Agent Carter

i often have these ideas that have no real origin, but i can actually tell you precisely why my brain wanted this: i was listening to "hey, soul sister" by train on a loop and i got thinking abt the fact that we really do just say "hey" for so many reasons. and i wanted to make that your thought of the evening! so happy november, bon appetit, wrap up warm, DO NOT ADD TO THIS LIST, and enjoy your writings!

[ GREETING ]: sender says "hey" as a greeting to the receiver.

[ ATTENTION ]: sender, having just noticed something strange or remarkable, calls for the receiver to get their attention.

[ REASSURE ]: in a bid to steady the unsettled receiver, the sender lightly says "hey" to help them calm down.

[ ANGER ]: the sender sharply snaps "hey" at the receiver, clearly angry about something the receiver has just done or had done in the past.

[ IDEA ]: having been presented with a predicament, the sender suddenly unravels a solution, introducing it to the receiver by saying "hey…".

[ GUILT ]: having just done something that they know the receiver won't be pleased with, the sender sheepishly greets them once they arrive to see the damage.

[ GOSSIP ]: the sender turns to face the receiver conspiratorially, clearly eager to share some new gossip with them.

[ URGENT ]: the sender rushes to the preoccupied receiver, desperately shouting "hey!" to get them to focus on a far more pressing matter.

[ SOOTHE ]: after finding the clearly distressed receiver, the sender pulls them into a careful embrace, gently murmuring "hey…" to try and soothe them.

[ SMILE ]: the sender (who hasn't been smiling up until they actually see the receiver in front of them) lights up with a smile as they greet the receiver.

[ TEARS ]: the sender greets the receiver while very clearly in tears.

[ FAKE ]: alternatively, the sender (who has just been crying in private) hastily wipes away their tears and tries to greet the receiver casually (to varying degrees of success).

[ WARNING ]: when the receiver begins to say things about subjects that are off-limits to the sender, the latter gives them a warning by saying "hey…".

[ LAUGH ]: having found the receiver to be decidedly unhappy, the sender lightly catches their attention before doing something to make them laugh, or at the very least, grin.

[ PROTEST ]: after the receiver does or says something that the sender deems to be unfair, the sender tries to exact justice by saying "hey!".

[ BREATHLESS ]: having clearly just sprinted down to the receiver, the sender tries to catch their breath while greeting them.

[ SAVE ]: after just saving the receiver's life in a very heroic fashion, the sender smoothly greets them while helping them escape.

[ FLIRT ]: the sender meets the receiver in a social setting, and attempts to flirt with them with the very traditional pick-up line: "hey.".

[ APOLOGY ]: the sender, having recently done something that hurt or upset the receiver, reunites with them and addresses the elephant in the room by greeting them with a sincerely apologetic tone.

[ AWKWARD ]: after a particularly rough first encounter, the sender meets the receiver again, and awkwardly greets them with more than a touch of embarrassment.

[ GENTLE ]: having found the receiver in an emotionally compromised position, the sender closes the door and approaches them carefully, gently saying "hey…" to try and get them to communicate what has upset them.

[ HARD ]: preparing to deliver what they both know will be bad news, the sender tries to prepare the receiver by quietly greeting them in a solemn tone.

[ WAKEN ]: walking into the receiver's bedroom, the sender gently shakes their shoulder to waken them, and whispers "hey." to encourage the process along.

❛  are you always so competitive?  ❜ ❛  are you okay? are you hurt?  ❜ ❛  are you sure you can do this on your own?  ❜ ❛  are you thinking what i'm thinking?  ❜ ❛  can you go take care of this, please?  ❜ ❛  can you show me how to fight?  ❜ ❛  can you tell me more about your adventures?  ❜ ❛  do you believe in ghosts?  ❜ ❛  do you ever think about anyone other than yourself?  ❜ ❛  does it really have to be like this?  ❜ ❛  don't you think you've already done enough damage for one day?  ❜ ❛  has no one ever given you a compliment before?  ❜ ❛  have i ever told you how beautiful you look in the glow of the moonlight?  ❜ ❛  have you noticed anything different about me lately?  ❜ ❛  haven't you ever wondered why i never talk about my childhood?  ❜ ❛  how can you just go to sleep like nothing happened?  ❜ ❛  how many more people have to suffer before you realize your madness?  ❜ ❛  is there anything else i can do for you?  ❜ ❛  is this really how you want this to end?  ❜ ❛  isn't it ironic?  ❜ ❛  what are your plans for today?  ❜ ❛  what else do you want me to say?  ❜ ❛  what else have you hidden from me?  ❜ ❛  what happened here? where is all that smoke coming from?  ❜ ❛  what has happened in your life that made you like this?  ❜ ❛  when were you going to tell me?  ❜ ❛  where are we supposed to go from here?  ❜ ❛  who will be able to stop them now?  ❜ ❛  why can't you just act like a normal person?  ❜ ❛  why can't you just leave me alone?  ❜ ❛  why can't you just stay focused?  ❜ ❛  why does everything always have to be so complicated?  ❜ ❛  why should i believe you now when you've told nothing but lies?  ❜ ❛  why won't you just tell me what i did wrong?  ❜ ❛  will it ever stop hurting so much?  ❜ ❛  will you go out on a date with me?  ❜ ❛  will you just shut up and kiss me already?  ❜ ❛  will you please text me when you get home safely?  ❜ ❛  you're completely out of your element here, aren't you?  ❜

     Agent Rogers. It was weird to hear it, even though he knew that had been the aim of this all. It was a hell of a lot better than being a worthless punk stuck in Brooklyn though, and he nodded. “I’m not joining some dumb protection program, no offense. If I’d wanted that, I wouldn’t’ve been here in the first place, volunteering. I’d rather be trained up and tossed out into the war. Hell, it’s the least I can do, given how much you’ve given back to me.”      The last comment was directed at them both, a nod of acknowledgement at Erskine for his hard work. “I dunno why they won’t let you keep experimentin’ on me though. It’s not like it’s done any harm, and I could be even more useful…”      That had always been a fear of his, one of the few insults that had struck too close to home to shake off. Useless. Everyone ( except his mother, except Bucky and Rebecca ) had assumed he wouldn’t amount to much. Hell, even he’d been working under the assumption that he’d be dead in the next ten years, given his health. People didn’t want to give jobs to someone who gets winded as fast as he does or can’t carry their weight ( literally ), so he hasn’t built up a repertoire of skills that would let him make society better somehow. Right now all he knows is how to talk and how to punch, and he’s not even great at the former, especially when it comes to women.      He looks at Peggy, hopeful. “D’you really think they can train me to be an agent like you? I’m startin’ from absolutely nothing. I only just managed to get my legs under me again this morning.”

     Peggy couldn’t help the smirk at Steve’s initial comment that tugged at the corner of her lips. She had always enjoyed his spunk. It was one of the things that initially drew her to him. But her smirk soon went away as she schooled her features back to her neutral expression. They had already accused her of having a crush for being the reason she went to bat for Steve to become an agent. She shut that down quite quickly with the help of Dr. Erskine. Her crush on him was completely irrelevant to her fighting for him to remain with the SSR. 

     “You will still be useful as an agent, Steve. They’re being tight with resources and wanting us to get back to the front. It’s more of a show of what they think about me, than what they think about you.” Dr. Erskine reassured, placing a hand on Steve’s shoulder. 

     Agent Rogers. It was weird to hear it, even though he knew that had been the aim of this all. It was a hell of a lot better than being a worthless punk stuck in Brooklyn though, and he nodded. “I’m not joining some dumb protection program, no offense. If I’d wanted that, I wouldn’t’ve been here in the first place, volunteering. I’d rather be trained up and tossed out into the war. Hell, it’s the least I can do, given how much you’ve given back to me.”      The last comment was directed at them both, a nod of acknowledgement at Erskine for his hard work. “I dunno why they won’t let you keep experimentin’ on me though. It’s not like it’s done any harm, and I could be even more useful…”      That had always been a fear of his, one of the few insults that had struck too close to home to shake off. Useless. Everyone ( except his mother, except Bucky and Rebecca ) had assumed he wouldn’t amount to much. Hell, even he’d been working under the assumption that he’d be dead in the next ten years, given his health. People didn’t want to give jobs to someone who gets winded as fast as he does or can’t carry their weight ( literally ), so he hasn’t built up a repertoire of skills that would let him make society better somehow. Right now all he knows is how to talk and how to punch, and he’s not even great at the former, especially when it comes to women.      He looks at Peggy, hopeful. “D’you really think they can train me to be an agent like you? I’m startin’ from absolutely nothing. I only just managed to get my legs under me again this morning.”

     Peggy couldn’t help the smirk at Steve’s initial comment that tugged at the corner of her lips. She had always enjoyed his spunk. It was one of the things that initially drew her to him. But her smirk soon went away as she schooled her features back to her neutral expression. They had already accused her of having a crush for being the reason she went to bat for Steve to become an agent. She shut that down quite quickly with the help of Dr. Erskine. Her crush on him was completely irrelevant to her fighting for him to remain with the SSR. 

     “You will still be useful as an agent, Steve. They’re being tight with resources and wanting us to get back to the front. It’s more of a show of what they think about me, than what they think about you.” Dr. Erskine reassured, placing a hand on Steve’s shoulder. 

     Natasha bit her lip. If possible, she didn’t want to get Logan involved, for multiple reasons. The man wasn’t exactly subtle, for starters. There was an extremely select group of people who could produce claws from their bodies, and therefore he automatically left a signature at any fight he’d been involved in. Nat’s ability to use a variety of weapons was a much better cloak. Additionally, he was a mite bit protective of her, and would frown at her reverting to a mask of a person he had once saved and… rehabilitated, for lack of a better word. Atoning for her past was a hard enough process without her pulling the Red Room assassin that she used to be back up to the surface, and he’d know it.      “They’re a last resort, but we can trust them,” she said with a nod. “Consider them Plan C. We might be able to high-tail it out of there if shit goes down too, but if I can get to them and convince them not to cause a scene, that’ll be a better hideout.” Her face grew serious. “How do you want me to mask up for this? Clean and sleek or partially armored? I’ve fought both ways, and I’m sure that our enemies will have a bit of both, if they’re anything like I predict.”

     The look on Natasha’s face told Peggy everything that she needed to know. There would absolutely be no contacting this person if they needed something. Which was fine. She and Natasha were two of the top spies that SHIELD had so Peggy had the utmost confidence that whatever came their way, they would be able to handle it just fine. 

     Natasha bit her lip. If possible, she didn’t want to get Logan involved, for multiple reasons. The man wasn’t exactly subtle, for starters. There was an extremely select group of people who could produce claws from their bodies, and therefore he automatically left a signature at any fight he’d been involved in. Nat’s ability to use a variety of weapons was a much better cloak. Additionally, he was a mite bit protective of her, and would frown at her reverting to a mask of a person he had once saved and… rehabilitated, for lack of a better word. Atoning for her past was a hard enough process without her pulling the Red Room assassin that she used to be back up to the surface, and he’d know it.      “They’re a last resort, but we can trust them,” she said with a nod. “Consider them Plan C. We might be able to high-tail it out of there if shit goes down too, but if I can get to them and convince them not to cause a scene, that’ll be a better hideout.” Her face grew serious. “How do you want me to mask up for this? Clean and sleek or partially armored? I’ve fought both ways, and I’m sure that our enemies will have a bit of both, if they’re anything like I predict.”

     The look on Natasha’s face told Peggy everything that she needed to know. There would absolutely be no contacting this person if they needed something. Which was fine. She and Natasha were two of the top spies that SHIELD had so Peggy had the utmost confidence that whatever came their way, they would be able to handle it just fine. 

     He was surprised that she didn’t take the obvious bait of making a joke about Hawkeye and the birds. He was pretty sure that she wasn’t quite as straight laced as people thought, and there was a moment where Clint pondered what it might have been like for her when she was growing up, climbing trees and getting yelled at for it. It’s a stunningly normal thought. But then his own childhood had been anything but normal. His mother couldn’t have cared less if he was stuck somewhere unless it was time for dinner and it was his brother who got him both up and down trees back then anyway.      “I guess so. The world always looks bigger when you’re small.” The tightrope at the circus had always been exhilaratingly and almost terrifyingly high when he was younger and now he jumps off buildings. It’s not for fun, despite Nat’s accusations, but frequently enough that people suspect that he uses it to get his adrenaline rush. They’re not entirely wrong. “Then again, it feels like the world is getting smaller all the time, doesn’t it?”

     And there was the opening that Peggy had been waiting for. She had been reinstated as an agent of SHIELD when Tony had been kidnapped, slowly transitioning back to the agency full time. It wasn’t until after the attack on New York and the first time the Avengers came together, that she had been placed fully in charge of the Avengers Initiative, or well second in command of the initiative, she still had to answer to Fury after all. She’d been checking in and working on a mission with each member one on one so she could get an even better feel for the team. 

     He was surprised that she didn’t take the obvious bait of making a joke about Hawkeye and the birds. He was pretty sure that she wasn’t quite as straight laced as people thought, and there was a moment where Clint pondered what it might have been like for her when she was growing up, climbing trees and getting yelled at for it. It’s a stunningly normal thought. But then his own childhood had been anything but normal. His mother couldn’t have cared less if he was stuck somewhere unless it was time for dinner and it was his brother who got him both up and down trees back then anyway.      “I guess so. The world always looks bigger when you’re small.” The tightrope at the circus had always been exhilaratingly and almost terrifyingly high when he was younger and now he jumps off buildings. It’s not for fun, despite Nat’s accusations, but frequently enough that people suspect that he uses it to get his adrenaline rush. They’re not entirely wrong. “Then again, it feels like the world is getting smaller all the time, doesn’t it?”

     And there was the opening that Peggy had been waiting for. She had been reinstated as an agent of SHIELD when Tony had been kidnapped, slowly transitioning back to the agency full time. It wasn’t until after the attack on New York and the first time the Avengers came together, that she had been placed fully in charge of the Avengers Initiative, or well second in command of the initiative, she still had to answer to Fury after all. She’d been checking in and working on a mission with each member one on one so she could get an even better feel for the team. 

     Florence nodded, gritting her teeth sympathetically for a moment before breathing out and reaching in with the tweezers. Her hands were steady — the steadiest in the camp and it was no secret — as she grasped the ends of the metal carefully. Already, the combination of blood and injected fluid was making the area slick, and she struggled to get a good grip on it for a moment, but even as the tweezer head slipped, she made sure that they didn’t touch any other flesh there. Two more tries and she got it, pulling smoothly until the bullet was out of Peggy’s body.

     A rush of blood welled up in its wake and the medic quickly dropped everything else to grab the gauze. She dabbed some of the blood away, then flushed the wound with water so she could see what was going on inside. “No arteries nicked,” she said with relief, now comfortable in applying general pressure to the area. “Hold that in place for a moment, I’ll wrap you up.”

As Florence did her job, Peggy kept her head forward and focused on her breathing. While being shot hurt like hell, this wasn’t exactly the most comfortable feeling ever either. Florence was the best at what she did though and while it took her a few tries to finally remove the bullet, it seemed like hardly any time passed at all. 

     Florence nodded, gritting her teeth sympathetically for a moment before breathing out and reaching in with the tweezers. Her hands were steady — the steadiest in the camp and it was no secret — as she grasped the ends of the metal carefully. Already, the combination of blood and injected fluid was making the area slick, and she struggled to get a good grip on it for a moment, but even as the tweezer head slipped, she made sure that they didn’t touch any other flesh there. Two more tries and she got it, pulling smoothly until the bullet was out of Peggy’s body.

     A rush of blood welled up in its wake and the medic quickly dropped everything else to grab the gauze. She dabbed some of the blood away, then flushed the wound with water so she could see what was going on inside. “No arteries nicked,” she said with relief, now comfortable in applying general pressure to the area. “Hold that in place for a moment, I’ll wrap you up.”

As Florence did her job, Peggy kept her head forward and focused on her breathing. While being shot hurt like hell, this wasn’t exactly the most comfortable feeling ever either. Florence was the best at what she did though and while it took her a few tries to finally remove the bullet, it seemed like hardly any time passed at all. 

     Matt didn’t have the energy to fight her. She was at least doing the best she could to protect his privacy, so that was something, but… hadn’t she called him by last name earlier? There weren’t a lot of Murdocks that he knew personally, but hopefully there were enough for people not to have picked up on it. Not only would it get him disbarred as a lawyer if people found out who he was, but it would also put the people he cared about at risk.

     It was a risk being seen with Daredevil, but people like the Natasha or Luke or Jessica or Danny could handle stuff like that. If the kind of attacks they experienced were inflicted on Foggy or Karen? They’d never make it. The idea terrified him.

     “Thanks,” he muttered to Peggy, then closed his eyes for a moment.

     The rumble of an incoming vehicle alerted Matt to the presence of the medical van, followed closely by the sterile scent of alcohol swabs and iodine and whatever else was in there. The buzzing finally began to fade from his ears, though the dizziness remained, and he let himself be carried in. “Don’t… anesthetize me… please.” Yes, it would hurt like hell to have the wound opened for the bullet extraction without it, but he hated the feeling of being numbed out like that, of having his senses muddled.

     Well, thank god, he finally stopped fighting her on it. She knew he still needed to learn to trust her and how she operated but she wasn’t going to let anything happen to him. She looked out for her people. He wasn’t SHIELD but Natasha was her people no matter what so therefore by extension Matt was her people. 

     “You’re welcome.” She whispered back, smiling softly as the medical team finally showed and ushered him back into the medical van. Peggy came to stand on the uninjured side of him and couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that the medical team looked towards her when he declined anesthesia. “Well, you heard the man, don’t do it.” She reiterated, giving her team a stern look to go along with the order. 

     Matt didn’t have the energy to fight her. She was at least doing the best she could to protect his privacy, so that was something, but… hadn’t she called him by last name earlier? There weren’t a lot of Murdocks that he knew personally, but hopefully there were enough for people not to have picked up on it. Not only would it get him disbarred as a lawyer if people found out who he was, but it would also put the people he cared about at risk.

     It was a risk being seen with Daredevil, but people like the Natasha or Luke or Jessica or Danny could handle stuff like that. If the kind of attacks they experienced were inflicted on Foggy or Karen? They’d never make it. The idea terrified him.

     “Thanks,” he muttered to Peggy, then closed his eyes for a moment.

     The rumble of an incoming vehicle alerted Matt to the presence of the medical van, followed closely by the sterile scent of alcohol swabs and iodine and whatever else was in there. The buzzing finally began to fade from his ears, though the dizziness remained, and he let himself be carried in. “Don’t… anesthetize me… please.” Yes, it would hurt like hell to have the wound opened for the bullet extraction without it, but he hated the feeling of being numbed out like that, of having his senses muddled.

     Well, thank god, he finally stopped fighting her on it. She knew he still needed to learn to trust her and how she operated but she wasn’t going to let anything happen to him. She looked out for her people. He wasn’t SHIELD but Natasha was her people no matter what so therefore by extension Matt was her people. 

     “You’re welcome.” She whispered back, smiling softly as the medical team finally showed and ushered him back into the medical van. Peggy came to stand on the uninjured side of him and couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that the medical team looked towards her when he declined anesthesia. “Well, you heard the man, don’t do it.” She reiterated, giving her team a stern look to go along with the order. 

okay so i got like, three books delivered this week, and in anticipation i reread another book that i had, and lads, let me tell ye, it was like quicksand. so now i have a list, some from my head, many from my wonderful friends’ heads, of prompts that basically made us all very soft or very “pleasantly scandalized rich lady from the sixties who just found out a juicy bit of goss about the new neighbor”. i hope ye like them! (DO NOT ADD TO THE LIST. I WILL MAKE A PART TWO. AND THREE. AND FOUR. MANY MANY PARTS. EVENTUALLY. )

[ HAIR ]:          sender slowly reaches out to catch a loose strand of the receiver’s hair and tuck it gently and securely back behind their ear, letting their touch linger afterwards. (if the receiver has short hair, then the sender reaches out and gently runs their fingers through their hair to smooth it back.)

[ CLOSE ]:          while standing remarkably close to one another, the sender is unable to stop themselves from running their gaze across the receiver’s body, lingering for a moment on their lips, before returning to initiate prolonged, intense eye contact.

[ CHIN ]:          as they stand close to one another, the sender hooks a finger and tenderly lifts the receiver’s chin, tilting it up so that they can look at one another, and running a thumb across their skin lightly.

[ THUMB ]:          while cupping the receiver’s cheek in their hand, the sender slowly glides their thumb across their cheekbone in a tender, sweeping caress.

[ WOUND ]:          upon noticing a recent injury on the receiver’s person, the sender carefully moves closer, running a thumb (or hand) across the wound in a gentle, troubled manner.

[ INHALE ]:          while standing in very close quarters to the receiver, the sender shakily inhales with desire/anticipation as they realize how intimately close they are to one another.

[ DANCE ]:          when alone together (e.g. the bedroom, the kitchen, literally anywhere once they’re alone) the sender takes the receiver’s hand, and pulls them into a graceful yet intimate dance as a spontaneous act.

[ BARE ]:          as they get undressed, the sender gently places a soft, tender kiss against the receiver’s bare shoulder.

[ SCAR ]:          noticing a scar on the receiver’s skin, the sender tentatively stops them from covering it up, and rests a gentle, soft kiss over it.

[ FOREHEAD ]:          placing a hand on the back of the receiver’s neck, the sender guides them close and rests their foreheads together.

[ PALM ]:          taking the receiver’s hand, the sender brings it to their mouth, and places a tender kiss against the receiver’s palm.

[ LINGER ]:          taking the receiver’s hand, the sender lifts it to their lips, and gently kisses their knuckles, lingering for a moment before withdrawing.

[ BEHIND ]:         upon entering the same room as the receiver, the sender steps behind them, and winds their arms around the receiver’s waist, drawing them close against them.

[ WAIT ]:          realizing the receiver is about to leave the room, the sender hastily reaches out and catches their wrist, preventing them from continuing their departure.

[ ARM ]:          after holding their hand, the sender releases the receiver, but slowly glides their hand up the full length of their arm, lingering on the upper arm, then the shoulder, then resting their touch against the side of their neck.

[ HOLD ]:          while close to the receiver, the sender wordlessly takes a hold of their hand, for no other purpose than to be holding it.

[ PLAY ]:          while sitting together, the sender absently lifts the receiver’s hand, idly running their fingertips across the lines of their palms, mapping out every inch of their hand with slow, lazy touches.

[ GUIDE ]:          in the process of guiding the receiver through a crowded place, the sender’s hand protectively grazes against the small of their back

[ TOUCH ]:          while touching the receiver’s waist, the sender’s hand briefly dips beneath the hem of their shirt, skimming briefly across the bare skin of their waist.

[ CUP ]:           bringing both hands up to cup the receiver’s face, the sender draws them in closer to them in order to get a better look at their face.

[ TUG ]:          the sender tugs the receiver close against them by resting a hand against the small of their back, pulling them flush against their body.

[ HUSH ]:          while standing close to one another and hiding from pursuers, the sender reaches up and places a finger against the receiver’s lips to prevent them from speaking and revealing their location.