and Steve have yet to enjoy together.
She’d been worried about Nazis. About Hydra. About meeting the wrong end of a bullet, or being buried under the rubble of a blast. The absolute last thing Peggy Carter had been worried about was Mother bloody Nature.
And yet.
.::.
Steve hears it immediately.
It’s dark—the frigid midnight is nearly moonless, something they’re hoping to use to their advantage as they creep through occupied territory. There’s barely enough light for the average person to see five feet ahead—but luckily for them, he’s no longer average. Steve can see plenty, and Dernier can see Steve, and Jones can see him, and Peggy can see Jones, and Morita can see her, and on it goes.
The woods they’re walking through are dense and wild, a maze of evergreens that make everything smell like Christmas and do a good job of hiding both them and the enemy. The plan had been a long, quiet walk through the winter dark, nothing but the sound of boots crunching snowy underbrush, and owls hooting in the trees. He can hear more than that, though. He can hear the occasional rattle of Monty’s cough (he really oughta lay off the smokes), the heavy whoosh of Dugan’s breath.
He can’t hear Buck bringing up the rear, but he’s sure of him nonetheless. Can feel him, sense him.
The woods are empty, and all is well.
Until it isn’t.
He hears it immediately: the sharp gasp and the rustling thump, and right after it, Peggy’s quiet “Ah!”
He freezes, and whispers into the dark, “Peg?”
(He hears Bucky, then. Hears the shift of his rifle swinging around to the front of his body, hears a twig snap under his boot as he turns this way and that, searching the trees around them for an unnoticed threat.)
When Steve turns, he can see Peggy—the dark shape of her crumpled on the forest floor (sitting, he thinks, at least she’s sitting up), Morita bent over her with a hand on her shoulder.
Steve’s stomach swoops down into his shoes.
(Continue on Ao3)