deliciously marvel

Steve meets him, and by some miracle, Steve likes him.

Meeting the man his best girl fell for was not supposed to be this easy.

But Steve likes him.

Daniel Sousa is a good man, Steve can tell. They share a mutual respect almost immediately - both former soldiers, both battle weary. And Steve can tell that he adores Peggy, clearly, and respects her too.

Steve can see the look in Peggy’s eyes as she turns to look at Daniel. It’s that soft look that once was directed at him, and still is to some degree in a gentle, nostalgic way. But with Daniel it’s the look of a woman actively in love, a woman in love with a good man, a man that loves her in return just as wholeheartedly. Not a woman in love with a ghost, or a memory, or an idea that had never really existed in the first place. It’s the look of a woman with a future unfolding before her.

Steve didn’t know what he was expecting when he arrived on Peggy Carter’s doorstep sometime in the 1950s. In hindsight, he should have known she’d see right through him.

He’d been met with pursed lips, narrowed eyes, and a lifted eyebrow, all pulled together by a look that screamed “and what on Earth do you think you’re doing here young man?”

It had taken Peggy all of ten seconds to realise that this was some sort of futuristic problem. To realise that this was Steve, yes, but it wasn’t her Steve. This wasn’t the Steve that she had lost in the ice, this was someone else’s Steve.

She’d agreed to the dance, of course. It was a sweet moment, and it made both of them smile fondly. Even if they were the wrong Peggy and the wrong Steve when together, they could do it for their counterparts. It was nice really.

Peggy had offered him tea, and now the cup feels odd and tiny in Steve’s hands. Out of place. Daniel smiles at him as warmly as Steve supposes you can smile at your lover’s not-exactly-ex-boyfriend. He earns even more of Steve’s respect at that.

Peggy tells him about her life now. About Daniel, and how they met, and how they’re hoping to be married soon. About her darling Angie, her best friend in the world who has been by her side since the very beginning. She tells him about how she’s advancing in her career, how she’s stepping out of the shadows and into a job she can be passionate about. She’s building pathways, for herself and for women just like her.

She’s still so determined and passionate to make the world a better place, to do something meaningful with her life, and it’s brilliant.

Steve in return tells her roundabouts where he ditched the plane. He tells her that she doesn’t have to go after him, if she doesn’t want to. That he’s probably going to be grateful for the rest. The only request he does make, is that her new team go and look for Bucky. That they snatch him from Hydras grasp as fast as they can.

A private smile sits on Peggy’s face at that, and the look in her eyes is fond once more. She promises him that she’ll start working on the case at the crack of dawn tomorrow. They’ll get him out. They’ll fix him. She will personally keep him safe.

Steve also tells her about the future. Not all of it. Some things he wants Peggy to experience for herself. But he tells her most things about his life. About Tony, Howard’s son, and how brilliant he is, and how he’s Earths greatest defender, and how Pepper is such a lovely woman. About Sam and Natasha, his brilliant and loyal friends. About Thor, a god with a love of... pop tarts? About Bruce and Clint, and Maria and Fury, about Wanda, about the sheer genius of Shuri the warrior princess, and her brother T’Challa. About Carol Danvers, about Stephen Strange. He tells her about Bucky. That they found him, and he’s alive, and he’s... not completely ok, but he’s getting there.

Peggy looks at him as he finishes his tea. “You’d best be getting back.” She hums.

Steve looks at her, really looks at her. His best girl. “Thank you, Peggy. Thank you.”

She stands to hug him, and she feels just like she did, and her perfume is just the same. Yet somehow, now, she feels like the past. Like a chapter that’s closing after a satisfying ending.

Daniel raises himself and shakes Steve’s hand. “Thank you, Captain Rogers. It’s been an honour.”

Steve can tell that he means it, and a look of understanding passes between them. A Take care of her and an I will. A handing over of the torch.

They walk him to the door, and see him down the drive. Steve turns back and sees them, arms round each other on the doorstep, and suddenly he feels odd.

He feels like a man out of time. This isn’t his place anymore. These streets, this world, these fashions. He’s moved on. He has somewhere else to be now.

He waves to Peggy and Daniel as he readies his Pym particles. He thinks of his family that he’s made in the future. His friends, his team.

He’s going back to them, to his present, to his time.

I just wanted to make a quick comment about this (as coherently as I can so apologies for any spelling/grammar errors):

I want to firstly say that I am ABSOLUTELY IN NO WAY suggesting that Peggy ‘ruined’ a ship. Absolutely not. That’s.... well I mean it’s not true for a start, she hasn’t ruined anything, and I adore Peggy, she’s easily one of my favourite characters in the MCU (of all characters, not just female). I hate the thought of someone thinking that I would believe this.

My post about Steve’s ending was in NO WAY intended to suggest that Peggy is the bad guy and ruined things. I’m really sorry if this is how it came across because that was absolutely not my intention and I completely understand that if people have viewed it that way they would be very upset. I am very upset to think of it like that too.

My main source of anger is towards the marvel machine for not really acknowledging Steve and buckys relationship in endgame at all. BY RELATIONSHIP I MEAN EITHER A ROMANTIC OR A PURELY PLATONIC BROTHERLY RELATIONSHIP. In my headcanon, I of course suggest that I would be happy for a romantic relationship to grow between them, but I am completely understanding and respectful of anyone who feels that their bond is simply friendship. No matter how you view Steve and Bucky’s relationship, I think most of us can agree that they clearly loved each other and were a significant part of each other’s lives. I just wish that more would have been made of this, considering that the captain America trilogy (especially caps 2+3) focus on Steve’s love for Bucky and their friendship/relationship/brotherhood (delete as you feel appropriate!) What was shown in endgame, for me, was not enough to reconcile three movies worth of character/relationship/friendship/brotherhood development. (Again, delete as appropriate)

For me personally, I feel that Peggy and Steve’s arc was beautiful, and that they most likely were in love in the 40s. I do really enjoy them as a pair, and I am still really happy that Steve got a fairytale ending.

For me personally, however, I also feel that Peggy and Steve’s arc was finished with them meeting again in winter soldier, and with Peggy’s death in civil war. Peggy’s comments in Winter Soldier, in my mind, suggest that she wanted Steve to move on into the future, and that she had been happy with her life and career and what she had done. The final puzzle piece was for her to see him happy.

I also loved agent carter as a TV show, and loved being able to see Peggy in her life continuing to be the beautiful and brilliant woman that we all know she is, despite the loss of a man she truly loved.

It’s because of this that I’m concerned at the way the time travel works and how this all maps out with Peggy’s life that she had for herself - her career, her marriage, her family etc. The last thing I would want is for Peggy’s storyline and character development to be taken away so she could have a ‘happily ever after’ with Steve, especially in a way that indicates, (to me at least, I know it’s confusing!) that she may not have had much say in her future. (As I’ve mentioned before there are a lot of theories floating around that say different things so that’s why I’m still so ??? At the minute)

I hope this has clarified my thoughts a bit more (or potentially made them more confusing OTL) and expresses my sincere wishes that NOBODY is attacking Peggy’s character for this.

TL;DR - I adore Peggy Carter as a strong female character and my post about my preferred ending was in no way suggesting that she ‘ruined’ anything or that she is just some silly woman who got in the way. i am very sorry if it came across that way. I am so proud of the life Peggy built for herself and a large part of my discomfort for cap’s ending comes from the questions raised over her life and her choices.

Steve goes back to deliver the infinity stones, of course he does.

But he drops by at the Stork Club. A week the Saturday after he initially went into the ice. 8PM. He’s only a few minutes late, and Peggy is still waiting.

And they dance. They have their dance, their moment together, their what-could-Have-been.

But Steve knows he has to go. Peggy knows it too, she’s a smart gal, Steve’s best gal. She knows that there are great things ahead for both of them, great happinesses and sadnesses but also great lives and loves. For both of them. She recognises that while the time and the love they shared together was beautiful, it was not meant to last. They’ve had their time; they’ve had their dance.

And it’s hard and it’s sad and it’s awful but they both know it’s the right thing to do.

And then quietly, Steve returns to the present. He returns to his future, to his start-over. His chance, now, to lead his life.

He gives Sam the shield. He deserves it, he’s been a loyal friend and he’s more than capable and deserving of it. He will be a great Cap, and Steve has done more than enough fighting now. It’s time for a break.

And so he retires to a quiet life. Gets a job at a local shop, adopts a cute little dog, and is always on hand to help out the local kids with anything they need.

And he gets to spend time with Bucky. Bucky, his best friend, his home, the person who is most closely connected to his soul. They finally get a chance to figure this out between themselves. Whatever this is. That love, that connection, whatever it was that kept them going, that made them break through brainwashing or drop the shield for 100 years. That unspoken thing that was so wrong back in their time but now maybe, just maybe, is ok.

And there’s a lot to learn. A lot of feelings to sort through and categorise and things to figure out but they do it. They do it because they have the time, and they ending and the opportunity that they deserve, that they’ve worked so hard for.

Peggy is allowed her life, in her time. She is allowed the family she built for herself, she is allowed to fall in love with another man, her husband, she is allowed her career as founder of SHIELD. She is allowed the opportunities to grow as a person and to forge a life for herself. She is allowed the happiness that she found, that she made. And she knows, deep down somewhere, that Steve is happy too. That Steve got the quiet life, and the love, he deserves. And she’s happy for that.

And Steve knows that Peggy was happy. That she lived her life to the full and she experienced joy. It’s the only thing he’d want for his best girl.

Everyone involved is emotionally (and often physically) battered and bruised. They’ve been through a lot. But they’ve carved out their own happiness. They’ve been given the dignity of the chance to make their own lives, to write their own endings.